Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

General Discussion => Turkey Hunting Tips ,Strategies & Methods => Topic started by: Siwash on April 30, 2012, 10:19:03 PM

Title: Decoys?
Post by: Siwash on April 30, 2012, 10:19:03 PM
If you had to choose ONE decoy, which one (brand name) would you buy and what sex - tom/jake or hen would you use?

I've heard the pretty boy/girl are good. I currently use the cheapo Basspro brand..

Does it really make a difference?

Thanks!!
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: longbeard95 on April 30, 2012, 10:42:47 PM
Cabelas sells a full strut decoy thats very affordable ($20) and it looks pretty good. Ill try to get a pic of it one this thread. Killed 3 birds over him this year. It was well worth the money!!!
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: captin_hook on April 30, 2012, 10:47:43 PM
One deek... Carrylite hen.
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: Siwash on April 30, 2012, 11:03:08 PM
Quote from: longbeard95 on April 30, 2012, 10:42:47 PM
Cabelas sells a full strut decoy thats very affordable ($20) and it looks pretty good. Ill try to get a pic of it one this thread. Killed 3 birds over him this year. It was well worth the money!!!

We don't have cabelas in Canada  :(

But we can order online... nit sure if I'd go through that trouble though for a decoy

thanks!
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: longbeard95 on April 30, 2012, 11:15:24 PM
Quote from: Siwash on April 30, 2012, 11:03:08 PM
We don't have cabelas in Canada  :(

But we can order online... nit sure if I'd go through that trouble though for a decoy

thanks!

Its a good looking decoy but after rereading the original post your asking if you could only use ONE decoy and a full strut decoy by himself is not what I would use if I could only use one decoy.

I would definately go with a hen. I only use a strutter with atleast one hen....but thats just me.
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: Siwash on May 01, 2012, 07:03:55 AM
Quote from: longbeard95 on April 30, 2012, 11:15:24 PM
Quote from: Siwash on April 30, 2012, 11:03:08 PM
We don't have cabelas in Canada  :(

But we can order online... nit sure if I'd go through that trouble though for a decoy

thanks!

Its a good looking decoy but after rereading the original post your asking if you could only use ONE decoy and a full strut decoy by himself is not what I would use if I could only use one decoy.

I would definately go with a hen. I only use a strutter with atleast one hen....but thats just me.


Would then go with a carry lite? Are you folks referring to the Pretty Boy/Girl product?
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: captin_hook on May 01, 2012, 04:24:11 PM
The pretty boy combo is a nice package, you can find deals on them, but no, I meant just a regular carrylite hen.
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: Siwash on May 01, 2012, 09:31:33 PM
Opinions on the Primos Killer B? Bumped into a guy who highly recommended this with the moving strutting tail...

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunting/Hunting-Decoys/Turkey-Decoys|/pc/104791680/c/104714280/sc/104663880/Primos-Killer-B-Turkey-Decoy/713319.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fhunting-hunting-decoys-turkey-decoys%2F_%2FN-1100085&WTz_l=SEO%3Bcat104663880
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: TRKYHTR on May 01, 2012, 09:47:55 PM
One of mine.

TRKYHTR

This picture was from today. She is 4 years old.
(http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff214/trkyhtr/007-20.jpg)
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: Siwash on May 01, 2012, 10:11:40 PM
Quote from: TRKYHTR on May 01, 2012, 09:47:55 PM
One of mine.

TRKYHTR

This picture was from today. She is 4 years old.
(http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff214/trkyhtr/007-20.jpg)

What brand of decoy is that?
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: TRKYHTR on May 01, 2012, 11:45:28 PM
Rio Grande real mounted hen.

TRKYHTR
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: Siwash on May 02, 2012, 07:02:20 AM
It never occurred to me that you can use a real mount... I have to check our regs where I live... but I don 't have a mount so I will stick to synthetic!

Thanks!

Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: cornfedkiller on May 02, 2012, 08:17:14 AM
Dave Smith Decoys.. Most realistic decoys on the market.

If I was to have just one, I would probably have just the jake.  The jake and hen combo is killer though!
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: TauntoHawk on May 02, 2012, 08:20:32 AM
TRKYHTR or Joe makes those real mounted hens for decoys

looks good dont they

Quote from: Siwash on May 02, 2012, 07:02:20 AM
It never occurred to me that you can use a real mount... I have to check our regs where I live... but I don 't have a mount so I will stick to synthetic!

Thanks!


Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: RC_STRUT on May 14, 2012, 04:57:37 PM
DSD jake.  Here's a pic right before "Showtime!" 

Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: RC_STRUT on May 14, 2012, 05:02:16 PM
and another one...

Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: Yooper on May 16, 2012, 09:24:47 AM
I'm a big fan of Carry Lite products.  They look good and they're not too expensive.  If you wanted just one deke for me it would one of their hens.
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: cornfedkiller on May 17, 2012, 07:21:22 PM
Sorry I dont have a better pic..

