Decoys...yay or nay?

[ATbuckhunter]

Do you prefer to have decoys or not, while turkey hunting? I always used decoys but I never knew what I was doing so I never got to see how a turkey reacted to them. I called in two gobblers last year with out them and they hung up around 30 yards, wondering where the sounds came from. I wasn't able to shoot but man it was a rush.

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[Four Season Whitetail's]

I hardly ever use a decoy and tag out every year. Watch the birds and see how the roost and travel every day to food and then set up early and shut up. Most times no calling is needed and the group of hens walk right by ya with the tom bringing up the rear.Works great if you hunt the same farms alot and have time to keep up on what the birds are doing.

[greensider]

i have tried them several times all with negative results but those new avian x decoys are real nice but i am never going to pay what they cost

[G-Man]

Na, more junk to carry and unnessary, if you set up where a bird wants to be (scouting) .I truly think they spook more than they bring in

[ants]

I usually don't but I have had a little success with them. If a tom is going off and there is a lot of open space between my set up and him, I might put one out.

 

 

Those new Avian x decoys do look like real birds but $$$$$$$. 

[growalot]

I use them sometimes...posted a video of a Jake beating a Jake I put a real fan on...I set up the bobbin head hen with one or 2 others....sometimes it works others not...in video I had 2 long beards that hung up watching that Jake kicking decoy...they wanted no part of a fight and left. Movement helps but not too much. In wind put a stick a few inches on either side of tail,that way wind will move decoy just a bit...not spin it...real wings and tail feathers help as well...I save mine and also using real wings to make flapping sounds...birds stretch and flapping often.

[HectorBuckBuster]

I have killed birds with and with out decoys. I have a pair of the Avian decoys once the birds see them its like you have them on a string pulling them in. They work awesome when I take my daughter out, as the birds just lock on the decoys and not whats around them. The bird she shot last year came in fast and was at around 9-10 yards from her when she shoot it. The gobbler never once even looked in out direction just focused on the two decoys.

[alloutdoors]

I don't have anything against using decoys and they can be very effective. I've used them in the past and will continue to use them when the conditions call for it. I use them less and less every year though, because to answer your question on what I prefer, I get far more of a thrill knowing I brought a bird in with just my calling. When it's just you, the bird, and your calling, and you make a kill, you have truly earned it. I personally don't get nearly the same sense of accomplishment from birds I've taken over decoys or by ambushing.

 

Also, when I was using decoys a lot and hunting with my bow I thought the best part of turkey hunting was watching a tom come in and tear up a jake decoy 10 yards in front of me. My opinion on that has completely changed though. Now I would say the biggest thrill in turkey hunting is the anticipation when you know a gobbler has committed to your calling but is slipping through the woods to your setup unseen. When he gobbles from inside 30 yards and you still haven't seen him, your heart will nearly jump out of your chest. To me, that is what turkey hunting is all about.

[MACHINIST]

Quality deeks make a huge difference.I use them every once in a while.Mostly the first week of season and here and there during.After the first week it depends on what I am seeing and how the turkeys are reacting to calling.If they are still hot for calls I use them,if they are skittish then I don't use them.

[jjb4900]

I think if you hunt wide open areas where the birds can really look around and see that there is no hen where the calls are coming from, then they can help quite a bit..........I've had success bringing in henned up Tom's when using them, mainly because they seemed to bring the hens in and the Tom's followed.

[LI OUTDOORSMAN]

Most of the time I dont use decoys..I dont like carrying them and honestly most of the time they seem to do more harm than good..birds seeing them from across the field and hanging up or acting squirrelly...closing day last year I worked a bird off the roost and finally had him coming to almost the "kill zone"..he stood there gobbling in thick brush and was craning his neck looking for the hen making all that racket..After a good standoff where i couldnt get a clear shot he walked off...I'm pretty certain if I had a decoy out he would have stomped right in....go figure...

[ATbuckhunter]

I have to say, I didn't expect to see so many against decoys. I was thinking of only bringing one or two hen decoys but now i'm not sure. 

[MACHINIST]

Decoys have their place as with a lot of other hunting accessories.Just like JJB4900 said in wide open fields ,power lines or clear cuts I think they work good.I've had toms run into and I've had them turn inside out like their tails were on fire and run the other way.

[518BowSlayer]

had more luck without them but I spent the cash this year on the avian x lcd hen and jake combo and they look amazing! think it might have just been the cheap dekes I had been using for years. if your decoys don't work for you, try runnin and gunnin through the woods. that can be a whole lotta fun!!!

[WhitetailAddict11]

Have called in many birds with and without decoys but in my experiences, a decoy drastically decreases the chances of a bird hanging up AND when calling to the hens of a henned up gobbler, it's fairly necessary that they be able to see the nasty ol' hen who's talking smack to them. I have had a lot of great hunts both successful and unsuccessful using a single delta feeding hen.

