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{{Short description|Person, device, or event designed as a distraction}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Globalize|date=December 2010}}
{{Globalize|date=December 2010}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2022}}
[[Image:Decoys.jpg|thumb|Carved, wooden [[duck decoy (model)|duck decoy]]s]]
}}
[[Image:Decoys.jpg|thumb|Carved wooden [[duck decoy (model)|duck decoys]]]]


A '''decoy''' (derived from the ''duck-coy'', "[[Duck decoy (structure)|duck cage]]"<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wedgwood|first=Hensleigh|authorlink=Hensleigh Wedgwood|title=On False Etymologies|journal=Transactions of the Philological Society|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3924121;view=1up;seq=81|year=1855|issue=6|page=71}}</ref>) is usually a person, [[tool|device]], or event meant as a distraction, to hide what an individual or a group might be looking for. Decoys have been used for centuries most notably in game [[hunting]], but also in [[war]]time and in the committing or resolving of [[crime]]s.
A '''decoy''' (derived from the Dutch ''de'' ''kooi'', literally "the cage"<ref>{{Cite book|last=Cresswell|first=Julia|title=Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2021|isbn=978-0192639370}}</ref> or possibly ''ende kooi'', "[[Duck decoy (structure)|duck cage]]"<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wedgwood|first=Hensleigh|author-link=Hensleigh Wedgwood|title=On False Etymologies|journal=Transactions of the Philological Society|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3924121;view=1up;seq=81|year=1855|issue=6|page=71}}</ref>) is usually a person, [[tool|device]], or event which resembles what an individual or a group might be looking for, but it is only meant to lure them. Decoys have been used for centuries most notably in game [[hunting]], but also in [[war]]time and in the committing or resolving of [[crime]]s.


[[Image:Decoy_in_action.png|thumb|Illustration demonstrating the use of a dog in a duck decoy tunnel (1886)]]
[[Image:Decoy in action.png|thumb|Illustration demonstrating the use of a dog in a [[duck decoy (structure)|duck decoy]] tunnel (1886)]]


== Hunting ==
The term decoy may refer to two distinct devices, both used for hunting wildfowl. One is a long cone-shaped [[wickerwork]] tunnel installed on a small pond to catch wild [[duck]]s. After the ducks settled on the pond, a small, trained dog would herd the birds into the tunnel. The catch was formerly sent to market for food, but now these are used only by [[ornithologist]]s to catch ducks to be [[Bird ringing|ring]]ed and released. The word ''decoy'', also originally found in English as "coy", derives from the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] ''de Kooi'' (the cage) and dates back to the early 17th century, when this type of duck trap was introduced to England from the Netherlands. As "decoy" came more commonly to signify a person or a device than a pond with a cage-trap, the latter acquired the [[retronym]] "decoy pool".{{citation needed|date=July 2014}}
In hunting wildfowl, the term decoy may refer to two distinct devices. One, the [[duck decoy (structure)]], is a long cone-shaped [[wickerwork]] tunnel installed on a small pond to catch wild [[duck]]s. After the ducks settled on the pond, a small, trained dog would herd the birds into the tunnel. The catch was formerly sent to market for food, but now these are used only by [[ornithologist]]s to catch ducks to be [[Bird ringing|ring]]ed and released. The word ''decoy'', also originally found in English as "coy", derives from the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] ''de Kooi'' (the cage) and dates back to the early 17th century, when this type of duck trap was introduced to England from the Netherlands. As "decoy" came more commonly to signify a person or a device than a pond with a cage-trap, the latter acquired the [[retronym]] decoy pool.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Janet |date=1993|title=Duck decoys, with particular reference to the history of bird ringing |url=https://www.euppublishing.com/doi/10.3366/anh.1993.20.2.229 |journal=Archives of Natural History |language=en |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=229–240 |doi=10.3366/anh.1993.20.2.229 |issn=0260-9541}}</ref>


The other form of duck decoy, otherwise known as a ''hunting decoy'' or ''wildfowl decoy'', is a life-size model of the creature. The hunter places a number about the hunting area as they will encourage wild birds to land nearby, hopefully within the range of the concealed hunter. Originally carved from wood, they are now typically made from plastic.
The other form, a [[duck decoy (model)]], otherwise known as a 'decoy duck', 'hunting decoy' or 'wildfowl decoy', is a life-size model of the creature. The hunter places a number about the hunting area as they will encourage wild birds to land nearby, hopefully within the range of the concealed hunter. Originally carved from wood, they are now typically made from plastic.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mackey |first=William J. |title=American bird decoys |date=1987 |publisher=Dutton |isbn=978-0-525-24500-1 |location=New York}}</ref>


