I love my DSD hen. I have the upright version. I was just wondering if I could carry the hen and the jake without being too cumbersome? That is the only reason I was considering the Avian one. I usually just carry one deke with me but for the times I want to carry the jake I don't want to look like Santa going through the woods. LOL
I carry the DSD jake and hen in a bag built for me by custom gun socks. http://www.usahuntingear.com/Double_Decoy_Bag.html Because of the bag I find very little difference between carrying one or two decoys. Not an issue and the bag has seperate pockets for each decoy and a pocket for the stakes so there is no noise. If it was even CLOSE I would go for the DSD. Made in USA,...NOT China.
The avian looks like a anaconda that ate deer , the body anatomy is all off,bloated ,like a blow up pool toy, plus it's no light weight either , it's nicer looking than the other cheap chinese decoys but for what they want for them , most will pass or go all the way and commit to getting the very best and that woul be a Dsd
Try and see if you can look at a avian in person and then look at the price tag and let me know if you don't think there is something wrong with the picture
Here is my thing.
DSD is hard body, Zink is inflatable rubber.
Since you want a jake decoy, there is a chance it causes a gobbler dog fight. In a dog fight where the potential for a gobbler to jump on and spur your decoy exisists...do you want a rubber decoy that spurs can pop or do you want a hard body decoy that can take a licking and keep on ticking. I would personally go with the DSD. They are more expensive but your gonna get your monies worth out of it for YEARS to come.
Someone posted a new decoy on here about a week ago that is under a 100 bucks that closely resembles the DSD...made by Dakota decoys. It looks pretty sweet and is worth a look. Im seriously considering that over adding another DSD. Money saved for me is another tank of gas to the turkey woods.
I love my DSD jake . I have the feeding and upright hen also.I can tell you you will not regret buying one. The avian decoys look like a painted buzzard to me.
DSD = Made in the USA and a supporter of this site and have given free decoys to our members in the BINGO games!
Avian & the Dakota made decoy which isn't available yet are both made by the Communist Red Chinese!
Where does your heart and soul lie?
Are you an American that supports American made products or are you a Poser?
Enough Said!
Held them both in my hands and the DSD is the better decoy.
Guess, I'm old school...I've been using the same Feather-Flex decoys since 1992..they are foam and very light. They may not look the most realistic but I've had other hens and gobblers come up and knock them down!! they have a few pellet holes in them, but they still WORK. my .02
DSD :smiley-patriotic-flagwaver-an
Quote from: bird on February 29, 2012, 12:56:45 PM
DSD = Made in the USA and a supporter of this site and have given free decoys to our members in the BINGO games!
Avian & the Dakota made decoy which isn't available yet are both made by the Communist Red Chinese!
Where does your heart and soul lie?
Are you an American that supports American made products or are you a Poser?
Enough Said!
Bird, in your opinion is there a difference between buying from a completely Chinese based company that is owned and run by Chinese investors that ship goods and products to be sold here in the US versus say an American company that is centered right here in the US but has chosen in the free market to have some production of products designed in the US produced in china because they do not have the means of producing it here currently and lack the capital to buy and set up a production facility here in the US and maintain any kind of profitability that would allow them to stay open and operate???
I don't think it's so black and white -- patriotic or communist as you make it seem but I value everyone's opinion. It's difficult for me at time to see the ONLY American made point of view at times, not because I don't care about the country or what it means to me but that evaluating business decisions and looking at the numbers is a part of my every day job.
DSD!!! The Avian is half again as big and twice as heavy. The DSD's are spot on with natural color and customer service is 1st rate. Another thing to consider is the collapsable thing. They are not easy to collapse or inflate.
I have an Upright and Feeder hen made of the older(harder) material, and 2 of the same positions of the new material. I bought the 2 new ones(A.C.E.) at the NWTF convention last year, but have never even used them. The 2 originals I have are 3 & 4 years old and still look perfect. I always try to divide estimated years of use with price and then decide.
