I'm just wondering why you hunt with or without decoys?
This is not intended to be a bash thread just looking for honest opinions.
In my experience, once I put them away and stopped using them I started having more success. Upon talking to some of my hunting buddies I realized they not only did it for success but also because they enjoyed the show that often times comes with using them.
When I'm using the shotgun and staying mobile, I hate carrying lots of stuff around so I often times leave my decoys behind or maybe just take a collapsible hen. However, my newest addiction is getting them in close and shooting them with a bow, and decoys are almost a necessity for that task. They will hold birds in close for you and divert their attention while you get in position and draw your bow. So for me it all depends on what style of hunting I plan on doing that day. If I have my shotgun I like to take a barebones approach and carry as little as possible. When bowhunting I take all sorts of gear: blind, chair, decoys, vest, bow, rangefinder, etc.
I personally don't use them cause I like knowing that I fooled em 100%, one on one. Tried it one time several years ago and realized it quickly it wasn't for me. I don't look down at others for choosing to use them. It's all personal preference and what makes the hunt enjoyable for you.
I stopped using them for the simple fact that they're dangerous in a state(CA) that has an abundance of new and dumb hunters. I've been stalked one to many times and also watched many ah fool stalk the decoys too. But I still break down at certain times when a decoy is needed(like fields).
In some of the places I hunt (west Tx and oklahoma) we hunt around some huge wheat fields that have no cover to get close to turkeys in the field and the decoys serve as something visual for the turkey to key in on. They tend to get a little leery when they hear calling and dont see anything in a wide open field.
When I'm not hunting a field (prefer not to if I can help it), I leave the decoys at the truck.
I mainly hunt in central Florida. Here our gobblers hammer on the roost, and some on the ground, but usually go pretty quiet after that. I've got my Slam, so I know Rios and Merriams gobble their butts off, as do Easterns, thought not as extreme. All of those birds you can run and gun effectively on, while not so much for the Osceolas to my experience anyway.
Plus here in Florida we have a lot of fields & pastures, power line right of ways, etc. So the visual presentation is important. I have great success every year in the early season using a strutting deke over a hen with a couple more hens off to the side. I've had several gobblers come charging in to that set up, which was the last bad decision they ever made! As the season wears on, I put the strutter away, and go with hens only, eventually dropping down to just one hen deke.
I've killed birds with no decoy and it is very satisfying to know that you made it happen!! I won't hesitate to toss my dekes into some bushes and go after a bird if the situation presents itself. But I've also worked birds that I know would not have come in if not for the decoy.
I like to have a full arsenal of tactics even if I don't always use them. I don't use decoys much on the gobblers I kill but I tend to use them more when taking a kids.
I don't use them because I feel I don't need them.
I keep an Avian-X hen in my vest. I'm usually hunting woods and don't use it that often. Every now and then if I'm field hunting I will used it. But 90% of the time, it stays in the bag or truck.
Quote from: guesswho on February 04, 2013, 11:01:07 AM
I don't use them because I feel I don't need them.
That's what I'd say too..........if I hunted on turkey farms!! ;) :lol: :toothy9: :TooFunny:
1 after 35 seasons, I have never needed them to kill a few turkeys each year.
2 in the southern timberland I mostly hunt a bird is pretty much in range by the time you see him.
3 I want the bird coming in looking for me. Less likely to hang up that way.
4 I hunt mobil, I don't hunt from blinds, I don't want to tote them, I don't want to pick them up before I move.
5 I am a stealth hunter. I will sneak in close befor setting up. Setting up for me means sitting down under a tree, nothing else.
6. I will frequently take off running to get to a distant gobble at daybreak. Can't do that with lots of bouncy equipment.
7 I take pride in hunting in a more traditionalist style. I don't want to set up camp and wait.
8 safety when hunting thick cover must be considered before placing a turkey image near you.
I have killed them with and without dekes. I enjoy seeing the reaction to the decoys from the birds. In my experience I haven't had any negative experiences with them but I don't use a gobbler decoy just a jake and hen.
