When it comes to decoy transportation and storage, we all have our own way of doing things. Some of us toss decoys in gray totes. Some of us stack decoys on shelves and keep them on display in the off-season, but most of us keep them in the bags we use throughout the year.

I’m that guy…

I keep my decoys in my bags all year round. I have had MANY bags over the years, and one thing is constant, they don’t hold up. I have used and discarded more decoy bags over the years than I’m proud of. This led me to try to find the best of the best. I looked at all the big players, but it was the same thing I had already used and abused. Late one night on Facebook, I came across a local company in Northern California advertising quality-made, custom decoy carts, and great-looking decoy bags. The company is Marsh Mule Waterfowl.

A chat with the head honcho…

I reached out to Marsh Mule and spoke with Will Wagner, the company’s owner-operator. We chatted for a while about his journey, why he started his company, and how he got to where he is now, we’ll try to get more into that later. After the conversation ended, I picked up a few of his bags since I was hunting for replacements.

I have been running these bags moving into my second season, and you need to get in on these. I have never seen such a well-thought-out decoy bag. Durable is an understatement. The design has been thought about. This is a bag designed BY hunters, FOR hunters.

A refined design…

From the moment you look at these bags, you see that thought went into designing these. The quality material used is robust and abrasion-resistant material and heavy-duty stitching at every seam. The removable shoulder strap and thick velcro handles make carrying a filled-up bag easy and comfortable.

The unique design of the slot system makes fitting these bags in your jet sled and cart a breeze. Instead of the standard 2×6 square slots, these bags boast a unique 4×3 slot design. This fits perfectly in any size jet sled. We found that in a large jet sled, you can easily fit two bags and have room for your blind bag and electronic decoys. The internal design of these bags also allows for the transportation of more than 12 decoys. We figured out that when you methodically place your decoys depending on species and size, you can double, triple, and sometimes even fit four in one slot.  

Running them through the wringer…

I hunt many different species of birds here in California. My guilty pleasure is Divers. Yeah, I heard you sigh through your computer screen at that comment. 100% of my diver hunts start with a 15-minute full-throttle run through the sloughs with these bags sitting on the boat’s front deck. One of the nicest designs of these bags is that they have a closable wind fly that sinches down. This ensures that the surprise rogue wave you take over the bow doesn’t blow your decoys out of the bag. I have lost several decoys from rough water in the boat with other bags. The Marsh Mule Bags have not lost a single decoy in the past two seasons. The closable top also allows you to keep your decoys protected during the off-season.

Every second counts…

When setting out decoys, time is typically of the essence. These bags allow you to neatly pre-rig your long-line decoys. My setup is a 4lb salmon weight on the end of a Dracari Tarred Long Line with the decoys already rigged to the lines. This allows for seamless deployment by your buddy while you’re controlling the boat in the current.

So… If you are in the market for new decoy bags, I would highly recommend picking up a few of the Marsh Mule Decoy Bags. I have since picked up more, and now every decoy I own sits neatly packed away inside these quality products. If you have any questions, you can reach out to Marsh Mule on their Facebook page: Marsh Mule Waterfowl. While you’re there, please look at their fantastic decoy carts. Hopefully, we will be able to review one of these soon as well!