All through college, back in the early oughts, I wanted a trailer full of full bodies worse than that sweet, sweet college booty running around campus.
Alas, I mostly failed on both accounts. My love life was lackluster, and the four Bigfoots I did manage to acquire took up the entire backseat of my 1994 Geo Prizm.
Not unlike some of the ladies that fell for my charms.
But I digress...
Fast forward more than a decade (yeeeesh...that's tough to say) and I feel like I've tempered somewhat I my pursuit for decoy perfection. For one thing, I don't have the storage capacity or wherewithal to collect several dozen FB decoys. Budget is another concern.
So, not wanting to get left out of the early goose season for lack of decoys, I decided to try another route. My current spread consists of three dozen GHG oversized shells, and four dozen Real Geese silos. That's it. A good mix of 3D realism and 2D bulk, I can pick everything up and store it in the back of my pickup truck, along with a couple blinds, two dogs and kennels, and other assorted gear.
You might not believe me, but it works. If anything, I subconsciously feel undergunned, so overcompensate on concealment. We spend just as much time brushing blinds and getting hid as we do actually setting the spread.
This compared to those college years hunting with buddies who spent more on their decoys than they did tuition. We'd set out dozens upon dozens of the best full bodies they could buy, and then take 15 minutes brushing our blinds. Sometimes it works, but oftentimes we got a lot of "flare" birds that we'd come up with myriad excuses to explain.
The point is, I think if you can afford and store FB decoys, go for it. They do look purdy, and they are a bit easier to deploy. But if you do your homework, have even semi-ability on a call, know when to flag and, above all else, can get and stay hidden, the decoys you use don't matter.
My very tarnished 2 cents, anyway.
