FA brand duck decoys

[z71rad88]

I was considering buying some FA mallard floaters, but I wanted some opinions first, more so comparision of FA vs. GHG?

[legband]

I had a little better luck with the paint on my fa ducks than i did the geese. The quality and durability of the paint seems to be about the same on both brands. Both brands you will have some paint chipping but nothing to major from what i have seen on the duck decoys anyways. So i would just get which ever brand catches your eye the most. Both brands will kill ducks

[jjwanz]

well you can get a dozen ghg duck decoys on cabela's website for a little under 25 bucks i think :cool:

[corybdesign]

the hot buys run about 25 a dozen. new products will be out in the next 2-3 months so unless you run across a great deal you might wanna wait and see whats new. also might be guys selling gently used stuff for new stuff.....birds can tell the difference in brands ya know ;)

[hoyt]

I had the FA brand and I gave them to some kid at the landing one day. Had 3 of them crack while putting the keels in and two of them float a way after i threw them out cuz the keels dont stay in very good and they fell off. Also had a lot more paint chipping off with the FA

[Mark Spence]

I had the FA brand and I gave them to some kid at the landing one day. Had 3 of them crack while putting the keels in and two of them float a way after i threw them out cuz the keels dont stay in very good and they fell off. Also had a lot more paint chipping off with the FA

Maybe the old FA eliminator ducks had keel problems...

The new HD gunners are all one piece. Been running 5 dozen for 3 years and I had one drake mallard with paint problems last year. No chipping, peeling, etc. They have some scratches here and there from being thrown around and dead ducks crashing down on them....but other than that, they have treated me well. To me, and this is just personal preference, the HD gunners ride the water better than any other plastic decoy out there....as close to real as it gets. There are some hand carved decoys that ride better, but for mass produced, my money is on the HD gunners.

[corybdesign]

thank you lol

[littletom]

Buy G&H beat um up leave um in the yard all summer kill birds all season. Why baby decoys when you buy these and be done with it:confused:

[HmptnHunter]

G&H might have some tuff decoys but I dont think they compare to either FA or GHG in the looks dept.

[littletom]

G&H might have some tuff decoys but I dont think they compare to either FA or GHG in the looks dept.

Hunt them side by side day in day out for more than season. If you do much huntin after the first season, for sure the second then tell me them g & H don't look better? Or buy them others throw them away at the end of the season and start over, that will keep um pruty:p

[HmptnHunter]

I do own G&H and did use them side by side for years.I also hunt pretty much every day of the season either with clients or for myself but not always just for ducks so I might not put out duck decoys for a few days or weeks.I grew up hunting G&H's and still have some of the old duck and goose floaters from my father, but all that being said it still dosent change the fact that G&H dont have the looks of the others, I am not talking about the long lasting paint looks I mean the initial look of real life birds.Like I said Istill have some of them and was just giving my opinion not looking for anything more than that.

[littletom]

Not trying to disagree. I will say this last year i bought some ghg ducks not hot buy, because they look good and real like you said! After a few hunts the keels broke off, the paint chiped. So matter how good they look, if they are broke and don't work not much of a use for me. To each his own. To me it takes more than pretty

[HmptnHunter]

I hear that about the keel's I have the same problem. I also have 2 doz. Blackwaters that I use and they are pretty much indestructible but they are just so heavy to carry around if I cant drive out to the pond or load them in my boat I just dont use them much.

[littletom]

Not by far the best looking. But, the dekes that seemed bullet proff to me are some old burlaped herters i have. Been huntin them for years

[HmptnHunter]

Yup those also are very durable decoys. Decoys like that are great for divers and sea ducks because of how much they can take a hit. This past season I had about 1 doz. goldeneyes, squaw's and eider decoys I was trying out for the first time sink before I can even get to them.The hollow bodies work well for puddlers but if you are seriously hunting divers or sea ducks you are better off with solid bodies everyday of the week.

[mitchellt]

I got 18 of the FA last season, got a great deal on them. I use a slotted bag, mainly because i use a boat to get to my hunting site so transportation is not a problem. So i was not worried about paint quality although i hear they are durable.
Also the FA are basically magnums. and they ride like a champ in the water.
Best bet is FA with Ace anchors saves time.

if your going to beat up decoys i would just buy a couple dozen hotbuys (for the money they look great) and throw them away at the end of the season.

just my 2 cents

[freefall319]

I've been using nothing but GHG decoys for 3 seasons now. I transport them in large bags(not slotted ones). I put them in a decoy cart and drag them over a mile on a bumpy ditch line to and from the field. That being said they have held up great! Just the normal ware, no excessive paint chipping or fading. But, i do touch them up and use vasoline to buff them out at the begining and mid season, but i hunt a lot too. I've killed a lot of birds over them and could not be happier.

That being said the flocking on the goose decoys does not hold up nearly as well as my BF's but, they make replacement heads for a decent price so there's the fix for that problem.

Both brands will kill birds consistantly. Alot of it comes down to what you like. Buy a dozen and if you dont like them you can always sell them in the yard sale and make some of your money back.:cool:

[corybdesign]

or run a few of each...different paint schemes show up better in different conditions. the only people that HAVE to have 1 brand and thats it usually are staffers or someone that wants to look "cool" and match.