Flambeau Partners With Minaska

Flambeau Outdoor Products, which produces decoys and game calls under the MAD Calls, Lohman and Big River brands, will increase its product line through a new partnership agreement with Minaska Outdoors.

Minaska, based in Lincoln, Neb., has an established line of electronic predator calls and extensive library of sounds.

“Minaska Outdoors has developed a phenomenal following with consumers in the predator hunting market,” said Tad Brown, Flambeau product development specialist.

Under terms of the agreement, Flambeau will take over the manufacturing, sales and marketing of the Minaska product line. Flambeau will market Minaska products under its MAD Calls brand, and will immediately begin production of four models. Flambeau will also offer calling sound downloads for its units at www.madgamecalls.com.

“While the MAD brand is hot in the deer and turkey markets, we are excited to jump into the growing predator market with this unique line of electronic predator calls,” said MAD founder Mark Drury, a product development and public relations specialist for Flambeau.

“We were looking for a partner to drive our long-term development plans, and we are very excited to be involved with the launch of MAD to the predator hunting market,” said Steve Borland, Minaska co-founder.

The partnership with Minaska is certain to increase Flambeau’s share of the growing predator hunting products market. Flambeau added the Lohman, MAD and Feather Flex brands within the past couple years, and introduced a coyote decoy earlier this year under the Flambeau name.

Tad Brown on Decoy Placement

Technique of the Week: Today, I interviewed Tad Brown of Flambeau, which also markets predator hunting products under the Lohman Game Calls and Circe brands. Specifically, Tad talked to me about using decoys for predator hunting.

Tad covered many aspects of decoys, but I found his advice about placement especially valuable. Hunting with the wind in his face, Tad said he usually places the decoy about 30 yards away off to his right side, because he shoots right-handed. But that’s not all. He tends to put the decoy behind him and to the right of the area he expects the animals to approach from.

Why?

The coyote will generally circle, and when it does, even if it’s a wide, cautious loop, the coyote will be within easy shooting distance.

Tad puts it to the right so that if a coyote comes straight to the decoy, it will pass in front of him.

“When the predator is looking at the decoy, I don’t want to be right in their line of sight,” he said. “You want that coyote to be looking past you.”

One more tip about decoy placement. “The higher up it is, the better it is,” Tad said. “If the coyote can’t see it, it isn’t helping you.”