(http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/jakeduehn/IMG_1898.jpg)
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: Droptine on May 20, 2012, 05:19:12 PM
I used Dave Smith Decoys this spring (1 feeding hen, 1 upright) and was very impressed!  :)   I often had hens come in and mingle for the longest time without getting spooked!

I also used a Primos B-Mobile with a real fan and killed my best longbeard this spring with it and the 2 DSD decoys!  ;)

Todd
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: Hooksfan on May 28, 2012, 02:31:07 PM
It depends on whether money was an object or not.  It's hard to beat the real taxidermy hens out there as far as realism, but I'm not sure it would be all that practical to carry around hunting.
With the budget I live on, a single featherflex hen is all I need.
With that said, my opinion on the subject is that decoys are the most overrated aspect of turkey hunting.  A majority of the birds that get a ride in the back of my pickup die without ever having seen a decoy.  
I don't own and probably never will own any of the strutting decoys.  
My take, for what its worth, is that you will run off more turkeys than you kill with those things and the ones that do come in and put on the show likely would have come in to a single hen decoy as well--So, it kind of makes strutting decoys pointless, IMO.
Title: Re: Re: Decoys?
Post by: troutfisher13111 on May 28, 2012, 05:35:48 PM
Same here. It seems like anytime I use a decoy the tom gets hung up about 60 yards out.
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: rock54 on May 28, 2012, 09:13:46 PM
i used my cabelas reward points and bought a DSD feeder hen and upright hen.....

used the upright hen as an submissive hen ,all season long....she got the sh_t
kicked out of her by 7 differant hens on 7 differant days....she got about 30-50 pecks
to the head.....


the feeder hen was mounted 4 differant times by a jake in one set-up,in the rain,in the woods...

sold all my soft,fold up decoy...3 hens and a jake after that encounter.....never,ever had that
kind of decoy action before

best decoy action, i have ever had in my 7 yrs of turkey huntn....

to each his own,but best decoy made, thanks DSD
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: sixbird on June 17, 2012, 04:59:33 PM
Quote from: Hooksfan on May 28, 2012, 02:31:07 PM
It depends on whether money was an object or not.  It's hard to beat the real taxidermy hens out there as far as realism, but I'm not sure it would be all that practical to carry around hunting.
With the budget I live on, a single featherflex hen is all I need.
With that said, my opinion on the subject is that decoys are the most overrated aspect of turkey hunting.  A majority of the birds that get a ride in the back of my pickup die without ever having seen a decoy.  
I don't own and probably never will own any of the strutting decoys.  
My take, for what its worth, is that you will run off more turkeys than you kill with those things and the ones that do come in and put on the show likely would have come in to a single hen decoy as well--So, it kind of makes strutting decoys pointless, IMO.
I have to agree...I've seen birds strut and be completely fooled by the stupidest looking decoys! And I mean COMPLETELY duped! I'm sure it doesn't hurt to have an anatomically correct decoy and, it may be a benefit, under certain circumstances...I know the price tags on some of these decoys is obscene and, in my opinion not worth it (I'm o.k. if you disagree)...
The other issue, for me is, if a tom decoy is good enough to fool me, it's good enough to fool some dumb_ _ _ that is wandering through and just has to shoot that bird...I may be in line with him!
I'll stick with a run of the mill hen decoy that's light and foldable...
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: Clif Owen on June 17, 2012, 09:01:14 PM
Some trigger-happy dingbat is exactly why I am afraid to use a tom or jake decoy on public land.
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: jblackburn on June 17, 2012, 09:58:38 PM
I would pick Jake mobile from primos.  cheap and easy to attach a real fan to.  I have never heard a bad thing about DSDs, but mine cost $30 and has brought in a bunch of toms to meet my 835.
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: Duke0002 on November 06, 2012, 03:49:46 PM
I've got a pricy partial strut jake.  Its been attacked several times by groups of 3 or 4 two year old gobblers.  Other times its been ignored or may birds shy.  I was thinking about picking up a less threatening Feather-Flex Jake and using that on occasion.   Feather-Flex is all we used for years.  Maybe time to go back to one.
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: vaturkey on November 06, 2012, 09:12:01 PM
(http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab7/Gobln2/bth_019.jpg)

  Dave Smith Decoys in action ! 



        vaturkey   :newmascot:
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: Duke0002 on November 07, 2012, 09:18:31 AM
Quote from: vaturkey on November 06, 2012, 09:12:01 PM
(http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab7/Gobln2/bth_019.jpg)

  Dave Smith Decoys in action ! 



        vaturkey   :newmascot:

Past spring one of the metal stakes of my DSD hens was bent at a 45 degree angle by an anxious suitor!
Title: Re: Decoys?
Post by: BIGBOB on November 10, 2012, 08:46:09 PM
Dsd feeding hen. Best decoy i have used.
Title: Decoys?
Post by: FttFttVroom! on January 05, 2013, 02:29:47 PM
DSD for sure