The last detail - overlooked

[tunica]

Waders that know your about to step to deep and closeup at the top when you do...I so wish for a water tight seal

[Anatidae]

Because, my friend, being on the prostaff and saying a product needs improvement is the quickest way to be ejected from the staff.

That wouldn't surprise me a bit. So, what good is the concept of a Pro-Staff if they (the folks that use and test these products - supposedly) can't make suggestions on how to make those products better? Must be upper-management arrogance that says, "WHAT?....it's already the best on the market."

Here's the flip-side o' that......

Remember when I made those 'motion' stakes out of galvanized rod and a domed faucet washer?........and I put pictures of'em up against Higdon stakes.......and even put a domed faucet washer on one of the Higdon stakes and said it's because it gets better decoy action than a flat washer? And then I said something about wishing I could find some orange faucet washers so I could spot the stakes in the dark and not take a chance on leaving one in the field for a farmer to run over with his equipment.......and somebody answered and made the suggestion of putting a piece of reflective tape just under the washer so you could find the stakes with your headlight?.............. ........you remember?

I got some new dozen Hidgon 'stackables' from Santa Claus the other day. Well guess what?.........the stakes have reflective tape on them (right under the washer), and the washer on the top is still metal...but damned if it ain't DOMED of all things!

I'm not going to flatter myself by thinking they got those ideas from me......I'm happy they're steadily trying to improve what's already a great thing. I take stuff and try to make it perfect all the time......for my own purposes. But it's the fact that Mark Higdon and his staff are paying attention to what their customers are saying about their products (good and bad) - and other hunters ideas and incorporating those things into their products. I'm sure they have a capable support staff of hunters that know what they're doing and know what works .....and why settle for 'half-baked' if you can tweek it just a little bit and have the 'best'. I need to take a rasp to these things though - remove a little material around the bottom edge and bevel the 'cut' a little so they'll stack a little tighter and not rub the paint in spots.....but that's an easy fix. Mark, y'all just keep making these decoys just like they are, and I'll deal with my own anal tendencies.

My hat is off to Higdon and I owe it to Tim Grounds who put me in touch with people like Mark Higdon, Ron Latchaw and Randy Bartz when I was just getting into the honker game. I bought a goose call, a few decoys, a ground blind and a flag........and the first huntable number of honkers Anne and I ever set-up on 8 years ago, gave-up 16 of their dumbest feathered flight-mates to 2 eager hunters as green as freshly-sprouted rye grass.

Oh yeah.......speaking of flags, we're going to drill a hole in the handle and put a tether cord tied to the ground blind so you don't have to get out of the blind and retireve your flag everytime a 25-knot gust catches you off-guard sends it 30yds into the spread. The cord will keep it within reach of the cockpit so you can reel it back in. Y'all watch and see if somebody doesn't jump all over that idea.

[Anatidae]

You know if the buddy heater had a completely squared off wire cage it would make a great place to heat up biscuits, or warm up coffee. you can make it work the way they are now, but it would be nice if there wasn't that angle.

Good one - I like that idea.

I've wanted to set my cinnamon swirl cake on the heater and soften it up in cold weather.......'ain't no place to 'set' it.

Hey 'Gulfcoast'.....you still got the Waterfowlers' Review site? I'm in a bashin' mood lately. 'Tired o' this crap folks are pawning-off as 'gotta-have'........ ........'bout time for the REAL products to get some REAL recognition.

We need to do ground blinds, soon. I see where Jeff Foiles is trying to address the age-old 'shadows' issue with his new blind shroud. It sounds like a good concept - just don't know how much trouble it is to stake that thing out. Just think what a ordeal it is when the wind shifts 3 times in an hour. Still a noble attempt to soften straightwall blind shadows. 'Wonder how close he put his stubble straps.........hopefully will hold something smaller than the 'meat'-end of a basebal bat, EH?

[Wingman]

Great idea on the tether. Mine took flight the other day while hunting specks and I pulled a muscle trying to reach for it through the flag slit in the blind.

[Anatidae]

Sometimes my laziness provides a spark of 'creativity'

[donia]

You know if the buddy heater had a completely squared off wire cage it would make a great place to heat up biscuits, or warm up coffee. you can make it work the way they are now, but it would be nice if there wasn't that angle.

Good one - I like that idea.

I've wanted to set my cinnamon swirl cake on the heater and soften it up in cold weather.......'ain't no place to 'set' it.

like this one???? http://www.cabelas.com/camp-blind-stove ... oker.shtml

[dukhunter]

.... But if they made it a perfect device, then people wouldn't upgrade every couple of years.

BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[panniesdown]

Why dosent anyone make a camo heated jacket?

Decoy's that have a tangle free self winding push button system?

Why dont they have a Duck Hunting for Dummies book?

[brandonvet]

You know if the buddy heater had a completely squared off wire cage it would make a great place to heat up biscuits, or warm up coffee. you can make it work the way they are now, but it would be nice if there wasn't that angle.

Mine does a pretty good job on Vienna Sausages.