I have hunted fro a few years and just have had one cheap hen decoy. Sometimes the Tom will stall out. Will they be more apt to come in with a bigger spread? :newmascot:
A lot will depend on where you hunt, public? private? and where you are in breeding cycle. When I use, I use anywhere from 1-5 decoys depending on that setup.
I use DSD's
Strutter
Jake
Upright Hen
Feeding Hen
Leading Hen
MK M GOBL
0
I'm a 0 to
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Most of the the time only 2 decoy .
:popcorn:Don't know how many helps or if zero does
Guess I'm not the first one here to say 0. Lol
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I find it hard some people can't read.. He ask ..number of decoys in your usual setup and what kind ? So if you DON"T use decoys start your own post... I myself use around 2 -4 depending on the time of year. Avian x.... You know whats funny is someone who posted, i use no decoys , posted a video using a turkey fan to repeat and kill a turkey last year... so i guess that's not using some kind of a decoy... Sad..sad...
I was watching on TV a individual talking turkey setup and he liked a hen decoy and a young jake. It got the toms riled up?
Three. Two Flextine Funcky Chickens and a Mad Smoky Baby.
Quote from: upnorth on March 17, 2017, 11:16:40 PM
I have hunted fro a few years and just have had one cheap hen decoy. Sometimes the Tom will stall out. Will they be more apt to come in with a bigger spread? :newmascot:
I have often found that a hen decoy alone does more harm than good... Tom searching for that hen will continue forward motion (looking for her) until he sees her... At which time he will often go on display for her and wants her to come the rest of the way to her.
If I were to use a single hen decoy, I would want the decoy to be facing away from the tom if possible.
In a wooded situation, I am less apt to use a decoy, cause as mentioned above, that bird will continue forward motion trying to search out that hen... I feel it is important not to call at a bird that I can see... If he is approaching and wants to change direction, I will wait till he is behind a tree or bush to give a little cluck or purr.
When I do use decoys, I lean towards a jake and hen combo. The tom will always address the jake decoy before the hen.
Were I to use hen decoys only, I would probably go with a pair of hens... I would consider this if I were hunting a large open area with a bird that was (or I felt was) hesitant to approach the jake decoy... It is has been my experience, that getting a bird to move into a large open area he can see, he will not approach a bird that he cannot see (that should be there).
When hunting open meadows or large openings, I will put out decoys, and my initial attempt would be a jake & hen combo, with my second choice being a pair of hens...
Quote from: Greg Massey on March 19, 2017, 02:03:31 AM
I find it hard some people can't read.. He ask ..number of decoys in your usual setup and what kind ? So if you DON"T use decoys start your own post... I myself use around 2 -4 depending on the time of year. Avian x.... You know whats funny is someone who posted, i use no decoys , posted a video using a turkey fan to repeat and kill a turkey last year... so i guess that's not using some kind of a decoy... Sad..sad...
I think maybe your the one that can't read the question was number of decoys in usual set up ....the answer is zero. You should not be sad because someone else uses a decoy you should be sad that you have to.....lol
Quote from: Phillipshunt on March 21, 2017, 04:04:16 PM
Quote from: Greg Massey on March 19, 2017, 02:03:31 AM
I find it hard some people can't read.. He ask ..number of decoys in your usual setup and what kind ? So if you DON"T use decoys start your own post... I myself use around 2 -4 depending on the time of year. Avian x.... You know whats funny is someone who posted, i use no decoys , posted a video using a turkey fan to repeat and kill a turkey last year... so i guess that's not using some kind of a decoy... Sad..sad...
I think maybe your the one that can't read the question was number of decoys in usual set up ....the answer is zero. You should not be sad because someone else uses a decoy you should be sad that you have to.....lol
come on man people know exactly what the OP is asking if you read the title and his question dont be an A$$. People feel the need to post 0 to prove they are soooo good they dont need one unlike some others. I personally dont care to use them but then again ive had a time or 2 over the years where I did. If you wanna say you dont need them then post that and explain why and some alternatives to using them. If your not being helpful then whats the point of posting in a guys thread.
