Decoys?

[virgil]

I'm still relatively new to turkey hunting. I'm thinking about buying a few decoys for this coming season. Do you guys use them or recommend using them? If so, do you recommend a particular setup and a particular brand/type of decoy?

[G-Man]

Over the years it seems i've scared more birds with decoys than brought in. In all fairness i do hunt in woods. they might work good in a field, where they can be seen from a further distance..I don't miss carring them around though, for me they are the last thing i'll take with me.

[HectorBuckBuster]

Its just depends on the turkey. I had some come running into decoys. Other times they wanted nothing to do with them. I don't use a decoy too much now days. Going out the night before and roasting the birds, then sneaking in before light between the gobbler and the hen is the best option.

[Lawdwaz]

If your going to hunt the fields like the TV guys, use them. Like G Man said, in the woods I wouldn't bother. By the time you find a high enough & clear spot it may be too late!!

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I carry light foam ones. a hen and a jake. I have had them run right to them and I have had them turn and run straight away. I have had the best luck with them in low pressure areas. I think they get decoy shy just like they get call shy.

[jr.deerslayer]

We often use them when bow hunting for turkeys. Most of the time I hunt fields and they seem to work, sometimes great other times not so much. Whether the decoy affects the turkeys decision to not come in I don't know. We also use them while gun hunting, but if we're hunting hard and covering a lot of ground they get heavy and noisy so we often leave them home. In a not so perfect scenario where we figure it will take some drawing pressure to get the gobbler separated from other hens, we've put out 8 or 9 hen decoys with a full strutting gobbler with them.

[RangerClay]

If your going to hunt the fields like the TV guys, use them. Like G Man said, in the woods I wouldn't bother. By the time you find a high enough & clear spot it may be too late!!

Great advice there!

If I'm hunting a field I use Cherokee decoys. When set-up they look so life like and don't break the wallet. For the life of me I cannot conceive how people will drop a $100 bill for a turkey decoy.

[phade]

I had a strutter destroyed last year...I kept it in my hub blind in open woods and the blind partially blew over during the week...by Saturday morning...that thing was destroyed...I was ticked. The birds must have been on top of it for days.

Picked up a new one cheap...Cabelas in-house brand. I'm going to use a natural jake fan on it that I have.

I'll carry a lone foam hen decoy when moving about.

[Pygmy]

While the great majority of the turkeys I have killed have been when I was just sitting against a tree in the woods, I have been employing a decoy and popup blind more over the last few years.

I generally set up along the edge of a field, and place the decoy where it can be seen for a distance.

I've had mixed results with jake and gobbler decoys.Sometimes they work, sometimes they spook birds. Same goes for alert hen decoys.

My most effective decoys have been feeding hens, especially the bobble head hen.

A slight breeze is enough to give the decoy a little movement, which adds to realism of the setup.

When I'm sure the gobbler can see the decoy, I quit calling and let the decoy do it's work... I feel that overcalling when a gobbler is within say, 100 yards is counterproductive. It can cause a bird to hang up. I have watched gobblers stand 100 yards from a decoy and gobble and strut for nearly an hour, before finally commiting and coming into shotgun range.

[landtracdeerhunter]

I think if I was going to throw a few bucks at some decoys, go with a couple bobble head hens, and a jake, just to start out. Knowing what to set out when, is the key to better success. Depends on early, mid, or late season . What works today won't tomorrow . Also, every time I set a struter decoy out, I have a nice tom come in just out of gun range. They won't come in any further. Use that now, for a Thanksgiving day centerpiece, lol. Main thing is to get your calling down pat. Turkeys usually hear a call way before sighting a decoy. Sound like a turkey, you may not even need the decoys, unless your bowhunting, then you do.

Countdown, 55 days till May 1st.

phade, I would of liked to see some picks of that decoy, to cool.

Edited March 7, 2012 by landtracdeerhunter

[Rev Ev]

If you're just starting out using dekes for turkeys, Gander Mountain has some hens that are foam and roll up for only 10 bucks. I would get a couple of those and just try them out. Maybe next I would add a tom strutting, there you'll pay some money, so try ebay or craigslist.

