Hardcore Waterfowl’s new Rugged Series Full Body Specklebelly establishes new high-mark in field decoy design and performance.
If you’re part of a circle of waterfowlers, odds are free frozen geese have come your way. Not many hunters stay on a steady diet of snow or Canada geese – borderline freezer-burnt birds are given away. To most, snows and Canadas are good, but not great table fare. Now specklebelly geese? Completely different situation. Their milder meat is considered a delicacy. Add to that fact that specklebellies are more challenging to come across in the field and their value further increases.
Specklebelly geese, aka greater white-fronted geese, numbers stand at about one-quarter that of snow geese – some three million birds in North America compared to over 12 million – but still considered a healthy population. The Pacific population breeds in western Canada and Alaska and winters in western California and Mexico. The significantly larger mid-continent population procreates in western and central Canada and migrate down to the Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and eastern Mexico.
From a hunting perspective, specklebellies are known to be more cautious than their snow, blue, and Canada goose counterparts. For this, hunting them demands better preparation, concealment, and decoy placement. And not only do the spreads require precision placement, the decoys themselves must exude authenticity. And that’s where Hardcore Waterfowl comes in…
New for 2024, Hardcore Waterfowl introduces the Rugged Series Full Body Specklebelly (6-PACK). True to life, the new specklebelly decoys hatch from the same exacting processes that produce Hardcore’s entire decoy assortment.
There’s plenty behind the curtain, but let’s start with the genuine cosmetics. “Like all of our decoys, we tested multiple paint schemes to get it right,” said Hardcore Waterfowl Marketing Manager and avid hunter, Steve Allie. “The final colors and feather patterns are spot on. We absolutely landed on the most lifelike presentation.” Hardcore’s paints and application processes produce an exceptionally durable product, too.
Before cosmetics are even considered, however, Hardcore handcrafts the definitive form. “Technology plays a major role in the composition and features of all Rugged Series decoys, but Hardcore still relies on pure artisanship to get the shape right,” said Allie.
All original Hardcore decoy designs are founded on masterful wood carvings. Even in 2024, you can throw away your AI and 3D printers when it comes to creating decoys. Time honored handcrafting still results in the most realistic renderings.Â
Hardcore selects the finest material available to form the Full Body Specklebelly – same material used in all Rugged Series decoys. “Our FowlFlex™ technology is the ideal middle ground between hard plastic and rubber,” said Allie. “It flexes in your hand a little bit but isn’t squishy.” This exacting composition prevents cracking while being able to handle impacts for a long life in the field.
Lifelike performance is further augmented by Hardcore’s TruMotion™ 2.0. The groundbreaking base and field stake system harnesses the gentlest breeze to activate your decoy spread with astonishing realism.
“The Full Body Specklebelly has a natural back and forth motion,” said Allie. “It’s not mechanical, either. No power required.”
The genius is in TruMotion 2.0’s technical composition. The clever t-shaped top of the stake enters the decoy’s bottom cavity, where the combination of the stake and precision notches in the body encourage subtle and natural body movements. An orange bungee loop drops from the decoy and hooks on the stand to prevent spinning and keep the decoy securely on the ground. Even in heavy winds the Rugged Series Specklebelly doesn’t spin.
The only spinning will be other hunter’s heads while they’re figuring out why you shot so many more specks…
Rugged Series Specklebelly FEATURES:
- Ultra-Durable FowlFlex™ Technology defines durability
- True-to-life paint schemes for total realism
- TruMotion™2.0 system creates lifelike movement with a breath of wind
- 6-PACK: 1 Relaxed Sentry, 1 Stubby Sentry, 2 Active Feeders, 2 Hungry Feeder,
- INCLUDES: 6 TruMotion™ 2.0 Bases & Field Stakes
$239.99 Volume Discounts Available
