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Done with decoys

cm1021 said:
Decoys can help and they can hurt. It's all situational. There was a hunt this year that if I would of had a decoy or two out, the birds would have died. It just depends on where they're at in breeding cycle I believe.

One thing that I think is almost fool proof, fanning. I never tried it until this year. I don't think that I'll ever do it again, but I see why people who can't or won't kill in the traditional way do it.
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What is fanning ?
 
cm1021 said:
Decoys can help and they can hurt. It's all situational. There was a hunt this year that if I would of had a decoy or two out, the birds would have died. It just depends on where they're at in breeding cycle I believe.

One thing that I think is almost fool proof, fanning. I never tried it until this year. I don't think that I'll ever do it again, but I see why people who can't or won't kill in the traditional way do it.
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I watched 2 idiots fan one this morning in Lincoln county. Bird was not coming to calling, theirs or mine, or their decoys. They brought out the fan and it pulled him back just close enough for them to shoot twice and cripple the bird. What a waste. Another week and he woulda been done with his hens and been easy to call in.
 
gladesman60 said:
I watched 2 idiots fan one this morning in Lincoln county. Bird was not coming to calling, theirs or mine, or their decoys. They brought out the fan and it pulled him back just close enough for them to shoot twice and cripple the bird. What a waste. Another week and he woulda been done with his hens and been easy to call in.
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Makes my blood boil. The new tactics bring out the worst hunters it seems.
 
Only thing I've ever had come to my decoy was a coyote that attacked it, and some heifers that also attacked. Haha.. I am how ever trying to learn the 2 sides of this issue. My question now for those who disagree with the use of the decoy is, does this also apply to ducks, deer, and etc..? Thanks for the cordial response in advance..no hate here on the upper east side.
 
Sasquatch Boogie Outdoors said:
My question now for those who disagree with the use of the decoy is, does this also apply to ducks, deer, and etc..?
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As someone who doesn't care one way or the other, I'll give my opinion concerning the debate.

When decoys were first being used, it was just a hen decoy. Success with them was iffy. Open field, and a gobbler might come , or he might come a ways and just strut in place wanting her to come to him. In the woods, they aren't so much an attractant as they can be used to get the gobblers focus to allow one to move a little to get a shot.

Then, some started adding a jake. This upped the success odds to some degree, especially as the decoys became more realistic looking.

Then came the full strut decoys. This changed things, especially hunting field gobblers. The "boss" gobbler a lot if times would view it as a threat and come charging in to defend his harem. It definitely works, but often times doesn't with subdominant birds because they don't want a fight. This is where the argument comes in that this made killing the dominant gobbler too easy and it could disrupt the flocks reproduction cycle.

Then came the full fan decoys that one could easily carry. They could then crawl behind it toward the gobbler. Many times, the gobbler would again charge the intruder, and if not, then would hold their ground enabling one to get close enough for a shot. Not full proof, but does work a lot of times.

So, there is it is unless I've forgotten something.
 
PalsPal said:
As someone who doesn't care one way or the other, I'll give my opinion concerning the debate.

When decoys were first being used, it was just a hen decoy. Success with them was iffy. Open field, and a gobbler might come , or he might come a ways and just strut in place wanting her to come to him. In the woods, they aren't so much an attractant as they can be used to get the gobblers focus to allow one to move a little to get a shot.

Then, some started adding a jake. This upped the success odds to some degree, especially as the decoys became more realistic looking.

Then came the full strut decoys. This changed things, especially hunting field gobblers. The "boss" gobbler a lot if times would view it as a threat and come charging in to defend his harem. It definitely works, but often times doesn't with subdominant birds because they don't want a fight. This is where the argument comes in that this made killing the dominant gobbler too easy and it could disrupt the flocks reproduction cycle.

Then came the full fan decoys that one could easily carry. They could then crawl behind it toward the gobbler. Many times, the gobbler would again charge the intruder, and if not, then would hold their ground enabling one to get close enough for a shot. Not full proof, but does work a lot of times.

