I’ve Hunted Over Hundreds of Duck Decoys—These Are the Ones That Made the Cut

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Half of my garage is solely dedicated to duck decoys. I have dozens upon dozens of mallards, black ducks, pintails, wood ducks, wigeon, and gadwall floaters. Then there are the full bodies, silhouettes, and motion decoys. Not to mention my family’s collection of vintage cork decoys. It’s safe to say I have a decoy addiction.  

The benefit of hoarding decoys is that I’ve hunted over a wide range of brands, styles, and materials. Over the years, I’ve come to like particular models for specific hunting situations. But let me be clear: You don’t need dozens of decoys to kill a lot of ducks. As much as I hate to admit it, a simple spread of 12 mallard decoys will do the job. 

So that leaves the million-dollar question: What are the best duck decoys? Hunters must consider style, species, time of year, size, paint schemes, and location when building their spread. As you start hunting different habitats, species, and locations, your decoy choice will vary. But that’s the fun part—you can slowly add to your decoy spread over time and fine-tune it to your hunting style. Then, on those slow days in the blind, you can look out at your spread and admire your collection. Here are some of our favorite decoys.

• Best Mallard Floaters: Final Approach Live Floating Mallards
• Best Motion Decoy: Avian X Power Kicker
• Best Lightweight: Heyday HydroFoam Mallard Decoys
• Best Spinning Wing: Lucky Duck XHDI Motorized Mallard
• Best Full Bodies: Avian-X AXP Full Body Mallards
• Best Black Duck: Avian-X Topflight Fully Flocked Black Ducks
• Best Wigeon: Final Approach Live Floating Wigeon

More Duck Decoys We Love

• DSD Maxima Mallards
• Higdon Battleship Swimmer Pro
• Mojo 25th Anniversary Silver Mallard
• EZ Dekes Texas Rigs

Best Mallard Floaters: Final Approach Live Floating Mallards

Specs 

• Species: Mallard 
• Style: Floater 
• Number of Decoys: 12 (7 drakes/5 hens) 
• Material: EVA 

The Final Approach Live Floating mallards are the anchor of my decoy spread. They’re durable, ultra-realistic, and oversized for extra visibility. The 12-pack comes with seven drakes, all of which have flocked heads, and five hens. This also includes eight different body postures. The shape of these decoys, combined with their paint scheme, makes them among the most realistic on the market. The detail in the feathers, paint, and flocked heads is incredible. And unlike many modern plastic decoys, the FA live floating mallards ride low to the water, just like real birds. 

Due to the fully plummed color scheme, I don’t break these out until mid-season, where I then use them all the way to the end of January. I’ve dragged these decoys over ice, mud, rocks, and snow—and they’ve held up. Every deke still looks like new. I give them one washdown at the end of the season, and they’re ready to go. —Ryan Chelius

Best Motion Decoy: Avian-X Power Kicker

Specs 

• Species: Mallard 
• Style: Motion decoy
• Number of Decoys: 1
• Material: Sealed battery

The Avian-X Power Kicker jumped to the top of the list last year for best motion decoy. I’ve hunted over this kicker a few times now, and I’ve been very impressed. The feet move up and down to imitate a duck feeding, while sending ripples throughout the spread. The decoy has two modes: a full-on mode that runs continuously for 12 straight hours and an intermittent mode that extends the battery life to 24 hours. It comes with a lithium-ion battery and charger. The kicking action produces realistic ripples, and the feet movement adds extra motion that traditional ripples don’t have. —R.C.

Best Lightweight: Heyday HydroFoam Mallard Decoys

Specs 

• Species: Mallard 
• Style: Floater
• Number of Decoys: 1
• Material: Foam

For hunters who walk long distances and carry their decoys to the hole, the Heyday floating mallards are for you. These decoys weigh virtually nothing but still look great. Every Heyday deke comes with two removable keel weights that, when inserted, make sure the decoy lands upright in the water. Due to the hollow design and foam material, these decoys can’t sink. That means even if your hunting buddy peppers one of the decoys, it will still work. I have the original HydoFoam mallard 6-pack, but I also added a half dozen mallard position pack two decoys that feature an even more realistic design than the originals. The only downside to these decoys is that they’re expensive ($165 per 6), but they will last forever. You can’t sink them even if you try. Heyday offers HydroFoam dekes in 10 other duck species and three goose species. —R.C.

Best Spinning Wing: Lucky Duck XHDI Spinner

Specs

• Species: Mallard 
• Style: Spinner 
• Number of Decoys: 1 
• Material: EVA body 

After two full seasons of hunting with the Lucky Duck XHDI, I can say this is the best spinning wing decoy I’ve ever used. What makes it so good? For starters, it features magnetic wings that ensure it always turns off white-side down. This allows you to run spinners for ducks and shut them off for incoming honkers without issue. As for the rest of the decoy, this spinner features a realistic paint scheme and a durable EVA body. It is fully waterproof and runs on a 7.4-volt lithium-ion battery. Speaking of that battery, I was able to go multiple hunts without recharging my XHDI. Lucky Duck claims it has a run time of 16-20 hours—all I can tell you is that I used it for four hunts in a row without recharging it. The wings are also flocked to reduce glare and add realism. The kit comes with a 7-foot stake and remote kit. —R.C.

Best Full Bodies: Avian-X AXP Full Body Mallards

Specs

• Species: Mallard 
• Style: Full Body 
• Number of Decoys: 6 (4 drakes/2 hens) 
• Material: Rubberized molding material and non-chip paint 

A large portion of hunters chase ducks in dry fields. This calls for different kinds of gear, including bibs, layout blinds, and full body decoys. And the best full body decoys you can buy are Avian-X’s AXP Mallards. They’re the dry field version of the brand’s fusion floater pack, featuring the same realism, durability, and paint scheme, but in a standing position.  

Avian-X sells a six-pack of these full bodies for $210, but you can pick up the same ones on Amazon for $172. As I mentioned earlier, these dekes are durable and look fantastic. They come with a six-slot decoy bag and 17-inch orange stakes. I recommend accumulating some every few years and mixing in other species, like full body black ducks and wigeon, to give your spread more contrast and diversity. —R.C.

Best Black Duck: Avian-X Topflight Fully Flocked Black Ducks

Specs

• Species: Black Duck 
• Style: Floater 
• Number of Decoys: 6 (3 drakes/3 hens) 
• Material: Rubberized molding material

In the early years of my duck hunting career, I targeted black ducks almost exclusively. I hunted in the salt marshes of Long Island, where the black duck is king. Besides an excellent hide, realistic decoys are crucial for success. And these Avian-X flocked black ducks are the most realistic-looking black duck dekes out there. Nothing else even comes close. 

My salt marsh black duck rig usually consists of anywhere between 6 and 12 Avian-X flocked black ducks and two mallard decoys. If you’ve spent any time hunting or observing black ducks, then you know just how dark these birds look on the water. They are jet black, and the further away you are, the darker they appear. These decoys imitate that look to a tee and should be a regular in any Atlantic flyway duck hunter’s spread. A half dozen will run you a little over $100, but you can often find them on sale for less. Just make sure to rinse them down after every few hunts in salt water. —R.C.

Best Wigeon: Final Approach Live Floating Wigeon

Specs

• Species: Wigeon 
• Style: Floaters 
• Number of Decoys: 6 (4 drakes/2 hens) 
• Material: EVA plastic 

After mallards, wigeon are what I shoot the most in my home state of Colorado. I often see big groups of cottontops mixed in with flocks of greenheads. To make my spread as realistic as possible, I throw out a half-dozen Final Approach live floating wigeon mixed in with my mallard dekes—and it works perfectly. Adding variety to your spread is important in all four flyways, and since wigeon are found across the entire country, a couple of cottontop decoys will benefit most hunters.  

These floaters are durable, realistic, and add a little extra pop to the spread. I love the whistler head position, and the paint scheme has just the right amount of colors that increase visibility without looking unnatural. Depending on the situation, I either run all six of these FA wigeon dekes or as little as just two for small water hunts. A half-dozen will run you a C-note, but they are worth every penny. —R.C.

DSD Maxima Mallards

Specs

• Species: Mallards
• Style: Floaters
• Number of Decoys: 6 (4 drakes/2 hens)
• Material: Not specified

Dave Smith made his name with ultra-realistic fullbody geese, and only recently have you been able to buy DSD floaters. The latest are the Maxima Mallards, “Maxima” being the name of DSD’s more affordable decoys. These floaters boast the kind of realistic carving and paint schemes you would expect from Dave Smith. Each box of six comes packed with four drakes and two hens, in six individual, relaxed poses. They are surprisingly light, at about 1 pound, 4 ounces apiece (a comparable decoy, chosen at random from the mallards in my basement, weighed 1 pound, 8 ounces), making them easier to pack in. They feature the “Swimbait” keel with six attachment points for rigging in any kind of water. A six-pack sells for $129.95. —Phil Bourjaily

