# Decoys?



## hplayer13 (Nov 3, 2008)

How do you guys usually set up your decoys? I'm using 2 hens and a jake and will most likely be set up in the middle of a field between 2 large trees with thick woods surrounding it.


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

I have never found them to be of any real help. Fact is I have had them spook turkeys more often than not.

I move around to much to be carrying around decoys or blinds for that matter.


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## TommyB (Nov 15, 2007)

I always face them in the direction of my blind...


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## fowllanguage (Mar 23, 2008)

multibeard said:


> I have never found them to be of any real help. Fact is I have had them spook turkeys more often than not.
> 
> I move around to much to be carrying around decoys or blinds for that matter.




I agree with multibeard 100%. In a way I believe decoys are overrated, I prefer more of a "RUN&GUN" style of hunting. I like to stay on the move and find the hot bird that day. Decoys have rarely worked for me and they just slow me down.


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## hplayer13 (Nov 3, 2008)

the problem is that I only have 80 acres to hunt on which may seem like more than enough but it really isn't, especially when I start to get near the houses and cows. thats why the run and gun situation doesn't seem too probable.


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## cedarlkDJ (Sep 2, 2002)

hplayer13 said:


> the problem is that I only have 80 acres to hunt on which may seem like more than enough but it really isn't, especially when I start to get near the houses and cows. thats why the run and gun situation doesn't seem too probable.


 same here........ I hunt mostly on 80 that a friend lets me hunt.....I get one every year over dekes....I've seen them bust right in and be real shy and stay away......just never know!


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## cedarlkDJ (Sep 2, 2002)

if you want to know all about how to hunt a turkey.....you have to read Thunderheads posts.......http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=270749
never met the guy, but would like too...he's taught me a thing or two on this site


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## lilsean95 (Mar 6, 2007)

Decoys can be great if used in the right situation. I have used them here in MI but never in Missouri. I see the difference in the dominate birds here in MI arent like to dominate birds in MO. Here in MI its still cold during the early season and the birds are looking to feed and not as fired up as the early season in MO where the temp is in the mid 60's to mid 70 and the snow has been gone for months and the acorns and food is readily available so setup in MO is find the hot dominate bird and work him into range.
While in MI finding a dominate bird in the early season has been hard for me in the 100 acres I hunt so I use decoys here in MI and have gotten a bird 5 straight years on the same 100 acres and each time the bird came running to the Tommy Boy and Girl setup in front of my Double Bull Blind. I like to RUN and GUN in MO but not here in MI. I do my scouting and find the routes that are being used setup the blinds and listen before the sun comes up and then setup in the blind the in near the roost.


So it really depends on the area you have to hunt and the weather here in MI. I still hunt MO and will hunting IN and IL this years all area I hunt differently Good Luck


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## FMann (May 12, 2007)

I have the same type of Decoys you have but have never used them with any luck. As stated above I use the Run&Gun system for most of my turkey hunting. I found that the decoys are to cumbersome for my personal style of hunting, but lost of birds are killed each year over decoys. The one time I had them out I found the Turkeys stayed just out of range waiting for the hens to leave the small Jake I had out to be with the "Big Tom". I found like most anything else its more about location and good calling than having decoys in the field. If you set up where the turkeys WANT to be then you have nothing to wory about.


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## duckcommander101 (Jan 14, 2003)

I guess it depends on the situation.

Run and Gun, no decoys.

Sit and call, I use two hens and maybe a jake. 

This also depends on who I am hunting with, I often have a youngster with me so I do not put out the jake. This is strictly becuase I belive that a jake decoy will sometimes prevent another jake from coming in and with a young hunter they do not worry about their quarry being a mature tom so I leave the option of killing a jake open that way.


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## melvvin (Nov 21, 2007)

I use two hens and sometimes 1 jake if the toms are aggressive at the time. Shot alot of birds over decoys and like em because they draw the birds attention away from you when your calling. When I set up the hens I run em walking parallel to my setup. When I use a jake I angle him a little to the left of the hen thats nearest to him with him headed straight to her. When the tom comes he gets right between the two of them. Decoys are very effective whaen used right and not hard to use. Nothing beats a big tom coming into your calling seeing the decoys and going into a full strut up close its what turkey hunting is all about.


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## NEMichsportsman (Jul 3, 2001)

I hunt over dekes most of the time. They have always seemed to help me visualize my shot setup.The ability to quickly survey my surroundings and plan my shot is one of the essential elements of a successful set-up.

I think almost every bird that I have taken came into the dekes the way that I hoped. Of course almost every bird that I haven't had a chance to take- surprised me...(we've all had those toms that came in quiet and quickly disappeared when we twitched) so I guess its not all that scientific! A good decoy setup has always seemed to give me a sense of confidence and security. 

Like anything in the world of hunting you are going to get alot of different opinions.


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## unclecbass (Sep 29, 2005)

I have found decoys and blind to be great if you are hunting an area with open fields or food plots that you know the gobblers are likely to frequent. On the other hand, when I run and gun I dont take the dekes or the blind with me.


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## BWHUNTR (Oct 3, 2008)

*I have found that the decoys work less in my favor than in my favor. Birds that are not pressured and have not been called to too many times, decoys will work, and work magnificently. Its just like anything else we hunt in this state............it doesn't take long for the hunted to become educated. :sad:*
*I have had more success over the years runnen and gunnen :evil: *


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## Gobblerman (Dec 19, 2004)

When I use decoys it is usually 1 hen, it all depends on the birds. Early and late season seem to work best for decoys. When I hunt pressured birds I do not use decoys. This year I think I'm going to try a full strut decoy for the first time. I'm not sure how it will work, however I'm always looking for new ways to ad to the hunt.

Good luck to all of you this spring. Hunt safe.


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## LungBuster 21 (Oct 5, 2006)

Last year I used a full mounted tom in full strut and he worked awesome. Each time he was taken out he was spurred by multiple longbeards!!:yikes: I only use it on private land where I know what the birds are doing.


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## Acts 11:7 (Mar 28, 2007)

The last two seasons I have only used a Jake decoy. Both seasons combined lasted a total of 19 minutes. I set the jake on a high spot in a clearing. The toms in my area all fight over this strutt zone. Both years I had Toms come running in to attack the jake as soon as they left the roost. In fact two years ago the double my buddy and I pulled off, the toms were with hens, saw the jake and immediately left them to come and fight. I am not an expert by any means. I would note that both years we hunted the first hunt, the third week of April. I'll be in the same spot in a few more weeks with the same set up. :bouncy:HE HE HE!!!


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## Mitchell Ulrich (Sep 10, 2007)

pre season scouting will do far more for you than a decoy. Once you determine travel routes, everything else tends to fall into place. Even calling can be reduced to soft and infrequent.

Mitch


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## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

the only time I use the dek is when I know that when the turkey finally comes in view he will be right on top of me then I will set the dek away from me to get the eye balls off me.


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## Biggsy (Apr 9, 2008)

I have killed birds with and without deks. I prefer to use a decoy and I use a single hen dek and always face her away from me because I don't want the tom to think she sees something alarming and he might look to see what she looking at. I was thinking I would like to try a struting tom dek with the hen but money is tight so maybe next year I'll make the purchase. I've never seen a goobler hesitate or scared away after it saw my dek but i have seen some ugly hen decoys out there.:tdo12: :lol:

Biggsy


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