Decoy or NO Decoy
 

Which gives you a better chance for success? Turkey hunting with decoys, or no decoys at all?

Pro's / Con's to decoys?

RE: Decoy or NO Decoy
 

not me ; had my decoy shot one time..
it's been in the safe ever since.

RE: Decoy or NO Decoy
 

I prefer a decoy because it keeps the gobblers attention, unless he has pinpointed your calling location which happened to me last weekend at which point my buddy shot the bird 14 steps away...lol. Although have had people stalk my decoy before and they weren't suppose to even be hunting that land so you have to be careful as well. But for the most part a decoy to me is what keeps the attention of the gobbler off me so i have a little more room to move and take him.

RE: Decoy or NO Decoy
 

This was the first year we could use decoys in Alabama. From my experience this season---the answer to your question would be---it depends.

My second hunt of the year I had about 8 hens in a grassy field leading a struting Tom right to me. When the hens got sight of the decoys (they were about 80 yards from me) they hung up and did a 180 leading the Tom away. I did not use decoys the next several hunts.

From my hunt yesterday, I decided to put them out and a lone Tom came in silently to the dekes.

My gut feeling is that since it is late season----decoys might be productive for lonesome Toms looking for love.

Sooo---I'm not sure there is a good definitive answer to your question.

RE: Decoy or NO Decoy
 

I haven't used one in a few years. Spook too many birds for my tastes.

Hal

RE: Decoy or NO Decoy
 

If you use a decoy, it should look good. Those el-cheapo cookie-cutter foam generic decoys make better car washing sponges than they make a good hunting aid.

Flambeau just introduced a "Master's Series" jake that I would shoot if I saw it. It's that good.

Like Treeclimber, I also had my decoy shot, and it was a very scary ordeal - you must use it wisely, and be wary of other hunters.

I've killed a lot of birds off my decoys, and I use them quite often. Would the birds have come in anyway?? maybe. Who knows?

If you do go for the decoy, just make sure you get a good one, or if you get a cheapo, it will be fine as long as you paint him up really nice. Give that head some really bright coloration (Bright red waddles, blue head and a white crown) Also give him a coat of glossy glack paint on his chest and back, along with some irridescent glaze if you can find it (look at a craft shop for it).

Trust me, if you think it looks fake, they will too. Turkeys' eyesight is very keen and sometimes it takes a little more to fool 'em, and you want every advantage you can get.

RE: Decoy or NO Decoy
 

I too have had mixed results. I've had a tom come to the decoy without me even getting the call out of my vest to hens being very social with the decoys to the lead hen doing a complete about face the second they saw the decoys taking the rest of the birds with her.
I always carry them but dont always use them.

RE: Decoy or NO Decoy
 

In prior years, I had been using one jake and one hen with very limited success. I hunt public land and was a bit concerned whenever I put the jake out, and I always wondered if seeing the male decoy was preventing other males from coming to my setup. This year I just used a single hen and seemed to have much better success. One day had a hen stand beside my decoy while the gobbler that was trailing behind her came into range for me to take him. Next day had another gobbler coming into my setup only to be taken away by a real hen (they have names for women like that!), and the next day had a long beard come in on his own, and when he spied the decoy, he spit, drummed, and did everything he could to get her to go to him. He was only 25 yards from me, but the decoy sure held his attention. I messed it up by shooting over his head, but the decoy did help. I also started placing my decoy just over a ridge line so the gobbler has to commit to coming up over the ridge to find his date. When he sees her, he is already in range. I think this could prevent him from hanging up if he could see her from say 100 yards or so. Maybe as the season goes on, may be a good time to try without the decoy. Just depends if the birds you are hunting had any bad experiences associated with decoys.

Good luck!

RE: Decoy or NO Decoy
 

6 to 1, half dozen to the other.

A decoy, can bring in a bird the extra so many yards....but, a decoy can also hang up birds just out of shooting range.

It's your call.

