# Herters 007 Mallard Decoys or GHG HOTBUY



## jeepguy (Nov 7, 2005)

Does anyone have these or has anyone used these decoys? I am considering geting some on sale for 39.99 down from 49.99. I was considering the GHG "HOT BUY" but was tossing around the idea of the 007 Herters decoys. By the way the GHG Hot BUYS are 17.50/DOZEN THIS WEEK AT CABELAS


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## c_haroldson (Mar 26, 2008)

Personally I'd say go with the hot buys, you can get twice the amount of the hot buys as the herters for the same price. I personally use hot buys and they seem to work fine. But once again it's not the decoy usually, it's the location.


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## whitehorse (Jan 28, 2008)

c_haroldson said:


> Personally I'd say go with the hot buys, you can get twice the amount of the hot buys as the herters for the same price. I personally use hot buys and they seem to work fine. But once again it's not the decoy usually, it's the location.


right.. if you get the hot buys though, you should spend a little more to get the ace weights... the cheap ones just don't stay on worth a crap... I am not sure how much more the ace ones are, but i'd go that rought


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## WingedShooter7 (Oct 28, 2005)

As said above get the right weights if you get the hot buys, or buy a rigging kit from GHG. If I ever rig another decoy with regular string and non keel grabbing weights im going to go insane


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## weasle414 (Dec 31, 2006)

Go for the hot buys. That's all I use and they pull in ducks just as well as people using expensive, pocketbook breaking dekes.


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

The GHG Hot Buys are crap of the first order. When the paint flakes off them in a couple weeks of hard hunting, good luck getting Avery to make good on them, I know this from experience. Don't waste your money on them, in fact don't waste money on Avery stuff in general...

I've been using Herters decoys since the early 70's. I have quite a few Model 63's & 72's and the best way to go is with their burlap wrapped 63's or 72's. They weigh a ton and are expensive, but are pretty much indestructable and will last forever.

If you want reasonably lightweight plastic floating duck decoys you don't have to baby or worry about having the paint come off and that will last your lifetime & then some, don't go cheap, buy G&H's. They will outlast anything else available and if you ever actually do have a problem with them, G&H stands behind them 100%...

Nowdays the only time I get out my Herters Burlap Wraps is when I'm hunting the big water of Devils Lake from my War Eagle. For pothole & slough hunting, I use G&H's exclusively...


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## bowinchester (Aug 31, 2008)

i bought 3 doz hot buys and love them they are very toughi think. i have run them over with the boat (it was windy)  , the bag i have is too small so i have to jam them in it, even when covered in mud from field hunting. the paint is still in great shape. i think they are great looking decoys especialy if you can get them for $17.


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## WingedShooter7 (Oct 28, 2005)

NDTerminator said:


> The GHG Hot Buys are crap of the first order. When the paint flakes off them in a couple weeks of hard hunting, good luck getting Avery to make good on them, I know this from experience. Don't waste your money on them, in fact don't waste money on Avery stuff in general...
> 
> I've been using Herters decoys since the early 70's. I have quite a few Model 63's & 72's and the best way to go is with their burlap wrapped 63's or 72's. They weigh a ton and are expensive, but are pretty much indestructable and will last forever.
> 
> ...


Wow, ill take some pictures of my hot buys after I go hunting tomorow and post them up. This will be the second season of using them. The only paint that is coming off it on the tops of the heads.


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

So all the poor Avery products I've encountered and all the customer service failures I've experienced trying to get Avery to do anything are simply figments of my imagination?

Thanks, sure glad you set me straight on that. All that Avery Youth Staff malarkey you have up on your signature & avatar certainly lends objective credibility to your opinions...

When you get a few more decades of hunting experience with all types of waterfowling gear on you and get the Avery stars out of your eyes, then come talk to me...


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## cutter08 (Sep 11, 2008)

I don't know what your problem is with GHG. I have been hunting for over 16 years and used just about every decoy made. And I hunt over all GHG. I have 1dz hot buys, 2dz oversize mallards, 4dz Blue bills, 1/2dz cans, 2dz ring bills, And 1dz buff's. The paint is just fine. And for realism it kicks the crap out of most other decoy makers. (G&H or Herters). Just my 2 cents.


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

I think I made my problem with Avery pretty darn clear; shoddy decoys & the worst customer service in the business. Never said there was anything wrong with their realism, just their quality when compared to others..

I fell for the "Averys look good & cost less than Hardcore, Steve Smiths, G&H's ect. bit" a number of years ago too. It turned out to be money ill spent. The objective fact is by & large they aren't holding up to extensive hard hunting as well as higher quality/more costly stuff I have, and some of the Avery decoys, such as their cheapie Hot Buys have been dismal failures.

The objective fact of my experience with Avery is each & every time I've attempted to get any customer service from Avery, they have dropped the ball, or flat out ignored it.

Even casual research reveals that I'm far from alone in my opinion on Avery. Lots of folks have had problems with the paint on their decoys (extremely common complaint with their floating decoys on the waterfowling forums a few years ago...), and lots have had problems with their customer service. Now if you have good luck with them, be darn happy & more power to you.