ZER0
Quote from: upnorth on March 17, 2017, 11:16:40 PM
I have hunted fro a few years and just have had one cheap hen decoy. Sometimes the Tom will stall out. Will they be more apt to come in with a bigger spread? :newmascot:
Turkey hunting is not like duck hunting where more is better usually. Generally speaking a jake/hen combo or just a Jake is enough. It really comes down to set up and terrain. If your hunting a giant field where you cannot get set up on the same side he is one then a decoy out in the field can help get him across it but then again it can also cause him to hang up out of range.
IMO going without one is the best overall tactic, allows you to be more mobile and make moves quickly. Also makes you pay attention more to set up and not relying on a decoy to seal the deal. Again ive seen them help but ive seen them hurt a ton. Best bet is if you set on using them then mix it up and try different set ups and see what happens.
If I'm on private I use a strutter and a hen. If I'm public I use just the hen when I first setup or if I know the roost tree. If not then I ditch the decoy behind a tree and lighten my load to run and gun
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0
ZERO
I believe less is more. I hunt terain features and set up in ways as to force the bird to present itself in gun range.
Quote from: reynolds243 on March 21, 2017, 04:41:41 PM
Quote from: Phillipshunt on March 21, 2017, 04:04:16 PM
Quote from: Greg Massey on March 19, 2017, 02:03:31 AM
I find it hard some people can't read.. He ask ..number of decoys in your usual setup and what kind ? So if you DON"T use decoys start your own post... I myself use around 2 -4 depending on the time of year. Avian x.... You know whats funny is someone who posted, i use no decoys , posted a video using a turkey fan to repeat and kill a turkey last year... so i guess that's not using some kind of a decoy... Sad..sad...
I think maybe your the one that can't read the question was number of decoys in usual set up ....the answer is zero. You should not be sad because someone else uses a decoy you should be sad that you have to.....lol
come on man people know exactly what the OP is asking if you read the title and his question dont be an A$$. People feel the need to post 0 to prove they are soooo good they dont need one unlike some others. I personally dont care to use them but then again ive had a time or 2 over the years where I did. If you wanna say you dont need them then post that and explain why and some alternatives to using them. If your not being helpful then whats the point of posting in a guys thread.
Last time I checked I was still in America so I will do or say what I want.I answered the question and if that upsets you then that is just an extra bonus lol
Used to carry like 3-4 several years ago, but nowadays I usually don't use them but do carry one at all times, and that's an Avian X feeding hen. I will say though that since switching to Avian X I notice a big change in the turkeys behavior towards the decoy. I credit the realistic look of the decoy and all the details of it. The turkeys act more as if that's a real bird . Can only imagine what that would be like with DSD's.
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Quote from: Phillipshunt on March 22, 2017, 08:10:53 AM
Quote from: reynolds243 on March 21, 2017, 04:41:41 PM
Quote from: Phillipshunt on March 21, 2017, 04:04:16 PM
Quote from: Greg Massey on March 19, 2017, 02:03:31 AM
I find it hard some people can't read.. He ask ..number of decoys in your usual setup and what kind ? So if you DON"T use decoys start your own post... I myself use around 2 -4 depending on the time of year. Avian x.... You know whats funny is someone who posted, i use no decoys , posted a video using a turkey fan to repeat and kill a turkey last year... so i guess that's not using some kind of a decoy... Sad..sad...
I think maybe your the one that can't read the question was number of decoys in usual set up ....the answer is zero. You should not be sad because someone else uses a decoy you should be sad that you have to.....lol
come on man people know exactly what the OP is asking if you read the title and his question dont be an A$$. People feel the need to post 0 to prove they are soooo good they dont need one unlike some others. I personally dont care to use them but then again ive had a time or 2 over the years where I did. If you wanna say you dont need them then post that and explain why and some alternatives to using them. If your not being helpful then whats the point of posting in a guys thread.
Last time I checked I was still in America so I will do or say what I want.I answered the question and if that upsets you then that is just an extra bonus lol
Don't upset me a bit bud. It's folks like you that add nothing to this forum. The guy asked a question in a guidance board and you provided nothing to it. Sooo if your not gonna help the guy by providing insight or something helpful then why bother other then to stroke your own ego. And what the hell does being an American have to do with anything lol. I'm sure you will have some stupid witty comment back to continue to add less to this topic so I'll just hang up and listen.
