I’ve got a few dozen of various species both GHG and Avian X. The paint job on the Avian X is a bit better IMO but I have no issues buying GHG, at all. Can usually find deals at the end of season.
Hell they are on Wing Supply for a good discount, that’s where I’m buying all of them
I’m retiring all my old flambeaus and cheap rigs from when I first started and outfitting with all new dekes and steel cable rigs
I think I’m gonna repaint all my old flambeau mallards to redheads though for the diver hunts, that way I’m not pulling out cash for 10 dozen redhead dekes
I do already have a dozen Higdon redheads that I bought last year on Lifetime rigs.. the Higdons are okay, but I’d rather not buy more unless I have to
Funny you mention you’re old flambeaus. I think there’s an opinion of “decoy snobbery” among some people. I have a friend that now guides for a very large operation down south. A couple years ago we were invited to hunt at this place as more or less of a “will this be a good fit” trip. We were setup to hunt with the most senior guide. With the property size, location and conditions, it’s not uncommon for them to run 10 dozen or more decoys on a given hunt. It made me chuckle a little bit as we were setting the spread for our first hunt, the vast majority of his decoys were a mixture of old, beat up game winners and flambeaus. Not saying quality decoys don’t have their place, after all we don’t all hunt the same range conditions they do but, I’m sure you get the point.
Hunting 2 seasons with my old flambeaus, I’ve killed many of birds over them.
I hunt the coast though and about 80% of them are mallards, and I feel like hurts my success to an extent considering there’s no mallards down here.
Not only that, but it’s really just peace of mind thing I guess. I like having nice stuff when it comes to things I enjoy doing. When I first started out I got all cheap old flambeaus, some were given to me, some I got for like $25 for 3-4 dozen. All rigged up with random weights I could find on fishing line thrown in a bag.
now that I know for a fact I have a passion for waterfowl hunting and plan to continue on with it for years to come, I’m fine with dishing out big money on nice quality gear. Never understood the ideology of just unloading money on all the nicest decoys and guns for someone’s first season not knowing if they’re gonna continue on with it. I’m at that point now so now it’s time to get nice chit
. Already have the gun though