New Decoys For Myself

[CGGooseSlayer]

I know most of the guys on this forum are nothing but GHG customers, but I just thought I would mention the realism in the Dave Smith decoys. Now I do realize the high prices of them, but I think that having 1-2 dozen DSD's (that in my opinion are the best looking decoys out there) over 7 dozen GHG's. I currently hunt over GHG, Bigfoot, and Hardcore Decoys. I'm in the process of buying some DSD's, but think that I would rather have those than the other three companies combined. Does anybody else think DSD's are better? I have hunted over them, so I am not clueless about them, I just wanted to hear some feedback. Let me know what you guys think.

[The Goose Man]

Go back two weeks ago on the Goose Hunting forum and look up the thread "Best Decoys". Tons of feedback there!:D

[CGGooseSlayer]

okay, thanks!

[Wingman]

What are DSD's? :D

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/5529/honkersnb1.jpg

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/2795/lessers1pk4.jpg

Cheers,

Adam

[Rick Frisch]

Even if I didn't work for Avery, I would go with FFD's. Why would you want to possibly compromise a hunt with glare from frost or rain? The only thing that I would say is better is a stuffer. I don't want to even think about investing in something like that.

Thanks,

[goosehunter16]

u said that u think they are the best decoy made! i admit they look the best but not the best price. thats all im gonna say! if u think they are the best and are thinking about buying them then buy them. dont start another arguement on the forum.

[Breda]

Even if I didn't work for Avery, I would go with FFD's. Why would you want to possibly compromise a hunt with glare from frost or rain? The only thing that I would say is better is a stuffer. I don't want to even think about investing in something like that.

Thanks,

I have to agree, except I am unsure of the durability of the flocking. Both are decoys of good quality, and it's hard to go past a Z neck, they are oustandingly goosey.

Price is a moral issue. DSD's are made in the US, I beleive, and the price and margin are most likely a fair reflection on cost of production.

By the time a goose tells the differance between the two or even a good homemade silo it should be being smacked up. Carry a towel if dew or frost is going to be an issue, or better still hunt on days when when dew or frost are not an issue. On these days landing the geese correctly offers shots where you want them, hopefully affording more clean kills rather than busting at geese that are marginal or at difficult areas.

Does rain on flocking create any storage issues? Showers then sun are far more of an issue than rain.

If this thread relates simply to gear that works, then approach 'hunters' of quality, and do what they do. This thread is inflamatory, and it seeks only to get a rise from people (Pro Staff) that are obligated to use one brand. This message board is about Avery / GHG Brand.

"There are far more anglers caught by lures than fish." There is an awful lot of lures out there, some work.

[compass]

I have hunted over Dave Smith's for years. They are fantastic. However, ...better? I have been using GHG specks along side my Dave Smith's and they look great. There is nothing inferior about the carvings GHG uses, and the pricing is truly revolutionary. That is the continuing legacy of GHG and Fred Zink. Quality assurance on small production run items like DSD's is better, as you would expect, but GHG customer service is always upstanding and helpful if there is a problem. If you are truly obsessive (as I am) you can always hand paint/touch up your GHG's to add a little individuality. Mixing them in a spread works well to add the posture variance you see in nature. GHG's and DSD's look fine side by side, but I wouldn't feel the same about Bigfoot.

To the comments on FFD's, that is hard to beat where you have 'early morning shine'. The maintenance is worth it. I only wish GHG would add FFD snow's, as we have to leave our snow spread out all season (too big) and on bluebird mornings, the shine is terrible.

[Ryan Kleinschmidt]

I only wish GHG would add FFD snow's, as we have to leave our snow spread out all season (too big) and on bluebird mornings, the shine is terrible.


With the wet and sloppy field conditions during the spring snow season, I just do not see a market for a FFD snow. White flocking would be way to difficult to keep clean in my opinion.

[Chad Buehler]

Even if I didn't work for Avery, I would go with FFD's. Why would you want to possibly compromise a hunt with glare from frost or rain? The only thing that I would say is better is a stuffer. I don't want to even think about investing in something like that.

Thanks,

I noticed in the new Fowl Pursuit video that the FFD's held frost on their backs to the point that it looked like snow. Like there was more texture there for the frost to grab ahold of. Unless Stahl wasn't using FFD's, but they sure looked like FFD's to me and I'm no spring chicken when it comes to identifying dekes. After seeing that in the video I was really suprised and thought to myself well...I guess even FFD's hold frost the same way all fullbodies do.
I will try to doublecheck tonight what decoys Stahl was using but I'm guessing he would have been using FFD's...I mean why would he not have been using FFD's????? All I know is they were some frosty looking decoys....

[Ryan Kleinschmidt]

The thing you have to remember is FFD's do not eliminate frost, they get rid of it much faster and without the shine that a plastic decoy will give. Even live birds accumulate frost and snow.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a53/commander019/Internet%20Posts/geese_iced.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a53/commander019/Internet%20Posts/geese_snow.jpg

[J Kryspin]

If the decoys were left out overnight, they accumulate frost. I would not even go out on a limb to say that they evaporate any faster than standard plastic. They probably do withstand the accumulating of frost a bit better on cold mornings. Both FFDs and standard plastic GHGs held the frost until the sun came up.

[Ryan Kleinschmidt]

From my experiecne (not leaving decoys out over night) the FFD's cleared up faster than the pro grades on cold mornings. I believe the flocking absorbs the sunlight better thus melting the frost quicker. We have some really cold mornings here in MN and somedays, by the time your done setting the last decoy, the others have frost on them already. For me, given the choice between plastic decoys or FFD's, I'll take the FFD's everytime. I'm not saying plastic decoys will not work because they work very well, I just prefer the FFD's overall preformance.

[Rick Frisch]

They just don't have any glare to them.