Do you use decoys are public land? If so what kind, Hens, Jakes or Toms? I hunt in the forrest where I can use decoys on logging roads, Open Red Pine Plantations and open Ridges.
I know that Jake or Tom decoys may not be the safest idea, but the hunting presume is not too bad.
Thanks for your input. If you use only hens, how many and upright or a feeding hen
a couple of hen decoys is all I would use on public land
Quote from: surehuntsalot on March 14, 2016, 10:51:25 PM
a couple of hen decoys is all I would use on public land
And they still might get shot...
There are some awfully stupid people out there...
If you use decoys on public areas, make sure you line up the decoys, so they do not line up with you if someone comes around that bend in the road...
For the most part I shy away from decks on public. Seems I have the best luck by setting up according to the lay of the land. I like to make them look for me.
I will use a feeding hen later in the season when the hunting pressure has dropped off. I don't use any during the first week or so of the season.
Probably not the best idea but I have used a DSD Strutter on public before.
Before my brother retired, he responded to a close shot from a load of turkey shot at a person sitting still against a tree using a hen turkey call. It was on a large WMA in North Florida. Very large. Tons of open room. I would have shot back. The guy lived.
I do not use decoys of any kind on public land, except one open field I hunt, where I can see hunters approaching in all directions. I set it up in a low spot so they can't see the deke until I have seen them.
Hen dekes work good in youth season on public before the birds get all fussed up by by the pressure. I never want a legal bird deke near me on public.
Quote from: Marc on March 14, 2016, 11:09:07 PM
There are some awfully stupid people out there...
My one dekes-on-public-land story.
I haven't used dekes since my very first year turkey hunting, but did get a quick education on what might happen. I was on National Forest land in New Mexico and had put out a couple of hens and a jake on an old logging road. About 9 AM I hear the unmistakable rumbling of a couple of ATVs. I can hear them from a long ways off. They are driving about 100 yards at a time, shutting off their ATVs, letting loose on their box calls, waiting about 10 seconds, and then repeating this every hundred yards or so. Really making an awful racket. These two fellows ramble up to within about 30 yards of my dekes, slam on the brakes, and freeze. When one of them slowly reached for his gun, I was sure they were going to shoot the jake. It eventually dawned on them that these weren't real turkeys. Maybe it was the complete and absolute lack of movement. Maybe it was because they had black stakes sticking out of their bellies. Then they started looking all over the place for me. I just sat there and watched --- they never spotted me and never said a word. After a couple of minutes they fired up their engines and started the whole process again a hundred yards down the logging road. I know these two were the same buttheads that earlier in the morning tried to shut out other hunters by swinging the forest road gate closed behind them.
Quote from: Gooserbat on March 15, 2016, 01:15:43 AM
For the most part I shy away from decks on public. Seems I have the best luck by setting up according to the lay of the land. I like to make them look for me.
Quote from: Marc on March 14, 2016, 11:09:07 PM
Quote from: surehuntsalot on March 14, 2016, 10:51:25 PM
a couple of hen decoys is all I would use on public land
And they still might get shot...
There are some awfully stupid people out there...
If you use decoys on public areas, make sure you line up the decoys, so they do not line up with you if someone comes around that bend in the road...
Very good advice. :icon_thumright:
Bob
Quote from: g8rvet on March 15, 2016, 12:20:09 PM
I would have shot back.
Sounds a little harsh without additional facts.
I escaped being shot a few years ago at 40 yards by a hunter who didn't know I was there. I walked to him, congratulated him on his gobbler (he wasn't calling and I had bee calling very softly and very well). I asked where he had been sitting, looked at my tree and the dead turkey and said a thank you prayer. I then went to another spot and missed a nice gobbler cleanly. As I had separated him from his hen, I determined to kill him that day and did so an hour after I missed him.
Public hunting is dangerous. There is much greed and ignorance out there. Shooting a human who is not intentionally shooting at you as a human is criminal. It is much safer to pursue civil action for negligence if warranted.
I took my kids and wife out once years ago on our hunting club. Now I wasn't expecting much dragging a 5 and 8 year old but we were having fun. Needless to say we struck out. However when we got back to the truck I cut loose with some cutting and was amazed a Tom cut loose in a small 40 acre patch of woods a couple hundred yards away from us. Well the wife sicced me on him and I started to circle around staying out of sight to get in that patch with the tom. I would cut at the tom every once in a while to keep him located and he was hot. Halfway to him I see this fellow sprinting across the field directly at the tom. I am talking about a dead run. Rifle at the ready. This guy was absolutely in a frenzy to kill this bird. Needless to say I just watched this nimrod proceed to rush in and the results were as expected. I hope the turkey got a good laugh at it. The point is that there be morons among those who claim to be turkey hunters. They will do anything to shoot a turkey and regulations much less safety are at the bottom of their list. So watch out for yourself cause guys like that sure aren't going to.
:character0029:DO NOT TRY IT ......I have a good friend who was shot on public land during youth season a couple years ago.No decoy was involved in this case.My buddy took his nephew to a very large open field and was glassing for birds mid-morning and decided to take a break and rest for a few minutes.Next thing you know BOOM!!A teenager had up and shot my friend.Don't risk it....to many idiots to take a gamble with your life.My friend is lucky to be alive...and the good folks who shot him didn't even try to help him with his Dr bills.... That's right....shot a man and just forget it ever happened!!