Wildfowl decoys (primarily ducks, geese, shorebirds, and crows, but including some other species) are considered a form of [[folk art]]. Collecting decoys has become a significant hobby both for folk art collectors and hunters. The world record was set in September 2007 when a pintail drake and Canada goose, both by [[A. Elmer Crowell]] sold for 1.13 million dollars apiece.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Ducks and Decoys|last=Frangoulis|first=George|publisher=The Farmstead Press|year=2014|isbn=978-1-312-60897-9|location=tuscaloosa, Alabama}}</ref>
Wildfowl decoys (primarily ducks, geese, shorebirds, and crows, but including some other species) are considered a form of [[folk art]]. [[Waterfowl decoy collecting|Collecting decoys]] has become a significant hobby both for folk art collectors and hunters. The world record was set in September 2007 when a pintail drake and Canada goose, both by [[A. Elmer Crowell]], sold for 1.13 million dollars apiece.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Ducks and Decoys|last=Frangoulis|first=George|publisher=The Farmstead Press|year=2014|isbn=978-1-312-60897-9|location=tuscaloosa, Alabama}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/09/21/to_tune_of_113m_decoys_are_the_real_thing/|title=To tune of $1.13m, decoys are the real thing|access-date=2007-09-21 | work=The Boston Globe | date=2007-09-21}}</ref>


==Military decoy==
==Military decoy==
[[Image:DummyShermanTank.jpg|thumb|An inflatable [[dummy tank]], modeled after the World War 2, [[M4 Sherman]]]]
[[Image:DummyShermanTank.jpg|thumb|An inflatable [[dummy tank]] modeled after an [[M4 Sherman]]]]
{{Main|Military dummy}}
{{Main|Military dummy}}
The decoy in war is a low-cost device intended to represent a real item of military equipment. They may be deployed in amongst their real counterparts, to fool enemy forces into attacking them and so protect the real items of equipment by diverting fire away from them.
The decoy in war is a low-cost device intended to represent a real item of military equipment.


They may be used in different ways:
Alternatively, large numbers of military decoys, or dummys, may be deployed as an aspect of [[military deception]]. Their purpose is to fool the enemy into believing forces in a particular area are much stronger than they really are. One notable example are [[Quaker Gun]]s.
* deployed in amongst their real counterparts, to divert part of the enemy fire away from the real items of equipment.

* for [[military deception]], fooling the enemy into believing forces in a particular area are much stronger than they really are. One notable example are [[Quaker Gun]]s.
For a [[defense (military)|defense]] system, decoys and [[Chaff (radar countermeasure)|chaff]] for [[ICBM]]s would mainly work in mid-course: during the boost phase they would be inside the [[rocket]], because separate rockets for each of many decoys would not be practical, while at [[atmospheric reentry]] light decoys and chaff considerably slow down and/or are destroyed in the [[Earth's atmosphere|atmosphere]].
* to produce a multitude of false signals to overwhelm a radar or sonar defence system, such as [[Flare (countermeasure)|flare]]s for [[Infrared homing|IR-guided missiles]] or [[Chaff (countermeasure)|chaff]] for [[Intercontinental ballistic missile|ICBM]]s.


