1) take a decoy to a non-quota WMA (report back on your easy success.)

2) no camo....lol.

3) wrong decoy use? No knowledge of how to use them for success? Really? Broad group your lumping a lot a turkey hunters into.

4) no woodsmanship required? Gobbler sees decoy and comes right in? Maybe on those Worth County private quail plantations they do.

5) no thought process needed to use decoys...I dont even know how to counter that...lol.

I like decoys

funky chicken....

You won't have them running off using Jake decoy as a general rule.you put a big tom decoy out there in full strut your going to have turkeys that won't come in whether they got there butt kicked or intimidated by them they do have a pecking order but there are exceptions to everything.

You do realize I got my start on Chickasawhatchee right, lol?? About as public as one can get. And that was after the quota hunts, lol.

And yeah, no camo required. Tell me how kids kill them without a blind, sitting in dad’s lap, talking and moving? That turkey is focused on the decoy.

Yeah, wrong choice of decoys. These gobbler decoys will work half the time. I stated, DSD Jake and hen. How do I know, I’ve used them all until I figured it out. If something doesn’t work, don’t use it. I’ve NEVER had a gobbler shy away from a single jake or jake/hen combo.

Again, throw a decoy out where you know some turkeys are, make something that resembles turkey sounds and wait. Yes, it even works on WMA’s…been there done that.

So tell me other than knowing which decoys to use and not to use them in thick areas, what other thought process is there. Throw out decoys, sit back and wait. Better yet spot turkeys, sneak out and set decoy, get his attention, get your gun up.

Unless you’ve done it, you don’t know. Yes, I had a DSD hen and jake. Yes I killed a pile of turkeys off them on public land. Chickasaw, Flint River, Elmodel, and one other Hannahatchee maybe? Up near Stewart Co I think. And don’t get me started about when I started fanning turkeys, lol. I’ve walked behind a fan with gun in right hand and fan in the left and had them charge in.

So tell me that’s hunting??? Nah, that’s pure shooting!

Boy you’d think they’d kill them all then……………

I use decoys and a gobble shaker every time. Wouldn't leave home without it. OMG Karen's I hope I don't get shot this year!!

Clay not sure how it is in your state, but our numbers are dwindling. So how many folks to you know that killed a bird with decoys vs without?
Swamp, same question to you?
Now take those that killed with and add them back into the population. Now do that over our entire state or country and I wonder if we’d still be in a declining population.

Here’s a 20K acre WMA totals and a serious producing turkey county in the past…



No I’m not saying the numbers are down because of decoys, but they surely don’t help matters. If they weren’t effective, no one would be using them. I know people that will straight up tell you they would quit turkey hunting if they couldn’t use a decoy. Why? Because they can’t kill one without them.

decoys are useless when you can't see very far. Last 2 birds the boys shot we walked more hands and knees and could not see them untill they were killed at about 17 and 13 yards. less than a minute apart. Decoys stayed in the back pack. This was the 3rd attempt of the day on public land that morning. first to got blow by other hunters.

Year before same thing except my youngest was small and didn't pull the trigger on the bird waiting for it to stop after his brother had smoked his under 15 yards. Naturally it didn't stop .

My youngest spot and stalked his first turkey by himself no call or decoy and killed his bird with cheap kids bow at 7 years old wearing a bright orang shirt red shorts and cheap black rual king rubber boots .

when I have had toms off in a distance they hang up or decide To stay with the hens with them and don't run over like they do on TV. Good chance I'm doing something wrong never been a big turkey hunter. Decoys seem more like a hindrance packing them around and have cost my boys birds when I try to get out 15 yard in front of us and set them up when I should have stayed put and called not realizing the bird was as close as it was.

I do both. If I am running and gunning, I go commando and leave the decoys in the truck. I save the decoys for hunting out of a blind.

WB's opinions and theories about decoy use is not what I have experienced in my 35 + years of turkey hunting. Both public (where I started) or private tracts.

I don’t know of anyone that can go to an open non-quota WMA or NF, dressed in no camo/not in a blind, set up a decoy(s), and be guaranteed a gobbler kill....without any woodsmanship knowledge. Some turkey knowledge, area knowledge, and at least a minimal plan is needed.

It also isn't even close to being a guarantee on most private tracts.

Decoy use is NOT even a blip on the radar of turkey limiting factors....come on WannaBe! Lol

Just wow.



Wow.


I don’t want to get banned so…..


I’ll just say wow.

Lol

Yup. Sounds like wanna be is living up to his/her name.

Once again… wow.

Nah. I’m good.

What do I know about hunting turkeys in multiple states. Both private and public.

Nothing, that’s what. Just because there are a pile of dead turkeys don’t mean nothing Swamp.

Dude grew up hunting some weird named area that most of us haven’t heard of. Dudes an expert.

I’m practicing for when my boys are teenagers and know everything. How am I going?

No decoy, just need one of them reaper fans. See one out in the field and walk/crawl right up to it and blast the stupid bird.

It get shot in the face doing it .

It's worth the risk. Them birds are real trophies you know.

Haha, ok if they don’t work, why use them, lol?? Seems that question is ignored throughout this entire conversation.

Delaware Rob, I’ve hunted birds all over this Country. All public land, all without even thinking of carrying a decoy, but willing to eat tag soup if necessary. So what is your argument here? You make comments but add nothing to the conversation. Do you use decoys? If so why? If you can kill a pile of dead birds, why the decoys? Guessing you must have a flock to get this upset, lol. The places mentioned, if you had reading comprehension, was WMA’s that Swamp should know of and I’m guessing use his powers to pull up my name on said WMA’s.

Not taking anything away from anyone using them, good on ya if you do. And if you can’t kill turkeys with a decoy or fan, then turkey hunting just ain’t for you.

Here ya go Swamp, Chickasaw WMA April 2016. Clearcut near Bullpen Gate. Heard turkeys the evening before in the swamp. Went next morning set up decoys in clearcut next to the swamp, made a few calls and waited. I knew if anything saw the decoys they’d come in. Bird never made a peep, but came in from who knows where and got killed. I say who knows where because he came from across the clearcut and not the swamp, lol. Do you really think calling a public land bird across a clearcut is gonna happen if he can’t see anything? Nah, you know better than that, lol.



Yeah, the ole DSD Jake and Standing Hen, except she was at the jakes feet.

Y’all decoy folks get mighty upset over things that don’t work.

But.....it's not a guarantee....as you stated.

Not even close.

Surely your not basing your dislike of decoys on that one lonely Chickasawhatchee WMA gobbler....are you?

Did you kill a gobbler every time you used those Dave Smith decoys?

My AvianX HDRs are very realistic, but I can't make a 100% kill rate claim...lol. Most times they are useless.

Some of you are awfully judgmental of the way other people kill stupid birds. LOL

Yup