When it comes to duck decoy innovation, I think you would be pretty hard pressed to beat what ureaduck.com has in their arsenal right now. They bring "thinking outside the box" to an entirely different level. If you haven't heard of them or haven't visited their website, trust me it is worth your while. And after speaking with Tracy Blake on the phone I think you get where the innovation and attention to detail his products bring. This guy LOVES duck hunting and makes products that will make you more successful in the field. But enough about the company itself, let's get down to brass tacks and look specifically at the Kickin' Butt Duck Decoy.
Why use this decoy and what is it trying to mimic?
Understanding why you would want such a decoy in your spread is pretty important. While not many duck hunters use them, jerk string decoys have been around for decades. The premise is that you bob the decoy so that ducks in the air see movement in the water and ripples which mimic what real ducks create when they are swimming and/or feeding. If you ever watch puddle ducks tip up to eat you will see a lot of movement and stirring up the water. This decoy tries to mimic that action and give the ducks a sense that all is right in the world. Up here in Minnesota, we can't use motorized decoys until the 3rd Sunday of the season, and not at all on all wildlife management areas. While I am a huge fan of spinners, you have to have a non motorized way of enticing birds for sure until the 3rd Sunday of the season. This fits the bill completely.
First Impressions:
The first impression I had when I received this decoy in the mail was how light the decoy was. It is solid foam and my expectation was that it was going to be heavy, similar to herter's duck decoys. While it is solid and the foam in remarkably resilient (another positive when you are tossing into the bottom of your duck boat, it is very light. A good combination for any duck hunter on the go. In addition, the paint job is well done and has a non shiny finish. When in the sun is kind of absorbs light just like a real duck does. In the looks and weight department it was a hit right out of the box for me.
On to the swamp:
Where the rubber hit the road with any decoy of course is how it works out in the field. And this one didn't disappoint as the ripples and water splashes from the feet were impressive. You could really get after that thing to make your ripples if you want to, which is better than most jerk string rigs I have seen used in the past. And watching how the ducks reacted to it you see why Tracy was so adamant it would help your hunting. I had at least 1 flock of mallards and 2 flocks gadwalls turn around and make a trip into the decoys when I thought they were gone for good. Plain and simply, the kickin' butt decoy works.
Overview of Pro's and Con's
Pros:
Lightweight - I was impressed with it being much lighter than anticipated
Durable - Should stand the test of time
Works for its intended purpose - proof is in the pudding
Materials built to handle large range of temperatures - life in the duck blind is variable to say the least!
Cons:
Expensive - coming in at nearly $50 each
Some assembly required - I am sure this is to alleviate damage during transit, there is a bit of time requirement to get it ready.
Time consuming to deploy - this is the nature of the beast with jerk string rigs
Final Verdict
I say this one is a winner. It is going to set you back some money, but in the grand scheme of things this probably replaces 1-2 dozen regular decoys which are going to be 2-6x the price of this one depending on what you buy. The true test is when those ducks have their feet down and ready to drop into your decoys, and this decoy does its job superbly in that regard.
If you are interested in more information or to purchase a decoy, you can go to kickin' butt decoy. You can also see a wealth of other information on Ureaducks youtube page. Below is the video for this specific decoy: