Avain X
 

Was thinking about picking one if the breeder hens. Do any of you hunt with these? I was wanting to know how packable they are, or are they to bulky to carry around all day.

Ive been thinking about doing the same thing EFH

Seen them, want them, wish I could afford them !


Best decoys out there without needing a second mortgage on your house IMO - LOL !


Currently using "Pretty Boy & Pretty Girl", but I have customized Pretty Boy by using a "real" fan tail and cut slots into the body and insert "real" fanned wings.

http://www.carrylitedecoys.com/catal...d=TurkeyDecoys


I probably scare off young birds, but the long beards can't help themselves !!!

Just ordered the breeder... Will let ya know;)

I've got one of the "Lookers" that I've had for a couple seasons. They aren't terrible but they don't pack like a foam decoy, that's for sure. I love the look of them.

They can be a little bulky. I usually carry mine in the bag that came with it until near the end of last season when the strap broke. I guess I'll pack it in my vest. I never let all the air out of it and roll it up. I also don't carry it every time I go. I bought it primarily to use at Oakmulgee where all the prescribed burning makes some places WIDE open.

Short version....I like it but wouldn't carry it in the woods every day. It stays in the truck and comes out in situational hunts.

Thanks bald9eagle, that's exactly what I needed to hear. Good to to see ya on too! You ready for Saturday brudda!?

Mr.Longbeard, I'm sure I'll be seeing a post of you and a big cold Longbeard on here before too long! Let me know how she dose :)

I don't carry deeks on every hunt, but like them in big fields or power lines ect.... Would still like to hear from a few more of y'all. I know a lot of you live in the turkey woods like I do and I really like getting the pros and cons from you.

Just got mine a few weeks ago, very nice, but prob. not the easiest thing to carry around all day. Def. recommend them, they're super realistic!

i have one... it has worked well with the few field hunts I have used it on..

I've been using decoys almost every hunt for the last few years, as the new property I hunt is almost all field and what woods there are on the property lack any sort of low brush or cover. Plus, I take a cameraman with me who is still learning the definition of sit still, so I almost need dekes to keep the birds eyes off us. I just ordered a set of avian x decoys including the jake and the three different hens, thanks to the combination of a hefty discount and the fact the decoys I've inherited have all seen better days. If they're as good quality as people claim, I'm hoping I won't need to buy another decoy for many, many years any so why not just get the better looking ones. So come next week when I get them, I'll be able to make a comment on them.

I'm thinking about getting the feeder decoy to have a pair to put out. I'm so much of a run-and-gun type that decoys aren't always very practical. I do hunt around areas of clear cut where they come in handy. I could let all the air out and pack them up very nicely. I just choose to keep it partially inflated so that setup is quicker.

Ethan
I'm planning on going to Oakmulgee Saturday but the rain chances are picking up. I may stay closer to home and go to Skyline. I've never been there but if I'm wasting a day in the rain I'd at least like to scout out some new territory. It's awesome that they have opened up a spot in No. Alabama in March.

I was ready to go next weekend until I realized where I wanted to hunt doesn't open until April 1! :bash: We need together for a hunt sometime! I'll be out of town this weekend, and the first couple of April. Weekdays are a possibility as well.

How about you scout out Skyline and find some birds for Saturday? Huh? Huh?

Seriously, if you can suggest a spot in Skyline to start that would be awesome. I've about decided that the rain on Saturday will keep me closer to home.

I hear that! I'm always excited to hunt in Lauderdale Co every April! I'll be out there in the rain too Saturday! Hope you lay one of those rainy day birds down.

Ditto "bald9eagle". Seem to be the best that I have used as far as catching gobbler's attention.

Mojo, I'm hoping to head down your way again and hunt with opie in a few weeks!

I'll be in Auburn hunting this weekend. :D I'm not even sure I know where skyline is. I checked out a few spots in Bankhead a couple of weeks ago. The area you told me about is actually on the WMA, and it was crawling with hig hunters that day so I couldn't scout it. I have two other locations in Bankhead that look promising.