So, there is it is unless I've forgotten something.
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I hear you, so if a person was anti turkey decoy are they anti duck, anti deer decoy also or just turkeys? Not that it matters to because I'm so bad at turkey hunting I can barely get one in my buggy at the grocery store let alone call one to me..
 
Sasquatch Boogie Outdoors said:
I hear you, so if a person was anti turkey decoy are they anti duck, anti deer decoy also or just turkeys?
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I think they are opposed mostly to the ones that upped the odds of a kill. It would be like the robo-duck decoys. They were outlawed in several states because they tipped the odds too much in the hunter's favor, and it no longer became fair chase. Same can be said for the gobbler and reaping decoys.
 
PalsPal said:
I think they are opposed mostly to the ones that upped the odds of a kill. It would be like the robo-duck decoys. They were outlawed in several states because they tipped the odds too much in the hunter's favor, and it no longer became fair chase. Same can be said for the gobbler and reaping decoys.
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Gotcha... I didnt realize this was a "thing" until reading it here a few days ago....learning every day.
 
Sasquatch Boogie Outdoors said:
Gotcha... I didnt realize this was a "thing" until reading it here a few days ago....learning every day.
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I used to not care what anyone used. I never used them first of all because they were illegal when I was young, they looked dumb, and I didn't want to carry them.
Then they became popular. And just watching how they marketed them on TV and how easy it looked just turned me off. Still though I never worried about them.

But what made me hate them has been the last decade or so how so many folks have begun to shoot turkeys and lots of them and brag about it. It's unsporting. Nothing more to add. And lots of the decoy folks get really offended when you speak out about how much easier they make it. Just because it's legal don't make it ok.

Anyways with ducks, I'm not a duck hunter first of all. But the sport of duck hunting is setting out your decoy spread in a realistic fashion, and calling birds and working them to land into your decoy spread. When they commit, you get up and shoot them. Real duck hunters don't swing shoot or sky bust or shoot birds that didn't commit.
The sport of turkey hunting is similar in the way that you work the bird, call him into shotgun range looking for a hen, and shooting him. If you set up wrong he hangs up out of range or sees you or spooks another way. Decoys take that element out and makes it easier. Fanning and decoying pasture birds is equivalent to sky busting or swing shooting ducks. Yea you killed the bird, great. But did you do it right?? Heck no. Sporting and fair?? Nope.
 
woodsman04 said:
I used to not care what anyone used. I never used them first of all because they were illegal when I was young, they looked dumb, and I didn't want to carry them.
Then they became popular. And just watching how they marketed them on TV and how easy it looked just turned me off. Still though I never worried about them.

But what made me hate them has been the last decade or so how so many folks have begun to shoot turkeys and lots of them and brag about it. It's unsporting. Nothing more to add. And lots of the decoy folks get really offended when you speak out about how much easier they make it. Just because it's legal don't make it ok.

Anyways with ducks, I'm not a duck hunter first of all. But the sport of duck hunting is setting out your decoy spread in a realistic fashion, and calling birds and working them to land into your decoy spread. When they commit, you get
The sport of turkey hunting is similar in the way that you work the bird, call him into shotgun range looking for a hen, and shooting him. If you set up wrong he hangs up out of range or sees you or spooks another way. Decoys take that element out and makes it easier. Fanning and decoying pasture birds is equivalent to sky busting or swing shooting ducks. Yea you killed the bird, great. But did you do it right?? Heck no. Sporting and fai
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couldn't agree more, add in blinds and it is absolutely not fair chase IMO. It takes zero woodsmanship or skill to utilize these tactics

Save the they ruin more hunts than help argument, if that were true no one would use them.
 
