A Deer Joke

Guest Post - Top 10 Ways to Get Cheap Decoys

Here are the top 10 money saving resources that will help you get new and used decoys for cheap allowing you to improve your hunting success.

Now let's get started:

Online Resources
1.  Craigslist - the number one way to get cheap or used decoys is Craigslist.  Just search for "goose decoys" or "duck decoys" and you will be sure to find many choices in your area. Keep checking back on the site often as new postings are always coming available and the good deals usually sell fast.

2.  Facebook - Coming in at a close second for cheap decoys are Facebook group pages. One of the pages that I recently came across is called "decoys for sale or trade".  The users of the site make a post that includes what they are selling, price, location and if they are willing to ship.  Then buyers can post a comment to make a purchase.  A benefit of this is when new offers become available they automatically appear in your Facebook news feed.

3.  Blogs - There are many hunting blogs out there and many offer a free classifieds section.  Search through the postings for used decoys for sale or cheap decoys and you can have some good luck.  To find blogs in your state just do a Google search for "Hunting blogs in XYZ state" and you will find several.

4.  Retailmenot.com - This website pulls together online coupons from nearly every store you can imagine. Simply type in the name of any national sporting goods store such as Cabela's and there will be some coupons available.  Here you might find 10-15% off on decoys or even free shipping.  Check often as there are always new coupons.

5.  eBay - Many decoys are manufactured overseas.  With eBay you can often buy directly from these manufactures and get cheap decoys.  You can also buy used duck and goose decoys from other sellers.

In Person Resources
6.  Garage/Yard sales - The springtime can present great options for yard/garage sales as people clean out their storage areas from the winter.  Many times people are willing to sell their decoys for cheap because they are not using them anymore and want to have the extra storage space.

7.  Hunting season start sales - As hunting seasons approach many hunting retailers offer sales to coincide with that hunting season.  For example, when duck hunting season approaches you will often find duck decoys on sale at your favorite hunting store.

8.  Holiday sales - Holidays such as Christmas and Black Friday are excellent times for decoy sales. Sometimes hunting stores have everything on sale so even if it is not the season for that type of waterfowl you might still find some great deals decoys.

9.  "Open Box"/Clearance items - When retailers take returns on duck or goose decoys, often times they sell these decoys at a discount.  Typically people return decoys because they preferred something else but the decoys are still in new shape.  The benefit to you is that you get to buy decoys at 10-15% off retail price. Another benefit is the open box decoys still have the same return policy and warranty as new decoys.

10.  Friends and Family - Perhaps you have an uncle who used to hunt ducks or geese but he no longer goes hunting.  He may be willing to sell you his decoys cheap or let you borrow them.  Borrowing decoys can be a great option to try out that particular style of decoy and see if you like it before going out and buying that type of decoy yourself.

These strategies have helped me get new and used decoys at great pricing allowing me to add to my decoy spread and ultimately improve my hunting success.

Author:  Scott Dawson/Owner www.howtofixduckandgoosedecoys.com

We help hunters with:

. Cheap Decoy Tips

. Decoy Setup Instructions.

. Decoy Painting Tips

. Decoy Repair Tips

Last Day & Very First Deer

Little Miss Adriana killed her very first deer, a 7 point buck, while hunting with her Dad, Bo Brown, this morning near Chrystal Springs, Mississippi.  Today is the last day of deer hunting season in the state of Mississippi.  I am so very proud of her and I know she will forever remember this day!  My congrats to Adriana on becoming an official huntress in our great wild outdoors! 

 Way to go Adriana!

Wrong Girl

Someone picks the wrong girl!

Susan's Mr. Piggy

My Facebook friend, Susan Frances Crain, who lives in Florida, shot this 200 pound red and black boar last night.  I'm so very proud of her! With a good friend, a rope and a truck she was able to get it out of the woods.  She has killed about six she said and a whole family to go.  My sincere congrats to Susan and hope she can get the rest of that nasty ole hog family in our great wild outdoors!

   

A nasty ole hog!

The Woods

Amen!

Happy Birthday To Me!

Finally Got Him!

My new Facebook friend, Amanda Thames, said her friend, Nina Hill, finally got him! I'm so proud of Nina harvesting this very nice buck in our great wild outdoors in Laurence County, MS! Congratulations! You go girl!

Back Yard Brawl

Not For Sale

Little Dawson got him a rabbit right here in Mississippi. He and his Dad went outside to put stands in the truck to go climb a tree and they heard Copper running.  First time ever to hear him run, at 6-7 months old and jumps and runs by himself...Of course, he is NOT FOR SALE!  My congrats to Dawson on his rabbit and to Copper for doing a good job in our great wild outdoors!

Killing Time & Making Memories

Shane Smith is shown here with his son on a recent hunt and said the only thing we killed was time...but had fun.  Memories can't be made without time and he did good in our great wild outdoors!

Feral Hogs Plague Farmers and Timber Owners Alike

It used to be if you owned timber your biggest threat of losing it was forest fire or a rare direct hit tornado.  Well, there was and still is the possibility attack by some pine bark beetle species.  And there are a few tree-feeding fungi with sinister-sounding names like Fusarium and Phytophthora.  A relatively new forest threat is the problems of feral hogs.

The hog problem in agriculture continues to get worse.  We typically think of hogs destroying crops in the field with their feeding frenzies.  But they do much more out where they don’t belong.  In forestry, hogs literally root up newly planted seedlings.  In some places, large numbers of hogs affect water quality by creating wallows near streams.

