Do you use a decoy

[Saylfish]

DSD

[Tuttle]

Yep, most of the time.

[Beretta686]

99% of the time NO. I have DAD in the truck and only used them twice last year when hunting a pasture. Decoys were not legal in Alabama until 5 years ago. Had not hunted.with them for 25 years before then so why start now.

What is funny when I traveled out of state hunting and showed up with no decoys people would say "what, no decoys?" They thought they were more important than a call for killing a turkey.

If you hunt open county and just camp out over a couple of decoys for several hours, good for you. For me, if he's not talking, I'm walking. When you walk a lot having to set up decoys and then pick them up and move again to set them up again. No thanks if you run and gun things happen too fast and when I make a move I'm thinking about the gobbler and not I got to get the decoy and then sit here so I can get the decoy there and get back set up on a tree before they gobbler comes in.

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[WVhuntEER]

Absolutely, if i have time to put one out I will.  If I am running and gunning and don't have enough time no.   Sometimes it is tough to get a bird to see them when hunting in the mountains but it can certainly make a difference between a gobbler that hangs up and a gobbler who is hung up on my wall if he sees it! 

[wmd]

Yes, they help when using the bow.
Also when taking first time hunters.

I usually carry a jake and a hen decoy but rarely use them if I am hunting by myself.  I plan to put them out when I take my son on his first youth hunt next month.

[RutnNStrutn]

I do most of the time. However, I am not the slightest bit opposed to going without. If I can sneak in close, but can't put out a deke without being busted, I do so. If I am slipping in on a gobbler, crawling, I also don't. I have killed birds both ways.
I vary the number and sex of the dekes throughout the season, prefering to mimic what I am seeing from the birds. Often early in the season I'll use 2 or 3 hens, a lot of times with a strutting deke. As the season rolls on, and the hen numbers dwindle as they go to the nest, I cut down on the number of hen dekes. Sometimes I'll use a jake instead of the strutter. At the end of the season, I usually cut it down to 1 hen.
As far as strutting dekes go, they are no magic bullet. I've had some awesome hunts with them when 1, 2 and even 3 gobblers came charging in. I've doubled up with friends. But, I've also seen nice satellite gobblers that you would like to take shy away from the strutter deke, and go by out of range.
I've also put out flocks of dekes with several hens, a strutter and a jake. I rarely do this, but when I've roosted a bunch of birds, or know there are a lot in the area, or am hunting a large field, this seems to work. Often larger groups won't come to your calling, or to a single or couple of dekes. But if you have a flock of your own, you can sometimes pull them in. Also single or smaller groups of birds will readily come in to a larger group of dekes.
I understand why run-n-gunners don't like dekes. I don't use them much when I get to do that either, but I rarely am in spots where I can do that. I also understand the make them come looking for you philosophy. But when you are hunting open areas, the turks expect to see the hen they've been hearing. If they don't, they usually exit stage left. I think the big thing when using dekes is to be natural. Set the dekes in the same numbers, and same actions as what you've been seeing birds do.

[chad fenton]

I think I am gonna skip buying one this year.  Thought I may be missing out on something.  In the past I have hunted field edges alot.  This year I think I am gonna be huntin thick woods and swamp bottoms.  Not sure one will help.

[redleg06]

If I know I'll be hunting a field or not moving much then I will but most of the time they are just another thing to carry and are way more trouble than they are worth.

I'd say 75% of the birds I kill are without a decoy. Got no problem with them but I hate messing with extra stuff if I can help it.

[Eric Gregg]

I am going to go without them this year.

[gotcha]

Decoys are pretty good at flairing birds off but they are also good at getting birds to come in certain situations.The problem is you don't know when to use them.

[gobbler777]

Almost always when bowhunting as placement determines where I will kill the bird. When using the shotgun I carry 2 foldables in my vest and will put them out if I don't feel I'm in jeapardy of being seen setting up.

[turkey slayer]

I don't and won't.

I agree, I hate decoys

[neal]

Normaly no if I have a young hunter or someone who hasn't hunted much I will just to try and keep the birds focus on the decoy and not any extra movement going on.

[MOStrutter]

I almost always use them.  I have a checklist of things a turkey must do before I shoot it.  They must strut, they must gobble, and they must be with in 30 yards.  I have let many birds walk because they didn't meet these requirements, and decoys help with that a lot.

[mnturkey]

I usually use a decoy, I hunt a lot of fields and the decoy helps bring in the long gobblers.
I just feel more secure and it gives the gobbler something to focus on, also when I happen to nod off it gives the gobbler a reason for the snoring.