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Thick woods I don't use any .but in open area I use at least one hen and dsd Jake .that dsd jake has brought in many toms for me .i never use just a hen in
Open area because a lot of times the Tom
Will get with in view and hang up and start strut which with my luck draw real hens to him .using the jake makes them come rushing in looking to fight .lucky my dsd has armed security or he would have been beaten to crap a long time ago.
Only 2 Jake trying to get the Hen. :turkey2:
You can also use 3-4 deer decoys or 3d bow targets as confidence decoys.Just make sure to remove the horns if the gobbler sees a deer decoy with horns in the spring he will know its fake.
I'm just glad to know such a great bunch of turkey hunters. Nothing like A using NO decoys and sitting against a tree waiting to bushwhack a turkey. At least with a couple of decoys out i give the turkeys a decision of either shying away or coming into my setup. One hunter will tell you the moment a tom sees a decoy he comes running in to meet his mate and ends up meeting his maker. Another hunter will tell you that the moment a tom sees a decoy, he turns around and runs as fast as his legs will carry him. So i see using a decoy at least the turkey has more of a fair chance. If you don't want to use decoys that fine don't buy one. Also leave those high dollar shells and custom calls at home and just use lead shot shells and just a plain cheap call. Get you a shotgun with just a plain full choke and not one of those fancy screw in chokes leave those type guns at home. So if any of you don't think in some way your not taking advantage of turkeys by today's equipment then your not much of a turkey hunter. Phillipshunt , you can make all the sarcastic remarks you want to people on this forum. But sarcastic remarks doesn't add nothing to what this person ask on this post...Good luck to people who use decoys and also good luck to those that don't..
Quote from: Greg Massey on March 24, 2017, 07:46:51 PM
I'm just glad to know such a great bunch of turkey hunters. Nothing like a using NO decoys and sitting against a tree waiting to bushwhack a turkey. At least with a couple of decoys out i give the turkeys a decision of either shying away or coming into my setup. One hunter will tell you the moment a tom sees a decoy he comes running in to meet his mate and ends up meeting his maker. Another hunter will tell you that the moment a tom sees a decoy, he turns around and runs as fast as his legs will carry him. So i see using a decoy at least the turkey has more of a fair chance. If you don't want to use decoys that fine don't buy one. Also leave those high dollar shells and custom calls at home and just use lead shot shells and just a plain cheap call. Get you a shotgun with just a plain full choke and not one of those fancy screw in chokes leave those type guns at home. So if any of you don't think in some way your not taking advantage of turkeys by today's equipment then your not much of a turkey hunter. Phillipshunt , you can make all the sarcastic remarks you want to people on this forum. But sarcastic remarks doesn't add nothing to what this person ask on this post...Good luck to people who use decoys and also good luck to those that don't..
Great post Greg!!
If anything I am here to help out those who want to learn about differences in hunting tactics, equipment to use or in general share some info. I do understand some do not care to use a decoy or don't understand how to hunt them "right" maybe they haven't learned that skill. I would guess if the guy asked "How to Hunt Without Using Decoys" I would have had another answer for him on that tactic to help him out...
MK M GOBL
Quote from: Greg Massey on March 24, 2017, 07:46:51 PM
I'm just glad to know such a great bunch of turkey hunters. Nothing like a using NO decoys and sitting against a tree waiting to bushwhack a turkey. At least with a couple of decoys out i give the turkeys a decision of either shying away or coming into my setup. One hunter will tell you the moment a tom sees a decoy he comes running in to meet his mate and ends up meeting his maker. Another hunter will tell you that the moment a tom sees a decoy, he turns around and runs as fast as his legs will carry him. So i see using a decoy at least the turkey has more of a fair chance. If you don't want to use decoys that fine don't buy one. Also leave those high dollar shells and custom calls at home and just use lead shot shells and just a plain cheap call. Get you a shotgun with just a plain full choke and not one of those fancy screw in chokes leave those type guns at home. So if any of you don't think in some way your not taking advantage of turkeys by today's equipment then your not much of a turkey hunter. Phillipshunt , you can make all the sarcastic remarks you want to people on this forum. But sarcastic remarks doesn't add nothing to what this person ask on this post...Good luck to people who use decoys and also good luck to those that don't..
So you use a decoy to give the gobbler more of a chance?.....Does anybody proof read there message before posting?
