Decoys, Yea or Nea

[freedomrules3]

do you use decoys, if so how much luck have you had? I have decoys but very rarely use them and have never shot a bird over any at all. fact is i think it hurt me more than helped when i did use them. its nice to have all the toys but are decoys even needed to kill turkeys? i'll have a hard time eevn taking any hunting with me this year, its just dead weight imo.

if i have a bird that just wont come, i tend to try and go getum instead

[auchumpkeecreek]

I love useing my decoys, they work !!!!!!!, when i Gobbler see's that hen decoy.............his eyes will be focused on it..........and not on you!!!!!!!!! TRY IT YOU WILL LIKE IT!!!!!!!!!

[davep]

Have had a couple for a dozen years or so,but maybe use them once every other year or so.Usually when I'm getting desperate! Extra baggage,and just doesn't "feel" right to me.Heck,how many of the old timers,I mean REAL turkey killers,even fool with all this hi-tech camo crap we all seem to fall for?Carhartt bibs and chore coat.

[ARO]

use them every now and then. i like to run and gun, and when i strike a gooble, there usually not that much time to set up a decoy. its also pretty thick around here in the spring, and by the time a gobbler sees the decoy he would be in gun range anyway. on the other hand, if i were hunting a field or open area i might use them, the only draw back is sometimes they seem to hangup out of range when they see that hen decoy, thats why if i use decoys, i always put two hens and a jake out. have not tried a full strut gobbler decoy yet, have been wanting to see how that would work. only two months left!!!!

[BillCartwright]

decoys are one of those tools that I deem "damn if you do, damn if you don't".

If I'm in a fairly wooded area hunting, I won't use a decoy, I let the birds curiousity pull him in.

Now in an open woods or field hunting situation I will use a deke, but I will place it close to my position, like 8 yards, 10 max. This helps when bird hangs up and starts strutting in an open area. Having the decoy tight will usually situate the tom closer and likely within 50 yards than it would if the deke was sitting 20-25 yards out.

[WVHunter129]

I got some decoys last year, but by the time season come in the real birds disappeared. I think they started breading earlier due to warm weather. Never heard a bird the whole season and it wasn't cause I wasn't trying, they just weren't there.