RealImage Decoys

[Tomahog]

I am in the market for some high quality decoys. I want something a little difference than everyone elses....
I am very interested in Herter Melinieum decoy & the RealImage decoys. But nearly every review I have read & nearly everyone I know that has the Real Image decoys, complain about the chipping paint problem. Otherwise, everyone agrees that they are awesome. My question is: Have any changes been made (or are any planned) to address this problem? Thanks!

[Ryan Kleinschmidt]

I think your in the wrong forum.

[ksgoosekilr]

Why would he be in the wrong forum!!? GHG makes them for Cabelas from what I've been told! Maybe a prostaffer can clue us in!?

[Ryan Kleinschmidt]

Why would he be in the wrong forum!!? GHG makes them for Cabelas from what I've been told! Maybe a prostaffer can clue us in!?


I was unaware of that.

[Eric Wolf]

nr_gooseslayer, Im not a Pro-Staffer, but yes, GHG does make the Real Image decoys for Cabelas.

[David Rearick]

Any paint problems with GHG products are certainly the exception and not the rule. It is safe to say that any paint issues from the past, have certainly been rectified. I have owned the Real Image mallards, the O/S mallards, and even the original hot buys and have had zero problems with paint. They have been stored in a standard decoy bag and by no means have been babied. IMO they are hands down the best looking decoy on the market when it comes to paint, detail, durability and beyond.

[Tomahog]

Thanks for your reply David. I am still concerned though. If you read the reviews at Cabela's website, many are from this year & using the current model of the decoy. Now, I realize that you generally get more of the negative responses (per buyer) & that despite the paint problems, most still rate the decoy very highly, but to suggest that there is not some problem seems a bit niaeve. I take it from your response that there has not been any recent changes to the production process or paint?. Is that correct?

[SMIGRATOR]

I have 5 doz of the real image decoys, they show wear, they should they are 4 yrs old, been thrown in and out of the boat 50 t 60 times pr season. If you hunt as much as some of us your decoys will show wear, but they still kill birds everyday i am out there. So if your worried about paint chipping off of your decoys you should bag each and everyone seprate, or get the 12 slot bags to put them in.

[oltcutdown]

Saw a fella in the woods this year and he was running 3 doz Real Image mallards and storing them in 12 slot bags. Those are some awesome looking decoys! Couldn't tell you anything about paint issues, but his decoys looked like real birds. The swivel heads are nice! I'm thinking about buying some.

[Paul "from NZ" Stenning]

Tom

I have had Real Image since they first came out and my hunting buddies and I have since purchased many more. After rattling all the way over to New Zealand and being used for many seasons they are still looking like new. I switched to all Real image and Avery GHG decoys because of such things as realism and durability. I do use 12 slot bags for all my decoys. If there were any isolated issues with paint it would have been resolved as Avery are always listening to it's customers and making improvments where possible.

Good luck Tom with the hunting that you have over whatever decoys you choose!

[TRIPLER]

I hunt exclusively with the real image decoys and can tell you first hand they are awesome. I too was worried about the paint problem when I first removed them from the box a couple of the drakes had a chip or two about as big as a dime out of them (Probably the result of a drop of oil at the factory prior to painting). And when I put the heads on some of the white ring around the drakes neck chipped off. Now that I have hunted with them well over a 150 times (3-years) the paint is still the same as it was when I took them out of the box other than some of the edges like on the beak have worn off just the same as every other decoy I have ever owned. I highly reccomend them to anyone who is looking for the most realistic decoy made not only is the paint scheme perfect but the swimming action is the best I have seen in a plastic decoy. I just throw 3 dozen of them in a standard decoy bag and treat them As rough as is required.

[svensfarm]

If the paint wears...who cares!! It still would look better than any else on the market. If you're concerned with the paint buy some cans of paint and throw it on as needed.

[compass]

I have three dozen of the Mallards that are four years old, and five dozen of the bluebills. They are without doubt my favorite decoys for the reasons mentioned above. I sack mine in ALICE covers and throw them in a regular decoy bag or just throw them in the boat. I put touch-up (bulls eye 123 primer) on a couple after putting the heads in, but they have been fine since. They get the wash at the end of each season, but no additional paint problems. I keep hoping they will do some other divers.

[zwohl]

So does Avery make the Redhead decoys for Bass pro then? I attend the DU waterfowl party @ UND in Grand Forks, ND and they were giving them away. So if they were giviing away the Real Image and the Redhead decoys at an Avery sponsored event, Avery makes them both???

[Montauker]

Avery does not make any of the Redhead products including decoys, belts, bags. Many Bass Pro waterfowl products look very similar to GHG products. Bass Pro doesn't carry Avery or GHG products.

I can't answer why Redhead gear was being given away at an Avery event.

[Joe Fladeland]

I just picked up another dozen last night. The RealImage dekes are the best Mallard decoy I have ever used.

[zwohl]

Montauker, thats what I thought too, I was confused because I figured that the Real Image were made for Cabelas. But the Redhead situation is really wierd. Any of the Pro-Staff that maybe attended the event know the reasoning behind it???

[Rick Frisch]

We may have had a few boxes in inventory from when we did make them for Bass Pro. That is the only thing that I can think of as a reason for them to be there.

Thanks,

[Christian Curtis]

We do not make any Bass pro decoys. We did at one time but no longer. I would guess as Rick does that maybe they had a few left.

[DrakesOnly]

I have owned two dozen of these for three years. Best mallard decoy on the market. No paint chipping here even through brutal abuse. I do however store them in 12 slot avery bags. Good Luck

[Rich Good]

I can say that the real image mallards do hold up well. I have seen them thrown around, stuffed in bags, chipped out of ice and the appearance of the decoys looks as if they were just purchased.

[Tomahog]

Thanks Guys, I appreciate the responses. You have eased my concerns! I think I'll go ahead & get 2 or 3 Dozen & try them out...

[Danny B]

I have acouple dozen and I am very pleased with them. I did have one drake that had alittle paint chipping off the chest out of the box. I called Avery as I was instructed to do by Cabelas and they sent me a new decoy. Again I am very happy with them and would buy more.

[chprblst]

You wont be sorry, great dekes. Now...if your going to carry them in a ways they are heavy. 12 slot bags are the way to go. They should look new 5 yrs from now. After two years mine look like they did when they came out of the box.

[ksgoosekilr]

You wont be sorry, great dekes. Now...if your going to carry them in a ways they are heavy. 12 slot bags are the way to go. They should look new 5 yrs from now. After two years mine look like they did when they came out of the box.

No offense but you must not hunt enough or hard enough. We hunted some hard and although they did look good outta the box, after a couple weeks of the season the paint was chipping and they were immediately took back to Cabelas(this was a few years ago). We've had the same G&H's for I don't know how long and they recieve the same abuse and still look pretty good. There really isn't a decoy that won't at least wear some after being hunted over no matter how you do it. Just my .02

[Mark Hackbarth]

I own a couple dozen and can not complain about them. love the postures, paint, and durability has not been a problem for me. just bought them last year, but great dekes so far.

[Eric Larsgaard]

I can assure you will not have problems with the paint. Keep in mind Cabela's has a satisfaction guarantee warranty on all products.
Pick some up you will not be disappointed.
Eric

[Scott Moates]

Eric is totally correct, you will not be disappointed. Good luck to you.

[Travis Mueller]

They look very very good on the water!

[goosehunter64]

I would love to get some, but, I only want a 1/2 doz. So...I'm going to get 6 O/S GHG mallards instead.

[Christian Curtis]

I know you won't be disappointed. Let us know what you think.