I don't "need" them either. Technically nobody does. I use them sometimes and leave them behind other times. When I use them is usually because I am filming and I can get great footage. I feel that this issue comes up often and people end up sounding as though they feel they are superior if they don't use them. I think it is a personal choice and one doesn't make somebody a better hunter over the other. My .02
Don't 'need' them, but I can't ask the 50+ birds I've killed over decoys if they would have worked in without decoys, cuz they dead ;D
But, I've kilt just as many without decoys, but same thing, I can't axe them either ;)
I do try to use nice dekes, DSD for local hunts, and I really like the Primos PHD for traveling hunts.
Also, I often use decoys to direct traffic, not necessarily draw birds in, but to make them go one way or another....
mudhen
I use them because the State says I can.
Just like using decoys for duck hunting.
It is fun watching their reaction to the decoy and having them come in to the decoy.
I use all legal stratgies.
I've had some bad experiences with dekes, mainly male dekes though, gobbler & jake. But my good experiences far outweigh the bad ones.
Have killed only 2 birds over decoys in 15+ years. I normalky have nothing but 3 shells, face mask and 2 diaphragm calls, I like to be mobile. Ny dad shoots his birds over decoys every year, to each their own.
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Quote from: RutnNStrutn on February 04, 2013, 11:31:55 AM
That's what I'd say too..........if I hunted on turkey farms!! ;) :lol: :toothy9: :TooFunny:
If I ever actually had to hunt for a bird I'd probably have me a whole flock of decoy's, probably two of each one ever made :laugh:.
Quote from: RutnNStrutn on February 04, 2013, 10:17:45 AM
I mainly hunt in central Florida. Here our gobblers hammer on the roost, and some on the ground, but usually go pretty quiet after that. I've got my Slam, so I know Rios and Merriams gobble their butts off, as do Easterns, thought not as extreme. All of those birds you can run and gun effectively on, while not so much for the Osceolas to my experience anyway.
Plus here in Florida we have a lot of fields & pastures, power line right of ways, etc. So the visual presentation is important. I have great success every year in the early season using a strutting deke over a hen with a couple more hens off to the side. I've had several gobblers come charging in to that set up, which was the last bad decision they ever made! As the season wears on, I put the strutter away, and go with hens only, eventually dropping down to just one hen deke.
I've killed birds with no decoy and it is very satisfying to know that you made it happen!! I won't hesitate to toss my dekes into some bushes and go after a bird if the situation presents itself. But I've also worked birds that I know would not have come in if not for the decoy.
I'd not know the satisfaction of killing one with dekes. :P
Interesting how terrain seems to play a role in using decoys and weapons choice. Something I'd never thought of really.
Never used them but last year I had a gobbler fly across a creek and land on a limb across a plot from me. A hen was in the tree below me. My calls and hers had him walking and jumping limbs for over 20 minutes. As soon as she flew down and landed 30 steps in front of me it was less than a minute and he came sailing within 10 steps of me and he lit nearly on top of her. I felt that if I had a decoy out in front of me it might have caused him to land earlier. I had more enjoyment out of fooling two w/o the
decoy.
I am too much of a mover to ever care for the decoy sit and wait hunt.
I love seeing a big gob smash b mobile :drool:
Private Land-they are for the most part safer if you know your the only hunter.
Public Land Put them up and your tempting fate i my eyes...
Either way they have a slight chance of scaring a cautious bird or drawing one in for a clean kill.
Also have heard stories of coyotes stalking decoys...that would be cool to see!
