Your thoughts on decoys....

[huntinsonovagun]

Some love them, some hate them. I've never really had them bring in a bird that I can think of. Thinking about leaving them behind this year....what's your personal take on decoys?

[toddyboman]

I always take em......but I don't always use them only when the setup is right.

No more than they weigh not a big deal to just add them in the vest.

[toddyboman]

I always take em......but I don't always use them only when the setup is right.

No more than they weigh not a big deal to just add them in the vest.

[rhine16]

I'm like Todd.... Always have em, but more times than not, they are just padding for my back.

[BBR12]

I do tote one but I very seldom stick one out. I don't have much for the strutting gobbler decoys. I prefer to call them in not have them come running to a stuffer.

[redbeard]

I move too much to bother with 'em.

[Leo]

There are good decoys and bad decoys. There are the right times to use certain decoys and the wrong times. Decoys rarely work on their own merits. Coupled with good calling they do generally increase your chances of pulling in a bird.

They can be as difficult to learn to use properly as it is to learn to call. Some situations a decoy actually hurts your chances. Some situations the decoy helps make it happen.

I sure don't know all the answers about how to use them and when not too.

[Rhino]

Too much trouble to bother with for me.

[maytom]

I carry them with me each time I enter the spring woods, and use them at every set-up that I have time to do so. I had only one instance when a bird actually spooked, and it was a jake anyway, so no harm done. I feel that they are another "tool of the trade" for the turkey hunter, and add to the illusion of the hunt. Personally, I have found that they help more times than not. With a decoy bag and three decoys, they weight less than nothing to tote around in the woods with.

[Diamond Archer 01]

I have killed two turkeys so far, one I used decoys with and the other I didn't. I will bring them along this year just to have them in case I want to use them.

[Strut10]

I have had them help to get a bird.

I have had them cost me birds.

I don't like to drag them around and usually don't.

[ruttinbuc]

I carry one with me, but never had cause to use it, lately. May experiment some this year doing some blind hunting..

[3seasons]

I always have one or two with me (jake and hen). They are the Cherokeeseries, the montana decoys are nice also, they are small and you never know you have them. I dont use them very often but if i need them they are an arms length away.

[Ethan Givan]

I always have a couple decoys with me, but I dont use them on every set-up. I usually dont bother putting them out when Im hunting in the woods, but when Im set up on the edge of a big field I use them every time. I can honestly say that everytime I have had decoys out and I called birds into a field, they have responded well coming into the decoys. Hens, jakes and gobblers have all come to my decoys. I never leave the house without them.

[layin on the smackdown]

I generally hunt turkeys with a bow out of a blind, and on or in a field edge...with that set up, i always use dec's. However, if i am hunting with someone who wants to run and gun, the dec's stay in the blind, and off we go...

[redkneck]

I move too much to bother with 'em.

Too much trouble to bother with for me.

My thoughts exactly. Havent even used one in the last two years since my lab got to my last one.

[PA_Spike_King]

I always have a couple decoys with me, but I dont use them on every set-up. I usually dont bother putting them out when Im hunting in the woods, but when Im set up on the edge of a big field I use them every time. I can honestly say that everytime I have had decoys out and I called birds into a field, they have responded well coming into the decoys. Hens, jakes and gobblers have all come to my decoys. I never leave the house without them.

This is what I would say word for word, thanks Ethan. Now I don't have to type so much. LOL

[Turkeygirl]

I usually take a hen along with me...sometimes the jake as well. I've had good luck with sticking a single hen out in a field...They work better in the spring than the fall IMO. Sometimes though there's no time to throw a decoy out....

[slaw]

it's a hit or miss thing, I've had them come running from 300 yards away trying to be the first one there...other times ....no phase.....open field I'd say use a decoy....more times than not

[bbgatech]

I've had mixed success with them. The first gobbler I ever killed was next to my decoy. So we're the hens that came in first to talk some smack with the hen decoy. I've killed em without decoys also. If anything its diffidently not a sure fire thing. Maybe just a part of an overall setup. This is something you gotta wonder about as decoys out there look better than others. Can the birds tell? Who knows. I'll still care one with me.