GHG turkey decoys vs an Avian X or DSD

[Goblue4016]

Hey All,

I was at Cabelas today and they are starting to put out their turkey stuff and I was browsing the decoys and saw some new GHG hen decoys, and the jake also. wanted to see if anyone has had experience with them in the field?

I want to get a hen and a jake decoy this year and the most popular I know is DSD but these new GHG ones look pretty good as well. so wanted to see if anyone had any thoughts....

[MK M GOBL]

DSD and Done!

MK M GOBL

[Bowguy]

DSD and Done!

MK M GOBL

Agreed

[countryboy3006]

I have never looked at the GHG decoys but I have a flock of DSD decoys and I will never use another decoy when field hunting.  I get way more reactions out of both toms and hens since I started using them.  I have had multiple times where hens have come up and challenged my hen decoys.  Makes for an exciting hunt.

[MK M GOBL]

Hey All,

I was at Cabelas today and they are starting to put out their turkey stuff and I was browsing the decoys and saw some new GHG hen decoys, and the jake also. wanted to see if anyone has had experience with them in the field?

I want to get a hen and a jake decoy this year and the most popular I know is DSD but these new GHG ones look pretty good as well. so wanted to see if anyone had any thoughts....

If you go DSD and looking for a jake & hen I would go with the 3/4 Strut Jake and Upright Hen as my first choice. These 2 can be set in many ways both alone and together, even by short staking the hen as a "breeder".

I have entire thread dedicated to DSD's and sets.

Follow the link
http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,70971.0.html

MK M GOBL

[rock54]

i have the dsd upright and feeder hens, but went with the deception jake, it has paid for itself with 6 kills over the years for both the wife and i, might want to look into deception products too, good luck in your decision,russ

[Goblue4016]

Well looks like that was an easy consensus, I'm going with the bass pro foam roll up ones haha.. looks like it will be DSD

[jims]

If you intend on doing lots of gobbler hunting....and from blinds it would likely be worth investing in DSD's.  I haven't seen a bad review yet!  On the other hand, if you intend on doing lots of spot and stalk...run and gun hunting it may be worth using more compact decoys.  I often have to pack my tom plus decoys, shotgun, and gear for miles and it can be a pain in the rear with full sized decoys. A couple full sized decoys take up a gob of room in a pack and aren't fun dragging and stalking turkeys through thick brush, steep country all day...for several days.  It takes a heck of a big pack to handle several DSDs, gear plus a large tom out of the remote hills.  My preference for running and gunning are a couple Miss Purrfect hens.  I may also bring along a couple Avian X if I want a larger spread.  The Avians air up pretty fast and are a chunk more compact than DSDs.  The Miss Purrfect set up in a matter of seconds and are the size of a "hand" when folded up....great for hauling around.  I usually get a lot more reaction from a fanning tom decoy than jakes (in the areas I hunt).  I can almost see a tom's eyes light up when he first sees a real fan attached to a decoy.  Toms often head the other direction when they see a jake decoy where I hunt in Colorado and Nebraska.  A thunder chicken or similar decoy with real fan has been deadly.  With that said, it usually is worth having a selection of decoys to choose from.  Staying flexible has always been the key to my success.  Changing up tom, jake, and hen decoy set ups may be an advantage.....if something doesn't work you have more options.

With that said, I'm waiting for the day the DSD comes out with compact tom and jake decoys that are more compact.  I bet they couldn't keep them on the shelves!

[Marc]

I have an Avain X jake...  It has leaked and replaced for free.  Very nice looking decoy, that looks extremely realistic in a slight breeze (due to movement).  It is lighter in weight than DSD decoys.

I have a DSD hen decoy...  It is very realistic, and no doubt far more durable than the Avian decoys...  It does not move as much in a breeze.

My initial thinking was that for walking in, or running and gunning that the Avian would be a better choice...  However, I have given up on using decoys while running & gunning, so were I to do it again, I would go with the DSD over Avian...

However, currently there are other premium decoy companies of similar quality to DSD with slightly different looks:

DSD
Replica Decoy Company
Deception Decoys.

And currently, I have looked at some of the far less expensive decoys such as H.S. Strutt and other hard plastic decoys, and they look darn near as good as these premium decoys... 

If I were starting from scratch and wanted a premium decoy, I would look at the above 3 premium decoys and compare postures and price and make a decision, but would more likely look for the most realistic value priced decoys...

[silvestris]

Can you use too many decoys at once?

[BTH]

Field hunting, food plot hunting, setups where I will not be very mobile : using a full body decoy(s) is like using the right wrench for the job imo. For me DSD is the only choice in that situation.

Other types of hunting including running and gunning I carry a Montana reaping decoy in my vest. Folds up, looks real and works on those fighter aggressive toms. I usually will not hunt a decoy except for areas mentioned above. Past several years I have been staying in the thickest areas possible that border my preferred habitat of creek and river bottoms and large open hardwoods. By doing this I have seen the older birds I am after actually hunt me down.

[MK M GOBL]

Can you use too many decoys at once?

For where I hunt and talking early season and may still be dealing with winter break-up I have had as many as 6 of my DSD's out. What I am doing is matching the stage that my local birds are in, as season progresses there are a number of decoy stratagies that come into play. I always say there is a lot in to hunting decoys "Right". Understanding social structure in a flock and there a keys in body position and more, and there are times I do not use decoys at all. They are just a tool in the shed.

MK M GOBL

[KyScott]

I have a GHG feeder. It's not a bad looking decoy for the money compared to my Avian X's. The one thing I don't like about it is the stake. It's big and doesn't fold up plus it's solid steel. It has a funnel built into it for swinging or bobbing in the wind so you can't use a regular stake.

[wchadw]

I use the Avian X.  they are blow up and a little bit bulky but you get a carry bag you can throw over your shoulder.  The are pricey but you can get a jake and breeder combo from Cabelas for a bit of a price break.

they are super realistic and i have had great success with the half strut jake and the breeder this year.

[guesswho]

Can you use too many decoys at once?

Yes, one.