===Bomb decoy===
===Bomb decoy===
In [[irregular warfare]], [[improvised explosive device]]s are commonly used as roadside bombs to target military patrols. Some [[Guerrilla warfare|guerillas]] also use imitation IEDs to intimidate civilians,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/four-decoy-ieds-found-port-said-polling-stations|title=Four decoy IEDs found in Port Said polling stations - Egypt Independent|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://wardiaries.wikileaks.org/id/10228/|title=DECOY IED FOUND BY 1BCT WEST OF SAMARRA|publisher=}}</ref> to waste [[bomb disposal]] resources,<ref>http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a528332.pdf</ref> or to set up an ambush.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/28/health/research/28brain.html|title=In Battle, Hunches Prove to Be Valuable|date=28 July 2009|work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usmcofficer.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Improvised-Explosive-Devices.pdf|title="One enemy TTP is to set decoy IEDs in order to observe the immediate reactions of coalition forces. By studying our tactics they can increase the lethality of their attacks, like setting up mortars and rockets on the kill zone or safe area." (PDF)|accessdate=Apr 12, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Lebovic2010">{{cite book|author=James H. Lebovic|title=The Limits of U.S. Military Capability: Lessons from Vietnam and Iraq|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-dbYsfiKV8UC|date=1 August 2010|publisher=JHU Press|isbn=978-0-8018-9750-4|page=62}}</ref> Some terrorist groups use fake bombs during a [[hostage]] siege, in order to limit hostage rescue efforts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/8743685/Man-takes-female-hostage-in-Sydney-office-bomb-siege.html|title=Video: Man takes female hostage in Sydney office bomb siege - Telegraph|author=Bonnie Malkin in Sydney|date=6 September 2011|work=Telegraph.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/police-defend-waiting-11-hours-to-storm-parramatta-building-after-man-with-12-year-old-girl-said-he-had-bom/story-e6freuzi-1226130987671 |title=We’re for Sydney |publisher=Daily Telegraph |date= |accessdate=2019-04-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/how-sydney-siege-gunman-tricked-police-into-thinking-there-was-a-bomb-in-his-backpack-20141217-129fqi.html|title=How Sydney siege gunman tricked police into thinking there was a bomb in his backpack|work=The Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref>
In [[irregular warfare]], [[improvised explosive device]]s (IEDs) are commonly used as roadside bombs to target military patrols. Some [[Guerrilla warfare|guerrillas]] also use imitation IEDs to intimidate civilians,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/four-decoy-ieds-found-port-said-polling-stations|title=Four decoy IEDs found in Port Said polling stations - Egypt Independent|date=25 May 2014 }}</ref> to waste [[bomb disposal]] resources,<ref>[http://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a528332.pdf Article title] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930073333/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a528332.pdf |date=2022-09-30 }} {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref> or to set up an ambush.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/28/health/research/28brain.html|title=In Battle, Hunches Prove to Be Valuable|date=28 July 2009|work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usmcofficer.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Improvised-Explosive-Devices.pdf|title="One enemy TTP is to set decoy IEDs in order to observe the immediate reactions of coalition forces. By studying our tactics they can increase the lethality of their attacks, like setting up mortars and rockets on the kill zone or safe area." (PDF)|access-date=Apr 12, 2019|archive-date=February 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221231728/http://www.usmcofficer.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Improvised-Explosive-Devices.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Lebovic2010">{{cite book|author=James H. Lebovic|title=The Limits of U.S. Military Capability: Lessons from Vietnam and Iraq|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-dbYsfiKV8UC|year= 2010|publisher=JHU Press|isbn=978-0-8018-9750-4|page=62}}</ref> Some terrorist groups use fake bombs during a [[hostage]] siege, in order to limit hostage rescue efforts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/8743685/Man-takes-female-hostage-in-Sydney-office-bomb-siege.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110906122037/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/8743685/Man-takes-female-hostage-in-Sydney-office-bomb-siege.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 September 2011|title=Video: Man takes female hostage in Sydney office bomb siege - Telegraph|author=Bonnie Malkin in Sydney|date=6 September 2011|work=Telegraph.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/police-defend-waiting-11-hours-to-storm-parramatta-building-after-man-with-12-year-old-girl-said-he-had-bom/story-e6freuzi-1226130987671 |title=We're for Sydney |publisher=Daily Telegraph |access-date=2019-04-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/how-sydney-siege-gunman-tricked-police-into-thinking-there-was-a-bomb-in-his-backpack-20141217-129fqi.html|title=How Sydney siege gunman tricked police into thinking there was a bomb in his backpack|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=17 December 2014 }}</ref>