Ducks and turkeys are totally different animals, and so is the sport of hunting them. There are lots of advances technology has given to hunters over the years, but some give way too big an advantage, particularly those that take zero skill to use. And I'll quote Setterman, "if they didn't work, no one would use them". They are a very hot item for one reason, they work.
 
woodsman04 said:
I used to not care what anyone used. I never used them first of all because they were illegal when I was young, they looked dumb, and I didn't want to carry them.
Then they became popular. And just watching how they marketed them on TV and how easy it looked just turned me off. Still though I never worried about them.

But what made me hate them has been the last decade or so how so many folks have begun to shoot turkeys and lots of them and brag about it. It's unsporting. Nothing more to add. And lots of the decoy folks get really offended when you speak out about how much easier they make it. Just because it's legal don't make it ok.

Anyways with ducks, I'm not a duck hunter first of all. But the sport of duck hunting is setting out your decoy spread in a realistic fashion, and calling birds and working them to land into your decoy spread. When they commit, you get up and shoot them. Real duck hunters don't swing shoot or sky bust or shoot birds that didn't commit.
The sport of turkey hunting is similar in the way that you work the bird, call him into shotgun range looking for a hen, and shooting him. If you set up wrong he hangs up out of range or sees you or spooks another way. Decoys take that element out and makes it easier. Fanning and decoying pasture birds is equivalent to sky busting or swing shooting ducks. Yea you killed the bird, great. But did you do it right?? Heck no. Sporting and fair?? Nope.
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I appreciate the explanation. I never duck hunted so I didnt know that it's ok for those decoys but not turkey. I also didnt know there was a wrong time to shoot one! Haha...wouldn't matter to me cause I couldn't hit one if it landed in the blind with me...while I'm at it, someone mentioned that turkey blinds made an unfair advantage....does that apply to ducks? Sorry, I'm just learning as I go.
 
Sasquatch Boogie Outdoors said:
I appreciate the explanation. I never duck hunted so I didnt know that it's ok for those decoys but not turkey. I also didnt know there was a wrong time to shoot one! Haha...wouldn't matter to me cause I couldn't hit one if it landed in the blind with me...while I'm at it, someone mentioned that turkey blinds made an unfair advantage....does that apply to ducks? Sorry, I'm just learning as I go.
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Ducks and deer are different animals. Hunting them requires different tactics, some of which can overlap and be ethical or legal and some cannot. They are both hunting, but way different.
 
poorhunter said:
Ducks and deer are different animals. Hunting them requires different tactics, some of which can overlap and be ethical or legal and some cannot. They are both hunting, but way different.
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I believe all becomes a matter of perspective & circumstance.

Realize that the "average" TN turkey hunter is hunting a private property of less than 50 acres in size.

The "traditional run & gun" style turkey hunting that many of us most PREFER may not be feasible at all on a very small acreage. And this is the situation of most TN turkey hunters, at least regarding the bulk of their opportunities to go turkey hunting.

Should they just not go turkey hunting because their property is just too small to "run & gun"?
 
TheLBLman said:
I believe all becomes a matter of perspective & circumstance.

Realize that the "average" TN turkey hunter is hunting a private property of less than 50 acres in size.

The "traditional run & gun" style turkey hunting that many of us most PREFER may not be feasible at all on a very small acreage. And this is the situation of most TN turkey hunters, at least regarding the bulk of their opportunities to go turkey hunting.

Should they just not go turkey hunting because their property is just too small to "run & gun"?
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If someone doesn't have the ability to do their part to manage the resource, then no, they shouldn't go hunting. For instance, I don't duck hunt on any of the properties I have to hunt…there just aren't enough ducks. Same with elk in my neck of the woods. Fifty acres isn't much to be able to kill a turkey on, especially if every other landowner with 50 acres around kills turkeys too. You know it, and agree…we must be aware of the surrounding properties and the turkey populations on them not just our own to sustain good hunting. I have over 2000 acres of private lands to hunt spread out over maybe 10-15 square miles, and I try my best to pay attention to what's going on with game on all the other properties around that I don't hunt. If one can't/won't do that then I'd rather they didn't hunt at all. What people see is a liberal bag limit and a long season and automatically think kill 'em all.
 

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