BTW, I don't have anything personal against WS7 and even admire in some small way his earnest teenaged zeal, just that the blind Avery cheerleading bit gets old at times. I have waders older than the young man and he's being compensated in some fashion by Avery so it's a bit tough for met to give him much expertise & objectivity cred....


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## cutter08 (Sep 11, 2008)

Well I don't want to get into it with everyone about what decoy company is the best and what one is the worst. It all comes down to personal preference. The original thred was what is a good cheep decoy and in my opinion I don't think any of the cheep ones out there will hold up to the abuse that most hunters put them through. They are cheep for a reason. You get what you pay for. And I would rather spend a little more cash and get a better quality decoy then go on the cheaper side and have more decoys. But if you do go with the hot buys or the herters they will both kill ducks. You just might have to replace them a little sooner then you would if you went with the higher end decoys that each company makes. That is just my opinion. Take it how you want. 
FYI its Dave Smith decoys not Steve Smith


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## snow123geese (Feb 3, 2008)

I would personally go with the hot buys. GHG run a nice line of decoys and you could get twice the amount of hot buys than herters with the same amt. of money. The are both nice looking decoys. If you are looking for quality go with the Herters they might last a little longer too without the paint chipping off.


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## WingedShooter7 (Oct 28, 2005)

The name in my sig has nothing to do with my opinions, but like stated in another post im not arguing about decoys over the internet anymore.










Just to throw that out there, the paint looks fine to me. All 6 of them have been thrown in a duck bag, and this is there second year being hunted over.


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## Myles J Flaten (Jan 31, 2008)

Does it matter!!!


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## HIGH BRASS (Dec 24, 2007)

If you guys keep it up, I am taking my decoys and going home...you are no fun to play with... :eyeroll:

Bottomline...if you take care of your investment, they all will last and the paint will be fine.


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## trico (Sep 25, 2008)

These G&H have been hunted 12 seasons. Seven seasons they were carried in a bag and 5 seasons they sat in a pond in sunny southern california. They go back in the pond this fall.









These GHG decoys were hunted 2 seasons. One season they were carried in a bag and one season they sat in the sun. That isn't mud, that is chipped paint. Check out the drake's bill. I treated them no differently than all my decoys. I still have them because I tell myself I'll paint them someday. They were roughly half the price.








Summary: If you like to paint, go cheap and buy GHG decoys. If you like to hunt, buy G&H decoys.


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## cutter08 (Sep 11, 2008)

I don't know about anyone else but the keel on the drake mallard G&H deco looks darn new to me. If that sat in a pond for 5 seasons that is the cleanest pond i have ever seen. Are you sure it wasn't a swimming pool :lol:


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## trico (Sep 25, 2008)

I wash my decoys with a powerwasher and soap at the end of every season, but both sets of decoys are laying on their sides and not exposing the stuff the pond is made of...

BTW I can't get waders to last 5 years, how does the NDTerminater have waders older than WS7? I suppose this thread belongs some place else. Just another forum faux pas. That sounded better than it is spelled...


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## birchies (Sep 9, 2008)

I have 2 dozen hot buys and I like them. if yo do get them i would recommend getting the keel grabber weights because the short heads on them make it impossible to wrap the weights around the heads.


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## WingedShooter7 (Oct 28, 2005)

Key is keepin em dry


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## Tyler Sonsalla (Feb 15, 2005)

Winged, hes talking about hot buys, you know Averys entry level decoy. You posted a pic of a FB hen mallard that has more than likely been stored in a six slot bag. Hes talking of decoys that get bounced around in a water decoy bag. Lets keep it apples to apples.


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## WingedShooter7 (Oct 28, 2005)

They haven't been stored in a 6 slot bag I said above, that they are put in a duck bag. Opener Ill take some 2 year old hot buy pictures


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## gaddyshooter (Oct 12, 2003)

It must be hit or miss with GHG hot buys for some reason. People either have good luck and love them like WS7, or get crap. I only bought one dozen of them a few years back, and mine started loosing paint while in the decoy bag in the garage, before they ever even made it to the water. Supposedly since I got mine, they have worked on their paint issues.


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

I think the paint is wa different on the Hot Buys Vs, FB's I actually like to scuff up the FB's! Not many ducks out in fields that look as good as the FB Mallards!


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## mnbirdhunter (Sep 15, 2005)

The thing about the herters is that they look better than the GHG (yes they really do) but the keels aren't very heavy and they tend to stay on there sides quite a bit when you throw them.


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## WingedShooter7 (Oct 28, 2005)

gaddyshooter said:


> It must be hit or miss with GHG hot buys for some reason. People either have good luck and love them like WS7, or get crap. I only bought one dozen of them a few years back, and mine started loosing paint while in the decoy bag in the garage, before they ever even made it to the water. Supposedly since I got mine, they have worked on their paint issues.


My hunter series that I bought used are losing some paint, but there about 4 years old so I can't complain much I guess. That may have been when you bought yours. My pro-grades and newer hunter series the paint seems to be holding up alot better so your right I think they changed the paint.


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## usmarine0352 (Nov 26, 2005)

I've hunted over a dozen Hot Buys for a few years and they still look great.

Can't go wrong with them, plus their cheap, so you can buy more.

:sniper:


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