=== Sonar decoy ===
=== Sonar decoy ===
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===Decoy receptor=== <!--Decoy receptor redirects here-->
===Decoy receptor=== <!--Decoy receptor redirects here-->
[[Decoy receptors]], or sink receptors,<ref name=vegf>{{cite web|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=eurekah.section.2469|title=Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor|author=Hugo H. Marti|publisher=}}</ref> are receptors that bind a [[ligand]], inhibiting it from binding to its normal receptor. For instance, the receptor [[VEGFR-1]] can prevent [[vascular endothelial growth factor]] (VEGF) from binding to the [[VEGFR-2]]<ref name=vegf/> The [[TNF inhibitor]] [[etanercept]] exerts its anti-inflammatory effect by being a decoy receptor that binds to TNF.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Zalevsky J, Secher T, Ezhevsky SA |title=Dominant-negative inhibitors of soluble TNF attenuate experimental arthritis without suppressing innate immunity to infection |journal=J. Immunol. |volume=179 |issue=3 |pages=1872–83 |date=August 2007 |pmid=17641054 |doi= 10.4049/jimmunol.179.3.1872|url=|display-authors=etal}}</ref>
[[Decoy receptors]], or sink receptors,<ref name=vegf>{{cite book|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=eurekah.section.2469|title=Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor|author=Hugo H. Marti|year=2013 |publisher=Landes Bioscience }}</ref> are receptors that bind a [[ligand]], inhibiting it from binding to its normal receptor. For instance, the receptor [[VEGFR-1]] can prevent [[vascular endothelial growth factor]] (VEGF) from binding to the [[VEGFR-2]]<ref name=vegf/> The [[TNF inhibitor]] [[etanercept]] exerts its anti-inflammatory effect by being a decoy receptor that binds to TNF.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Zalevsky J, Secher T, Ezhevsky SA |title=Dominant-negative inhibitors of soluble TNF attenuate experimental arthritis without suppressing innate immunity to infection |journal=J. Immunol. |volume=179 |issue=3 |pages=1872–83 |date=August 2007 |pmid=17641054 |doi= 10.4049/jimmunol.179.3.1872|display-authors=etal|doi-access=free }}</ref>


===Decoy substrate=== <!--Pseudosubstrate redirects here-->
===Decoy substrate=== <!--Pseudosubstrate redirects here-->
A ''decoy substrate'' or ''pseudosubstrate'' is a protein that has similar structure to the [[Substrate (biochemistry)|substrate]] of an [[enzyme]], in order to make the enzyme bind to the pseudosubstrate rather than to the real substrate, thus blocking the activity of the enzyme. These proteins are therefore [[enzyme inhibitor]]s.
A ''decoy substrate'' or ''pseudosubstrate'' is a protein that has similar structure to the [[Substrate (biochemistry)|substrate]] of an [[enzyme]], in order to make the enzyme bind to the pseudosubstrate rather than to the real substrate, thus blocking the activity of the enzyme. These proteins are therefore [[enzyme inhibitor]]s.


Examples include [[Vaccinia#Host_resistance|K3L]] produced by [[vaccinia virus]], which prevents the [[immune system]] from phosphorylating the substrate [[eIF-2]] by having a similar structure to eIF-2. Thus, the vaccinia virus avoids the immune system.
Examples include [[Vaccinia#Host resistance|K3L]] produced by [[vaccinia virus]], which prevents the [[immune system]] from phosphorylating the substrate [[eIF-2]] by having a similar structure to eIF-2. Thus, the vaccinia virus avoids the immune system.


===Digital decoys ===
===Digital decoys===
In protein folding simulations, a decoy is a computer-generated protein structure which is designed so to ''compete'' with the real structure of the protein. Decoys are used to test the validity of a protein model; the model is considered correct only if it is able to identify the native state configuration of the protein among the decoys.
In protein folding simulations, a decoy is a computer-generated protein structure which is designed so to ''compete'' with the real structure of the protein. Decoys are used to test the validity of a protein model; the model is considered correct only if it is able to identify the native state configuration of the protein among the decoys.


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The computer model being tested will be used to calculate the [[Thermodynamic free energy|free energy]] of the protein in the decoy configurations. The minimum requirement for the model to be correct is that it identifies the native state as the minimum free energy state (see [[Anfinsen's dogma]]).
The computer model being tested will be used to calculate the [[Thermodynamic free energy|free energy]] of the protein in the decoy configurations. The minimum requirement for the model to be correct is that it identifies the native state as the minimum free energy state (see [[Anfinsen's dogma]]).


