I would try spraying a plastic decoy with primer and practice painting on it. Strart out with a species that won't be too hard. Wood Ducks and Hooded Merganser's are hard to do, But a Drake Goldeneye is a lot easier. On Mallards and Gadwals, the feather's are a little hard to match, but they can be nice when finished. It seems as if the diving ducks have colors that are easier to match than the puddle ducks or the dabling ducks. It's not hard to carve one from a Redwood or Cedar 6" x 6" post. A 4" x 4" works also. You might have to glue two together to get a little larger decoy. I had a ton of wooden ones from the 1940's but I sold them all. Can't hunt anymore, and everyone is after them.