They also rub against trees and can damage younger trees that way.  As for forest wildlife, hog competition cuts into the food supply since they too eat acorns and fruits and berries.  Plus feral hogs eagerly consume bird eggs of ground nesters like turkeys and waterfowl.

Local timber owners have an opportunity coming up to learn more about feral hog damage, what is being done to deal with the problem and what steps landowners can take.  Feral hogs will be the topic for the 2015 annual membership meeting of the Warren County Forestry Association.  The meeting will be Thursday, January 29 beginning at 6 p.m. at the International Paper Company Training Center at Redwood.

Everyone with a forestry interest is invited to attend and join the county association.  Dues of $30 will be collected at the door and this does cover dinner.  A second dinner ticket for a spouse or guest is $15.  Make checks payable to Warren County Forestry Association.  There is a serious RSVP need to get the right number of catered meals.  So call the Warren County Extension office at 601-636-5442 no later then 5:00 PM Friday, January 23 to get counted in.

The exact title of the meeting’s educational presentation is “Feral Hog Biology, Management and Control” by speaker Cliff Covington, MSState Extension Service Wildlife Department.  Some readers might remember Cliff from his days as County Agent in Claiborne County.  He has been working with the feral hog problem from the landowner education angle for quite some time now.

By the way, the correct term is feral even though we often hear “Wild hogs.”  Feral animals are domestic ones that have gone wild and their wild descendants.  Hogs are not native to this part of the world.  Some domestic hogs escaped from early European settlements.

And to tell the truth some modern sportsmen abetted the current feral hog dilemma by intentionally releasing domestic hogs a few decades back.  Their idea was to increase huntable wild game in the woods.  Bad idea…

There might be hunting club members who want to attend the feral hog meeting.  No problem; you don’t have to actually own the land.  Just own thirty bucks and bring it with you.  And don’t forget to call in by the Friday before.

Terry Rector writes for the Warren County Soil and WaterConservation District, 601-636-7679, Ext. 3. 

Third Hunt @ Deer Camp

On my third hunt Rex, (Deer Camp Blog) took me to the Scenic Stand not far from camp and later took a picture of the sun peaking through the woods.  

Once again I got under the stand to hunt.  I have been in this stand before a few years ago and it's on a hill but when you climb in, turn around and sit down you feel like you are twice as high.  

The stand owns up to it name by being a scenic spot to hunt.  This was in front of me.  

To the left side and... 

...behind me.

It was the most perfect weekend to hunt.  Did not see a deer/hog but I soaked up the last remaining minutes of the hunt and was very hard to leave.   

Zoomed in to take a picture of the Scenic Stand on top of the hill.

While walking back to camp I took a picture of a sandy deer track from the roadway.

Close-up picture of my very first hog (sow) kill.  

I'm very proud of my accomplishment in getting my first hog which was on my bucket list! Also, Rex's dog, CAMO wanted to get in the picture with me!  

Many thanks to my mentor and friend for inviting me to come up this past weekend for three great hunts and how lucky I was to get my very first hog.  A weekend I will never forget and appreciate Rex, his brothers, Paul, Trent and cousin, Burney for welcoming me back to their hunting ground at the famous Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club on the edge of the MS Delta.  

Second Hunt @ Deer Camp

My afternoon hunt was at the Taj-Mahal deer stand in a huge opened field.  I have hunted off of this stand before and seen deer so early in the morning that I could barely make them out.

Rex heading to his deer stand after dropping me off.  

As seen in front of the stand and to the right and left was a very huge cotton field.   

This is where I saw about 12 hogs in the green next to the woods appear at 100 yards on back side of stand.  I noticed 3 large hogs and the rest were smaller ones.  I took aim with my .270 and hit the one that stood out, which was a black hog facing me and hit her right in the head and she dropped.  After I shot, they all scattered and was able to pull off another shot and hit a smaller pig and it dropped.  This was about 5:10 in the afternoon and nothing else came out.  

I zoomed in with my camera and got a picture of the black sow that I shot before it got dark.  

Picture of the little hog I shot back at camp at the skinning pole.  

Rex, my mentor/friend and I, showing off my very first hog kill in our great wild outdoors at the famous Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club (Deep Camp Blog) on the edge of the Mississippi Delta.

To be continued...

First Hunt @ Deer Camp

I was so happy to be invited up to the Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club by my mentor/friend, Rex Howell, of Deer Camp Blog last Friday afternoon.  Got to camp around 8:00 pm on the edge of the MS Delta and was so good to see everyone again and to visit. It has been awhile since I have been due to recovering from shoulder surgery which knocked me out for a whole hunting season.  My first hunt was planned at the Sneaky Stand not far from camp and below are some pictures I took while sitting behind a ground blind to deer/hog hunt.

A beautiful crescent moon on a very cold morning for my first hunt.

Looking down a long frosty field.

To the right of the field.

Behind me was the main road.

Looking up while sitting under the deer stand.  The step rungs were to far apart for me to climb up.

Sneaky Stand from the road as I finished my hunt.

Walking back to camp and crossing a new bridge that was built last year.

Wouldn't you know I would have two does and a small fawn to jumped out in front of me as I was returning to camp.

To be continued...

Swamp Near Yazoo City, MS

I enjoy stopping by and taking pictures of this swamp on my way home from hunting this weekend at the famous Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club on the edge of the MS Delta.  The first two pictures were taken with my cell phone and the last one with my camera.  (Click on pictures to enlarge)

Ducks taking refuge near the swamp after flying around getting shot at this morning.

I like the way the eye plays on the cypress trees as the swamp meets water.  

A Hunting We Will Go!

Happy Meal

Crazy Deer Stands!

Take your pick!