==Decoys as folk art==
== See also ==
{{Main|Waterfowl decoy collecting}}
Ever since [[Joel Barber]], the first known decoy collector, started in 1918, decoys have become increasingly viewed as an important form of North American folk art. Barber's book [[Wild Fowl Decoys]], was the first book on decoys as collectible objects. It was followed in 1965 by folk art dealer [[Adele Earnest]]'s "The Art of the Decoy" and "American Bird Decoys" by collector Wm. J. Mackey.


* {{annotated link|Boarstall Duck Decoy}}
William J. Mackey made many trips to Chincoteague Island for the great flounder fishing as well as hunting for Chincoteague decoys. On his trips to the island he called Snug Harbor Marina home. He would send out locals to search for great finds of Chincoteague history. Cigar Daisey was one of the local Chincoteaguers that would help Mackey find all the best decoys that made his collection world-famous. Cigar has told many stories of the many truck loads of decoys he rounded up for his good friend.
* {{annotated link|Decoy effect}}
By that time a milestone in collecting had already occurred with the publication of "Decoy Collectors Guide", a small magazine created by hobbyists Hal & Barbara Sorenson of Burlington, Iowa. The 'Guide' helped foster a sense of community and provided a forum for collectors to share their research.
* {{annotated link|Game call}}

* {{annotated link|Hale Duck Decoy}}
By the 1970s decoys were becoming big business, at least by previous standards. The death of Wm. F. Mackey brought his decoys to market in a series of auctions in 1973 and 1974, with the star of his collection, a Long-billed Curlew by Wm. 'Bill' Bowman selling for a record US$10,500.
* {{annotated link|Honeypot (computing)|Honeypots}}

* {{annotated link|Russian military deception|Maskirovka}}
Since the 1960s numerous collectors organizations have been created, specialist books and magazines published, with specialist dealers, and special interest shows around the US and Canada.
* {{annotated link|Mobile submarine simulator}}

* {{annotated link|Penetration aid}}
The largest collectors organization is the Midwest Decoy Collectors Association which despite its name is an international group. It is a non-profit, [501(c)(3)] organization which sponsors the biggest show of the year. There are numerous state and regional groups as well.
* {{annotated link|Red herring}}

* {{annotated link|Sting operation}}
The current world record was set when two decoys (Canada goose and a preening pintail drake) by A. Elmer Crowell of East Harwich, MA were sold for $1.13 million each on September 19, 2007 by Stephen O'Brien Jr. Fine Arts, in what O'Brien describes as "the largest private sale of decoys ever." The decoys were part of a private sale of 31 decoys for $7.5 million. <ref>{{citenews|url=http://www.decoymag.com|title=Joe Engers, Editor of Decoy Magazine|accessdate=2018-08-30 | work=Decoy Magazine}}</ref> Joe Engers, Editor of Decoy Magazine, noted that O'Brien is one of the top dealers of decoys in the country.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/09/21/to_tune_of_113m_decoys_are_the_real_thing/|title=To tune of $1.13m, decoys are the real thing|accessdate=2007-09-21 | work=The Boston Globe | date=2007-09-21}}</ref>
* {{annotated link|XGAM-71 Buck Duck}}

* [[Garden owl]] - Pest control decoy
Among other admired makers were [[Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art|the Ward brothers]], Lemuel (1896–1984) and Steven, of [[Crisfield]], [[Maryland]]. Their career output is estimated at between 27,000 and 40,000 birds, working and decorative.

One of the most famous decoy makers in recent times is [[Delbert Daisey|Delbert "Cigar" Daisey]] from Chincoteague Va. Cigar decoys are in high demand all over the country. The best decoy he ever made was a pintail that he made for his wife in 1973. This decoy was featured in National Geographic in June 1980 on page 826. This decoy is estimated to be worth between $100,000 - $150,000.

[[Fish decoy]] collecting is also quite popular. Especially ice fishing decoys. See also [[fishing lures]].