[G-Man]

Decoys, see every tv hunting show and why you need them, then use yourself and spook 1/2 the birds away.. remember tv edits Weekes of hunting into a 20 min show. They may work in an open field or someplace very visable, but if you hone your woodsman ship skills and learn to set up properly when a tom appears it's in range and bang it's over. Setting up so the bird pops it's head up to see over a ridge,hump,brush so it's will be at 30 yards or so takes some practice and attention to lay of the land, I have only killed 1 tom in a field, every one I've gotten has been interesting woods where it has to show itself to see where calling is coming from. At that point it's shoot and game over.

[Izayah12]

This is my first yr turkey hunting and i will be using my bow, would decoys help to get the birds closer so they dont hang up at 40 yrds

[growalot]

If your set up properly for the terrain and conditions...and the area hasn't had a lot of guys decoying...it helps to take their attention away from your position...I have even used my deer decoy while turkey hunting...they feed together often...I know guys that took that a step further and set out crow/geese decoys (smarter than me much smaller )and even lawn ornaments...ie...plastic squirrel...lol they had fun with it and bagged Toms...

[WhitetailAddict11]

This is my first yr turkey hunting and i will be using my bow, would decoys help to get the birds closer so they dont hang up at 40 yrds

  simply put, yes

[Pygmy]

When I was younger I covered a lot of ground , running and gunning. Most of my gobblers have been shot in the woods, without a decoy, as I sat with my back against a tree. Decoys are of little value in this type of mobile hunt.

The last few years as I have got older, I spend a lot of time in pop up blinds along fields or other open areas. Decoys are useful in this type of hunt, because in those open areas a gobbler expects to be able to see the hen at a distance. Sure, I have had a few toms spook at the decoys...Perhaps they fear that it is a dominant gobbler, or perhaps they have recently had a BAD EXPERIENCE with decoys. However, many of them have come in and ended up in that big strutting zone in the sky. One rule of thumb...Once you are sure the gobbler sees the decoy, quit calling and let the decoy do its work.. I have watched toms strutting to my decoys out of range for as long as 45 minutes...Be patient and stay quiet, and MOST of the time, he'll decide the hen is not going to come to him and will commit and come into range.

I hunt every spring in Ontario, and much of the hunting up there is on the edges of cedar pastures, flat as p**s on a platter and sometimes as much as a mile wide. Blinds and decoys are the main method of hunting there.

On the Ontario opener last year I watched two gobblers come together and get into a fight about 150 yards from my blind.. I had out a gobbler decoy and two hens.. After fighting for perhaps 15 minutes, the birds disengaged ..I yelped a couple of times and they made a beeline for my decoys.. Both birds seemed to be about the same size, so the first one that came into range got a facefull of #6 shot for his effort..

[turkeyfeathers]

I hardly ever use a decoy and tag out every year. Watch the birds and see how the roost and travel every day to food and then set up early and shut up. Most times no calling is needed and the group of hens walk right by ya with the tom bringing up the rear.Works great if you hunt the same farms alot and have time to keep up on what the birds are doing.

No calling ? That doesn't sound fun at all IMO. It's about fooling the bird not ambushing him . Mine as well limb shoot him or buy one at grocery store.

[turkeyfeathers]

I also use a decoy , DSD hen and tag out every year.

[jjb4900]

I set up with a Hen and Jake this year........when the Tom I got came over a little rise and got sight of the decoys his whole demeanor changed.....and not in a good way, good thing he was close enough for a shot when he spotted the decoys. I'm gonna put the Jake away for the rest of the season.

[Skillet]

I've always used dekes, unless I was runnin & gunning & a bird was coming in too fast to set it up. Never had a bird spook because of my deke as far as I know. I bought an avian X Lookout hen this spring. It blows any other deke out of the water. I cant believe how real it looks. The tom my son missed on Saturday locked on to her and seemed to have no doubts. They were normally $80 at Field & Stream, but I got it on sale for $60. Got one for the Girlfriend too, as an early mother's day gift. Are they expensive? Yes, but considering the $ we drop without a thought on a box of turkey loads, I guess it's all relative. I'd rather spend a little more to maybe make the difference in one of the few opportunities I get at turkeys. It's a one time thing, I'll never need another one unless it gets shot or something stupid.

[jjb4900]

I've always used dekes, unless I was runnin & gunning & a bird was coming in too fast to set it up. Never had a bird spook because of my deke as far as I know. I bought an avian X Lookout hen this spring. It blows any other deke out of the water. I cant believe how real it looks. The tom my son missed on Saturday locked on to her and seemed to have no doubts. They were normally $80 at Field & Stream, but I got it on sale for $60. Got one for the Girlfriend too, as an early mother's day gift. Are they expensive? Yes, but considering the $ we drop without a thought on a box of turkey loads, I guess it's all relative. I'd rather spend a little more to maybe make the difference in one of the few opportunities I get at turkeys. It's a one time thing, I'll never need another one unless it gets shot or something stupid.

I use the Avian X as well, I'm pretty sure it was the presence of the Jake decoy that took him by surprise..........I chose not to wait and see how it was going to unfold.