[Nicksteroni]

Virgil, If you're new to the pursuit, Don't bother. It will be one other thing to distract YOU. Later as you become more comfortable with the ins and outs, then check em out. I've taken more with than without. They are great for tough birds. Your not looking for tough birds. Worry about how to set up properly when you hear the response to your calls. That is much more important. Have fun.

[G-Man]

My advice is learn the woods. know where old fences, benches, creeks,roost areas, strut areas are and memorize them ..then stay out of the woods for a month don't practice your calling in the woods, as you will educate birds very quickly... Woodsmanship is 90% of turkey hunting , calling 1% 9 % dumb luck. If you know where and why the birds are traveing an area you can kill them without ever making a call. And you do not need to be a top caller. if a bird "wants to die" it will come in to the sound of your hand being scratched in the leaves. Have a great time learning and do not pressure yourself tryin to be like the pros on tv using decoys and calling like their life depends on it. I've sealed the deal on many of my birds never making a turkey vocalization but by just scratching leaves and making a fly down wing beat hitting my hat against my leg.

[Lawdwaz]

Lots of great advice here. Nothing like seat time when it comes to fooling the wary old gobbler.

IMO, knowing "what to do and when to do it" seperates the men from the boys when talkin' turkey.

[trophy taker]

G-Man hit it on the head. Everything he said goes double for me. Killed my biggest by watching for 2 days then going in and cutting him off. Was 24.3 lbs 10 1/2 inch beard. WOODSMANSHIP IS 90%.

[Hunterny28]

I havent had to much luck with decoys. seem like they are a pain to carry in, set up and take down. I know your supposed to call them in, but I have had to get up and move. I would not like to mess with these before moving and/or after moving. I like the advice people gave about learning more about turkey hunting before throwing decoys in. But they do make some that a decently priced and compacted to carry. If this is somehting you are interested in.

[ghug92]

At Dick's Sporting Goods they have a surprisingly good decoy brand called lodge outfitters. They have hens, gobblers, and jakes. The best part is they are all under 30 dollars. You can get the hen for 20! They come with nice stakes that are hardy and will stick into wet, frozen or sandy ground. Decent detail also! I haven't been turkey hunting for long, but I've never seen a turkey run from these guys. Hope this helps and good luck!

[virgil]

Thanks everyone for the advice. Always helpful.

[stubbz]

i just ordered a set of the peep n tom and pretty penny decoys for early May field hunting, i got the remanufactured ones direct from the manufacturer they were 40 for the set so really not that bad, i have one blow up style of feeding hen also. cant wait to get out there and put them to work and see what we can reel in, my fiance will be huntin with my 870 20 gauge and ill have the bow so i need um to come in pretty close for the bow.

[Nicksteroni]

stubbz,

Not trying in any way to stomp on your plans, but I think you're undersized with the 20 Ga. 870. I'm not saying you cant kill them with that. But you'll need to be REAL close, let alone the bow, and you can count on a ton of flopping and possibly running and flying away. These are tough,tough birds. Why put the bird and your fiance through that? Use a 12 Ga. Even with this, I'm shocked at how many guys " REACH " out with their shot - #4's and #6's - and fail to drop em' clean. I won't even take a shot outside 25 Yds. and I use a 835 ulti mag with winchester 3 1/2" magnums. Never crippled or extended a birds suffering. Done and Done !!! Enjoy the decoys brother !!!!

[Nicksteroni]

Virgil,

One correction to my post previously. I meant to say I've taken many, many more birds WITHOUT using a decoy. If you don't have the best set of circumstances, like a roosted bird, a patterned bird or something like this, It can really hinder your mobility not only physically but mentally as well. True, they can be set up and taken down quickly, but after all the internal debate on where, when, and is it visible at the moment of truth, mentally you can "settle" and say, " I'll sit and wait" , when you should be moving and looking. Plus, It's a real rush when you know the bird is looking for YOU, not at the collapsible foam fake. Knock em' dead !!!