==See also==
*[[Boarstall Duck Decoy]]
*[[Decoy effect]]
<!-- *[[Decoy password]] -->
*[[Hale Duck Decoy]]
*[[Honeypot (computing)|Honeypots]] – decoy resources for computer [[network security]]
*[[Russian military deception|Maskirovka]]
*[[Military dummies]]
*[[Mobile submarine simulator]]
*[[Penetration aid]]
*[[Quaker gun]]
*[[Red herring]]
*[[Sting operation]]
*[[Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art]]
*[[XGAM-71 Buck Duck]]


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category|Decoys}}
{{Commons category|Decoys}}
*[http://www.decoymag.com/ Decoy Magazine, Joe Engers] - The ultimate publication for decoy lovers and collectors
* [http://www.decoymag.com/ Decoy Magazine, Joe Engers] - The ultimate publication for decoy lovers and collectors
*[http://www.midwestdecoy.org/ The Midwest Decoy Collectors Association] – The de facto international collectors association
* [http://www.midwestdecoy.org/ The Midwest Decoy Collectors Association] – The de facto international collectors association
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080405052419/http://www.decoymans.co.uk/chapter1/page17.html The Book of Duck Decoys] – [[Sir Ralph Frankland-Payne-Gallwey, 3rd Baronet|Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey]], 1886 (full text)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080405052419/http://www.decoymans.co.uk/chapter1/page17.html The Book of Duck Decoys] – [[Ralph Payne-Gallwey|Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey]], 1886 (full text)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041209144620/http://www.decoymans.freeserve.co.uk/british.htm British Duck Decoys of To-Day, 1918] – Joseph Whitaker (full text)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041209144620/http://www.decoymans.freeserve.co.uk/british.htm British Duck Decoys of To-Day, 1918] – Joseph Whitaker (full text)

{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Decoys| ]]
[[Category:Decoys| ]]
[[Category:Hunting equipment]]
[[Category:Hunting equipment]]
[[Category:Penetration aids]]

Latest revision as of 22:16, 6 December 2024

Carved wooden duck decoys

A decoy (derived from the Dutch de kooi, literally "the cage"[1] or possibly ende kooi, "duck cage"[2]) is usually a person, device, or event which resembles what an individual or a group might be looking for, but it is only meant to lure them. Decoys have been used for centuries most notably in game hunting, but also in wartime and in the committing or resolving of crimes.

Illustration demonstrating the use of a dog in a duck decoy tunnel (1886)

Hunting

[edit]

In hunting wildfowl, the term decoy may refer to two distinct devices. One, the duck decoy (structure), is a long cone-shaped wickerwork tunnel installed on a small pond to catch wild ducks. After the ducks settled on the pond, a small, trained dog would herd the birds into the tunnel. The catch was formerly sent to market for food, but now these are used only by ornithologists to catch ducks to be ringed and released. The word decoy, also originally found in English as "coy", derives from the Dutch de Kooi (the cage) and dates back to the early 17th century, when this type of duck trap was introduced to England from the Netherlands. As "decoy" came more commonly to signify a person or a device than a pond with a cage-trap, the latter acquired the retronym decoy pool.[3]

The other form, a duck decoy (model), otherwise known as a 'decoy duck', 'hunting decoy' or 'wildfowl decoy', is a life-size model of the creature. The hunter places a number about the hunting area as they will encourage wild birds to land nearby, hopefully within the range of the concealed hunter. Originally carved from wood, they are now typically made from plastic.[4]

Wildfowl decoys (primarily ducks, geese, shorebirds, and crows, but including some other species) are considered a form of folk art. Collecting decoys has become a significant hobby both for folk art collectors and hunters. The world record was set in September 2007 when a pintail drake and Canada goose, both by A. Elmer Crowell, sold for 1.13 million dollars apiece.[5][6]

Military decoy

[edit]
An inflatable dummy tank modeled after an M4 Sherman

The decoy in war is a low-cost device intended to represent a real item of military equipment.

They may be used in different ways:

  • deployed in amongst their real counterparts, to divert part of the enemy fire away from the real items of equipment.
  • for military deception, fooling the enemy into believing forces in a particular area are much stronger than they really are. One notable example are Quaker Guns.
  • to produce a multitude of false signals to overwhelm a radar or sonar defence system, such as flares for IR-guided missiles or chaff for ICBMs.

Bomb decoy

[edit]

In irregular warfare, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are commonly used as roadside bombs to target military patrols. Some guerrillas also use imitation IEDs to intimidate civilians,[7] to waste bomb disposal resources,[8] or to set up an ambush.[9][10][11] Some terrorist groups use fake bombs during a hostage siege, in order to limit hostage rescue efforts.[12][13][14]

Sonar decoy

[edit]

A sonar decoy is a device designed to create a misleading reading on sonar, such as the appearance of a false target.

