First Look: Hardcore Waterfowl’s Rugged Series Full Body Mallard Decoys

Any waterfowler who has experienced a fluttering wall of mallards descend into a field set will immediately be hooked. There is something about a big flock of ducks swooping in over the decoys that stir the soul.

Mallards may be the most common duck species on Earth, but don’t expect all of them to be unsophisticated. In recent decades, hunting pressure has increased commensurate with season length and generous bag limits—not to mention better decoy options. It’s likely the old hen out in front of the flock has seen lots of shabby decoys before, and she’s more than willing to sound the alarm for another “go around” (or four) before fading over the horizon.

While field hunting ducks is often a collateral benefit of goose hunting, expecting mallards to center up and finish perfectly in the “hole” over nothing but goose decoys—which was standard operating procedure for decades—isn’t a certainty. While full-body mallard decoys have become a standard item in many goose trailers, there remained plenty of room for improvement. That’s where Hardcore Waterfowl comes in. 

Realism and durability are key—paint that stays put and decoys that maintain “pop”, regardless of how crummy the weather is or how many times they’ve been tossed into a filthy trailer, will always bring in the birds better than their faded counterparts. The folks at Hardcore know their decoys must survive severe punishment season after season, and look good doing it.

While the true-to-life paint schemes on these slightly oversized decoys have upped the realism quotient, the refinement of Rugged Series Full Body Mallards goes deeper than the skin. Their ultra-durable FowlFlex bodies are pliable enough to withstand abuse, while exclusive technology ensures Hardcore decoys are not just tough, but virtually indestructible.

Hardcore’s TruMotion 2.0 base and field stake system harnesses the gentlest breeze to give decoy spreads realistic movement. The genius is in TruMotion 2.0’s technical composition. The t-shaped top of the stake enters the decoy’s bottom cavity, where the combination of the stake and precision notches in the body encourage subtle and natural body movements. An orange bungee loop drops from the decoy and hooks on the stand to prevent spinning and keep the decoy securely on the ground. Even in heavy winds the Rugged Series Full-Body Mallard doesn’t spin.

The T-top stakes are also extremely durable and fit nicely into the palm when setting stakes, saving hands from repetitive gouging. And they show up better during set-up and pick-up, so tired-eyes won’t easily overlook stakes during lowlight in messy stubble fields. Speaking of setting and collecting, each Rugged Series Full Body Mallard is also fitted with a handy loop on the tail for gathering.

This sort of realism is not only very convincing for wary mallards as well as other duck species that fly along for feeding sorties, but also approaching Canada, white-fronted and light geese that keep an eye on ducks when approaching a spread. They are used to seeing real mallards scurry around picking up grains geese leave behind. Included stakes and bases are also useful for adding realism to water decoy spreads by setting ultra-realistic Rugged Series Full Body Mallards in the shallows and on the banks adjacent to floaters.

This set of decoys includes 1 active drake, 1 active hen, 3 feeder drakes and 1 feeder hen, providing a complete and realistic setup. For more information, visit hardcorewaterfowl.com. MSRP $159.99