Quote from: Phillipshunt on March 24, 2017, 08:07:26 PM
Quote from: Greg Massey on March 24, 2017, 07:46:51 PM
I'm just glad to know such a great bunch of turkey hunters. Nothing like a using NO decoys and sitting against a tree waiting to bushwhack a turkey. At least with a couple of decoys out i give the turkeys a decision of either shying away or coming into my setup. One hunter will tell you the moment a tom sees a decoy he comes running in to meet his mate and ends up meeting his maker. Another hunter will tell you that the moment a tom sees a decoy, he turns around and runs as fast as his legs will carry him. So i see using a decoy at least the turkey has more of a fair chance. If you don't want to use decoys that fine don't buy one. Also leave those high dollar shells and custom calls at home and just use lead shot shells and just a plain cheap call. Get you a shotgun with just a plain full choke and not one of those fancy screw in chokes leave those type guns at home. So if any of you don't think in some way your not taking advantage of turkeys by today's equipment then your not much of a turkey hunter. Phillipshunt , you can make all the sarcastic remarks you want to people on this forum. But sarcastic remarks doesn't add nothing to what this person ask on this post...Good luck to people who use decoys and also good luck to those that don't..
So you use a decoy to give the gobbler more of a chance?.....Does anybody proof read there message before posting?
Well you responded so you get the point.....You just need to stop cutting decoy people down and have more respect for your elders. You can cut my post down all you want, i retired after working 35 years at the same job with a great retirement, home is paid for and i have a 600 ac. farm that's paid for with a nice cabin and i don't have to lease or BUM off someone else to turkey hunt. So good luck my friend...
Quote from: Greg Massey on March 24, 2017, 08:45:41 PM
Quote from: Phillipshunt on March 24, 2017, 08:07:26 PM
Quote from: Greg Massey on March 24, 2017, 07:46:51 PM
I'm just glad to know such a great bunch of turkey hunters. Nothing like a using NO decoys and sitting against a tree waiting to bushwhack a turkey. At least with a couple of decoys out i give the turkeys a decision of either shying away or coming into my setup. One hunter will tell you the moment a tom sees a decoy he comes running in to meet his mate and ends up meeting his maker. Another hunter will tell you that the moment a tom sees a decoy, he turns around and runs as fast as his legs will carry him. So i see using a decoy at least the turkey has more of a fair chance. If you don't want to use decoys that fine don't buy one. Also leave those high dollar shells and custom calls at home and just use lead shot shells and just a plain cheap call. Get you a shotgun with just a plain full choke and not one of those fancy screw in chokes leave those type guns at home. So if any of you don't think in some way your not taking advantage of turkeys by today's equipment then your not much of a turkey hunter. Phillipshunt , you can make all the sarcastic remarks you want to people on this forum. But sarcastic remarks doesn't add nothing to what this person ask on this post...Good luck to people who use decoys and also good luck to those that don't..
So you use a decoy to give the gobbler more of a chance?.....Does anybody proof read there message before posting?
Well you responded so you get the point.....You just need to stop cutting decoy people down and have more respect for your elders. You can cut my post down all you want, i retired after working 35 years at the same job with a great retirement, home is paid for and i have a 600 ac. farm that's paid for with a nice cabin and i don't have to lease or BUM off someone else to turkey hunt. So good luck my friend...
:TooFunny: Now that's some good stuff right there!!!
Not sure how saying I dont use a decoy is putting anyone down maybe your to sensitive .I'm also not the only one that said zero for decoy usage. Lastly I'm not sure what your retirement has to do with your dependance on decoys .But I guess there's no limit to pour taste
Quote from: Phillipshunt on March 24, 2017, 09:45:28 PM
Not sure how saying I dont use a decoy is putting anyone down maybe your to sensitive .I'm also not the only one that said zero for decoy usage. Lastly I'm not sure what your retirement has to do with your dependance on decoys .But I guess there's no limit to pour taste
I think we need to take up donations and get this guy a certificate for free counseling...he's miserable...
Back to the post :1 jake and 2 feeder hen carry-lite collapsibles...easy to pack around and effective...
