Re: Silhouette Decoy - How Realistic?

W

Weasel-UT

New member
I plan on making silhouette decoys of a grey fox and a kit fox. Anybody have an idea of how realistic the paint job has to be? Does it have to be an accurate paint job, or can I get by just being in the ball-park?
 
Weasel, Ball park it. you just want it to get and hold their attention a little bit.

What about a life size paper archery target. gule to backing and cut out. I have seen some nice full size photo targets made that should work very well.

Skinner 2
 
Thanks Skinner2, I did a search and did find some life-sized archery targets. I'll still have to paint the backside though, but the targets should give me a good photo reference.
 
What you could do would be to use your favorite photo, have it blown up and printed. Then take the photo again but this time reverse the image and have it blown up to the same scale. Cut both out and place on your backing. Might be kinda pricey but would look really good.
 
Weasel-UT--I'm not a coyote or fox, so I can't speak from their perspective, but I have used a red fox decoy on coyotes. It worked great the first time we called in coyotes, but the next time out, the coyotes were circling the sound and decoy at about 125 yards out.

LeRoy_coyotes_12-19-03--small.jpg


My next decoy will be a little over half the size of this one. This is made out of chicken wire, two wire hangers down the front legs and back legs, and paper machet. I used rust red primer and dull white paint for the main colors and a magic marker for the back portion on the ears and the eyes, lips, nose, and whiskers. I don't think your decoys have to be perfect--just something close to get and keep their attention.
 
Yesterday, I figured I'd just wing it and use flat finish spray paint (read cheap). After the paint dried, I put them out behind the house and let the dogs out. My older dog, an 8 year old German Shepard charged the cut-outs while the smaller 1 year-old mixed breed about jumped out of her skin and barked at them. I thought that since dogs attract coyotes, the decoys might not have to accurately portray a fox. I think I'll touch-up the paint jobs a bit and add eyes, nose and mouth to the "kitfox" but I want the larger fox to appear to be looking away.

Here is what they look like now.
* Latest pics 8/1 below
 
Weasel-UT--Great job there--it looks like you are on the right track!!! If you get snow where you live, it may be good idea to get a little darker colors on those decoys so they stand out a little more in the snow to make it easier for the predators to see them. Keep the photos coming! If you do a good enough job on the painting, I hear they are looking for people to redo the Sistine Chapel ceiling /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I think Renzo is on the right track but, we have lots of foxes here and at this time of year the young coyotes are out of the den. I doubt if they would tangle with a full-grown coyote, which is what Renzo decoys portray. That's the reason I wanted to make small decoys portraying foxes. Coyotes, even pups, bobcats and foxes might not be as intimidated by a smaller decoy. Today I made two smaller fox-like decoys than the ones in the pic. Hopefully I'll do a better job of painting these.

*I also cut out some dove and crow decoys. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Okay, here's the latest decoys and paint jobs. Now the question: Should I paint faces, ie: eyes, noses and mouths so it looks like they are looking at you, or should I leave them looking like they are looking away? I kind of think if predators think they are looking away, they may be more inclined to approach closer.

threedecoys.jpg


twodecoys.jpg


I think the little red fox turned out the best so far.
 
Weasel-UT-- FANTASTIC work!!!! I don't think you need eyes on them. I'd vote for setting those decoys just like they are in the photo and having that side facing the direction you think the coyotes/fox should be coming in from. I think that with coyote decoys they recommend that you have the decoy in a "submissive" posture and looking away from the direction from which you think the coyote/s will approach or at least looking sideways. With coyotes, a "submissive" position is the sitting or prone postition. Here is a scan of a magazine article I read and used to build a decoy coyote out of 3/4" PVC pipe and a case skinned and tanned coyote hide. I have carried it out to calling stands quite a number of times and only once has a coyote come in when I have had it along. That coyote came in from down wind and stayed over 400 yards away. I'm quite sure it caught our scent and that's why it stayed away--not because it was scared of the decoy.

YoteDecoy2.jpg
 
Good info Silverfox. I've been thinking about cutting the legs off the larger decoy so it would appear to be laying down, plus it'd be easier to carry.
I just came in from out back. I took the little red fox decoy and put it out where the dogs would come across it. Even the little dog went after it this time. It's only 12" tall at the highest point (the ears) and 24" long including tail, so it's pretty small.
 
Back
Top