Decoys

[JonR26]

Opinions on the avianx decoys? Or any other suggestions for good decoys? And beat times to use decoys?

[Drthorn]

carry lite pretty boy is what I have and have had great success. It's a little cumbersome if you want to get up and move, but for field hunting, don't think you can get much better for the price.

[El Pavo Grande]

Any decoy will work, regardless of brand.  Lots of options with Dave Smith probably being the best quality and most expensive, with countless other less expensive options.  I would caution against using a decoy all the time as they are about as effective as they are detrimental to success.  Open area and field hunts are good times to use one, but from my experiences no decoy in thicker woods is best so as to make the gobbler search you out and not hang up out of range or spook.  I very rarely use decoys for the reasons listed above, but in my opinion when used, a solo jake or a jake and squatted hen seem to work best.

[chatterbox]

Myself personally have started out with dekes, and I think this year I am going to move away from them.
For as many turkeys that come running right in, there are probably more that hang up and get very spooky in the presence of decoys.
I dunno. I guess it is 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of another. Great topic on a cold winter morning!

[Kylongspur88]

I looked at the avian-x. Went with the DSD. The avian-x seemed more cumbersome and poorer quality. Open woods or fields are good spots to use them. In thick woods I don't think they do much good. I haven't had problems with birds spooking over a single hen. I have had them spook with strutting decoys.

[Barry Keicks]

I dont want to be seen as spamming since I staff for Zink but they gone with customer feedback and changed up the 2014 AX LCD's to try and meet  want guys were asking for and not comfortable with the first generations

Like I said I dont want to spam so I am not going to post any links but if you want you can look up for yourself info on the 2014's on the Zink Website or youtube.

If I crossed the spam line by all means take this post down. I want to be up front.

[rock54]

if money is not an option...DSD all the way !!!!!

had more hens attack my submissive hen, then my wife and i can count

on our hands in the last two seasons since we bought them, we also

have two feeders hens, she shot her turkey this past spring while he 

was mountn her and i shot mine while he strutted for her...good luck in

your decision....russ/dee

[MKMGOBL]

Dave Smith ALL THE WAY FOR ME

[R.W. Mackey]

  My partner and I do a lot of bowhunting, you definitely need decoys then. I use the DSD decoys, have the Jake and a couple hens, have had fantastic luck with them. Big Gobblers just flog the Jake, hardly ever look at the hens. Now when you call a flock in the lead hen will just attack my hen decoys, I mean
They try to do some serious damage.
  Now, my partner has the Avian X decoys, same set up, Jake and hen and he has had just as much luck with them as I have. The Gobblers just try to destroy the Jake and the hens do the same with the hen decoys.
  Now we are not talking about just one or two times, I'm talking about dozens of times they have worked. I shoot a recurve bow so I want them close, I'm talking 30 feet not yards. Every year I have multiple shots at seriously close birds, couldn't do it without the decoys.
  So I'm saying, they work and both brands are far superior to anything else on the market. Just get the ones you like best, I promise you will like the results"

Roy

[jblackburn]

I hunted with some Avian X last year, good looking decoys but they are heavy!  I have a pretty boy jr that is good looking and light, also a primes jake mobil with a real fan that is killer.

Got a Dave Smith hen for Christmas and cannot wait to use it this spring!

[VanHelden Game Calls]

I have the HS woody, and a full strut and hen hardshell - only because they were deals and family needed gift ideas. My old style dekes worked fine.  I hunt alot of ag country and I feel they have helped 70% of the time.  10% I think scared the bird and the other 20% probably made no difference.

I go with the ones on sale, we are just hunting turkeys after all.  I got the full strut and hen hardshell can't remember the brand for $40 black Friday deal.  And the HS woody for 29 on clearance.  Overall impressed with them and as mentioned they were "gifts".

I have seen the fancy $100 decoys and while nice there heavier and of course more $.  I doubt I could see a $70 improvement to my hunts using one. 

[owlhoot]

gotta love those gobbler fights, 15 times my b-mobiles have been hit. But some toms will walk away from it.
They came in and got leery of it. Smaller toms , 2 year olds. Use jake fans with killerbee and they will fight.
jake mobile , the big toms come in and look at it like your too little to fight.
Full fans and big decoys will turn some turkeys. Multiple toms come running though and long spurred toms get into it with the decoy no matter what fan is used. the DSD jake is neat .The posture and look is going too get me buying one to use this year.

[gobbler777]

Smith

[30_06]

DSD would be my choice. As mentioned open areas seem to be the best places to use decoys. Set them up off to the side of you so they don't see any movement on your part.

[JellyHead Key]

Has anyone used the pretty boy/girl combo setup? I'm hearing they work great but the only setbacks are they scare off younger Toms and they are tough to transport. Any of you guys had any luck with this combo?