# Custom turkey decoy



## Vector

Here's a run down in the next few replies of my work on my custom turkey decoy from 2012. We've killed several birds over this decoy now. Its been a heck of a fun run, calling in birds with your own call, and then finishing them in to your own decoy.

I hope everything reads okay for you all. I know there are some messed up smiley's that I can see. I apologize for those. I am pulling this information from a year old thread.

I do hope you enjoy the progress pictures. This is my most time consuming wood project ever. I am not one to care about material things at all, family comes first for me, but I am pretty fond of this decoy. :wacko1:

Vince


Here's my start on 2.0, my VECtor custom turkey decoy. Still got quite a ways to go, and I'm really hopeful to hunt this decoy in less than 2 weeks, so I'm gonna have to start getting after it. This custom turkey decoy will be a little more advanced than my 1.0 version from last year.

Thanks to Steve Parisi for showing photos of using forstner bits for the hollowing when he did his turkey decoy last year. I started out trying to use my router, and I was just not impressed with the speed I was getting things done. A new forstner bit cut through the basswood like butter. 

I wish these pictures showed my shaping better, but I'll have to take better ones as I continue to go. It still looks pretty flat in these pictures, and it is not.

I obviously messed up on the one side pretty badly when I was using my sawsall to remove some of the wood from the waist/tail area. Nothing some putty can't fix though. I'm also going to build up the wing area a little. They're flatter than I want them to be.

The head and tail will come later. if I have to put a plain head on it to begin with, I will, and come back with a nicer one later. The head will be removable, so I'll be fine with making a couple versions of one. Painting up a flat head won't take more than 10 minutes if that's all I need to hunt this decoy in two weeks. 

Each of these two sides are thicker on their own than my 1.0 decoy I made last year. 

Vince


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## Vector

I did a little drawing this afternoon, and I've started the carving. I'm VERY happy with my carving results so far. This photo was taken prior to me starting on the carving of each feather.

Vince


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## Vector

Starting to get pretty serious........

I'm really loving the "no rules" of this whole project. 

Vince


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## Vector

Got the other side carved out last night, hollowed out both of the insides to its final hollowing this morning......removing about a third of the weight again.

And, I started burning the feather pattern into each feather.

The matchup between the two sides isn't going to be perfect, but I really don't mind. If I don't like it when I hinge it, I will just carve a little more away here or there to make them match up better.

Vince


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## Vector

I'm done wood burning on side 1, and side 2 is about 1/4 completed. Probably another 5 hours of burning I would say. Hopefully less! 

I still think my first paint coat will be brown spray paint, so I can be sure to get down into every little crevice. 

Parker


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## Vector

I like the way the stain turned out for me. Looks like a good base color to start out with.

I've still got quite a bit of burn work to go on the other side though.

I just couldn't help but jump forward on this side, and see how it would turn out.

Vince


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## Vector

I was pretty worried about the tail turning out the way I wanted to! NO worries now though!

I've done a little burning to match the tail to the body since I took these pictures, but here is the tail from start to finish. Started this evening, and ending here in the early morning.

The black marks aren't mess up's. They're places where I've learned I can get the job done a lot faster smoothing things out by burning, rather than switching back to the carving tool, and then back to the burner. 

I'm very happy with the way this turned out. I think I captured the three dimensional look as good as I could have hoped for. 

Vince


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## Vector

I started work on the head and neck tonight, and took it to the point of about being finished with a rough carve. I think I will probably be able to use the wood burner from here. I may do a little more carving if I need to though. I'm not sure how the eye area is going to go, so I left that part REALLY rough for tonight. 

I'm VERY happy with how it is going so far. I wish I would have started working on something like this a LONG time ago!

The first picture is of my oldest boy helping me hold up all the parts for a picture.

Vince


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## Vector

Here we go! Pretty much ready for stain and paint at this point! Magnets to hold everything together are on the way.

The first picture is of the final carving on the head.

Second picture is the head after burning, and the third picture is a collage of the 4 parts (can't see the other side of the body that's walnut stained.)

I was able to keep the wood in there for the eyes! I'm happy about that!

Vince


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## Vector

Well, My first attempt at a head paint on 2.0. I looked at colors off of photos I took of a Dave Smith at the Iowa Classic.

These are with Folk Art acrylic paints and a kiddie paint brush. You can see I have not painted the bottom row of feathers yet at all, because I had to have a place to hold on. :D

Parker


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## Vector

:eek: And she let me walk right up to her! :eek:

Introducing my new huntin' buddy......... 2.0

Yep, she's gonna be ready to hunt this weekend for The Inspector. 

All parts are magnetized and removable. 

Some satin spray spar urethane to seal her, and she need some legs. Then, I've got to get some kind of padding figured out for the inside of the body to hold the removable head and tail. 

Gonna end up being a 50 plus hour project I believe. 

I like it. The head's a little more 'gobblery' than I would like it to be, but I'm not gonna go back and change it now. 

I'll have to take some more pictures when the lighting is better. 

Vince


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## Vector

Here she was first day in the field with my wife and youngest boy. My youngest killed over the decoy. While we were looking at the spurs, my wife shot hers 2 fields over.

Vince


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## Vector

And a few more success pics from this spring and last.

Vince


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## WoodLove

That is absolutely aweome!!!!! excellent decoy and some mighty fine birds too.....


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## rdnkmedic

Amazing work! No where else I would rather be than in the woods hunting with a kid.


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## barry richardson

Thats Awsome Vince! Thanks for taking time to post all that, I really enjoyed it


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## Kevin

OUTSTANDING thread. I just love this so much you get your first rep for it!


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## bearmanric

Outstanding. Very nice dtail sweet. Rick


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## Vector

Thanks everyone for the kind words. I'm really glad I took so many photos of the process.

I TRIED to get started on my half-strut jake this winter/spring, but all I got done was the log cut out and the general shape sawed out. We had some AWESOME hunts this year. I sure wish it could have been with my own hen and jake.

Other wood working projects got in the way of a good time though. I've got high hopes for the jake still. Just have to find the time!

Vince


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## Vector

rdnkmedic said:


> Amazing work! No where else I would rather be than in the woods hunting with a kid.



No doubt about it Kevin. There's nothing I like more than introducing kids to the outdoors. And turkey hunting is one of the most heart pumping times you can have. 

I wish someone would have came out with the ground blind idea many years ago. It makes turkey hunting for youngsters a really enjoyable experience. Nice weather, snacks, drinks, a good book, and gobbling turkeys. COME ON NOW! :wacko1: 

Vince


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## HomeBody

Great carving job. Seems to work pretty well too. In the last 2 years, a few turkeys have moved into my area. Maybe a turkey hunt in my future for the first time. Gary


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## screaminskullcalls

That's some awesome work! Great Job!


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## Twig Man

Incredible work. Do you plan to sell any?


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## Vector

I do not plan to sell any Twig Man. I've just got too much time invested. I don't know enough about carving and painting and such to know how to speed up the processes.

Thanks again everyone for the kind words. 

Vince


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