When it comes to waterfowl decoys, there are certainly plenty of options to choose from. There are also plenty of gimmicks, and serious waterfowlers will spot those in a heartbeat and shy away from them. After all, they’ve probably already got some never-used gimmicks occupying permanent storage space in their garage or attic. They’ve learned the hard way what works and what doesn’t. Retailers don’t want to have the same problem of stocking unwanted decoys only to have them languish away, unsold, on their shelves taking up valuable space. The following decoys are those that hard-core duck and goose hunters will actually want to buy — and then actually use in their spreads.

Bigfoot

Full-body goose decoys are the most popular style of goose decoy, and Bigfoot sets the bar for full-body realism and ruggedness. Personally, I have more Bigfoots in my garage than any other type of decoy, and I use them the most, too. 

At the heart of every Bigfoot full-body is the patented leg/foot assembly that provides a wide base, allowing the decoy to stand on its own without the need for stakes. Anyone who’s ever tried (unsuccessfully) to jam a decoy stake into frozen ground will appreciate the value of Bigfoot’s stand-alone system. 

Full-body Canada goose options included the Standard four-pack with upright, sentry, active and resting poses, the Feeder four-pack with all feeders, and the Bull four-pack with two Big Bulls and two Little Bulls. All feature flocked heads.      

Bigfoot also offers Canada Floater four-packs for hunting over water that include sentry, upright, resting and shortneck poses.  While goose decoys are the company’s bread and butter, Bigfoot also offers oversized Field Mallard and Pintail four-packs that feature the same wide-foot base, as well as Mallard Floater six-packs that come with four drakes and two hens. www.bigfootdecoys.com 

Avian-X

Legendary waterfowler Fred Zink of Avian-X says if small retailers have limited storage and shelf space, they should stock Avian-X’s Topflight Fusion Mallards. This six-pack includes three drakes and three hens, each with its own unique posture. Those six different poses separate the Fusion Mallards from other cookie-cutter decoys. 

Zink’s second choice would be the Top Flight Wood Duck six-pack, especially east of the Mississippi River where wood ducks are abundant. He says many people enjoy hunting wood ducks because they arrive early when the weather’s still warm. Four drakes and two hens are included with three different poses.  Zink is a noted goose hunter, and for hunting Canada geese over water, his top pick is Avian-X’s Topflight Honkers four-pack of floaters. For field hunting, he suggests the AXP Honkers Fusion Pack. Like the Fusion Mallards, each of the pack’s six decoys has a different posture. www.avian-x.com

Greenhead Gear

According to the folks at Banded, anything in the Greenhead Gear XD decoy series would be a good choice to carry. XD stands for extraordinary detail, and each of these durable decoys feature top-notch, vibrant paints and realistic Durafeather definition that cuts glare and creates a soft, feathery appearance. Of course, what to specifically stock depends largely on location. In Western states like California that see a lot of pintails, the GHG Pro-Grade XD Series Pintail Harvester Six-Pack with four drakes and two hens would be a good bet, while in Southern states like Arkansas, the more general Pro-Grade XD Series Mallards Harvester 12-pack with eight drakes and four hens might be the better choice.

GHG also offers XD Series full-body and floater Canada goose decoys, as well as various other puddler, diver and sea duck options in its Pro-Grade decoy lines. Again, region determines what specific species to stock.       

Silhouettes were one of the earliest and simplest forms of decoys crafted by waterfowlers, and they still have a place in modern hunters’ spreads. Unfortunately, silhouettes have a reputation for being flimsy, since many models are made of cardboard or corrugated plastic.  Thankfully, Banded’s Greenhead Gear Pro-Grade Honker 3-D Silhouettes Harvester Pack provides the perfect silhouette solution. The terms 3-D and silhouette may seem contrary, but in the case of these hybrid decoys, the description is accurate. While they are flatter than a full-body, they aren’t completely flat like a traditional silhouette, resulting in decoys that have just enough depth to fool geese, yet are still easy to stack and stash for transport. Best of all, their rugged plastic construction makes them much more durable than other silhouettes. Each Harvester Pack includes six uprights and six feeders, all with flocked heads and stakes that allow some motion. When not in use, the stakes can be conveniently stored inside the decoy. If customers are looking for silhouettes to fill out their spread, these are the ones to steer them towards. www.banded.com

Higdon

As a proud partner with Ducks Unlimited, Higdon is not only devoted to providing high-quality decoys, but also to supporting conservation. A top pick for honkers over water would be the Alpha Magnum Canada Goose floater four-pack that comes with flocked heads and four different postures. For field hunting Canada geese, consider stocking the Magnum Half Shell six-pack, which comes in four different poses, including one sentry, one rester, two walkers and two feeders. These decoys also have flocked heads and are oversized for improved visibility to better grab the attention of passing geese. 

Higdon also offers full body Canada field decoys and tail-up feeding floaters. Besides Canada geese, other species include white front (speckle belly), snow and blue goose, and even tundra swan decoys.  

Higdon has an extensive lineup of duck decoys that include shovelers, pintails, gadwall, black ducks, wigeon, wood ducks, teal, and, of course, mallards, as well as various diver species such as ringnecks, goldeneye, bluebill, bufflehead, redhead and canvasback. There’s also a six-pack of coot confidence decoys. Deciding what to stock will vary regionally, but Higdon’s variety packs, like the all-drake Battleship Diver Pack that comes with two canvasbacks, two bluebills, one goldeneye and one bufflehead, or the hen and drake Battleship Puddle Pack, with pintail, wigeon and gadwall decoys, can make the decision easier and ensure clients have a wider selection.  Many of Higdon’s floaters are available with optional foam filling for added durability, and they come in a variety of sizes ranging from standard and full size to magnum and battleship. www.higdondecoys.com

Flambeau

Flambeau offers some of the most affordable duck and goose decoys on the market. A small, local sporting goods store told me they carry Flambeau’s Storm Front 2 decoys in both duck and goose. 

Storm Front 2 Classic Floater Mallard decoys are available in both 12- and six-packs. The 12-pack comes with three active drakes, three semi-resting drakes and six semi-resting hens, while the six-pack comes with two active drakes, one semi-resting drake and three semi-resting hens. 

I actually have an earlier version of Flambeau’s Classic Mallard floaters with three active drakes and three active hens that’s very similar to the Storm Front 2 series. Not only were they extremely affordable, but they are also among the best looking decoys I own, and I use them frequently. 

Storm Front 2 blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, pintail, wigeon and wood duck decoys are also available. Storm Front 2 Canada goose decoys are offered in full-body six-packs with six different poses, floater four-packs with four different poses, and stackable shells in four-packs with four poses and six-packs with two poses. www.flambeauoutdoors.com