Quote from: 1iagobblergetter on March 24, 2017, 09:53:44 PM
Quote from: Phillipshunt on March 24, 2017, 09:45:28 PM
Not sure how saying I dont use a decoy is putting anyone down maybe your to sensitive .I'm also not the only one that said zero for decoy usage. Lastly I'm not sure what your retirement has to do with your dependance on decoys .But I guess there's no limit to pour taste
I think we need to take up donations and get this guy a certificate for free counseling...he's miserable...
We have to remember he's a kid in a mans world. He is still cutting us down and making sarcastic remarks. I guess he never got a good spanking from his dad or mom.
Quote from: Phillipshunt on March 24, 2017, 09:45:28 PM
Not sure how saying I dont use a decoy is putting anyone down maybe your to sensitive .I'm also not the only one that said zero for decoy usage. Lastly I'm not sure what your retirement has to do with your dependance on decoys .But I guess there's no limit to pour taste
Just letting you know i made my own way in life and i don't need a sarcastic kid, telling me how to hunt.. i use 3 hen decoys and a Jake decoy.
I'm no pro by any means, only going into my 7th season. I use 1 jake, breeder hen and feeding hen.
I have mixed reactions, some charge right in to the decoys and others have hung up at 30-35 yards but that was ok because they were within range. I have never had a gobbler run from decoys. I have taken 1 without a decoy.
You old men need to go take a nap and regroup. If you got all that time an money you'd think you'd learn to hunt and not have to depend on a decoy lol. PS my house and land are paid off also an I'm not on the verge of dementia. Lol
How many decoys does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
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Quote from: WNCTracker on March 24, 2017, 10:57:11 PM
How many decoys does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
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Depends on how many light bulbs you want to screw...1/2 doz decoys at least..i don't want my gobbler feeling lonely ...ha ha ha ...I just sit in my fancy dollar store blind and i never take any turkey calls with me and i only take one shell, but i have my 1/2 doz. decoy for sure...
Quote from: Phillipshunt on March 24, 2017, 10:49:56 PM
You old men need to go take a nap and regroup. If you got all that time an money you'd think you'd learn to hunt and not have to depend on a decoy lol. PS my house and land are paid off also an I'm not on the verge of dementia. Lol
No maybe your not,but you sure can't comprehend. The original poster asked what decoys we used in a setup not how to hunt without them. Quit hijacking his post and start your own on how to hunt without decoys...
Quote from: WNCTracker on March 24, 2017, 10:57:11 PM
How many decoys does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
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0 They would rather sit around in the dark clucking and purring about it.
That's funny
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He can't start his own post because he wouldn't have anyone to be sarcastic too. Like i said he just wan't to pull peoples chain because he has no game. If you look back thru the post you were the one who attacked me just like you did again with your last post. One of these days i hope you grow up kid, also my mother died from Dementia and i take your last post personal JACK....
All you had to do was answer the question how you wanted to and shut up ,but you got yoir feelings hurt lol
I also thought I told you to go take a nap ...man old people.
Also my names not jack
Getting personal now aren't we..with your talking..what's wrong kid, you can't take what you dishing out to us old men. Kid's will be Kids and some men never grow up and that's you. And i could give you another name but i will still call you JACK....ha ha ha
Funny , funny , funny.. you can have the last words if you want and that's fine JACK.... It's get to a point you just have to leave such a sarcastic person. Who has to attack us older people. BAD luck with your season and i HOPE YOU DON"T KILL ONE TURKEY. YO moma ..JACK...
I don't believe in or need luck. Hope you don't have a stroke hauling your 15 decoys and ground blind to your corn feeder lol
Now we shall pray... :bible:
I don't post much. This thread went the wrong way. :TrainWreck1:
I consider myself moderately skilled at turkey hunting at this point. I have hunted them almost 20 years, much more in the last 10. In recent years I hunt 25 or so days a year, usually two or three states. I take plenty of people. In the last three years I've called 17, 18, and 13 turkeys to their deaths.
I do it with no decoys. I do it with 1 decoy. I do it with 2,3,4,5, and even 7 decoys. I do it with pop up blinds. I do it with ground blinds. I build impromptu blinds with cut branches. I sit behind a fallen log as a blind. I sit against a tree with no blind. I lay prone in tall grass with no blind.
I've carried a pop up blind and 3 decoys a mile in the dark just to throw them behind a tree and not use any of it.