In biochemistry

[edit]

In biochemistry, there are decoy receptors, decoy substrates and decoy RNA. In addition, digital decoys are used in protein folding simulations.

Decoy receptor

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Decoy receptors, or sink receptors,[15] are receptors that bind a ligand, inhibiting it from binding to its normal receptor. For instance, the receptor VEGFR-1 can prevent vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from binding to the VEGFR-2[15] The TNF inhibitor etanercept exerts its anti-inflammatory effect by being a decoy receptor that binds to TNF.[16]

Decoy substrate

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A decoy substrate or pseudosubstrate is a protein that has similar structure to the substrate of an enzyme, in order to make the enzyme bind to the pseudosubstrate rather than to the real substrate, thus blocking the activity of the enzyme. These proteins are therefore enzyme inhibitors.

Examples include K3L produced by vaccinia virus, which prevents the immune system from phosphorylating the substrate eIF-2 by having a similar structure to eIF-2. Thus, the vaccinia virus avoids the immune system.

Digital decoys

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In protein folding simulations, a decoy is a computer-generated protein structure which is designed so to compete with the real structure of the protein. Decoys are used to test the validity of a protein model; the model is considered correct only if it is able to identify the native state configuration of the protein among the decoys.

Decoys are generally used to overcome a main problem in protein folding simulations: the size of the conformational space. For very detailed protein models, it can be practically impossible to explore all the possible configurations to find the native state. To deal with this problem, one can make use of decoys. The idea behind this is that it is unnecessary to search blindly through all possible conformations for the native conformation; the search can be limited to a relevant sub-set of structures. To start with, all non-compact configurations can be excluded. A typical decoy set will include globular conformations of various shapes, some having no secondary structures, some having helices and sheets in different proportions. The computer model being tested will be used to calculate the free energy of the protein in the decoy configurations. The minimum requirement for the model to be correct is that it identifies the native state as the minimum free energy state (see Anfinsen's dogma).

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Cresswell, Julia (2021). Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0192639370.
  2. ^ Wedgwood, Hensleigh (1855). "On False Etymologies". Transactions of the Philological Society (6): 71.
  3. ^ Janet (1993). "Duck decoys, with particular reference to the history of bird ringing". Archives of Natural History. 20 (2): 229–240. doi:10.3366/anh.1993.20.2.229. ISSN 0260-9541.
  4. ^ Mackey, William J. (1987). American bird decoys. New York: Dutton. ISBN 978-0-525-24500-1.
  5. ^ Frangoulis, George (2014). Ducks and Decoys. tuscaloosa, Alabama: The Farmstead Press. ISBN 978-1-312-60897-9.
  6. ^ "To tune of $1.13m, decoys are the real thing". The Boston Globe. 2007-09-21. Retrieved 2007-09-21.
  7. ^ "Four decoy IEDs found in Port Said polling stations - Egypt Independent". 25 May 2014.
  8. ^ Article title Archived 2022-09-30 at the Wayback Machine [bare URL PDF]
  9. ^ "In Battle, Hunches Prove to Be Valuable". The New York Times. 28 July 2009.
  10. ^ ""One enemy TTP is to set decoy IEDs in order to observe the immediate reactions of coalition forces. By studying our tactics they can increase the lethality of their attacks, like setting up mortars and rockets on the kill zone or safe area." (PDF)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 21, 2016. Retrieved Apr 12, 2019.
  11. ^ James H. Lebovic (2010). The Limits of U.S. Military Capability: Lessons from Vietnam and Iraq. JHU Press. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-8018-9750-4.
  12. ^ Bonnie Malkin in Sydney (6 September 2011). "Video: Man takes female hostage in Sydney office bomb siege - Telegraph". Telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 6 September 2011.
  13. ^ "We're for Sydney". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2019-04-12.
  14. ^ "How Sydney siege gunman tricked police into thinking there was a bomb in his backpack". The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 December 2014.
  15. ^ a b Hugo H. Marti (2013). Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor. Landes Bioscience.
  16. ^ Zalevsky J, Secher T, Ezhevsky SA, et al. (August 2007). "Dominant-negative inhibitors of soluble TNF attenuate experimental arthritis without suppressing innate immunity to infection". J. Immunol. 179 (3): 1872–83. doi:10.4049/jimmunol.179.3.1872. PMID 17641054.
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