The field has been scouted; permission is obtained. The birds have been patterned and a train wreck hunt is all but guaranteed. Phone calls are made and logistics discussed. The number one question? “What time do we meet?”
It’s a drill that occurs countless times each waterfowl-hunting season. There are many tasks and details to attend to, not the least of which is setting up a spread of decoys well before dawn. Seems simple enough, right? Well, experienced hunters know better. Variables like frozen ground and diverse soil conditions, huge spreads and divergent decoy styles can result in a laborious task that takes hours. Too often, when the job is finally done, weary hunters often look and feel like they just finished a triathlon.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
Avian-X has been churning out the best waterfowl decoys since the premium brand debuted in 2011. Striking realism, unmatched durability and value are standard features, but Avian-X full-body decoys also include brilliantly designed motion stakes and retractable bases to simplify the otherwise time-intensive processes of setting out and picking up the spread. The retractable motion base of the AXP and AXF Honker full-body Canada goose decoys allows for easy set-up on any surface. The four-way motion stakes included with the field mallards, snows, specks and lesser Canadas are long enough to keep the decoy above shaggy crop stubble when necessary, and are durable enough to be pounded into compacted or frozen soil.
While Avian-X nailed it with these decoy support systems, before the first Avian-X decoys were ever tossed into a trailer, Fred Zink and crew were already thinking of a better way to do it. They knew there was a need for an even speedier decoy set-up and takedown process for motion-style full-bodies, and what they came up with for 2017 sets the new standard for decoy-deployment speed and efficiency.
The all-new X-Stand by Avian-X is a motion-decoy support system that holds any four full-body Avian-X duck or goose decoys that accept a stake. X-Stands can easily be collapsed for storage and transport, then quickly unfolded to form an X for decoy placement. Each X-Stand consists of two, 48-inch long U-shaped sections of powder-coated steel that articulate in the middle. Each corner is 16 inches high and has the same four-way stake end as the single stakes that come with the decoys. The result? Four full-body decoys with unrestricted movement deployed with record speed and efficiency.
Avian-X X-Stand Motion Decoy Support System
- UPC: 8-10280-07004-0
- SKU: #7004
- Each X-Stand holds four Avian-X full-body decoys
- Kit contains Six X-Stands to hold a total of 24 decoys
- Durable, powder-coated steel
- Rapid decoy placement and pick-up
- Easy storage and transport
- Eliminates drilling and hammering motion stakes
- MSRP: $159.99
The durable X-Stand’s simple design eliminates the hassles associated with single stakes and hard or frozen ground, greatly reducing the time field hunters need to set up and tear down their decoy spreads. So go ahead and hit the snooze button one more time. You’ll have plenty of time to set up before the birds start flying – and the only hammering you’ll do will be on your shoulder.