[maytom]

Decoys are another "tool" to use to fool a gobbler. He "hears" a hen, then works in expecting to find/see one and then spots the decoy. It adds to the illusion of the hunt. I love the new Feather-Flex line with their "flocked" finish. The jake is black and the hen is brown....like they should be. Light in weight so carrying them isn't an issue at all, being made out a foam material. Midwest carries a decoy bag made for most sized decoys, comes with a shoulder strap and can carry other items as well. As far as set-up goes: Have the jake facing "towards you", since the gobbler usually always comes in facing the jake with his tail fan raised. This will allow you to get on him without him seeing you move your gun, since his head will be blocked by his fan. Have a hen decoy facing "away" from your set-up, since a gobbler will always approach her from behind, again, this will allow you to make your move on him without him seeing you due to his tail fan blocking his head. Give it a try this season. I wouldn't leave home without them..........they work well!!!

[stubbz]

stubbz,

Not trying in any way to stomp on your plans, but I think you're undersized with the 20 Ga. 870. I'm not saying you cant kill them with that. But you'll need to be REAL close, let alone the bow, and you can count on a ton of flopping and possibly running and flying away. These are tough,tough birds. Why put the bird and your fiance through that? Use a 12 Ga. Even with this, I'm shocked at how many guys " REACH " out with their shot - #4's and #6's - and fail to drop em' clean. I won't even take a shot outside 25 Yds. and I use a 835 ulti mag with winchester 3 1/2" magnums. Never crippled or extended a birds suffering. Done and Done !!! Enjoy the decoys brother !!!!

sorry i would have to say i strongly dissagree there, in all reality i wont shot at a bird at anything over 30 yards thats never the plan anyhow, 15-30 is perfect for us. but a 20 gauge with #4, #5, or #6s will drop a bird right where its standing at 30-35 easy. unless its a horrible shot or your setup with a pattern that is not tight enough at those distances then yeah they may be tough to go down, thats why i aim for a good tight pattern at 35-40 then at 20-30 i know im droppin that bird. i work with a lot of guys that have been hunting for 20,30,40 years many of them prefer the 20 gauge for turkey, gotta know and respect your limits thats all.

i've read a few times that 12 gauges make better pattern with 2 3/4 shells versus 3 but the 20 gauge makes much better pattern with a 3 and deff adds to the knock down power of it.

[Nicksteroni]

Stubbz,

No disrespect meant. I'm just extra conservative when it comes to these things. Figure safer than sorry. The thought of carrying around a 20Ga. instead of a 12Ga. all day actually appeals to me. You're absolutely right in that you have to know your limitations along with the firearm's. Not sure how old you are stubbz, but I started hunting turkeys here in NY before most hunters even knew they were in our woods, and truthfully before they really were in our woods. Had the whole state practically to myself. Although there wasn't nearly the population we have now, those were the golden years!!! A 12 Ga. was and still is the standard for the old longbeard. Having said that, I know the equipment regarding chokes, loads and even specialty guns has really gotten so much better over the past few decades. I Might even test my 14,16 and 20's down at the range with different loads and distances. Thanks for the input. All the best this season !!!

[stubbz]

no problem man, i was hopin you didnt take that the wrong way. its always a concern to make sure your doing your best to put the bird down with as little suffering as possible being most ethical. im a smaller guy and bought my 20 gauge more for me and my fiance to shoot clays with then all the hunting stuff came after that or i probly would have gone with a 12 to begin with but she's 5'1" and cant carry around a 12 gauge let alone swing one with a 26" barrel for shootin clays it just wouldnt be comfortable for her to do. eventually this 870 20 will be her turkey and clay gun and i'll be picking up an 870 SPS in 12 Gauge, love the looks of the sure shot stocks. the 12s just feel big to me but im sure ill get used to it.

im sure with a tight choke setup to shoot hevi shot loads would take a bird with the 20 fairly easy and even out quite a distance, but its not a matter to me of whats possible i just wanna keep the pattern as tight as possible. it's her first time ever hunting and shes not a perfect shot right now so i'll be pushing hard to get the birds within 20 yards or so before i tell her to shoot.

i think im just going to try to grab an extra full remington choke for it and stay shooting lead shot knowing were not gonna be trying to shoot out beyond 30 yards. the full does ok but i think the extra full would be just enough. i got mine in fall with just a bead on the end of the barell but this year we have a red dot scope so that should help her a bit also. im workin hard to get her into hunting with me and she's coming around lol so the better i can make it for her the more likely she'll get into the rest of the hunting i do also haha