What to buy?

[iawaterfowler88]

Ok guys so I will be going off to college next year in Storm Lake, Iowa (North West part of the state) Anyways its new hunting territory for me and its 2 1/2 hours from home and with my dad hunting back here still I'm leaving the majority of the decoys here (taking 6 of my 12 avery pintails, the Green Wings for early season, and possibly a few honker decoys but we only have 6 so I dont want to leave him dry...I'm also going to try to talk him into letting me take 6 fullbody honkers) He will come up a couple of times I'm sure of to get after some honks in the fields with his son. But I need mallard decoys for sure, and I was also thinking Gadwalls to mix in too...since we see and shoot quite a few around here...I'm tight on the money thing, so what do you guys think I should do? Go with 2 doz mallards or a doz mallards and 1/2 doz gaddies? I will be walking into all of my areas so I need to stay lighter than boat wise but I can still put some miles on these young legs and back! Also another thing to remember is I'm going to be short on storage and need a place for all the decoys....what do ya'll think? I'm open to any advice.....thanks guys!!

[Joe Fladeland]

iawaterfowler,
I would recommend looking into a dozen of the Cabela's RealImage Mallards(made by Avery). These are by far the nicest decoy I have seen yet and they are just as big, if not bigger than the O/S mallards. These run $90/dozen and then if you have any money left over I would definately add either a half dozen Gadwalls or maybe even a half dozen Black Ducks. Hope this helps.

[Bsgoosepimp111]

that or if you are low onmoney go with a dozen hot buy's, look great, and only $30.00:D

[Craig Boyd]

Out of those two choices I say go with the mallards and the gadwall. The only reason I say this is because they might bring a little more realism to the decoys. I guess it just depends on what you see the most. If you see lots of mallards and not a whole lot else, then put out a bunch of mallard decoys. If you see some mallards and gadwall, then put out both. Just a suggestion. :)

[Tony Vandemore]

If you are low on funds and half to walk in, I'd be loading up on Hot Buy Mallards. Cut the back of the keel off and let the sand out, then you have an excellent looking, LIGHT, water keel decoy. I've done this to all my walk in sacks, you can carry a lot more decoys.

[Michael Weiss]

Tony is right on the money! We sometimes walk 1.5-2 miles @ Carlyle. Weight becomes a big factor. We have 3 dz. Hot Buys Mallards we converted into water keel and they are so light weight we can walk for miles, No problem. Also, think about after you kill 6 ducks and a goose or two and you have to hog them out.

Good luck and thanks for choosing Avery/GHG!!

[xdasher19]

i got some hotbuys and they are real nice..i lovem..i would get 12 of them and then 6 gads. post on here in the pawn shop if someone would trade 3 for a couple blacks, pinns,butups, or whatever else might ad realism

[Mike Bard]

I agree that for the money, you can't beat the hot buys. So if money is the largest factor here, I'd go with a doz hot buys and if funds allow, get a 1/2 dozen gadwell as well, if you have them around.

[iawaterfowler88]

ok well I have decent funds for a incoming college kid. However I like the hot buy idea with cutting the keels and having a water keel, should create a little more movement on less windy days too and will make good fillers. So I think I'm going to go this route, we do see a lot of mallards but a lot of teal, gaddies, some pinnies, widgeon, woodies, and blue bills so I'm gonna go with a doz hot buys (19.99 a doz at cabelas right now) with the keels cut, a doz lifesize mallards, and 1/2 doz gaddies (since I already have the 1/2 pinnies and doz teal). As for the goose decoys...I think I'm gonna go with 4 of the new life size series from Macks and try to talk my dad into letting me borrow 2 high lookers for the waters edge.....I have a feeling my roomate might hate me.....

