DSD Decoys YES!! (Pic Heavy :)

[MK M GOBL]

So this is just from another post but just thought to share, if you are interested or thinking of decoys, I have had a lot of experience with them and a lot of success!!

I guess I could give an opinion here... I have been hunting with decoys for this being my 28th year, and no not every hunt but mostly in the fields around here. My first decoy was the old hard body HS motion hen, pulled a string and the head would tip down a little and back up, yes killed a few birds with it. Then came out Feather Flex Foam bodies, bought a hen decoy and yup worked on a few birds, then they came out with the Signature series which had a much better paint scheme, used those for quite a few years and killed plenty of birds. Finally a maker came out with a realistic turkey decoy, first on the market David Smith Decoys DSD and he got it right! My first experience with these was a buddy who bought a Jake decoy, I watched that decoy get beat by 3 toms like nothing I had ever seen before, I mean I had used my dekes but these birds were actually interacting with the decoy and not just showing some interest... So the next season I bought a DSD Upright hen and ditched the foam bodies, that hen brought in everything and not just taking a look but actually displaying right up to her, had one jump on her back to breed it and a number of hens wanting to fight her, next was the feeding hen and I have had hens come right up to her and look at the ground to see what she was "eating" and start feeding as well now enter the strutter, and I have used a strutter before, I have had success with him once you learn how to hunt him right. My next was the Leading hen and Jake. All I can say is I have never had the interaction between any other decoy and what happens with my DSD's birds are calm and at ease with these dekes and have had birds spend better than an hour around them before they decided to walk off. Now not everyone is a fan of using decoys and that's fine, we each have the choice on how we wish to hunt. I have been able to have some great experiences with youth hunts, new hunters, bow hunters, videoing and all with using the DSD's. Now as I said they are not an every hunt thing, when I run & gun I may have my Jake and a Hen along but depending on that setup they might just stay in the bag, I just do have them along, put me with another hunter in a field hunt and the dekes are pretty much going to be out, again depends on the hunt. And I also know people say how can you spend $$$ on decoys you don't even need them, and I will agree to some degree, it just depends on the hunt. I mentor/teach a lot and the ultimate goal is to get that hunter One on One with a gobbler up against a tree and calling and working a bird, but until we are at that stage I take them through the steps to get them there.

There are a lot of decoys out there and some of the new ones don't look to bad in comparison but after the results I have seen with the DSD's it's all I'm going to use and recommend, we sell plenty of decoys at the store and everyone can make their own choice on them, but I'll stick with made in the USA and DSD every time!!

If you have questions on setups, what dekes to use when and why I am more than willing to share. Just ask the question and we will go from there. Have some fun and post a DSD Success Pic!!

DSDeadly
DSDouble
DSDead
DSDone
DSDecoys!

MK M GOBL

[MK M GOBL]

Here's one from last years "Learn to Hunt Turkey Program" I mentor for!!

DSD Jake and the Upright Hen did him in along with some sweet talk on the Cody World Class Slate

MK M GOBL

[Bowguy]

I've had similar results but decoys usage to me has been more limited except the last few years.
I started out as a kid straight running n gunning in areas I'd heard gobbling pre season.
Decoys weren't even legal back than.
Once they were I tried but as a mainly run n gunner carrying one was a pain and I'd get a gobble, drop the deke n back up only to see a gobbler running in, stop n see me.
Eventually I stopped as it wasn't helping me. To be honest it was very short lived try.
I learned to roost n tried the feather flex or some cheap collapsible decoy. They sometimes worked but I'd only use em for kids.
I tried the Montana decoy on advice of a friend. Don't know why but the birds came in n would blow up. One time 2 longbeards within 5 mins, one blew n flew right to a field, one ran down the hill left. I was still n they didn't see me.
I bought some DSDs n I've used em maybe 4 years. Not once has a bird acted negative towards them, many times interacting.
I almost never hunt fields so I wouldn't need them anyway but it can give you an edge especially when trying to coach a nervous kid to his first bird. Gives em something to look at n the kid can bobble a gun or something.
The avian  seem decent too but they're not American. The blowing em up thing worries me too.
Biggest complaint I could have w any is using them as a cure all. Learn to hunt first imo n it's ok w me. Sitting all day w dekes in a field can work but that's not the way I show anyone to harvest birds.
DSDs are great though, well worth the money

[snapper1982]

Very well said. I love it when people say decoys all do the same thing and the expensive ones are just to get hunters money yet they have never used a realistic decoy to see the difference it makes

[MK M GOBL]

Here's one from my 3rd season hunt, killed him on video with the Jake and Feeding Hen!!

