Decoys in the hardwoods

[MOOSE]

What is everybody's thoughts on using decoys in the hardwoods? I have had birds hang up out of range when seeing my decoys or just flat out run when they see it. Do you think it would be more beneficial to hunt without one in the woods so they have to "find you", instead of seeing the decoy (hen) and expecting it to come to them?

[Divenut2]

Hey Moose,

I can only speak for myself, but my property is dense hardwoods and cedar wetlands with an old logging trail running down the center. By dumb luck I have drawn late season tags in WI (Mid-late May) for the last 4 years. Tried a hen decoy a few times on the logging trail and a few small relatively "open" areas. The Toms would come to my calls but checked up well out of shooting distance upon spotting the decoy. All my success came from calling and waiting without a decoy. Typically in late morning and afternoons. Guessing the Toms where seeking out that noisy hen while the harem was sitting on nests or something. That said, your results may vary LOL!

Good luck

[Candyman]

Leave the decoys at home and concentrate on sitting down in the correct spot,  one less thing to carry too. I think too often folks try to get where the decoys will be seen instead of getting in the spot to kill the gobbler. Imo

[MK M GOBL]

I rarely use decoys in the timber, unless it is "Open" such as Pastured, Oak Savanah, or Mature Pine Planting. As far as in the timber I let the bird seek me out and look for a spot for him to come to and I set to that spot, try to find a "clear" area with a number of shooting lanes for his approach.

MK M GOBL

[stinkpickle]

In my experience, decoys used in the heavy cover are not nearly as effective.

[outdoorsmen]

I wished i had out out this morning at 11am when a longbeard comes walking by kinda looking for my calls but never comes close. Maybe a decoy would have completed the scenario. He never made a sound and seemed like he didnt really care what i had to say.

[Tomfoolery]

What about a jake decoy?

[mtns2hunt]

Always a toss up when using decoys. I like them along the edges of timber bordering on fields but not in the timber unless there is a large opening. In timber or woods its usually close up as the turkey moves in and a decoy will, in my experience cause him to hang up.

[Marc]

In open areas, I do think that decoys can be beneficial...  You are calling in the middle of the pasture, and the bird you are calling at can see that there is no hen there...  A decoy might give him the confidence or incentive to carry on...

In the woods, if a bird has moved towards you without seeing you...  My thought is that without a decoy he will continue forward motion, looking for that hen that called him....  But he very well could hang up on a decoy if he sees it.

Of course there are exceptions, but when hunting in the woods, if I can see the turkey, I do not like to call...  If he stalls or changes direction, I wait till he is behind an obstruction to call, so that he cannot pinpoint me at the time of my calling.

[Ozark Ridge Runner]

In a normal year I almost never use a decoy in the timber.  This year is so late the hardwoods still look like December they are so open.  I've had way to many gobblers come to within 100 yards and circle completely around me looking for the hen and not seeing what the expect to see.  They will rarely come in range in wide open timber like that.  As much as I dislike carrying decoys I will be packing them this year.

[MK M GOBL]

Here's when I use  a decoy in the "Open" timber, this was my first longbeard.

MK M GOBL

[shaman]

What is everybody's thoughts on using decoys in the hardwoods? I have had birds hang up out of range when seeing my decoys or just flat out run when they see it. Do you think it would be more beneficial to hunt without one in the woods so they have to "find you", instead of seeing the decoy (hen) and expecting it to come to them?

You've received good advice so far. 

Basically, I try my best not to use decoys. It is more of a convenience thing than anything else.  It's one more piece of luggage, and I found that if I set up decoys, I was more likely to stick it out in a bum spot, just because I didn't want to go through the hassle of dealing with the dekes.

In dense hardwoods, the one way I might use a deke is to put out a hen off to one side and behind me.  If the gob sees it, he may stop worrying about me and concentrate on the goofy hen.  I've used that to good effect on a couple of occasions, but mostly I've kept the dekes at home.

[fallhnt]

Decoys work as well in timber as they do in fields.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Cut N Run]

I haven't used decoys in hardwoods very often, but they were effective when I did. The woods I've used decoys in have not been extremely open mature timber, but there were trails or logging roads for the turkeys to move around on or see down. Each gobbler was already coming long distances in response to my calls.  The decoys definitely gave the gobbler something to focus on and diverted attention away from me.  Every time I had gobblers coming to decoys in timber, all were killed and provided easy shots under 30 yards.

To echo others though, it is a p.i.t.a. to tote multiple decoys through the woods and they are not necessary to succeed.  I've killed way more without decoys than with.

Jim

[EZ]

Leave the decoys at home and concentrate on sitting down in the correct spot,  one less thing to carry too. I think too often folks try to get where the decoys will be seen instead of getting in the spot to kill the gobbler. Imo

IMHO..... the best answer.