That is the most pitiful turkey picture that has ever been taken. I'm glad you got to resurrect your season and finish real hot.
I genuinely felt sorry for you when you sent me that, but then I'd look at it and start laughing again.

My sentiments also.

IMO, the essence of turkey hunting is calling one in to shotgun range. Whether it's fanning or setting up a decoy or waddling up to a bird with a decoy on your head - all that misses the essence of the sport. And it that sense, any use of a decoy isn't turkey hunting, because you didn't call him in, you decoyed him in. And decoys change the behavior of the bird, take away his normal wariness and change the nature of the game itself. And I don't like that at all.

But in spite of that prejudiced view developed over time, I'm also still an open minded sort for the most part. And I can see the attraction of walking up to one behind a fan and killing him at close range. I bet it's a rush. And I'm probably going to try it one day. And I'm going to at least try to fan one if I go out west this spring. I'll let y'all know about it if I ever do. Hope I don't get shot.

the point I was making BC is that if your doing a sneak with a fan or decoy you're atleast doing something instead of just sitting somewhere with decoys waiting...

All my early season hunting(before April 1)is done on public ground and on most years turkeys arent real acceptable to calling. I find myself in deer hunting type situations. Waiting and light calling in know travel areas. Most kills during that time I feel like I killed one because I was in the right place not because I'm a good caller but I still enjoy it the same. But as far as decoys go theyre jus a waste of space in my vest.

I've been a runner/gunner all my turkey career of 40+ years

I started serious bowhunting them 20 years ago and found out R/G don't work with a bow, the killing part ennyway..

I made a small detachable blind that fit on my short compound that worked pretty good and accounted for a bunch of birds...

stickbow??? damn thats hard. One just about has to use a blind, so I got a double bull, nice blind. I ABSOLUTELY HATE SITTING IN A BLIND TURKEY HUNTING. When decoys became legal I used them. I finally killed a few with my stickbow, inc one with a stone point at four feet from a blind...

Never fan/crawled one but I have a brother in Fl that just crawls em across cow pastures, no fan, no decoy, and kills the snot out of them. I guess they think hes an alligator and they are safe at 25 yards????

All said, I don't care how you hunt em myself, cept maybe limbing one, which ought to be a felony BUT, the ESSENCE of turkey hunting is calling the bird to you and that is by far the most enjoyable way to kill turkeys....

I understand your point.


Your post rubbed me the wrong way. I've seen plenty of guys that think it's their obligation to tell others how they should hunt. I hate that.

IMO...enclosed blinds provide a more distinct advantage than decoys.

I use some type of decoy on probably half my hunts (mostly field birds). I've fanned them, held a strutter on my head, and set up on multi decoy spreads. Sometimes they work great...sometimes they don't work at all. Regardless, In all those scenarios you're still required to utilize the terrain, cover, and usually at least some calling to your advantage.

Enclosed blinds can eliminate most of those challenges. They have their place...but if I was gonna rail against some type of turkey killing for a supposed impropriety it would be enclosed blinds rather than decoys.

I guess my original point is that everyone who uses decoys doesn't just sit over them and wait. I personally use them as a finishing tactic on field birds when I have called a bird into the area. The scenario: you start calling to fire one up, then you get one to fire back. You're on the other side of the field from him, throw out a hen decoy and get ready. Would he have come without the hen? Maybe. But then again, maybe not. I like to give him something to look at so he doesn't get too suspicious. Sometimes they hang up just out of range of the decoys, and I try not to shoot farther than 35yds. Did they hang up because of the decoys, or is that just where he chose to sit there and strut for her? Again, I have no clue. I'm not even sure those devil birds know what they're doing sometimes. The field scenario is where I think decoys "can be" advantageous and so that's where I use them. I personally don't think they offer an advantage in the woods, so I don't use them there. The only sure bet is that there are no sure bets in turkey hunting. And that's why it's so damn fun. Always something new to try and learn.

I laughed too pal. Bout all I could think to do to keep from crying.

I might have to rethink this hunting trip thing we talked about. Dang,

I am probably the rooky on here, only killed 1 bird a year in 3 years hunting them. They really make me mad, smartest critter I have ever been around. Killed 2 with decoys and crawled up 5' on my first one in wheat field. That being said, why should it matter to hunters what method one uses to kill em. Yes if you are good at it you should call them in to your laps. For those preaching about you have to call them in is the only way to be a "woodsman" well have you ever shot a deer in a manmade food plot? Isn't that the same thing?I would love to call one in, but just can't seem to do it yet. As a rooky my joy is seeing them and shooting them any way I can. You can eat the horns anyway, right?

No worries whatsoever Ned. I got that decoy patched up as good as new so you can sit there and watch it while the 3 of us run around and get on the good gobbling turkeys.

LOL! Gonna gar hole me. I see how it works. I got a spot all picked out for you down here when you come.

You ain't supposed to figure that out until you are on the road back home ... you must have been talking to others folks Jughead has taken to his "good" spots?

I don't understand why "running and gunning" and hunting with decoys are mutually exclusive to a lot of folks here......

I can throw out a foam jake and hen, literally, in about 15 seconds. run and gun all you want, get on a bird, throw your dekes out and start calling.

It doesn't have to be one or the other, it can be both. Me personally, I'll use them on private land, not so much on public. I don't really care what anyone else does.

As far as "fanning" goes, I don't have any kind of moral objection to it, but I think if you do it, particularly on public land, you're an idiot that's begging to get shot

That would be a bad day to be shot by a crazy.....
Gomer....I hope you get your limit this year or at least 1

if I get 1 for the season, I'll consider the season an overwhelming success. additional birds would just be icing on the cake

I personally don't care what you do as long as it is legal. With that being said, it is not even a question in my mind that decoys are a crutch. They simply are. I would probably use one if I absolutely had to.

Ex. take the average Midwest hunter. They hunt open land where decoys can create a huge advantage. So much, that they can almost completely rely on them if they want. Then take the average southern hunter, that cut his teeth in continuous timber, swamps, etc. where decoys create ,very little advantage, because by the time they seem them you can kill them.

Turn them both loose in any terrain, let them use whatever tools they want, and the southern hunter wins every time. Why? because he has developed his skills and not been reliant on a product.

^^^^^^^This guy gets it. I can agree with all of that.

However, what would you say about hunting with decoys on big food plots and pastures in the south? I still agree it's a crutch, but sometimes a necessary one.

I like to trick one with my calling. If I had a field bird that just kept whipping me, then I'd probably get fed up enough to use one. I've never really hunted that much big ag land though. As far as food plots go, typically there are plenty of woods to set up in around it. I've never seen a bird that camped all day in a big green field, the way they sometimes do big ag fields or pastures.