Any of you guys use decoys? What kind do you prefer if you use them?
I use em when I'm hunting fields, I use dsd decoys and as nice as they are they're still not good for running and gunning or long hunts in the national forests.
I use a DSD Jake & Upright Hen combo for running and gunning, I bag the hen and then slide it in the jakes bag with him. All in one bag no fuss, If it is a set-up now situation I just drop the bag behind me and sit.
MK M GOBL
I have a set of Avians feeder hen and Jake, plus a couple old foam ones. I use them every once in awhile, last year the only bird we killed off them was my sons.
Bought an Avian Upright hen a few years ago. Only killed one bird in front of her that year but man the jakes loved her. They came in all puffed up and proud. We had a lot of jakes on the farm that year so it was difficult to do anything with a longbeard.
Christmas of 2014 my in laws gave me an Avian jake. It was kind of a surprise. I always wanted to see a tom come put a whopping on one up close so I was happy to get it. I used it a few times. One morning I had a group of hens come right in and feed around them. The next few hens stayed away from them and of course the longbeards stayed with the second group. They would stop look and gobble, but never came in.
This past offseason I bought a feeder avian and sold the upright hen. I think it may be a bit better as it is not looking around but more like it is ignoring the longbeard. We will see.
I only carry them for certain setups or when I am going to set up a big field and not sure where the bird may come from.
Dirt road ninja suggested a double decoy bag he bought from BPS to carry them. I picked it up and can carry both in it inflated. It has book bag style straps. Glad I bought it, used points so it barely cost a thing.
Decoys are a good tool in certain situations but I believe new hunters should not use them until they kill a few birds, that way they are a tool and not a crutch.
Sent from the Strut Zone
I have two cherokee sports inflatables, hen and jake. use them more than any because they are light to pack and take up next to no space in my vest. I have a jake strutter that I have only used once or twice, it's a little bulky so I only carry it when I don't plan on moving. I can only count on one hand the times I have killed a turkey over a deke but they do come in handy.
I've got to Cherokee inflatable decoys.
Lost a Jake decoy to a coyote few years ago.
I tried to patch it but just had too many holes in it.