It all depends on the situation. If you have a new hunter, a kid, or a handicapped hunter, blinds and decoys usually help. Moving on a bird, or even just sitting still, can be tough with people who don't get it, or aren't able.
Study your birds. If you want to use decoys, make it look like something he is likely to see where you are hunting. The most common winners are a jake and a hen, or a strutter and two hens. I like the hens to be uprights. Feeders get lost in grass and brush. Feeders are fine in open areas though.
Nothing makes you feel more accomplished than calling a bird into open woods sitting against a tree smaller than you with zero cover, no decoys, and him scanning the whole time. Except maybe watching a longbeard whip a decoys butt at 10 yards right before a kid in a wheelchair sticks his gun out of the blind and smokes his first turkey.
That is all. :smiley-char092:
Quote from: Greg Massey on March 25, 2017, 12:51:13 AM
Now we shall pray... :bible:
hey don't be feeding the trolls...obviously someone has some issues they need to keep off this site before they get banned or this thread is shut down. Keep on using your decoys and don't worry about someone who has to beat their chest about how they turkey hunt.
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Quote from: catman529 on March 25, 2017, 03:01:29 PM
Quote from: Greg Massey on March 25, 2017, 12:51:13 AM
Now we shall pray... :bible:
hey don't be feeding the trolls...obviously someone has some issues they need to keep off this site before they get banned or this thread is shut down. Keep on using your decoys and don't worry about someone who has to beat their chest about how they turkey hunt.
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Thanks Catman...
Ooh I bet he's fun at parties!lol
Quote from: Blackduck on March 25, 2017, 01:14:18 AM
I don't post much. This thread went the wrong way. :TrainWreck1:
I consider myself moderately skilled at turkey hunting at this point. I have hunted them almost 20 years, much more in the last 10. In recent years I hunt 25 or so days a year, usually two or three states. I take plenty of people. In the last three years I've called 17, 18, and 13 turkeys to their deaths.
I do it with no decoys. I do it with 1 decoy. I do it with 2,3,4,5, and even 7 decoys. I do it with pop up blinds. I do it with ground blinds. I build impromptu blinds with cut branches. I sit behind a fallen log as a blind. I sit against a tree with no blind. I lay prone in tall grass with no blind.
I've carried a pop up blind and 3 decoys a mile in the dark just to throw them behind a tree and not use any of it.
It all depends on the situation. If you have a new hunter, a kid, or a handicapped hunter, blinds and decoys usually help. Moving on a bird, or even just sitting still, can be tough with people who don't get it, or aren't able.
Study your birds. If you want to use decoys, make it look like something he is likely to see where you are hunting. The most common winners are a jake and a hen, or a strutter and two hens. I like the hens to be uprights. Feeders get lost in grass and brush. Feeders are fine in open areas though.
Nothing makes you feel more accomplished than calling a bird into open woods sitting against a tree smaller than you with zero cover, no decoys, and him scanning the whole time. Except maybe watching a longbeard whip a decoys butt at 10 yards right before a kid in a wheelchair sticks his gun out of the blind and smokes his first turkey.
That is all. :smiley-char092:
Agreed, nice positive post.
This site is one of the more friendly sites around, and admittedly, this thread is a bit disappointing.
The OP was looking for advice on using decoys... Granted there are times when zero decoys is probably the best choice, but I think we all know that that was not the intent of the question.
I myself, often hunt without decoys, but that is more due to the terrain I hunt, and some degree of laziness in not wanting to tote around decoys.
There is a certain degree of self-satisfaction to calling a bird in with no decoy, but there is also an interesting dynamic and interaction that comes with using decoys.
Tomorrow, I am hunting a large open meadow, and will put out a DSD leading hen with an Avian X jake decoy.
Today I hunted a steep, heavily wooded area in the afternoon (missed the morning hunt of opening morning due to family obligations). Never considered hunting with decoys... If I could see the bird, it is likely I would have been able to shoot him.
Not everyone, but it seems some posters used this thread to either instill their own ethics or thump their own chests... Saying no decoys with an explanation of the "tactical" reasons is one thing... Implying you are too good to use decoys is another... If you do not use decoys due to personal ethics, post on a different thread or create your own.