Ive seen coyotes stalk decoys - Ive also seen people stalk at the sound of a person calling and shoot at that sound ......sad but true story
...since that day forward [for me]if anyone is getting shot , its going to be the plastic turkey , Ive also seen people shoot at decoys so be cautious how you set them up - used correctly a decoy can be a safety tool of unmeasurable value , or get you into hot water -use common sense -
Decoys have a way of distracting gobblers you have called in , and has a tendency to buy more time to let the hunter make a good un-rushed shot
Some of the first turkey decoys in use in modern times were at least 80+ years ago , there was a archived article in Field& Stream of a southern turkey hunter who had a tame trained gobbler , that would follow the owner into the woods and strut on command , It worked effectively - These were in use around the same time market waterfowl hunters would use live mallard decoys commonly reffered to as "English ducks" they would tie their legs down so they wouldn't swim away
The first commercially made decoys I could recall seeing was the carrylight fullbody and silhouette decoys in the early 1980's - From there countless others have entered the business -
If you go and buy a decoy and use it , and dont call worth a hoot or dont call at all , you will likely have little success -In heavy timber a decoy may be of little value because the gobbler will key in on sound and wont be able to see anything until he is within shotgun range - Ive seen it a thousand times in very wide open country where there is nowhere to hide , and the gobblers wont pay you much attention unless they can see something -
Here in Florida by what people think is a natural process of elimination and survival to breed , the gobblers that like to sit atop a tall pine tree on the edge of clearings with no cover and gobble till they either see another hen or get spooked by a deer hunter pretending to be a turkey hunter , are the ones contributing to the gene pool - they also like to stop gobbling as soon as they hit the ground , never to be seen again - thats a subject for a whole book on its own --Shannon
most of the time i dont use them because its just easier not to pack them, but they are necesary in some situation like in big fields where you cant get in the neighboring woods. if the turkeys look in the field and there is nothing they won't come to you.
Quote from: Thomas6689 on February 04, 2013, 10:48:33 PM
most of the time i dont use them because its just easier not to pack them, but they are necesary in some situation like in big fields where you cant get in the neighboring woods. if the turkeys look in the field and there is nothing they won't come to you.
See that makes perfect sense to me. A scenario I'd never thought of. :icon_thumright:
How about you guys post pics from your setups. If you got them now, post up!
EDIT: I didn't think I had any but I have one. This is the view behind the gunman. This isn't me but it was a great hunt. We had a standoff with 3 birds for about 2 hours until my bud layed out his first bird!
(http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg254/archer1983/-1-8.jpg)
As said by quite a few on here the biggest factors of using decoys is where and more importantly what kind of terrain you hunt. Where the birds can see for a long ways, they most definetely help. When running and gunning in timber, they really dont help. They definetely can help focus the gobblers attention away from you, and that is why when I take out a newbie I almost always use at least one hen, it helps them get away with a little more movement.
As far as if you are a better hunter by not using them, I disagree. That just makes you sound a little full of yourself. There is nothing wrong with using them, and if you are that good, you should just leave your calls at home and use your voice, cause using calls is kinda cheating to then, right?
I for one like the show a gobbler puts on when approaching a decoy. I enjoy watching them bow up and lay the smackdown on my jake. To each his own. :icon_thumright:
I use them occasionally. I'll use dekes if I think they will help me in the situation I expect to find.
But mostly I get tired of carrying them and don't use any. :fud:
Quote from: guesswho on February 04, 2013, 04:22:22 PM
Quote from: RutnNStrutn on February 04, 2013, 11:31:55 AM
That's what I'd say too..........if I hunted on turkey farms!! ;) :lol: :toothy9: :TooFunny:
If I ever actually had to hunt for a bird I'd probably have me a whole flock of decoy's, probably two of each one ever made :laugh:.
;D :lol:
Pretty much the same with everybody else. I have used them but I prefer not to. Where I hunt it's usually pretty thick timber. Only hunted with a decoy twice around home. I was hunting this field and tried everything with a gobbler that had 9 hens. He wouldn't even gobble. Just sit out in the middle of the field every day and strut. One day I decided I was going to use a jake decoy and a hen. If I would've let him walk any more, he would've smoked the deke. But that was the only way I was ever going to get him away from all those hens. Another time I was using a strutter deke and had three toms top the hill to where they could see it and they got outta there. Where I hunt out of state there is a mile long creek that always has birds on it but may be a few yards of timber on either side of the creek and the draws. Not using them there makes me feel like PETA, just there to watch. If they can't see anything, the gig is up. I've also had birds that have got to about 50 yards and sit there and strut waiting for the hen and then just walk off. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Either way I just prefer not to because I mostly run and gun. Most of my birds come in the 9-11am period.
I typically carry one with me when I go, but have been successful with out them too. I use the most when I take kids hunting because we are typcially hunting out of a blind and in fields. They are definitely not necessary, but can be helpful in certain situations
If I am hutning the woods I don't use them.. if I am hunting Fields I will try them .. if they spook from them a couple of times then I will put them away as well..
