# AXP Series Full-Body Painted Canada decoys



## tman_ (Jan 5, 2012)

Avian-X AXP Series Full-Body Painted Canada Goose Decoys does anybody have any painted avians and if so how do they hold up if you are planing on bagging them and not just tossing them into a trailer. Got offered a good deal on them and would like some input on there durabilty before i make the purchase.


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## HugeBurrito2k6 (Oct 25, 2011)

I have heard a real mixed bag of opinions on these decoys.

GOOD THINGS:
-I have been told that the decoys are very realistic looking. 
-The poses are diverse and unique. 
-There is lots of detail in the paint. 
-The bases stack considerably well because of how the decoy attaches onto the base. 
BAD THINGS:
-Paint is not durable people say you can literally rub it off with your finger.
-The motion base and system is a poor design preforms terrible and many break.
-The heads don't fit correctly on to the bases 
-The heads don't stay on bases unless you glue them on with PVC cement making bagging decoys a pain in the butt.
-They have a bad reputation of being a heavy decoy that likes to fall over a lot.

Just some of the things I have heard about them.


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## beaniej266 (Feb 1, 2011)

Cabelas has them for $99 a six pack right now.


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## sodakhunter717 (Jan 30, 2012)

i heard they are mostly junk but for 100$ i might try them


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## Beavis (Jan 30, 2012)

im a total Dakota guy...picking up a doz FF avains cuz they are dirt cheap right now. Gonna try them out


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## wyogoose (Feb 11, 2006)

I ran these exclusively this year and loved them. I know since I'm on the Zink staff everyone will accuse me of being partial but here is my honest oppinion. The only problem is with the paint. It is not perfect but not nearly as bad as everyone is making it out to be. My decoys are missing some small flakes of paint but they are small enough that if a goose gets close enough to see it he better be seeing some steel in his face. The heads are designed to be glued on so they will not fit perfect if you just pop them on. You have to sand the base down a little bit to hold the glue. As for the problem stated of them falling over, I have honestly never seen this. I hunted them in this lovely Wyoming wind all season, even up to 40 plus mph and they stood better than any other fullbody I've used. They have an awesome motion system. You can tighten the bungee down in high winds and it will move nicely without spinning or going crazy. It is one of the best systems on the market. People must keep in mind that this is the first year these decoys have been out so they will require some corrections just like any other product. Give staffers your feedback and we will forward it to Fred.


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## jpallen14 (Nov 28, 2005)

Why do companies consistently make crappy decoys the first year, then say they it only the first year? That's a-s backwards. How about researching and field testing the product then come out with them. Seems like perfect sense.


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## Beavis (Jan 30, 2012)

i found the bases are terrible on un-even ground, and any way to get past the gluing of the heads? my dakotas compared to my buddy's avians are alot more sturdy


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## shooteminthelips (Jun 13, 2007)

Beavis I glued all my Dakota Honker heads on too. I run strickley Dakota, but every decoy on the market have steps you can take to make life a little easier with them. Gluing or dry wall screws it is just part of it. The only decoys I have never had to do anything with other then bag cause I like them nice is my dakota lessers.


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## Beavis (Jan 30, 2012)

ive never glued a head on my dakotas....i only have 3 dozen of the honkers. but i love my 7 dozen 1 piece lessers!!


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## wyogoose (Feb 11, 2006)

I guess I'm lost on the stability of the Avians cuz I've hunted them in corn, wheat, hay, beans, pasture, river bottom, etc and never had a problem. However, I will agree with whats mostly been said about the dakotas though. They are a great decoy as well.


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## Beavis (Jan 30, 2012)

wyogoose said:


> I guess I'm lost on the stability of the Avians cuz I've hunted them in corn, wheat, hay, beans, pasture, river bottom, etc and never had a problem. However, I will agree with whats mostly been said about the dakotas though. They are a great decoy as well.


if you hold a DD base and an avain base together...the avian base almost fits inside of the DD. I think the reason the avains arent as sturdy is because they seem "top" heavy. We had a tough time with the sentries falling over


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## HugeBurrito2k6 (Oct 25, 2011)

GHG is a great decoy and they are also notorious for falling over! They run about the same diameter base as the avians but with a chunk of dirt on the base all is well. Every decoy has there quirks. It would take a tornado to tip a dakota over, but on the other hand 12 of those bases stacked weighs like 40 pounds and they are huge! It is a give and take on bases with how stabile they will be and there weight. That is why i prefer to uses stakes. :beer:


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## BirdJ (Aug 24, 2011)

Was up at Zinks this last summer and it was the first time I saw them. They looked pretty darn nice. But the first thing that caught my eye was the motion systerm. Wasn't impressed and the bases look to small for the size of the decoy.

As we all know Fred has been in this business for a log time!!!!! I still have 6 dozen of the first decoys that Fred made for GHG. Now think back how old these are and I still use them sometimes with my other decoys, Dakota's and DSD's. He is an artist in what he does and takes a lot of pride in his work!!! From what I have seen and heard on here and other forums is about having the same problems. From a source, I got some info. that Fred didn't want these decoys to go out until next season to get the kinks worked out of them but Cabela's PUSHED him to get these decoys into their stores as soon as possiable!!! I'm sure Fred didn't want to just because of what has happened. Now he is eating crow because of it. As for screwing and glueing your heads on your Dakota's? I have the older ones and have NEVER did either!!!! Once they are on, they stay on. Must be pretty darn rough on them to have that happen if you ask me but that's just me.


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## Grant_5 (Jan 4, 2014)

It depends on person to person. Some people like it and some doesn't. All we should care about is quality product for body paint. Should not take any risk with your skin. Choose best product and get it over your body.


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## snogeezmen (May 28, 2012)

We own 2dz of the fully flocked. There double bagged. They look great much better than the FFD'S GHG we own. That's to the human eye. We're done buying em as the flocking and paint wear quickly and we baby the **** out of them. I figure I work enough during the week I don't care to "work" on the weekends taking care of a product more than I have too. We're GHG lesser guys and will continue to be. Any fully flocked decoy needs babying but at the price of a lessers vs avian x the Avians are not worth it IMO.
We actually didn't even use em late season cuz there a pain in the *** and the frigid temps and all


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