I use a DSD jake and a hen on public land.
I think everyone probably has a different situation than most. I hunt in places with that combo that I can see a long way off so in case there's a hunter creeping around, I don't get surprised. I'm usually bowhunting so I have a popup blind up as well so I'd hope someone would see that as well.
I usually flag down somebody before they get even near me. Good chance them walking around, "running and gunning" has pushed birds out of the area anyhow.
I only hunt public and decoys are part of the way I choose to hunt.
Quote from: silvestris on March 15, 2016, 08:40:03 PM
Quote from: g8rvet on March 15, 2016, 12:20:09 PM
I would have shot back.
Sounds a little harsh without additional facts.
I have the facts and I would have shot back.
I agree with gooserbat. I never use them, keeping the, curious to typically ends up in a turkey taking a dirt nap
I don't use decoys or blinds anywhere I hunt public or private. I certainly would not use them on public land here as IMO it's too dangerous.
I had roosted a gobbler a few years back on a ridge line near a river. On opening morning I was there waiting. I heard another hunter yelping a couple of hundred yards back behind me. So, me and the gobbler start-up a conversation while he was on the roost. Within a few minutes he flew down and was moving closer to me when all of a sudden I hear a gun shot at danger close. I waited for my heart to slow down a little and walked back down the trail that I had come-up on and there was a decoy sitting there that wasn't there before. This guys steps out with the bird in hand and says I didn't think I had a chance with you there. Which prompted me to ask, you knew I was there? He said yes. The unbelievable part was, he was a game warden. Please be careful out there.
Chris
QuoteThis guys steps out with the bird in hand and says I didn't think I had a chance with you there.
Wow. People get so frickin selfish and hoggish over stuff. Did you resist explaining what an inconsiderate, dangerous Summer's Eve he was?
Needless to say, I was still a little shaken. I also remember not wanting to start an altercation with a man who just shot a bird out from underneath me. Then I found out he was a game warden and didn't want him to cause problems for me so I let it go.
I have and have not....I have seen some gobblers give a jake the ole stink eye and ease on past...like...I believe I have seen that before.. :toothy12: To each his own. More and more idiots in the woods thats for sure....
I always leave my jake or strutter DSD's at home for public land. Not worth it
Just too many idiots
Illinois has five season and you can apply for three permits; however, one doesn't always get the season and/or county of their first choice but instead a second or third option. While I got my first two choices for the county in which I reside, the third one was an option and will require me to drive a couple of hours and hunt on public land where I haven't been in at least 10+ years. I'm planning to use my Funky Chicken along with a hen decoy since the chicken doesn't really look like an authentic gobbler plus I'll have to walk in at least 30 minutes to get to my old hunting area. There were always gobblers in there and I'll be using my hen yelps and gobble tube, so I want something that looks good to a turkey but unreal to a hunter. I hunted this area for several years in the past and have never seen another hunter back there.
I use decoys in field situations exclusively. Multiple dekes sets have worked better this year with the late spring(family groups). Put that alert hen out at 40 yards working away from where you think the birds are coming from, or leave her in the bag. Put the 2 jakes working the feeding hen. The shaker works great on heavily hunted public ground, but it makes you the hunted by the inexperienced. Private ground is safest for the shaker. Mid day is the time I've taken birds with the shaker.
The public land where I hunt the turkeys do not like decoys they will get out of dodge when they see them.
Several hunters have tried decoys and they spook the turkeys 99% of the time
I use relaxed feeding hen, just make sure your out of the way from the decoy. Some hunters do crazy things to get a bird
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. When I do, I ALWAYS carry them in a bag. NEVER, EVER carry one open. Especially, a jake or strutter. Hunting public or private I always try to be aware and at my "woodsy" best just to be extra careful. I've got no desire to become a statistic. Same reason I try to look for snakes before I sit down and watch where I step in snake country.
Don' t use them, but always wanted to buy one of them strutting Toms, and put it out before daylight in a field. Then gobble like crazy before daylight, head to the other end of Gamelands and enjoy myself. ;D
Now, this is my first season so I don't have a whole lot of experience on the subject, but I will say that I had two feeding hens and an upright jake out the other day and had two guys walk up on me just before first light. I saw that they were trying to figure out if they were real or not so I flashed my white light at them and they went on their way. I set them up so I'm never in the line of fire and I make sure they are 100% hidden in my vest pocket on the walk in and out. I even tote an orange vest in my turkey vest to wrap a dead bird in so I don't have to worry about getting shot while walking out. Until I experience otherwise, I'll continue to use them on public.
Could fill that strutter with tanerite and really get some bang for your buck. Specially one of those taxidermy toms. Feathers would fly!
I hunt colorado public land exclusively and I use decoys every time. I also have lived and hunted in north forida, public land only and used decoys each time.... if you notice or hear someone coming alert them to your presence.... if they do something illegal report them... also stay away from places road hunters can see you from.
I would NEVER use a decoy on public land for safety reasons. Good luck.