Skyline is located near Paint Rock Valley....between Huntsville and Scottsboro. Supposed to have one of the highest bird densities in the state. Just off the AL/TENN line.

I've done a little scouting of Bankhead but not much. I've found where they prescribed burned so that will be my first target.

Back to the original topic....I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Avian X decoy. Well worth the money to me.

mrl0004 - Headed down this weekend, but it'll probably be a wash-out. No pun intended .... but looks like chance of heavy rain, especially Sunday. If nothing else, I might get in some good snooze time. Been blowing and going lately. Need a break !!

We are having a big fish/shrimp fry Saturday night. Ope will be there. If you are in Auburn, come on down for the feed.

I have the hen and the Jake. I just got the jake this winter and man it looks amazing. So does the hen. I will say they claim to he a collapsible decoy but that is stretching it. I usually leave mine fully inflated and they ate a little heavy and cumbersome. You can let the air out and stuff them in a vest, which I have done in order to carry a bird out. But they're still just as heavy that way. I think for the most part they are worth it though, as they look so awesome and they're more packable that the dsd.

Just got mine... Looks Awsome

Just got all of mine today (jake, lookout hen, feeder hen and breeder hen). I'll have to do a video review so you can see all four side by side. My immediate thought, this quite honestly has to be the closest thing you're going to get to the real deal. They're even nicer looking then most taxidermy bird decoys I've seen since they don't have feathers every which way and an awkward stance. The amount of detail on every one of these decoys is phenomenal. Every wrinkle on the head and feather on the body is fully carved out, this is not just a paint job on a round body. Every feather on the jake has the distinct black tip that gives the males their black appearance and every feather on the hens has the black edge with a buffy tip. The paint job is definitely not rushed and while I can't speak for the paint's durability, it doesn't seem like it will flake off.

Pros:
- Ultra realistic, down to the feather.
- Semi-collapsible, you can squeeze more then one in the decoy bag or vest
- The stakes are simple and bend in half in order to lock together. Better then loose multi-part metal stakes that love to rattle around. You also don't have to guess where the stake goes when you're trying to set the decoy up in the dark. The decoy has one hole in the bottom for the stake, the rest of the decoy is solid.
- Heavy rubber. The rubber is thick like a basketball, should tolerate being beat up by a tom just fine. People claim the rubber is self healing so you can pepper them with shot and they still hold air just fine, but haven't found this out myself yet obviously.
- Heavy weight, good if you hunt windy fields and can't normally keep foam or lightweight rubber decoys on their stake.
- Easy to inflate. Once you get them out of the box, they're a little tough to unfold but once you find the tube on the bottom and start inflating, they puff out quick. All four of mine had a perfect shape once inflated, no dents, and didn't even need to stick them in hot water.

Cons:
- Heavy compared to foam decoys which weight next to nothing and light rubber decoys which are maybe a pound or two each. The jake alone is roughly 6 pounds, and the hens are about 4 pounds each. If you do a lot of walking, you probably won't want to take more then one with you.
- Only semi-collapsible. They deflate but don't fold down really well. I'll probably never deflate them, as many people seem not to.
- They like to spin. Set a hen up in my back yard and the breeze kept the decoy spinning slowly almost nonstop. I hunt a very windy field, so I might need to modify the stake a bit. This wouldn't be a problem for those hunting in the woods or not so windy areas.

Verdict:
Assuming they hold up as promised, I think they're worth the price tag. Decoys don't get more realistic then these. That said, I've killed plenty of birds over an anorexic foam hen with a kink in her neck. Turkeys will come to just about any decoy. If you're asking yourself, "Do I need this decoy for $80-$100?" The answer is absolutely not. Get a cheap set of decoys and you'll do just fine. I recommend this especially for new hunters. I personally got the set for the same reason a teenage girl feels the need to buy a thousand dollar dress for prom night. Because I wanted it and had the cash. They look like a promising set of decoys and I'm hoping to call birds over them for many years.

OEDragon, that was a great review! Thanks for that, and thanks to everyone else too. Now let's get out there and lay some birds down!!! :)