Decoys used on Public Land.

[model94]

Do you use decoys are public land? If so what kind, Hens, Jakes or Toms? I hunt in the forrest where I can use decoys on logging roads,  Open Red Pine Plantations and open Ridges.

I know that Jake or Tom decoys  may not be the safest idea, but the hunting presume is not too bad.
Thanks for your input. If you use only hens, how many and upright or a feeding hen

[surehuntsalot]

a couple of hen decoys is all I would use on public land

[Marc]

a couple of hen decoys is all I would use on public land

And they still might get shot...

There are some awfully stupid people out there...

If you use decoys on public areas, make sure you line up the decoys, so they do not line up with you if someone comes around that bend in the road...

[Gooserbat]

For the most part I shy away from decks on public.  Seems I have the best luck by setting up according to the lay of the land.  I like to make them look for me.

[bpsmag1026]

I will use a feeding hen later in the season when the hunting pressure has dropped off. I don't use any during the first week or so of the season.

[Gobble!]

Probably not the best idea but I have used a DSD Strutter on public before.

[g8rvet]

Before my brother retired, he responded to a close shot from a load of turkey shot at a person sitting still against a tree using a hen turkey call.  It was on a large WMA in North Florida.  Very large. Tons of open room.  I would have shot back.  The guy lived. 

I do not use decoys of any kind on public land, except one open field I hunt, where I can see hunters approaching in all directions.  I set it up in a low spot so they can't see the deke until I have seen them. 

[Double B]

Hen dekes work good in youth season on public before the birds get all fussed up by by the pressure.  I never want a legal bird deke near me on public. 

[Rapscallion Vermilion]

There are some awfully stupid people out there...

My one dekes-on-public-land story. 
I haven't used dekes since my very first year turkey hunting, but did get a quick education on what might happen.   I was on National Forest land in New Mexico and had put out a couple of hens and a jake on an old logging road.   About 9 AM I hear the unmistakable rumbling of a couple of ATVs.  I can hear them from a long ways off.  They are driving about 100 yards at a time, shutting off their ATVs, letting loose on their box calls, waiting about 10 seconds, and then repeating this every hundred yards or so. Really making an awful racket. These two fellows ramble up to within about 30 yards of my dekes, slam on the brakes, and freeze. When one of them slowly reached for his gun, I was sure they were going to shoot the jake.  It eventually dawned on them that these weren't real turkeys.  Maybe it was the complete and absolute lack of movement. Maybe it was because they had black stakes sticking out of their bellies. Then they started looking all over the place for me.  I just sat there and watched --- they never spotted me and never said a word.  After a couple of minutes they fired up their engines and started the whole process again a hundred yards down the logging road.  I know these two were the same buttheads that earlier in the morning tried to shut out other hunters by swinging the forest road gate closed behind them.

[OldSchool]

For the most part I shy away from decks on public.  Seems I have the best luck by setting up according to the lay of the land.  I like to make them look for me.

a couple of hen decoys is all I would use on public land

And they still might get shot...

There are some awfully stupid people out there...

If you use decoys on public areas, make sure you line up the decoys, so they do not line up with you if someone comes around that bend in the road...

Very good advice. 

Bob

[silvestris]

I would have shot back.

Sounds a little harsh without additional facts.

I escaped being shot a few years ago at 40 yards by a hunter who didn't know I was there.  I walked to him, congratulated him on his gobbler (he wasn't calling and I had bee calling very softly and very well).  I asked where he had been sitting, looked at my tree and the dead turkey and said a thank you prayer.  I then went to another spot and missed a nice gobbler cleanly.  As I had separated him from his hen, I determined to kill him that day and did so an hour after I missed him.

Public hunting is dangerous.  There is much greed and ignorance out there.  Shooting a human who is not intentionally shooting at you as a human is criminal.  It is much safer to pursue civil action for negligence if warranted.

[Happy]

I took my kids and wife out once years ago on our hunting club. Now I wasn't expecting much dragging a 5 and 8 year old but we were having fun. Needless to say we struck out. However when we got back to the truck I cut loose with some cutting and was amazed a Tom cut loose in a small 40 acre patch of woods a couple hundred yards away from us. Well the wife sicced me on him and I started to circle around staying out of sight to get in that patch with the tom. I would cut at the tom every once in a while to keep him located and he was hot. Halfway to him I see this fellow sprinting across the field directly at the tom. I am talking about a dead run. Rifle at the ready. This guy was absolutely in a frenzy to kill this bird. Needless to say I just watched this nimrod proceed to rush in and the results were as expected. I hope the turkey got a good laugh at it. The point is that there be morons among those who claim to be turkey hunters. They will do anything to shoot a turkey and regulations much less safety are at the bottom of their list. So watch out for yourself cause guys like that sure aren't going to.

[Clovis67]

 :character0029:DO NOT TRY IT ......I have a good friend who was shot on  public land during youth season a couple years ago.No decoy was involved in this case.My buddy took his nephew to a very large open field and was glassing for birds mid-morning and decided to take a break and rest for a few minutes.Next thing you know BOOM!!A teenager had up and shot my friend.Don't risk it....to many idiots to take a gamble with your life.My friend is lucky to be alive...and the good folks who shot him didn't even try to help him with his Dr bills.... That's right....shot a man and just forget it ever happened!!

[Dan Mallia]

I use a DSD jake and a hen on public land.

I think everyone probably has a different situation than most. I hunt in places with that combo that I can see a long way off so in case there's a hunter creeping around, I don't get surprised.  I'm usually bowhunting so I have a popup blind up as well so I'd hope someone would see that as well.

I usually flag down somebody before they get even near me.  Good chance them walking around, "running and gunning" has pushed birds out of the area anyhow.

[fallhnt]

I only hunt public and decoys are part of the way I choose to hunt.