Homemade decoy-NEW pics at end
 

After seeing B-Mobile in action I wanted to try a strutting decoy this year on some field gobblers, but I just couldn't bring myself to dish out $70, so I made my own strutting jake decoy for about $12. It's made from a basketball, jake fan and beard, real wings, and a styrofoam head and waddle I carved and painted. I'm still working on it a little, but it's coming together well. Here's a picture, tell me if you think it'll bring one close.

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Looks great so far, very inventive. [8D]

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Looks good Should work
Might be hard to carry if you have very far to your hunting spot. Especially on the way back gun bird decoy blind and thermos. Thats just my thought I have a long walk in and out to my spot.

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If you make the body parts removable you could kick or bounce it to your hunting spot... might make it easier to tote!

Looks pretty cool. Nice idea.

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no he can just kick it to his spot or dribble it lol.:D

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Looks good enough to me. I've seen worse looking things work. It it becomes too hard/heavy to carry, perhaps you could us a big foam ball?!?! Just an idea.

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i think it looks pretty good.

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Looks pretty cool!

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They are removable. Every pieceattaches to the decoy with industrial strengthvelcro. Take the parts off, roll the basketball up and tuck em all away in your vest. That's why I used the basketball and not just a big foam ball or something. It's easy to pack. I just added a new part that allows the fan be leaned back into half strut. It looks way better than full strut with his head sticking up. Now he's half strut with his head sticking up, looks more natural I think.

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Very nice....

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looks preety good but that poor thing needs some food.

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I'm sure there if your hunting private property it will bring em in on a string;)

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Very nice! You should make more and sell them - the "B-Ballin' Tom".

:D

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Real inventive looks great only thing i see is glossy black ball shines pretty good in a bright sun may spook a bird but if there hot enough they will come in to a raggedy Ann doll on a stick so try whats the harm in that. Some may laugh but its inventions like this that make people millionaires. Sling sticks how simple and at 60 bucks a pop there doing pretty good!!

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Looks very good, only thing I would worry about is the sun glaring off the shiny spray paint you used on the basketball.

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I know a turkey's feathers kinda have a glare in the sun because they're so oily, and I kinda like the glare somewhat, but it really might be too much.I've been looking at B-Mobile and I might trydabbing on a little white or very light gray with a paintbrush tip. Might paint the whole thing flat black and then add the feather effect or something. I'm still experimenting with him, I'll get it purrrfect sooner or later. Season starts Thursday but I'm not taking him out the first day, he's gonna be my desperate measure for desperate times. But I do think the sooner in the season I use him the better, before the gobblers stop being so aggressive and wantin to kick a jake's tail feathers in. I'll get him ready and take some pictures to post. I'd love to make some money off this thing, but who's gonna buy a redneck basketball strutting decoy??? I mean really. :D

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If you kill a bird over somthing you made thats gonna be priceless my friend. Just to think you made him come in off of somthing YOU made not some factory made decoy i

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I like the idea. What about using a big styrafoam ball that you could get at a craft supplier to help keep the weight of it down?

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It looks real good.
I hope that when the Tom attackes it
It doesn't fall apart.

After seeing hunting shows where the toms attacke the decoy.
The attackes are pretty bad.

Good Luck

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Hey,that'l work!
Should be a'Slam Dunk'(sorry but I just couldn't resist)

just don't let'em out of your sites(O.K. that's all)

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nice

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Here's a "rough" final draft of ol' Vern. I may go back and change the head color a little, but I think he's ready to hit the fields.....I can see it in his dents that are supposed to be eyes.

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Here's another one. Any suggestions on improvements are welcome.

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What about changing out the leg for a spring? Or at least a partial spring. This would give you some motion with a little bit of mono tugging him in a direction then releasing it.

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Darn it. Now I have to try and make one. Good job though!