Mr. Duck G, the G in G&H, is someone I've wanted to meet over the year's. If for nothing more than to shake his hand & tell him a few stories of my successes in the blind, over the years, with the aid of his decoys.
Well it finally happened, I recently got to meet Mr. G.
The drive to Henryetta, Oklahoma was an uneventful one on a lazy September Saurday morning. Not much of anything special going on, except football season had just got underway, along with Teal season & a few dove hunter's were still at it here & there. We talked about some of those things along with the upcomming duck season, a project or 2 that we've got in the works, just passing the time.
We eventually made it to Henryetta & turned into the G&H factory parking lot to see an older gentleman messing with some decoys & mumbling to himself. We parked & got out of the truck & he hollered over to us,"I'll be with you boys in a minute... I'm busy."
I ask cooter,"Is that our guy?"
cooter responds,"I don't know... but who ever he is he's busy."
A few minutes later the man returns with a handful of this & that & returns to his decoys. He's fiddlin' with this & that intruiging our couriosity we walk over & introduce ourselves. He tells us he knows who we are & that we're about 30 minutes early, but that was fine as he liked early.
"That's got it", he exclaimed, as he stuck his hand out & said, "Duck G & y'all are?"
We get past the handshakes, introductions & he explains to us what he was working on. And like a true industrious inventor he did not want to get sidetracked in his throught process from what he was working on. I am sworn to secrecy, but I can tell ya'll that he was working on what appeared to maybe be a motion ground stake for his line of decoys, that will be ready for the 2008 season. That's about as far as I can go with what I possibally might have seen, for now. Otherwise it could be claimed by heresay, rumor & there's already too much of that, just ask that damn cooter.
Mr. G then invited us into his showroom, showing us the various decoy lines, models & the history behind this design verses that design, etc. We got to see a family heirloom of a "fiber-mache' " goose decoy that they made back in the 1930's... that's fibergalass over paper mache'. He also showed us some G&H mallards from circa 1955, along with the history of some of their many patents on feather detail, molding plastic, painting plastic, etc. & how G&H has always led the way in those area's of production than his competitors.
Mr. G then said,"I know my decoys cost more than the others, but mine are twice as thick (the plastic in the bodies), the drakes heads are molded out of a special green plastic (mallard drake) & the painting process is one that makes my paint stick to the decoys, as the formula allows the paint to actual adhere itself to the plactic. Another thing is I also add a UV protectorant to my paint & no one else does any of that, no one & it cost more to make a quality product that a man is not ashamed to have his name tied too."
We were very impressed to say the very least. Mr. G was very enthusiastic about his products, factory, family owned buisness (3 generations), product history & that his decoys are still made in America. And then that's when it happened.. he just came right out and said what me & cooter have been knowing for years... "I Make The Best Damn Decoy Period!"
We all agreed on that point.
What was supposed to be a trip to pick up a few decoys turned into 3 hours of conversastion with the man who ownes the company of a product that we think is the very best out there. We got loaded up in short order & we were on or way with several dozen Super Mag Mallards & Sprig's added to the spread.
Thank you Mr. G & all the folks at G&H for making "The Best Damn Decoy Made Period!!!"
Mr. G and Me
