OK guys, I need a little advice. I haven't had much of a chance to scout this fall due to work and family. I had a pretty good idea where I would start for our opener this Saturday, but now they are predicting rain. The area I hunt is all wooded except for a large open field on top of the mountain. I plan to hunt the field if it is raining. Birds frequent this field (I saw 13 gobblers there pre spring season this year and my daughter killed her first gobbler there this past spring. She will be accompanying me on Saturday so I was going to set up a blind (a first for me) and try to keep her dry so she still has a good time. Hereare myquestions - does a decoy help in an open field situation like this in the fall? Will a hen decoy spook a gobbler this time of year? Will a flock work to a lone hen? Any help is appreciated.

I don't do a lot of turkey hunting in the fall season, but I know in the spring season when it is raining a great place to go is an open field. The turkey can use the sense much better in an open field while it is raining. Decoys also work great in an open field where they can be seen for a long distance, but I don't know much about the fall hunting tactics of turkey. I am really into spring turkey hunting...best of luck!

Turkies are too smart for me , lol.

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I hunt in the mountains areas around Altoona and when its rainy we stay under the big patches of pine trees. The turkeys always seem to stay in that area for cover during the rain. From what i saw its not saposed rain on Sat but i could be wrong. Im gonna be in the woods all day anyways. If you find where the birds are then you know the area to hunt.

Same here, i try hard, but usually end up goin home with my tail whipped at the end of the day!

I don't use decoys in the fall.... I get into a creek spot that I know they use and I listen for them to scratch leaves when the wind isn't blowing too hard.... Then I cut them off...
Fall turkey is alot of ambush hunting and is considered by some to be the toughest of most fall hunts.... besides Elk hunting, which is grueling.

Thanks for your replies. I decided against the decoy when I hunted the field. There were no turkeys to be found there anyway. I changed things up on day 2 and busted a flock of gobblers late in the day. Set up on day 3 and called 2 of them in - gobbling like crazy - what a hunt!

I would leave the decoys in the blind in the beginning. Good luck, and let us know how it went!