Decoys

[Gwtaylor]

What's your thoughts on the use of decoys.
1- setting up on logging roads
2- setting up in woods
3- setting up in Field edge

Also if you use what is your set up?

 

[Boll Weevil]

Not necessary.
Not necessary.
Not necessary.

 

[megalomaniac]

I like to use a hen decoy when setting up on a bird that will have a long line of sight between himself and my position. Usually that's 20-25 yds out in the field when hunting birds roosted on the edge of the field and will be flying down into the open field. This has to be done in the pitch black dark... do it when it's getting a little bit light and you will end up doing more damage than good.

I think decoys actually hurt your hunting while in the woods. They usually aren't necessary if you set up in a location where the bird has to come into range to be able to see where you are calling from, and I honestly think you end up spooking more birds trying to place a decoy in the woods.

I don't have any long straight logging roads, but they could be useful in that situation if there is no terrain feature on the road to create a visual barrier between you and the tom.

I will say this, they really only help with toms in the right mood... fired up, see the decoy, and come running. Most wary toms will watch the decoy from a distance, and either lose interest if it doesn't move, or realize it is not a real hen and not come to investigate.

 

[ruger7mag]

Not necessary.
Not necessary.
Not necessary.

Nailed it

 

[Andy S.]

For what it is worth, I am personally not a fan of them, at all. I think they account for 5-7k mature gobblers killed annually, if not more, that would survive without the use of visual decoys. Without decoys, these mature gobblers would survive the entire season to continually breed the hens if need be, and survive to see another season, and gobble from the roost the next year, basically having some carryover gobbling turkeys if you will.

The single most thing I dislike about decoys is how deadly they are "in open areas" on the "most mature birds" (> 1.25" spurs) early season before all of the hens are bred. These are the mature birds that most hunters could NOT kill otherwise, and these are the mature male birds the entire local flock needs the most to ensure all of the hens are bred throughout June. When they are shot the first weekend over a strutter decoy or in front of a fan, there's not much they can do to help us grow the flock.

My .02

 

[Setterman]

Decoys aren't necessary under any circumstances in my opinion. Sure field birds can be tough, but instead of making it a shooting match make it a hunt and face the challenge with no decoys.

Without decoys our harvest might be half of what it is now. The biggest issues I have with them are they allow the super dominant birds to be taken leaving hens that may go unfertilized because the other gobblers are beaten into submission by the time the season opens. They also allow hunters who have no chance of being successful to have a very easy avenue to harvest birds.

Set up smart, hunt smart, and learn how the birds use the land you're hunting. That's the recipe for killing lots of turkeys without a Chinese imitation.

 

[megalomaniac]

...
The single most thing I dislike about decoys is how deadly they are "in open areas" on the "most mature birds" (> 1.25" spurs) early season before all of the hens are bred. These are the mature birds that most hunters could NOT kill otherwise, and these are the mature male birds the entire local flock needs the most to ensure all of the hens are bred throughout June. When they are shot the first weekend over a strutter decoy or in front of a fan, there's not much they can do to help us grow the flock.

My .02

Andy, old birds are virtually nonexistent at this point. Very, very few birds with 1.25" spurs or better in the wild

 

[Andy S.]

^^^^ You need to get on social media and see for yourself . I've seen more birds with > 1.25" spurs killed the first two weeks of season than I have seen in a LOOOOONG time. The "victory pic" has a decoy spread with a strutter in the back more times than not. Before decoys were cool and a major crutch, we used to have a saying "May equals old birds". In short, we were saying he finally ran out of hens in the month of May and we got him to play the game last two weeks of season, and we actually won a game every now and then. Now, with the use of struuter decoys, those same birds are running away from a harem of hens early April and dying the first week of season. Not good for the local population, or the future of the sport.

 

[Setterman]

...
The single most thing I dislike about decoys is how deadly they are "in open areas" on the "most mature birds" (> 1.25" spurs) early season before all of the hens are bred. These are the mature birds that most hunters could NOT kill otherwise, and these are the mature male birds the entire local flock needs the most to ensure all of the hens are bred throughout June. When they are shot the first weekend over a strutter decoy or in front of a fan, there's not much they can do to help us grow the flock.

My .02

Andy, old birds are virtually nonexistent at this point. Very, very few birds with 1.25" spurs or better in the wild

There may not be a ton of birds with greater than 1.25" Spurs, however there's a ton of dominant birds that die the first week of the season when lured away by a strutter decoy. I'd bet 70% of the birds killed the first week are field birds with decoys.

What are the impacts of removing the primary breeders before they have a chance to breed? Are the subordinate birds able to pick up the slack or are they so beaten down they won't go near hens even when he's gone.

This is why I say the single most impactful thing that could help the population is get rid of the dang decoys. Look at Alabama, they legalized them and their population has been on a steady decline since.

Any hunter can stake out a decoy in a field and when the dominant bird sees it, he runs in a dies. Explain how this is good for the population?

 

[bloodtrailing]

I wish I could get on these decoy crazed field turkeys. I hunt open fields with limited access to woods due to property lines. I have yet to have a long beard come into a decoy, in fact it is just he opposite. I have experience with both gobblers alone and those with hens. I have hens and jakes come to my decoy. I have quit using them and resorted to deer hunting field birds or bird watching, both are low on fun.

 

[Andy S.]

I wish I could get on these decoy crazed field turkeys.