RE: Decoy or NO Decoy
 

I have shot a number of birds coming in to a single hen decoy. I have also seen them give my 2 hens and a jake set-up a wary eye and not come close enough. I have heard tremendous success stories about hen and jake sets and bought mine for that reason, but they have never worked for me. Even though I had all my dekes in the truck last week, I only used a single hen. The first gobbler did eye her cautiously, but came in to a few soft clucks. The 2nd one strutted 100 yards away for over 45 mins which made me think the decoy was going to cost me a longbeard. However, a calling sequence timed when he was behind some trees made him come in --I think the cutting was what sealed the deal. I probably will stay with a single hen from now on.

RE: Decoy or NO Decoy
 

[quote]ORIGINAL: quiksilver

If you use a decoy, it should look good. Those el-cheapo cookie-cutter foam generic decoys make better car washing sponges than they make a good hunting aid.

Flambeau just introduced a "Master's Series" jake that I would shoot if I saw it. It's that good.


Quiksilver

I agree ! I bought 2 hen master series this year and they are the most awesome looking decoys ...period. The stakes that come with them absulutely suck!, broke them in my 3rd hunt. They are a pain to setup. Great looking decoys, had them set out with 2 feather flex hens last weekend. They made they featherflexes look cheap. Now if the they could wind vane like the featherflex that would be the ticket!

RE: Decoy or NO Decoy
 

yeah if you want to hunt with decoys make sure they're high quality ones. i have a hen decoy that i use every now and then. it looks real good. alot of times it just depends on the birds. i've had birds completely ignore them and others that get real interested in them. the only thing i don't like about decoys other than having to carry them is that the stakes aren't that great. and something that i learned this past weekend during the last weekend of the season here in florida is that in some areas where there's lime rock the soil isn't deep enough to put the stake too far into the ground. i had my hen fall over and it ended up spooking a hen that i called in. but otherwise i like them if i'm not walking a good bit.

RE: Decoy or NO Decoy
 

I like my decoy and they are the cheap one but i don't put out my jake decoy out in the spring only in the fall and then some time's i don't .i 've seen some jake run off becase they are tired of fighting tom's for hens .

RE: Decoy or NO Decoy
 

They have their places but I usually don't get a chance to get them up because the bird is coming. A couple of years ago I set up some decoys along the edge of a field before daybreak because i knew that there was a decent tom using the edge as strut zone. I usually hunt ridges and run and gun but this time I was set up. I started to call and the wind picked up. The tom responded and just before he was in range he putted and was gone. I turned to look around expecting to see another hunter and there were 2 of my hen decoys laying over on their side from the wind and the jake was spinning around like a top. I bet the old boy never saw anything quite like that. Never did get him and nobody else did either. Made me laugh so the day wasn't all that bad.

RE: Decoy or NO Decoy
 

yeah i've read about what kerr is talking about. with the birds running aways from the red head. i've read that it's sometimes better to have a duller red on the head so that it isn't quite as intimidating so the birds especially jakes are more likely to come in.

RE: Decoy or NO Decoy
 

I start out every morning with 2 hens and 1 jake decoy staked out. If I have to move from my original starting spot, then I rarely ever take the decoys along with me. They're just an early morning thing for me, but they do work!

RE: Decoy or NO Decoy
 

Decoy , yes! But only a hen for me. Not any sucess with jake decoy. Got a 19 + pounder with a 10.5 beard and 1 1/8 spurs Monday morning, a full strut with his eye on my hen decoy. Misdirection play is the way to go. Keep calling....Tony!

RE: Decoy or NO Decoy
 

It all depends upon your birds, the land, and the way you hunt.
If you hunt on your feet moving from one location to the next very quickly then the decoy is just going to slow you down. If you know you ambush spot and don't plan on moving much then put them out and pull them in.
If your birds tend to be agressive then put out the decoys, if they are easily spooked put them away or just use one very high quality hen decoy.
Don't use decoys if the goblers can see it from more than 100 yards. They will hold up right there and wait for her to come to him. Don't use the decoy if the yardage is too short, it will spook them if it's not spotted until they're only 5 yards away.
Use the decoy if you want the birds attention on something else other than you. Use a decoy if you need the birds to hold still for just a moment.