RE: decoy or no decoy?
I've taken lots of birds, both withand without decoys. If I'm hunting in an area that consists of alot of big fields, I'll almost always use a decoy. Turkeys have a tendency to walk just close enough to be able to see the area where he heard the "hen". In an open field, thiswill almost alwaysbe out of shotgun range. He'll stand out 100-200 yards and gobble and strut and try to put himself in position for the hen to see him, but he usually won't come any closer. If you have a decoy out, they'll often walk straight to it. On the other hand, in a heavily wooded area, a decoy is usually pretty useless. The bird will have to walk closer to be able to see the hen, or for the hen to see him. In the process, if things go well, he'll wonder into range.Just like with any kind of hunting, there's not anything that always works and there's never a definte right or wrong answer.You can be successful doing things alot of different ways. The main thing is sit still, be patient, and don't over call. I don't think it's possible to under call, but you can definitely over call. By calling too much, one, you'll allow the bird to exactly pinpoint your location.A smart bird willsneak into a position to where he can see exactly where you're sitting and hang up. He'll stand there until you move and you've screwed the pooch at that point. Also, by calling too much, you give the bird the impression that you're very interested in him, and he'll expect you to come to him, instead of the other way around. Hope this helps. Good luck.
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