How to Fight Decoy Frost

by
posted on November 20, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
fight_decoy_frost_f.jpg

When temperatures fall, the water in the air has a nasty habit of forming a crisp layer of frost over anything that will stand still long enough. You know what stands still? Decoys. What doesn’t: real ducks and geese. And darn it if they can’t spot a frosted-over decoy from a mile away, ending your hunt before it really even begins. Snow you can beat off with a brush. Frost isn’t so simple. Here are a couple ways to combat that early-morning sheen of ice.

Wait For It
Max Cochran of Habitat Flats recommends not putting your spread out until the last second to reduce its chances of frosting over. If it’s a particularly cold morning, he says, the birds will probably stay on the ground a little longer anyway. Put your blinds out right away, though—you want them to accumulate a layer of “good” frost so they blend into the surrounding environment.

Spray ’Em Down
Another solution comes from my father, Pat Skipper, who’s been killing birds in all conditions for decades now. If he suspects morning frost, he brings along a few squirt bottles full of windshield wiper fluid—the same stuff you put in your car. Spray each decoy just before dawn. The fluid dries quickly and won’t freeze in most conditions. Its properties will help keep frost from forming. Each application is good for a couple of hours, and the fluid shouldn’t do your decoys any harm.

Latest

Robert Nosler LEDE
Robert Nosler LEDE

Nosler Announces the Passing of Robert “Bob” Nosler

Nosler has announced with deep sadness the passing of Robert “Bob” Nosler, the company's Chairman, on September 2, 2025, at the age of 79.

The FN 5.7 as a Survival Round

This company’s Sub2000 folding carbine and compact PR57 pistol can be ideal traveling companions in this caliber.

New for 2025: Savage Arms A22 and B Series Timber Tactical

Savage Arms has unveiled the A22 and B Series Timber Tactical, an addition to its lineup of precision-engineered rimfire rifles.

Review: Bansner & Company Custom Rifle Stocks

A simple modification can make a world of difference. Whether you want the full treatment for your rifle, or just a stock to give an old friend a facelift, Bansner and Company has something to fit the bill.

2025 Reintroduction: Fiocchi Texas White Wing in Bulk Pack

Fiocchi of America has announced the return of its iconic Texas White Wing shotshell—now available in a bulk four-box field carton designed with dove hunters in mind.

Grassland Conservation Funds Available in Ohio

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife has $9 million in funding available for landowners who want to create grassland habitat that can support native wildlife, like northern bobwhite quail and other grassland-nesting birds.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.