# Big Al's Decoys



## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Anybody running Big Al's silos? If so do they shine? The reason I ask is I want some Specks for Canada next fall. Their colors and poses look good but i don't want to deal with shine.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I bought 2 of the X14 Greater packs last season. We used them on several hunts, never noticed any shine and neither did the dead geese.:smile:


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Good to hear. Do they have any texture or are they smooth sided? They are on sale for a $56dz. I can buy 3dz for the price of a dz Realgeese. I love my RG but if BA's don't shine i can put up with them for week. Morning dew can be a factor. 

Dive Bombs have a shine. Driving up Legacy last year i saw a shiny spread just glowing. Pulled over & looked with the bino's and they were DB's i could tell by the poses. I've seen it a few times the past couple of years. It gave me flashbacks of the old Outlaws & original realgeese lol. Dive Bombs make a great bag though. 

Rumor has it Canada is working on getting rid of the position limit next year. It will be (Spectacular)


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

JerryH said:


> Good to hear. Do they have any texture or are they smooth sided? They are on sale for a $56dz. I can buy 3dz for the price of a dz Realgeese. I love my RG but if BA's don't shine i can put up with them for week. Morning dew can be a factor.
> 
> Dive Bombs have a shine. Driving up Legacy last year i saw a shiny spread just glowing. Pulled over & looked with the bino's and they were DB's i could tell by the poses. I've seen it a few times the past couple of years. It gave me flashbacks of the old Outlaws & original realgeese lol. Dive Bombs make a great bag though.
> 
> Rumor has it Canada is working on getting rid of the position limit next year. It will be (Spectacular)


Really? No possession limit? What will Irene do?


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

No texture, just smooth. They are darker than the DB's too. (At least the Canada goose silhouettes are)


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

paddler said:


> Really? No possession limit? What will Irene do?


Irene was a looker 20 years ago!!

We shot 24 honks in Warner on a Friday morning hurried & cleaned them. Hit the border in 15 minutes and Irene dug through the coolers. I'll never forget Irene says hey guys you might want to get more ice! These birds are getting pretty warm. We said we sure will. They didn't get a chance to cool off yet lol

Unforgettable morning. They came in waves 24 honks in about 20 minutes. John shot a collar from Ruby marsh that morning. Icing on the cake.

6:30 on a Friday night you can pretty much blow through. Those customs guys don't want to dig through a stinky trailer. I haven't seen Irene in 10 years.

Thanks Fowl 
I'm going to order them & give them a look. I guess if i don't like them I'll send them back.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

JerryH said:


> Irene was a looker 20 years ago!!
> 
> We shot 24 honks in Warner on a Friday morning hurried & cleaned them. Hit the border in 15 minutes and Irene dug through the coolers. I'll never forget Irene says hey guys you might want to get more ice! These birds are getting pretty warm. We said we sure will. They didn't get a chance to cool off yet lol
> 
> ...


When I came back through this time I asked the guy in the window if Irene was working. He said she was, I said, "****". He asked why, and I told him she was very "thorough". He must have said something to her because when she came up to the counter she told me she didn't count my birds last year. Too funny. I told her, "Trust me, I'm a doctor.";-) She didn't count my birds this year, either. I mentioned she changed her hair again this year, too.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Smooth talker!


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

JerryH said:


> Smooth talker!


I Know! I also told her that I'm the most ethical hunter she's ever checked. She said she's heard that before. That's when I told her to trust me. Then she said she wasn't going to count my birds, but not because she trusts me. I should send her a Christmas card.;-)


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Oh I'm sure her creeper radar was going off &#55357;&#56841;


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Well I got home from work today and it looks like Santa came early! Waiting for me was a stack of Big Al's silos. 

Here is a out of the box review. Excellent customer service, fast shipping. They pass the thumb nail scratch test. I like the poses and the printing quality looks good. 
They are just as i expected for a coroplast decoy. With some care they should hold up for what i'm using them for. I will ad finish nails in the bills and tails to stiffen them up and to keep them from bending over. There is a slight glare quartering into the sun.🙁 But for $56 per dozen I couldn't pass them up. But I would prefer the durability and non glare of the Realgeese silo. Can't wait for next years trip to try them out. 

So what bag to go with? The Divebomb bags look nice. I sure wish someone was still making the old Final Approach/Hunter Specialty silo bags. Anybody have one or two they would want to sell??


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Well that pic didn't come out as planned lol


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

Do Specks roost in pine trees?


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

The Divebomb bags are $hit.......stick with the satchels....


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Fowlmouth said:


> The Divebomb bags are $hit.......stick with the satchels....


They look like they're built to last? But then the dirty/muddy stake is inside the bag. I can see a problem with that.

These bags are the best. Its a shame they stopped making them.

Jon i was trying to get her blood pressure up. Nothing phases her anymore lol


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

Jerry, I have three or four of those bags I could lend you for your Canada trip if you would like?
They are the best, stake out of the bag and pointing down so globs of mud don’t fall between the silos and rub them raw.
You just have to promise to give them back!


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Shane your a good man! 

I'm thinking of ordering some fabric and making some. Use the FA bag as a pattern. That design is by far my favorite.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

JerryH said:


> Shane your a good man!
> 
> I'm thinking of ordering some fabric and making some. Use the FA bag as a pattern. That design is by far my favorite.


I looked for some of those bags recently. I agree, they're the best. I have some Avery knock offs, too, but the straps don't hold. Noble made good on a couple of them, but they're still crap. Seems like Real Geese should offer some.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Real Geese does have a bag. But it isn't a very good design either.


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

I tried asking these geese if my 7 dozen divebomb were too shiny when they came into them but, they are dead so I got no reply. I think the shine theory is bogus because iv see flocks of live birds feeding in fields that reflected the sun just as much as any decoy. 

But, I do have my OCD twerks too! 

I use the Avery satchel and love it. It holds about 5 dozen divebombs OR 3 dozen realgeese. It’s really packable

They are identical to the bag in your picture
No problems with the straps either after some 10 years or so


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

I'm glad they woking out for you. Nice hunt also. The shine theory isn't bogus. When it happens you will think WTF happened.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Here is a little tip for coroplast silhouette decoys. I run 3" and 3.5" finish nails into the neck, bills and tails of the silhouette decoys. This helps with longevity and from the decoy getting bent over in vulnerable areas. It really stiffenup the decoy. This has worked great on all my duck silos I have made. 

Once they're bent they look like hell.

Yep OCD.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

JerryH said:


> Here is a little tip for coroplast silhouette decoys. I run 3" and 3.5" finish nails into the neck, bills and tails of the silhouette decoys. This helps with longevity and from the decoy getting bent over in vulnerable areas. It really stiffenup the decoy. This has worked great on all my duck silos I have made.
> 
> Once they're bent they look like hell.
> 
> Yep OCD.


Great idea! Thanks for showing us that trick...


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