[Josh Brugmans]

ok well I have decent funds for a incoming college kid. However I like the hot buy idea with cutting the keels and having a water keel, should create a little more movement on less windy days too and will make good fillers. So I think I'm going to go this route, we do see a lot of mallards but a lot of teal, gaddies, some pinnies, widgeon, woodies, and blue bills so I'm gonna go with a doz hot buys (19.99 a doz at cabelas right now) with the keels cut, a doz lifesize mallards, and 1/2 doz gaddies (since I already have the 1/2 pinnies and doz teal). As for the goose decoys...I think I'm gonna go with 4 of the new life size series from Macks and try to talk my dad into letting me borrow 2 high lookers for the waters edge.....I have a feeling my roomate might hate me.....

Very Excellent choices.

[Montauker]

I would do scouting around town to see if you can find someone who would let you store your stuff at their house/farm etc. If you're on campus be aware of the gun laws for the campus. We already had someone on here almost get tossed from school for a weapons violation.

[iawaterfowler88]

I would do scouting around town to see if you can find someone who would let you store your stuff at their house/farm etc. If you're on campus be aware of the gun laws for the campus. We already had someone on here almost get tossed from school for a weapons violation.

I have an uncle that might but he lives 15 min outta the way from the hunting areas and like I don't think he really has the room anyhow to store them there....hopefully I can just like store them in my room w/o my roomate getting mad and I always have a teamates house that I might be able to store them in too. As for the gun laws....I've checked it out and campus security will hold our guns (small college in a smaller town so there are a lot of hunters) and we can come get them the night before or something like that and sign them out. Or if I can store my stuff at that house off campus my gun will prolly just stay there....dunno for sure yet though....I talked to some of the other hunters there that are baseball players and they said how they use to break their guns down and leave them in baseball bags in the car if it came to that...but I really dont feel like getting tossed out of college for that lol......where do you go to school at? What are the gun laws becides not to have one in your possession on campus? Where do kids put their guns when they dont have a house off campus to store them in?

[Nate051]

The college I am going at allows you to keep your guns right on campus with the campus seurity. I plan on lifting my bed high enough to fit fb ducks, and floaters under it and I'm going to keep my Fb geese and shells in my car.
Nate

[iawaterfowler88]

Yeah we have lofts so its not entirely the storage space I'm worried about but more of the roomate getting mad at the mud and what not and if I hunt some of the farm ponds that can kind of smell....well I dont want the whole dorm floor mad at me....lol

[Montauker]

I'm a few years out of school (Jame Madison Univ. in Virginia) but we had the same law about guns. Not allowed on campus but you could check them in and out of the police station. That was a good thing. I didn't start hunting at school until my later years, by which time I was off campus.

Actually I had no need to hunt at school, I would hunt everyday I was home for thanksgiving and christmas. It was enough at that time to satisfy my needs.

My only advice, small school or not, is be aware of your company. Dead ducks, bloody hands and mud are no way to draw in the ladies, well at most schools, with most women it isn't. Hit the books then the ducks, 5 years out you'll be happy you did.

[iawaterfowler88]

Haha I got the lady thing covered....and actually she doesn't mind it, her dad is a huge hunter so shes use to it and will eat wild game and what not. So I'm good to go there as long as I don't get any on her and take her out every once in awhile lol. As for the gun thing I'm pretty sure that security will hold them but if they wont I'm sure I can talk my coach or teamate that lives off campus to hold them for me. As for the school, I know I'm going to have to hit the books first then ducks. It'll be hard at times I know, especially during migration time but I'll have to force myself to hit the books and once again the girlfriend will make sure that I'm getting my work done. AND no I'm not whipped if thats what your thinking, just sometimes the ADHD will get the best of me and cause me to get distracted easily.....especially for hunting trips :-)

[Rich Good]

Hot buys are the way to go, Who else offers such a fine looking decoy besides GHG. Get your self some GHG decoy bags and your off to that walk in in no time.

[iawaterfowler88]

got the hot buys in my hands already...and of course they are all rigged up and ready to go....after I cut the back of the keels off to make them a water keel.....sure makes them a lot lighter...and like I said earlier, will add a lot of much needed movement to the spread!