First Look: Avian-X HDR Strutter Decoy

by
posted on March 29, 2021
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
main-hdr-strutter.jpg
The Heavy Duty Realism (HDR) Strutter, from Avian-X, adds an aggressive poster to their lineup, designed specifically to fool more dominant longbeards. A modular design brings realism and flexibility to the setup, allowing for customization when using advanced tactics on mature birds. These options include two different heads to mimic two moods and dominance structures within the flock. The Flag Head (red-white-blue) represents the passive, sub-dominate longbeard, while the Snowball Head (white) represents the dominant longbeard in the flock who does most of the breeding. Hunters can change the heads in seconds in the field, depending on circumstance. 

In terms of construction, the HDR Strutter boasts a tail that is injection molded from a translucent material, for a lifelike fan. It collapses to pack into a turkey vest. The fan adjusts between a tom and jake, simply by shortening the outermost tail fan sections. Of course, for the most realistic look, the HDR Strutter does allow folks to substitute real feathers in place of the included tail. 

Next, the HDR Strutter features removeable wing primaries to reduce bulk, and create the natural wing position of a strutting tom. Another boon to portability, the decoy is 15-percent smaller than life to make bagging and transport easy. The synthetic beard is adjustable to switch between jake and tom, and a stake holds the decoy steady while allowing for natural movement. 

For more on this true-to-life decoy, check out avian-x.comMSRP: $249.99

Latest

Lead Photo 01
Lead Photo 01

Hunting Boot 101

Your firearm, your camo pattern, your shotshell or rifle cartridge, chosen optics, clothing material; all can seem insignificant if your boots aren’t doing their job. Read on for a thorough discussion of what you should look for in a hunting boot, depending on your hunting scenario, by veteran game stalker Phil Massaro.

New for 2026: Chiappa 92 Core Wildlands Series

The Chiappa 92 Core in the company's Wildlands series is built around one priority: a lever-action that stays simple, fast and ready without sacrificing reliability.

8 Ways to Fail at Turkey Hunting

If you’re clamoring for a Tom with a rope-like beard and limb-hanging spurs, you’ll want to avoid these success-stealing perils this season.

Savage Model 110 New Chamberings for 2026

Earlier this year, Savage Arms expanded its iconic Model 110 lineup to introduce six new cartridges.

Forest Service Headquarters Leaving DC

On March 31 the U.S. Forest Service—part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture—announced it will move its headquarters to Salt Lake City, Utah, and begin a sweeping restructuring of the agency to bring leadership closer to the forests and communities it serves.

Hardware Review: Leupold VX-5HD Gen 2

Looking for a new hunting scope before this season? Check out Managing Editor David Herman's hardware review of the second generation VX-5HD, from Leupold. With a 3-15x44mm magnification range, this is glass that can handle just about any hunting scenario you throw at it.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.