You are definitely in the minority. Do you ever look on social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc)? It is SATURATED with kill pics of 3+ year old turkeys next to a strutting gobbler decoy. 99% of the time, it is in open areas (fields, pastures, yards, etc). I understand folks that could not care less about social media, such as myself, but looking at kill pics on such sites is very eye opening and telling of the preferred methods of today's younger hunters (< 35). There is no way anyone with half a brain can tell me, or anyone else, that is good for sustaining the turkey population and the future of the sport. If we are going to continue to accept it, other measures need to be put in place to ensure some of these mature birds have a greater chance of surviving for a longer portion of the season so they can be available to breed the hens when necessary.

 

[Andy S.]

There may not be a ton of birds with greater than 1.25" Spurs, however there's a ton of dominant birds that die the first week of the season when lured away by a strutter decoy. I'd bet 70% of the birds killed the first week are field birds with decoys.

Exactly the point I was making. Sure, some of the spurs that hunters claim to be 1.25" are really 1.125", but my point remains the same.

 

[bloodtrailing]

My guess/stereotype/whatever is the posts on facebook are the "hey I got one" folks that just need to have people think they are a hunter. I would not be surprised that bait is more what caused the turkey to die rather than skill, decoys, or master calling which they claim one of those. I do not put much credit on fakebook.

 

[bloodtrailing]

I wish I could get on these decoy crazed field turkeys.

You are definitely in the minority. Do you ever look on social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc)? It is SATURATED with kill pics of 3+ year old turkeys next to a strutting gobbler decoy. 99% of the time, it is in open areas (fields, pastures, yards, etc). I understand folks that could not care less about social media, such as myself, but looking at kill pics on such sites is very eye opening and telling of the preferred methods of today's younger hunters (< 35). There is no way anyone with half a brain can tell me, or anyone else, that is good for sustaining the turkey population and the future of the sport. If we are going to continue to accept it, other measures need to be put in place to ensure some of these mature birds have a greater chance of surviving for a longer portion of the season so they can be available to breed the hens when necessary.

I would say that the limits need to be changed rather than the methods if too many are being killed.

 

[Goodtimekiller]

For what it is worth, I am personally not a fan of them, at all. I think they account for 5-7k mature gobblers killed annually, if not more, that would survive without the use of visual decoys. Without decoys, these mature gobblers would survive the entire season to continually breed the hens if need be, and survive to see another season, and gobble from the roost the next year, basically having some carryover gobbling turkeys if you will.

The single most thing I dislike about decoys is how deadly they are "in open areas" on the "most mature birds" (> 1.25" spurs) early season before all of the hens are bred. These are the mature birds that most hunters could NOT kill otherwise, and these are the mature male birds the entire local flock needs the most to ensure all of the hens are bred throughout June. When they are shot the first weekend over a strutter decoy or in front of a fan, there's not much they can do to help us grow the flock.

My .02

How do you feel about calls?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Andy S.]

I would say that the limits need to be changed rather than the methods if too many are being killed.

I'd be fine with that.

If we are going to continue to accept it, other measures need to be put in place to ensure some of these mature birds have a greater chance of surviving for a longer portion of the season so they can be available to breed the hens when necessary.

 

[Andy S.]

I do not put much credit on fakebook.

Me either, but after seeing beaucoups of the same style "victory pic", I'd say the strutter decoy in the field in the background has some merit.

 

[Andy S.]

How do you feel about calls?

Calls take time to master, and some will never take the time to master them, unlike a decoy that takes 5 seconds to set up and deer hunt over. Calls definitely tip the odds in a hunters favor during SOME of the spring mating season, but by far, they are not a 100% death sentence to the majority of mature gobblers like strutting decoys are. I can assure you, and anyone else that wants to listen, that the turkey population will NEVER be in jeopardy because of hunters, like you and I, just using calls. Simply stated, calls are just not "instantly" effective like a decoy, especially on the dominant 3+ year old birds, that do most of the breeding.

 

[poorhunter]

For what it is worth, I am personally not a fan of them, at all. I think they account for 5-7k mature gobblers killed annually, if not more, that would survive without the use of visual decoys. Without decoys, these mature gobblers would survive the entire season to continually breed the hens if need be, and survive to see another season, and gobble from the roost the next year, basically having some carryover gobbling turkeys if you will.

The single most thing I dislike about decoys is how deadly they are "in open areas" on the "most mature birds" (> 1.25" spurs) early season before all of the hens are bred. These are the mature birds that most hunters could NOT kill otherwise, and these are the mature male birds the entire local flock needs the most to ensure all of the hens are bred throughout June. When they are shot the first weekend over a strutter decoy or in front of a fan, there's not much they can do to help us grow the flock.

My .02

How do you feel about calls?



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I may be misunderstanding your point about calls, but there is a vast difference in effectiveness of decoys vs calls. I think even Setterman uses calls! The problem that Andy and Setterman are talking about is how effective decoys are at killing turkeys (specifically mature breeders) that basically requires no skill. Anyone can put a decoy in the ground and kill turkeys now, which is very different than calling one to you staying still be in the right place at the right time etc etc. This is causing a reduction of effective breeding going on which reduces overall population health.

 

[REN]

reducing the harvest is not the answer although it will have somewhat an impact and im fine with it. I say that because you would be AMAZED how may guys "forget" to do an online check-in for a bird. you outlaw certain methods and it is much easier to catch IMO