Final answer for me, 0-2... If/when I do use decoys it is generally 2 decoys. Preferably a jake and a hen, but if the jake puts them off, I would consider two hens...
My thinking is that a tom might be more inclined to strut and try to draw in a single, while he might have a bit more incentive to approach two hens.
Thanks and lot of good advice. I believe when using decoys placement and kind can make a big difference according too many comments.
Quote from: Phillipshunt on March 25, 2017, 12:44:06 AM
I don't believe in or need luck. Hope you don't have a stroke hauling your 15 decoys and ground blind to your corn feeder lol
Well, I don't have a corn feeder but I do have close to 15 decoys. I had to laugh when I was loading them this evening as I was thinking about this post. Early in the season I set up every decoy I can lay my hands on to create a big flock. I then do a lot of calling using different calls. It hardly ever fails to bring in the boss gobbler, jakes and more hens and I usually get the shot at that gobbler.
After the break up I turn to more woods hunting where I don't use decoys as much. Then I start alternating between field and woods hunting. I also hunt the edges of fields when I hear a turkey on the roost. A little tree talk and 9 out of 10 times he will land in the field. Easy pickings for my #4 LB out to a mite over 40 yards and closer.
Turkey hunting is plain fun any way you cut it provided its legal. To the Gent that started this post : get as many decoys as you can and it does not really matter if its hens, jakes or strutters because when they all get together its a mixture of everything. Make as much noise as you can with as many different calls and you Will get results. Works best the first week of the season when they are still ganged up or just breaking up. I first read about this in one of the Outdoor magazines. Outdoor life I think it was. It works and is great fun - that is why we hunt: right? To have fun? I am really fired up as our season starts this Saturday. As for detractor's. I have only heard them online never in person. Good luck this season.
I have tried many combinations over the years. I have pretty much settled on one DSD Jake. For me, it's a compromise of ease of setup and past results. The DSD jake has only cost me one or two birds (that I know of) in the past 7 seasons. One time, I had a gobbler coming in and saw the decoy and turned tail. Another time, a hen came in ahead of the gobbler and turned him back in the woods. I'll take those occasional setbacks because I know that the jake has brought me a few birds that probably wouldn't have come in otherwise and (biggest benefit) is that once a gobbler locks in on the decoy, I can get away with raising my gun or shifting a little bit for the shot.
Deception and dsd (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170416/18ac378951ec796215bcebf2db0b1e1b.jpg)
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First I bow hunt for turkeys because the area I hunt does not allow firearms. So yes I use two decoys to get them as close to the blind as possible. Second I use a DSD jake and upright hen. I always have the jake facing the blind and the feeder about 5 yards facing away from the direction I think the boys are going to come from.
Lastly, a good friend of mine once wrote an interesting piece about the reason Internet bulletin boards fail. What do you think?
Observations about Internet Bulletin Boards:
Pick a topic, any topic where people go to learn more about their passion, whatever it may be. It always starts out as people trying to help people, then the self-proclaimed experts show up and for a while, the information gets really good. The people are happy, the experts are happy and before long, some of the people become experts too and the population of experts increases as the population of the wide-eyed, decreases. Bitterness ensues as the original experts become mean-spirited and territorial and eventually drive off the new experts. Then they turn on each other, fighting over the few wide-eyed and innocent that are left. The numbers of the knowledge seekers get smaller and smaller as the information (and misinformation) age progresses. Eventually, it's down to two experts that absolutely hate each others guts. There are no more seekers of knowledge but a few people still read to be amused. The only posts that occur now are by the experts themselves. They ask questions so that they can answer them. Expert no. 1, answers his own question to display his great knowledge and wisdom. Expert no. 2, invariably disagrees and insults and name calling ensues. The crowd roars with excitement. Makes for entertaining reading but nobody likes either expert any more. The experts have long since, typed themselves out of a job but the addiction won't let them walk away peacefully. The two experts make a spectacle of themselves before all, again and again. The two proud experts have become nothing more than a washed up comedy team that can barely raise a smile.
They don't know what they are fighting about any more. They just hate each other and people still read out of morbid curiosity. Boredom eventually drives off the last of the fans.
The end.
12 to 14 Sexxy Legs, all that scratching drives them crazy. I also have a camo shopping cart for hauling all them to my setup.
https://youtu.be/Tfgi6-asl44