Decoys? Help or hurt?

[coondog]

I have turkey hunted for a long time now and have been fortunate to take a good number of birds. I have had far greater sucess not using decoys. The times I do it seems that the birds will hang up or get spooked from them. I have had better luck and closer shots having birds come looking for subtle calls. I am getting to the point where I do not use them 90% of the time. I will use them in the early morning and usually on field setups. Anyone else out there feel the same or different about dekes? If you do use them, what type(s) do you use and in what configuration?

[woodsnwater]

I don't typically bother with decoys unless I'm setting up on the edge of a field. Then, I'll set a lone hen or a jake and a hen at about 20 yards. Not only does it help with attraction, it helps me to guage distance.

Of course, I usually get burned by those pesky turkeys regardless of my setup, so you may not want to listen too much to me. ;)

[skin_dog1]

Most of my turkey hunting has taken place in fields so I hunt with them most of the time. My experience has been they work pretty good most of the time in a field. When I set up in the woods I normally don't bother with dekes. When I have used them I wasn't successful, not because they scared toms, but because none worked. I have had several hens in my dekes while setup in the woods. When I do use dekes I use a hen and jake or just a hen. I'll nealry always use both if time permits, if not I go with the lonely hen.

[ril7572]

I never use them. I guess they could help in some situations. I prefer to hunt in the woods, not fields. I also like to set up as close as possible to a bird, hate to go the extra few yards to set out a decoy.

Guess it really depends on your hunting style, If you sit in a blind on a field, they would be a help.

[RUTNUT]

I Use Them But The Jake Will Stay Home This Year. Had 2 Or 3 Gobblers Turn And Run When They Saw The Jake. Helps Keep From Being Seen As Easy And Helps With The Distance.

[Grant]

95% of my hunting is done in fields, I just don't have access to any big woods to hunt. The times I do hunt woods, I'm taking someone else on land they have access to. That being said, the only times I have had birds shy away, or hang up from decoys has been in the woods. I haven't used a decoy in the woods in several years because of that. Now, when I'm in the fields if I can get one out without being seen, I will have a hen out nearly every time.

[Willie]

"Decoys? Help or hurt?"

Yes...they do.. both at times..

I don't use them in the woods.. I do on field set ups. I've drawn gobblers on a dead run across a 1/4 mile field to a set up. Other times they pay them a no never matter,..

BTW - I saw some great looking decoys at the Rural King. They are the Flambeau MASTER series. The heads are hand painted (air brushed) and looked ALIVE...

http://www.decoys.com/turkey/dcoy_turkey.html

[ceohunter]

I'll start off with them first thing in the morning on a roost setup, then after the first move I don't use them anymore. The majority of my birds have been killled w/out decs around.

[SixPack07]

I think they work great. I'm sure I have had some not come in because of them, but they've served me well so far.

[ceohunter]

I won't use them on public land. To sceered one of'm will get shot.

[lab]

I have used them in fields and in the woods with success and without. I have had toms come running across large fields to decs and have had them come out into fields only to see my decoys and turn around and go the other way. I have only used them in the woods three or four times, but have had birds within range everytime. As others have said, I prefer to use them at the first setup, but as the day wears on, I tend to keep them in my vest and make the bird search for the hen that he is hearing.

[turk2di]

I never use them. I guess they could help in some situations. I prefer to hunt in the woods, not fields. I also like to set up as close as possible to a bird, hate to go the extra few yards to set out a decoy.

Guess it really depends on your hunting style, If you sit in a blind on a field, they would be a help.
I think we are cut from the same cloth! I prefer the woods cause it allows me to do what i love to do......... get in thier face. That way, when they get to where they can see where the hen call come from....BOOOM!!!!!! But i carry one just for mid-day naps or fields should it be rainin, or i got a youngster along! Much like the gobbler himself to your callin, ya just don't know how he will re-act to a decoy?

[schuyler olt]

Turk, you and I agree big time on this one.

[Mount-N-Man]

I have not set a decoy out for the last 3 or 4 years. I have had success with decoys, but using them I have only taken 1 mature tom. While using decoys I usually had jakes run right in but the toms would always hang up out of range. I used to shoot any turkey that came in that was legal, so the jakes would get it.

Now that I don't use decoys the toms seem to come in looking for the hen that is calling to them and come alot closer than they did while I was using the decoys. In the last 3 years I have taken 5 mature toms and the guy I hunt with has also taken several. We used a decoy last year a couple times and while using it not 1 bird came anywhere close enough for a shot. We don't shoot jakes anymore unless it is late in the season and we havn't tagged one yet, all your jakes will be mature toms the following year.

I also start watching turkeys about 2 -3 weeks before season and see where the turkeys are roosting and where they are crossing the powerline behind my house.They usually cross in a saddle between 2 ridges that run across the powerline, and that is usually where we set up. The deer also cross the powerline the same place the turkeys do.

[Feedman]

I have not had anyluck with dekes. We hunt mainly in the woods and I have not used them there. When we hunt around fields, I have tried them and no gobblers have come in. They have looked at the dekes and walked away. I guess every situation is different.

[buckfever]

I've killed a number of birds over decoys and called birds in for others over decoys. I'm sure the dekes helped kill some of these birds. However, I've also had birds come to calls and then hang up once they saw the dekes. I use 'em about 1/2 the time and usually only in my initial set up spot. I've found that multiple dekes are better than one hen. If I use 'em, I'll use two hens and a jake close behind one of the hens. If they haven't worked at my initial spot, I'll usually fold 'em up and leave them on the side of the field. It's a royal pain in the caboose to try and run and gun w/ a bunch of dekes.

[wasp]

I Have Real Good Luck With The Breeding Set Up.. The Last 3 Years I Have Killed With This Set Up,, I Also Use 2 Hens 1 Jake, But I Have Learned To Put The Jake As Low As You Can..if You Got The Jake Up High It Lookes Huge, Put Him Low, So The Tom Thinks He Can Whip Hes Butt. It Works For Me... My 2 Cents Wasp