Good Luck,
Clint
But the Smith and dont look back
I ordered the new Dakota Jake decoy and it should be here sometime in late March. I am a waterfowl hunter as well and have hunted over Dakota decoys in the past and do enjoy their work. The jake decoy looks amazing and it is cheaper then the DSD. DSD is pretty proud of there decoys and thats probably why I have only met one person that has ever hunted over their goose decoys, plus I talked to a representative of their's once and the guy was extremely rude and I swore I would never buy anything from that company. The Zink Avian jake doesn't even have a great posture and the Zink decoys have a lot of white and red to them in the feathers. All are good decoys and all will kill turkeys no doubt, so good luck on your decision.
DSD is 100% America made and American owned.
RCCQ -- Red Commie Chinese Quality
Sorry, that didn't really have anything to do with the DSD – Zink question...
Personally I have a somewhat different opinion of the two than most of the old gobbler faithful's. I respect the DSD guys (have met a few of them at trade shows) and am glad they produce a great realistic decoy here in America and have the BEST customer service without a doubt. I just merely lack the distain for Zinks line of decoys based upon their choice of production location that most here have.
I understand other company's (I know of 2) that have completely replicated Dave Smiths work and shipped it off to china for the simple purpose of undercutting price on essentially the same product and those I can show no support. I think that has no place here and do encourage others against purchasing those products.
To me Zink has a completely different design and concept. And to that I applaud them, there's not that many ways to make a decoy competitive yet completely different with the end results of both being to mimic the same thing. I personally think Zink did a great job offering a realistic hard body alternative yet not without flaws itself. Now I could be somewhat biased based upon the fact that I didn't pay full retain and got both the Zinks hen and jake decoy for $66 total and maybe I'd feel differently if I had to have forked over $180 for the pair.
I wouldn't be worried about it popping, heck if a gobbler pops it and Zink doesn't send you a new I'll buy it from you and fix it.
I love that it is sized bigger and "wider" I think the DSD hens are poult sized, The zink looks like a big fat boss hen for my area. But to each their own on that one
I still don't depend on or use decoys on every set, I was just taught not using them so a lot of times I don't set them out. I like that I can get both folded down and in my backpack (under 3lbs a piece seems more than light enough to me but I'm still young). Leaves my hands free for my gun and calls and I don't have a sack over my back all day but again it's really just that they fit my style better. I'd like to hunt over some DSD some time and if I ever went to archery hunting from a blind maybe they would suite me better.
Quote from: bird on February 29, 2012, 12:56:45 PM
DSD = Made in the USA and a supporter of this site and have given free decoys to our members in the BINGO games!
Avian & the Dakota made decoy which isn't available yet are both made by the Communist Red Chinese!
Where does your heart and soul lie?
Are you an American that supports American made products or are you a Poser?
Enough Said!
I think hunters having options now that were nonexistant 10 years ago is a good thing. As you can see people can have strong opinions on what decoy is better and why. I think you can kill turkeys with either one of the decoys you asked about, and both have pro's and cons. You can probably see them both at a cabelas if you live near one and see what you think will work best for you. I've had both and have been happy with both.
I looked at both at the nwtf convention. Both look nice, but when you put the two prices and the two decoys side by side, you will spend the extra $60 and get the DSD. Looks that much better, in my eyes anyway.
I've read here (thanks everyone) that a good setup would be a half strut jake... drives em wild :angry9:
wow, thanks for all the replies! I wanted the DSD from the start my only concern was carrying it and the hen but it sounds like it wouldn't be too much trouble. Again, thanks for all the feedback.
