This coming season will be my sixth year in the game. Yeah, I know... But I want to buy my first dozen of big boy decoys. I have dozen and half of crappy cheap decoys and now its time to upgrade my game. I hunt in the South Arkansas timber so that is the environment I will be using them in. Any ideas? I'm considering these: Dakota Mallard Decoys Avian X Mallard Decoys Anyone know of anything else that has the size and realism as the Dakota decoys?
I'm complicating your decision, but I would also take a look at the Tanglefree migration edition and GHG pro-grades. My mallards are a mix of those two and the Avian-X topflight back water birds. I like the back water birds for the head positions. I also like to mix it up. Nothing looks more fake to me than dozens of identical carbon-copies floating out on the water.
It would be funny if using the fewest ugliest decoys caught on as bragging rights in places like Arkansas and Canada since let's be honest, the ducks darn near kill themselves.
Hunted a few times this year with all 4 candidates... GHG progrades, Avians, Dakotas and Tanglefree migration editions... And I'll say all looked great and will decoys birds... But sorry to say that one functioned BELOW par... and I don't mean to bash, but the Dakotas performance was unacceptable... center of gravity is off, they blow over easier than others and DO NOT self upright themselves when thrown... I'd have to go fix about 50% of the decoys that were thrown out. Thats frustrating and a waste of precious time...
I used 24 beat to heck almost bald flambeau wigeon decoys from the 80's for the entire 2014 season. Landed birds at 20 yards from first to last day of our 100+ day season. All it got me was a good bashing even though My kill numbers were well into triple digits and limits were the normal day. I only hunt public land that is hammered daily. Guys don't want to hear that realism isn't needed. That being said, I like to look at realistic decoys.
An honest man. How do you stand it being there surrounded by the fakers? I like to look at y boards and decoys I've made myself. But I really suck at making decoys.
BB kinda nailed it-When I have to walk in a ways, I carry 8-10 old Flambeau water keels and 8 or so Feather Flex (they look like a hopped up 6 year old try to draw a duck) and they work just as well when as when I use a few dozen new Higdons when I can drive closer to the blind. Realism is great for the human eye, but I'm not sure it is as important for ducks.
