Turkey Decoys

[am10nxw]

I'm new to Turkey hunting.

How important are Turkey decoy? If you didn't have any would you still go hunt turkey? Would it be pure luck to hunt without them?

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[fatlander]

Decoys certainly have their place.

Do you need them? Not at all. Many more turkeys have been killed without decoys than with them.

It’s all situational. If you’re hunting a large field or very open area you may have to have them. A turkeys eyes are his best asset. If he can’t see you from 100 yards in the wide open, he’s not going to come 80 more yards closer to not see you.

In thick country, you don’t really need them. By the time the turkey is to a point he could see the hen, he’s already dead.

If you’re getting decoys a quality 1/4 strut Jake and upright hen would be my purchases, in that order. Gobblers will come to fight the jake.


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[vanish]

Archery hunting is much more difficult without them, but I find in most gun situations that you might burn yourself making the extra movement to set up a decoy when you could have just killed the bird without.

 

[Olsolitaire1]

As stated above, no you don't really need one. A few years ago I walked across a wide span of open ground, sat on the edge of a gully with oak brush & timber , called and bam gobble from the open ground I just walked. Gobble again then stopped and then there he was looking right down my barrel, bam!

 

[am10nxw]

I'm using a shotgun hunting in mountains, mostly forest. I've got a box call, some camo, and the hiking gear I need. It seems like I can put off buying decoys until next year.

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[vanish]

I just saw you're in CO. Definitely don't need decoys for the mountain birds. You can often use the terrain to close within 60 yards and still be out of sight of the bird. I'd much rather be lighter and more mobile anyway, as finding them has been the hardest part for me.

CO Eastern river bottoms is another story, as I've found out this past weekend. I was often at 200-300 yards with little way to get closer, and regretted not bringing my jake decoy.

 

[am10nxw]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I'm excited to get out in the woods the next few weekends.

 

[Poser]

I’ve never killed a turkey over a decoy and have grown to absolutely hate them and what they have done to the pursuit of turkey hunting.

 

[sveltri]

I think it really depends how you like to hunt them. I prefer to hunt without a blind and with a recurve or longbow. If you want to blast one at 40 yards and you have fairly dense cover you probably don't need them. I like to have them as close as possible, and love to watch them jack my jake decoy. I guess you could say I love them and what they've done for MY pursuit of turkey hunting.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

A place and time for everything. They can be great, or completely useless just dependent on the situation. I certainly wouldn't allow not having any keep me from turkey hunting, but they certainly can be fun to use!

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Go hunt...IMHO turkey hunting is more about being in the right place at the right time. Got know where they want to be. Sure if your working a certain bird and you need to close the distance a decoy is a nice trick in the bag..I killed a bird last week no decoys...right place and a couple soft calls at the right time. In the turkey woods patients are better than any decoy! 10 min past any number than you think your butt can get is when that tom will quietly walk into shotgun range! Go hunt and good luck!

 

[bowieknife50]

I carry an old foam folding hen decoy that was probably $15 at Walmart. Sometimes I use it when it's more open and the turkeys are going to be able to see where the call is coming from a long way off. I feel like in those situations they need the decoy to close the last bit into gun range. Like others I've killed plenty without one, especially when you can close distance yourself or in thick woods.


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[arcey]

Agree with using them for sure for archery. Gives them something to focus on while you draw your bow back. Gun obviously has a lot less movement

 

[Austink47]

Go hunt. For mountain birds I find decoys to more of a hindrance. I just try to have a blind spot behind me so the turkey can not eliminate the possibility of a hen being there without coming into range.

 

[ezmorningrebel]

No way I'm dragging full size decoys around in the mountains. I keep one of those montana miss purrfect decoys in my bag but it rarely comes out unless it hasn't greened up in the woods.

 

[FlyGuy]

I’m no expert but my .02 is they can be a hassle and unnecessary in many situations where you have birds sounding off early mornings. In those situations, just choosing a good set up will work better most of the time.

Once all the morning activity has died off though, I find they can be helpful. I’ve just set them up on a field that I know gobblers like to use for strutting and just say and cold called for a couple hours (~11am - 1pm). Had gobblers appear out of no where and run straight to the hen/drake combo without ever saying a word.






You can’t cheat the mountain

 

[huntineveryday]

It all depends on the terrain. The Tom is going to try and get to an open area within sight of the hens and strut around to draw them into him. With thick cover they they have move around more to get within site of the hens. With no decoys you can use the heavy cover to set up where the tom has to come looking to see then hens. Make him come around a corner, through a funnel, along a thick creek bottom, etc. Don't give him too much open ground to look at without being able to see a hen.

With more open terrain the tom can get to a clearing where the hen should see him more easily. Without decoys the Tom's can hang up, strutting around expecting the hens to see them and come in. If they don't see anything they usually move off after strutting in the open a while. A decoy can make a huge difference in those situations.

If I'm now hunting with my bow I always use a decoy. It just helps direct the birds more to the spot I want them to be for the shot. Or if I'm hunting with my kids and want the turkeys to put on a show up close.

 

[SNFarms]

It depends on the situation. I chased 2 Gobblers for 3 weeks this year. Watched them in a big field that they pitched in from a bluff. Sometimes there were 3 Jakes and they would try to beat up the biggest, boldest Jake. They would Gobble at my calls, but would never come to the treeline where I was. Finally, put a blind right smack dab in the middle of the field with a Jake decoy. They flew down, saw the Jake and ran over and bumped the Jake decoy and one of them ran into a face full of APEX 12 Gauge's.

 

[vanish]

I find in most gun situations that you might burn yourself making the extra movement to set up a decoy when you could have just killed the bird without.

So, I said this earlier in the thread, but I'll fully admit that we'd never have gotten the double we did earlier this year without the decoys out. They were very call shy but when they saw that jake they came in running. They got skeptical at about 10 yards from the dekes, but by then it was too late.

 

[am10nxw]

So far I haven't been able to find any turkeys. If I ever figure out how to find them, then I can figure out if I need decoys.

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