(http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab7/Gobln2/003-4.jpg)
WVhuntEER
Here is a DSD upright hen & a Jake ! Do they look real or what ? Spend the extra money ! You wont regret it ! Also get a double decoy bag from customgunsocks. They fit perfect ! :icon_thumright:
vaturkey :newmascot:
Quote from: vaturkey on February 29, 2012, 06:28:22 PM
(http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab7/Gobln2/003-4.jpg)
WVhuntEER
Here is a DSD upright hen & a Jake ! Do they look real or what ? Spend the extra money ! You wont regret it ! Also get a double decoy bag from customgunsocks. They fit perfect ! :icon_thumright:
vaturkey :newmascot:
Wow, they look awesome! Thanks va! :drool:
They are both great decoys
zink avian X cant go wrong with that one
I would go with the DSD no matter where they were made because they are that awesome.
I do fine with my cheapo Delta upright hen. 100 bucks for a decoy, I'll pass since I don't use them often enough anyhow.
The DSD decoys are awesome im sure but I really thought that the Zinc decoys looked good as well, hard for me to believe that you boys think they look that bad. Do agree though that they are a little heavy, but you can carry them in your vest and not a bag. Let us know which one you get.
Everyone has a good head on their shoulders , and they are smart enough to make their own choices in the market place or in life general - after all its your money you should spend it how you feel is best for you
I have seen both products in hand , and I will tell you the avian looks better than most of the other Chinese decoys , but its no DSD not even by a far cry -
Zink came out with a goose line recently , and many online reviews from the stores that sold them from actual customers , of the goose ones stated that the paint fell of like a dress on prom night -- The paint adhesion seems to be a problem . The inflation system seemed cumbersome . I couldn't get to get it to work in the store . They are not light weight . The body size of the avian seems a tad small even for Florida Jake standards,the anatomy is way off, it looks stunted more like miniature barn turkey with a short neck . Because of the inflation system that you need to deploy it ,when you blow it up , even at low pressure it takes the body anatomy resembling a oversized football especially in the rear .If a company wants to make and sell a decoy that charges a high quality price tag , it needs to look just like a turkey right down to the last detail
I'm nervous about the durability of the item , $80 down the drain if a flyer hits it or if it gets snagged on something - spend your own money how you feel best but if it were me I would pony up a few more bucks and get the real deal DSD - I have a original hen DSD .....this will be 5 seasons come this Saturday , its been from the swamps of Florida to the mountains of the Dakotas, I hunt allot and I dont baby my equipment but the paint is still pristine , years latte,- and it just keeps on killing gobblers -
---Shannon
DSD For The Win!!!
(http://i537.photobucket.com/albums/ff333/ktgjsm1/a1e9db8e.jpg)
I have both. The DSD's are better looking in my opinion but it's not as far off as most on here would say. I typically carry the dsd's when I'm bow hunting or in a blind for long sits and am carrying lots of stuff in. They are bulkier although not heavier. I carry the Zink's when I'm being mobile. Most of the time, I carry nothing and prefer to run and gun. The Zink's look much better than the other portable alternatives out there. The DSD looks better yet.
I don't think you can wrong with either myself. I've had great customer service from DSD as well if that helps.
Lee
just throwing another option out there but the spin-n-strut is american made, in the same price category (between the avian and DSD) and is a 1/2 to 3/4 strut that accepts real fans. the paint detail isnt as nice as the other two though
I placed an order for the DSD jake today. Thanks again for all the help guys.
Just wanted to post that I received my DSD Jake this morning from Cabelas. Wow, this thing is the real deal. I put it up next to my real gobbler mount and it looked just as good. I will try to post pics later. The only thing that worries me is it looks so good I am afraid to get shot using it. :z-guntootsmiley:
Having hunted over both last year, I will stick with DSD 110%
The DSD can withstand mounting, pecking, beating, etc. I like how the ACE is firm, yet somewhat pliable.
The Zink looks fine, but almost impossible to keep standing if mounted, pushed around, etc.
Size is not critical to me, I've killed maybe 40+ birds over the tiny Sceery inflatables.
I think the Zink is a bit rich at $80. For $40 more, I prefer the DSD.
I do think traveling with either one is cumbersome, so I use other decoys, or no decoys when traveling for the most part....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v712/mudhen/2011turkeyall074.jpg)
mudhen