Waterfowl and the pursuit of it, has many variables. Location, weather, tides, etc. are but a few factors of consideration. No matter if over water or in the middle of a corn field, chances are good that you will be using decoys (confidence builders). The amount and type are limited only to your pocket book. You do not need to invest in a huge decoy spread to have success, however, generally bigger is better. There are many different species of waterfowl, and so too, are there a variety of commercial product offerings. It does not hurt to mix them up a bit, as long as you use your noggin when time comes to setting them.

You may have been to a country auction or seen pictures of antique decoys. These are generally before the invent of such things as mass production plastics. Hunters would fabricate their own decoys. A fishing buoy cut in half, a roughly whittled head, a splash of paint, and you're in business. As a hobbyist carver or perhaps just a handyperson you might ask, "Well why don't I just carve myself a rig?" Let me tell you, in short, why few people do.
Get a block of Bass wood-(Bass because it is relatively knot free). Bass is a soft hardwood and is ideal for carving by hand or machine. A block suitable for carving say at black duck size will run you $30.00 Canadian. Providing you have the, know how and skills to actually produce (1) it will run you anywhere from 50-150 man hours. Now multiply this by 6, by 12 etc. you get my point. Now look at the alternatives, perhaps plastic, it can cost any where from $4.00 each, to $150.00 per decoy depending on what your interested in. Time invested = time it took to drive to retailer.
You now see why hunters and their rigs vary so much.

Recently I have had the taxidermist make field stuffers out of a couple of geese from last years hunt. He stuffs the goose but places a plywood base, and steel rod through center of bird for stability. In the field, these birds are placed near the sweet spot (hole where you want birds to land). Plastics can sometimes have sheen on a sunny day, despite being covered in non glare paints. Well what about the cost, isn't it formidable for a stuffer? A BIG FOOT tm decoy is $125.00 just about anywhere you shop. That's a plastic free stander. The stuffer may just be slightly cheaper but, "no glare" on sunny days. The only restriction is a rain day, you don't want your mounts to rot/mildew. It is my hope to get a couple made per year and slowly build my flock, so to speak. Caution, if you go with stuffers also remember they do not stack and pack. They take up considerable space.

What kind of birds frequent your hunting spots most? Do you live on the coast and sea ducks are your mainstay? Do you hunt inland over ponds and cultivated field? Maybe you are fortunate and have the advantages of being able to readily pick and choose?
There are some things you can do to make your spread adaptable. Mallard size decoys painted in sea duck pattern often can do double duty. Goose shells can have their bottom edges foamed with pipe insulators thereby creating a floater.

Prior to season get your dog tuned up with decoys:
Decoys for dog training, spread a few out on the ground, well before season. Throw the bird behind and in the decoys. Get your dog used to ignoring the plastics and focusing on what you sent him for.