JULY 2015 • NEBRASKAland 21
dark brown color makes from a newer
decoy or photo and mimic that pattern.
Brush white paint on the tail area.
To finish, paint the brown pattern on
the bill of the hens and fill in nostrils
of drakes with the corner of a sponge
brush. With a permanent black marker
fill in the eyes and very tip of the bill.
If the decoy has glass or realistic plastic
eyes, cover them with tape before
starting to avoid painting over them.
TIPS:
Use fine grit sandpaper to smooth out
paint-chipped areas.
If you mess up, simply touch the
area up with spray paint or paint and a
brush.
Don't worry if your painting is not
perfect – if the ducks are close enough
to notice imperfections, you should be
shooting anyway.
Pints of exterior latex paint will paint
over two dozen decoys.
If the entire body doesn't need to be
painted, touch up painting can be done
on a smaller scale.
Do not use gloss paint, it will look
unnatural.
Spraying paint onto paper and
dipping a brush into it works just as
well as using paint from a pint jug for
smaller touch ups or details.
Let the newly painted decoys dry for
a few days then finish by spray painting
with a flat/matte clear coat to seal the
paint.
It takes an afternoon to get through a
couple dozen decoys, but it's time and
money well spent. ■
NEBRASKAland
P H O T O C O N T E S T
FOR COMPLETE CONTEST RULES AND ENTRY, GO TO...
NebraskalandMagazine.com/photocontest
Once repainted, these old plastic mallard
decoys are ready for a few more seasons.