MK M GOBL

[owlhoot]

Looks good, got a friend that asked about one , I told him I never tried one so I did not know if any better than the cheaper ones. Any idea where best place to get one.

[MK M GOBL]

Looks good, got a friend that asked about one , I told him I never tried one so I did not know if any better than the cheaper ones. Any idea where best place to get one.

Unless you can find them used I have never seen a "sale" price on them...

Hens run $119.99
Jake is $159.99
Strutter $199.99

My "starters" would be a Jake & Upright Hen and she can double as a breeder by short staking her.

MK M GOBL

[owlhoot]

Thanks I know he was wanting a jake and he may use one of his old hens as a breeding hen .

For now  ,lol

[MK M GOBL]

I also use a Strutter!! And he does work with all birds once you understand the dominance game. Here is a hunt with a Strutter and had a Upright Hen and Feeding Hen with him, Dad and Daughter were in one blind (Double Blind set) Double Bull Blinds and other is set for videoing from. This Jake came in to the Strutter Set just under 15 yards away during our WI Youth Season!!

MK M GOBL

[Bowguy]

Looks good, got a friend that asked about one , I told him I never tried one so I did not know if any better than the cheaper ones. Any idea where best place to get one.

Unless you can find them used I have never seen a "sale" price on them...

Hens run $119.99
Jake is $159.99
Strutter $199.99

My "starters" would be a Jake & Upright Hen and she can double as a breeder by short staking her.

MK M GOBL

Couple years ago I think midway or macks, somebody I can't remember had em I believe they might have been getting rid of the line but they were a bit cheaper. It wasn't truly a sale more of a close out

[MK M GOBL]

Thanks I know he was wanting a jake and he may use one of his old hens as a breeding hen .

For now  ,lol

Sounds Good, let him know to use that Jake as the decoy closest to him (I set at 15 yards, gives you good range estimating point of reference) birds will walk right by the hens to get to him, always set to the strong side (righty decoys set left and vice versa) I always leave "elbow room" around my sets, this way a tom can walk in at any direction, even when setting a breeding scene I leave some room between them.

Here's a pic of the Breeding Set... using Jake and Hen (short staked to the ground)

I Doubled on this Hunt!!

MK M GOBL

[backwater]

I've been using the DSD upright hen for five seasons now.  It's definitely more cumbersome to carry but the benefit outweighs that.  I can honestly say that a quality decoy like DSD does make a difference.  The hens tend to stay around longer and the jakes, well, let's just say they have a good time with my DSD hen.  Lol.   In my opinion, it was worth the money.

[owlhoot]

Alrighty I will tell him that.  Leaving enough room is a good idea too.

[saverx]

I have trouble getting the turkey to see the decoy when hunting in the woods. In my youth, I hunted mostly in Alabama where decoys were not legal so I learned to hunt without them. What happens now when I use a decoy is I get as close to the gobbler as possible before calling and can't get the decoy out in front of me very far. Call gobbler in, he takes a peak doesn't see a hen and splits. Any thoughts/advise?

[MK M GOBL]

I have trouble getting the turkey to see the decoy when hunting in the woods. In my youth, I hunted mostly in Alabama where decoys were not legal so I learned to hunt without them. What happens now when I use a decoy is I get as close to the gobbler as possible before calling and can't get the decoy out in front of me very far. Call gobbler in, he takes a peak doesn't see a hen and splits. Any thoughts/advise?

So on my Run & Gun in the timber hunts it would be rare for me to use a decoy... I rely on the bird looking for the "hen" and try to set up where I would like him to appear from (direction). Unless I'm in a Oak Savanna, Pastured Timber or a "road" situation where an incoming bird can see the decoy for 50-80 yards.

Don't know if in your area you have these savanna's or not, I have also used in pine plantations. From this pic you can see how open these oaks are and I was set with decoy on the "road" bird worked right down it to me.

This was my first gobbler ever!

MK M GOBL