I love both ways really.. there is a sense of satisfaction from not using one at all and just pulling up a tree.. but there is also something magical when a Gobbler reacts to a decoy and gets up close and personal .. especially using Strutting Dekes and watching them charge in and beat the crap out of it..
So it depends on where I am hunting that day if they go with me or not..
I like to use a jake decoy atop a hen decoy like hes breeding her or i set them very close together(3-4 ft)I seem to have better luck,if i go to just one deke,just using a semi-strut timid looking jake.Ive had gobblers stand and strut waiting for that lone hen to come to them and just walk off,as opposed to the single jake.have had lots of po'd gobblers run in and die to the lone jake thinkin he had run off or bred that hen that he just heard.Only use them in fields,never in timber.
I love hunting turkeys over decoys. It takes skill to know where to place the decoy in any given set-up, which way to face it, how high to set the stake, etc. No different than calling.
I always use one when filming. It makes it a lot easier to control where the gobbler will be at the kill, and can help draw some of his visual attention off the shooter and the camera man.
Hunting fields is another time I rarely go without a decoy. It is more a visual battle when hunting fields than anything. I think a lot of guys mess up by just staking a decoy or two (especially a gobbler decoy) out in a field without any thought. To me, this is what often leads to birds not committing completely to the decoys. Motion in the decoys is another factor that is vital for consistent success when using decoys in large fields.
I don't always use a decoy on every set up. Sometimes you have to find a tree and get ready NOW cause he is right there and coming. But I always have at least one hen decoy in my vest every time I leave the truck.
Quote from: guesswho on February 04, 2013, 11:01:07 AM
I don't use them because I feel I don't need them.
:agreed:
For me its another thing to carry, and I've found them to be non-essential for hunting big woods and my own hunting style.
I only use them when terrain/cover dictates. One of my most memorable hunts was last spring in a corn field with no cover at all...turkeys roost on neighboring ground I can't hunt, but they move into the fields later in the mornings to feed.
Not much fun carrying a 17 lb. ground blind, a decoy bag and two decoys and a 9 + lb. BPS 10 ga. in for a half mile trek to set up in the dark....BUT was a lot more fun carrying all that stuff out with a 26 lb. Eastern , 14.5" beard, 1 1/4" hooks added to the load after working and calling for 45 minutes to bring him in. Used a Jake mobil with real fan and one hen deke.
I prefer not to use them and rarely do. In the woods I typically hunt, the odds have proven to be better forcing the gobbler to search for the hen. In my experiences decoys are about a 50/50 trade off. If I have to make a 50 yard swing, I don't want to be gathering decoys, because 9 time out of 10, it has to be a quick and decisive move. Full strut decoys no doubt can be effective, but the videos and hunting tv often portray them as "automatic" and market them to death, which is just a turnoff for me. To each his own and not meant to offend anyone, but sometimes I think newer hunters can fall into a trap of relying on decoys too much and may not learn to expand their skills of calling, understanding turkey behavior, or turkey sign, etc.
I have hunted near my home in South Alabama for about 30 years. I got used to hunting without them because until just a few years ago, they were illegal. I don't look down on those who use them, but leaving them at home will make you a better turkey hunter in the long run.
I will decoy early season, especially with a bow to get them close and hold their attention. I almost exclusively use a jakemobile with a real fan and maybe a hen. Seriously considering the DSD Jake because bowhunting birds is addictive. :gobble:
Now, when I grab the 12 gauge, the decoys stay home (unless I need to use a foam one as a back pad!) because I am a run and gun guy.
Quote from: redleg06 on February 04, 2013, 08:46:11 AM
In some of the places I hunt (west Tx and oklahoma) we hunt around some huge wheat fields that have no cover to get close to turkeys in the field and the decoys serve as something visual for the turkey to key in on. They tend to get a little leery when they hear calling and dont see anything in a wide open field.
When I'm not hunting a field (prefer not to if I can help it), I leave the decoys at the truck.
Yep! For us hunting a lot of open areas, after you call them in, they will stop, look around for the Hen, and if they don't see nothing, they wander away. A lot of hunting techniques depends on where you hunt. If I'm hunting heavily wooded areas, the need for Dekes isn't really necessary. Same with blinds, which I hate lugging in, but in some areas I've hunted, an absolute need. When I'm on the road, I'm loaded for any scenario.