Decoys

[harvester]

Well we have covered alot on here and I was just watching a show on tv where they put out decoys on every setup. Seeing the vast amount of knowledge on this team, my question is, it is actually two questions; How do you feel about using decoys in the woods/fields or do you prefer not to use them?

I have used them with limited success but I would rather just leave them at home because; the only time they worked the best was when I called up two longbeards and three jakes and they came in text book. Most of the time when I have a bird working in they see the decoy, they stop and strut and won't budge an inch from there. Its like once they see the hen decoy, they have come as close as they are coming, she must go to him. I have had this happen several times even with a jake decoy out as well. So with that been said I prefer to set them up rather close, 15 yards, that way the bird will be in range most of the time before he even sees them. If I leave the decoys in my vest the bird will work his way on in until he gets nervous or gets a dirt nap. I prefer 25 yards or closer, I'm not a fan of the long range shooting but have shot some out to 40 yards, effective range for my gun. 95% of the time if I see the bird out in the field he always has a couple of hens with him, so I try to get ahead of where I think they may be going and setup that way without the decoys. Me personally, I feel about them the way I do about the squelling hen. I would like to hear some more opinions on this so please share your experiences with me.

[unclerick]

Dustin I have a 1/2 and 1/2 feeling about dekes, I like them in the early season, espeacaily with a struter and a submissive hen, most of the land we hunt is agriculture so seeing something is sometimes good, I have killed nice gobblers with this and me and Wes had 2 jakes come in from 600yrds bt seeing our decoys. But in the woods I feel like it should be one them "what does it feel like" situations, it hurts and helps at times. Last year me and Wes could have ended our season with a second double if we'd had a decoy in the woods, but I've seen it work against us as well. There's all kinds of advice on this subject but I think it comes down to how you feel and the bird feels at the time.

[ClayW]

I use decoys on every hunt.  Strutter paired with the DSD breeder and alert hens.  I set them under 10 yards from my blind.

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[ElkTurkMan]

I very rarely use a decoy.  When I do it's usually just a lone hen.  I can't recall one time where I used it last year.  I have nothing against them, I am just being cautious.  They last couple of years I haven't had the best ground in the world to hunt on.  These places had birds but they were few and far between, and I just couldn't risk the possibility of a decoy spooking a bird.   Two years ago I traded a guy three magnum goose shells for  B-Mobile, and I have never used it for fear of it scaring a bird.   My friends that use strutter decoys say it works about 50% of the time.  I would love to give it try perhaps this year, I'll get the nerve.              

[mossybird]

Well we have covered alot on here and I was just watching a show on tv where they put out decoys on every setup. Seeing the vast amount of knowledge on this team, my question is, it is actually two questions; How do you feel about using decoys in the woods/fields or do you prefer not to use them?

I have used them with limited success but I would rather just leave them at home because; the only time they worked the best was when I called up two longbeards and three jakes and they came in text book. Most of the time when I have a bird working in they see the decoy, they stop and strut and won't budge an inch from there. Its like once they see the hen decoy, they have come as close as they are coming, she must go to him. I have had this happen several times even with a jake decoy out as well. So with that been said I prefer to set them up rather close, 15 yards, that way the bird will be in range most of the time before he even sees them. If I leave the decoys in my vest the bird will work his way on in until he gets nervous or gets a dirt nap. I prefer 25 yards or closer, I'm not a fan of the long range shooting but have shot some out to 40 yards, effective range for my gun. 95% of the time if I see the bird out in the field he always has a couple of hens with him, so I try to get ahead of where I think they may be going and setup that way without the decoys. Me personally, I feel about them the way I do about the squelling hen. I would like to hear some more opinions on this so please share your experiences with me.

Ive had sometimes where ive been on a bird for an hour or so, where you accidentley run up on him and you have to sit really quick and you aint got time for decoys. Theres some times where you have time, maybe hes 200 yards out, then deffinatly set them up. SO that being said, decoys are extremely good. Sometimes the turkey may hang up on your calls and say no to coming in. If you have them decoys out, then he may commit to your calls and decoy and there you go, turkey in the bag. 95% of the time if that bird sees your decoy and has no hens with him, then you got yourself a turkey.


Kevin

[mfd1027]

Not a big decoy guy and i only use them the first 10 days - 2 wks. of the season when there's still some breeding competition going on and then I only use my Jake mobile.   I  truely believe your setting yourself up for some serious hangups if you set your decoy (esp. hen's) out in front of you.   "If" I use a decoy he gets set up "behind" me and like Moore I face him away from where I expect my bird to come from. I will usually set him off to my left side being as I'm a rt. handed shooter too.    I know that I killed bird number 2 from last year because of ol Jake.  It was a perfect decoy situation with with a wide open stand of pines in front of me and I was doing my slow run n gun technique.   As I walked up to the setup spot I dropped Jake off.  If I'm using him I carry him set up with the stake/fan in place.   I just poked him in the ground and moved down the rd. 20 more yds to one of my pre built ground blinds and jumped in.   On my second kee kee/ cutt'n series  I got cut off by a bird 200 yds out in front of me and a little left.   i kept him going with some kee kee runn's and knew it was a done deal.   He was triple and quadruple gobbling on every series and when i finally saw him he was about 100 yds out just meandering along kind of heading toward me on a diagonal.   Jake was facing away from him and I knew exactly when he saw him.  If he had had hair on his back like a dog he would have had it at full attention.    He stood still for a second fixated on ol Jake and then went into a half strut and starting running toward him.   It was really neat.   I let him get too close and wound up shooting him at 15 steps but I couldn't get him to stop and finally just yelled at him which froze him and made him come to attention.   He was totally focused on Jake.   It would have been a perfect scenario had I been bowhunting.   Here's Jake:   I made his fan from a mature bird and made it up to look like a Jake.

[unclerick]

Talking of decoys, I checked out the DSD's and them new Zink decoys at the convention. They are both good looking dekes but them DSD are almost life like, espeacaily that new struter they got.