Higdon Battleship Swimmer Pro

Specs

• Species: Mallard
• Style: Battery-operated swimmer
• Number of Decoys: 1
• Material: Lithium-ion battery, foam-filled decoy

Magnum-sized at 21 inches long, the Battleship Pro is built for heavy-duty use. First of all, it’s foam-filled, in case someone shoots it. Don’t laugh. I’ve seen what happens when someone accidentally center-punches an un-foam-filled motion decoy. You want the foam-filled model. The pump and impeller will run for seven hours on a battery charge. The motor is powerful enough to keep it swimming in high winds. While it could not swim far in my weedy duck hole, it gamely butted against the vegetation all morning long, and in so doing created ripples that overhead ducks could see from afar. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Battleship Pro Swimmer was running on the bluebird day when mallards, geese, wood ducks, and pintail dropped in without hesitation. It comes in both drake and hen models for $199 apiece. —P.B.

Mojo 25th Anniversary Silver Mallard

Specs

• Species: Mallard
• Style: Spinner
• Number of Decoys: 1
• Material: Lithium-ion battery, EVA plastic body

It’s been 25 years since “Mojo” became a household word among duck hunters, and to mark the occasion, we get the 25th anniversary Silver Mallard. To be clear, this spinner is not silver, but mallard-colored, and well-carved, too, with a lot of feather detail in high relief, as well as a 25th anniversary medallion/sticker on the back. It’s a handy, compact size, with feet that show every sign of actually remaining attached, which has been rare on Mojos in the past. That’s especially important here because one of the feet is banded, and you can register your band number to become eligible for continuous prize drawings throughout the year.

The battery mount has been redesigned for smoother operation, and there’s an emergency wire that will run the wings if your switch fails. The decoy comes with a three-part pole. It also has a back loop so you can hang it from the ceiling for display at camp. The decoy is remote-ready, although you have to buy the remote switch separately. You go ahead and hang yours at camp. Mine is now remote-enabled, and as soon as I find a field full of ducks and geese, I’m taking it hunting. —P.B.

Best Texas Rig: EZ Dekes Texas Rigs

Specs

• Length: 24″, 36″, 48″, 60″, 72″, 96″
• Materials: Stainless Steel PVC Coated Cables
• Weight: 4oz, 6oz, 8oz, 12oz
• Quantity: 12

EZ Dekes is a small company based out of Long Island, New York. The harsh saltwater conditions of Long Island’s bays and marshes led EZ Dekes founder Ryan Preuss to create decoy rigging systems that can handle the brutal, corrosive environment. I started using EZ Dekes Texas rigs this season, and I’ve been extremely impressed. Besides being built with the best materials, the PVC-coated cables are the most flexible and maneuverable lines that I’ve ever used. They are easy to tie into loops for carrying purposes and don’t retain memory, unlike almost every other Texas rig cable on the market.

I have two dozen 36-inch cables rigged with 4-ounce mushroom weights. These rigs also come in lengths up to 96 inches and weights up to 12 ounces. I suggest getting the PVC-coated cables over mono for durability purposes. Hunters can also purchase timber rigs, long lines, and custom decoy bags. Plus, everything is handmade right here in the USA. —R.C.

How We Tested Duck Decoys 

The only way to test duck decoys is through excessive use in the field. Great decoys can withstand constant abuse from the elements season after season. That means being durable enough to be repeatedly thrown into the bed of a truck, dragged across the ground, frozen in ice, covered in mud, and submerged in water.  

Over the past five hunting seasons, I’ve spent well over 100 days in the marsh. During that time, I’ve added to and changed my decoy spread more than I can count. I’m not easy on gear, either. My decoys get thrown into canoes, dragged across rocky riverbanks, banged up against ice shelves, and used in the highly corrosive saltwater.  

I hunt in all types of habitats, from small freshwater streams to big reservoirs to icy rivers to saltwater marshes. My decoy selection varies from location to location, depending on what species I target and what hunting situation I’m in. My testing grounds ranged from rivers in northern Maine to tidal marshes in New York to flooded timber in Arkansas to the shores of the Pacific Northwest. I’ve hunted over spreads as little as four decoys and have set rigs with as many as 300. Every decoy on this list has helped me put ducks on my strap—and each is durable enough to last season after season.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of companies producing duck decoys nowadays. Most of them are good. Others are okay. Some are exceptional. Most of these decoys on any given day will fool a mallard or two, but there’s a lot more to consistently decoying ducks than merely buying a dozen Brand “˜X’ mallards and tossing ’em out willy-nilly. Decoys—the physical decoys themselves—are just the beginning.

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