I've tried the decoys and am not a huge fan. IMO it's one more piece of chit to have to lug around and can have negative results. Not taking them is one less thing for me to have to be concerned with.

I definitely agree that I'd rather see something stupid like "ban decoys for 10 days" than thinking a one-bird limit will result in beaucoup gobblers in a couple of years. At least the decoy option still is available for those who want to use them.

I still don't believe, and never have, that a decoy automatically makes it easier. The first year the Mojo robo duck decoys came out it was like having ducks on a rope to the blind. After a couple of seasons, nope. I think the same is true with the turkey decoys. Some will come, some will run away, some will look at the fake hen and stay 80 or so yards away expecting her to come to him.

Thing is, we don't know for sure. Until we see some provable evidence -- data -- that decoys are legitimately detrimental, restricting them is just a feel-good stopgap measure. But as you noted, and I agree, better to fart around with the anecdotal stuff to make someone feel good than do something stupid like carve off half the season or bag limit.

(Although those things will happen in the next few years. This national movement won't be placated by small nips and tucks. At some point they'll start trimming more bag limits, seasons, and I'd even guess some state will say they need to have a turkey lottery for tags or close the season entirely.)

Ive been turkey hunting over 47 years and have killed a lot of gobblers in my life. Ive hunted them in over 15 states. Ive have shot over 10 gobblers a year many times in different states. I have 8 grand slams.

I hardly ever use decoys but I dang sure like the option if I want to use one.

Im too old to want to tote the weight of them these days and I usually dont tote a vest now except when taking a decoy or 2 after a field bird. I just carry a slate in one cargo pocket, a few strikers in another and a few mouth calls which is what I kill 99% of my turkeys with and an inflatable belt seat cushion. Easier for me going up and down hills at 60. Ill tote a thermacell if the bugs are bad too. Thats about it.

Ive hunted turkeys before there was decoys. And before there was camo, fancy "Turkey" shotguns, red dot sites, "turkey" shells , TSS loads, blinds, commercial calls other than the Lynch Foolbox box as well as a bunch of the things that I bet you use everyday that makes it "easier" to Kill gobblers.

I dont think any of those should be "outlawed" either but using your logic since they ALL make turkey hunting "easier" they should be. I guess it is all a matter of perspective.

Im not against fanning a bird either, ambushing one, low crawling to kill one either. Ive a done a bunch of all three on henned up or tough to kill birds.

Ive killed them in the fall too in some states when I was younger too. Heck, Ive even hunted them with dogs up north in New York state in the fall. My buddy had a Turkey dog called "Kee Kee'. Shed bust em up and we would call them back in Kee keeing.

Ive done it all and was just as happy with each gobbler. Im just into killing gobblers. As many as I legally can in a year anyway I can get them. I am surely NOT into adding any more rules, regulations or shortening of the seasons anymore. Guess Im old fashioned that way.

Im a live and let live kinda guy. Enjoy life and the outdoors and if a person wants to use a decoy, or a blind , or TSS , or a fancy camo ten gauge semi auto shotgun, the latest call, heck even "Hen in Heat "Scent well than good luck to them and have at it.

Now I do draw the line at the "Squealing Hen Call" Ole Eddie Salter used to promote. That just really does make it unfair. That is the one thing I am OK with outlawing! If everyone carried one wed have No gobblers left.

Im not forcing my ways of hunting on anyone and I think we have enough turkey regs without making up stupid ones like "No Decoys for 1st 10 days". That is without a doubt the stupidest regulation I have ever seen in all my years and travels turkey hunting.

Here’s my final post on the subject.

The hypocrisy here is it’s not “my logic” it’s actually yours. You identified all the things folks use that makes things easier for today’s hunter, I never disagreed with any of that. I simply stated that I personally like the rules that make things harder than they are. I like that the law about decoys makes it harder because I don’t want to see turkey hunting end up like duck hunting. To Clem’s point, I don’t have data, it’s just an opnion that early season turkeys are easier killed by unskilled turkey hunters using decoys than by those same unskilled hunters without a decoy.

Because you feel so strongly about your opinion, you decided to put a resume’ in your post.

I never could get Eddie Salter's turkey-in-estrous scent to work, though, early- or late-season.

I still have the prototype decoy I started using in Alabama 25 years ago.

Clem, secret is youve got to buy it Fresh, and then combine it with the "Squealing Hen Call " if you really want it to work I feel. You need to get it right after Eddie collects it at the farm. There is usually a freshness date on the bottom of all the bottles Ive bought.

Together those two are the death of Boss Hog gobblers everywhere. Pretty sure Whild Bill uses it too.

And to JStocks, really? Look, call me an idiot but I WANT young turkey hunters to get into hunting. Ive taken a ton of them out for their first birds. If a Decoy helps them great.

I dont worry about anyone else killing turkeys other than myself personally or the folks Im calling for or hunting with.

I hope everyone chasing them is successful.

Are they hunting your land? Why the heck do you care what they kill and if it is "easier" or "harder"?

So you dont want new hunters learning or killing turkeys, even it if doesnt bother your hunting at all? You are all for new laws prohibiting things?

Im pretty sure new hunters dont. It is tough enough to learn to kill gobblers. Just ask poor Gomer from here.

First of all, you don’t know me, so you have no idea if I’m selfish or not.

I never attacked you personally, just disagreed with you. If you felt attacked, I apologize (sincerely).

As far as the previous discussion up to this point goes, never not once did anyone mention young hunters til you brought it up.
I never took that any of this discussion was pertaining to youth.

I care if they kill it easier because of the amount of new hunters coming into the fold. There are a lot of instant gratification folks out there that just want a hero shot on FB. I don’t care for it. I love turkey hunting too much, and the new fads being created are not good for any of us. That’s what I believe.

What does sitting down in a food plot or field with a decoy in front of you have anything to do with learning how to turkey hunt? Is that learning your way? Is your way the only way?

My way is not the only way, I just described that my opinion is I don’t care that they made decoys illegal for the first 10 days and I stated why.

I know there’s a lot of hate for Pinhoti lately, but I encourage those of you who care about the decoy debate to go watch episode 12 or 13 of 2021.

And yeah Here4fun, it’s supposed to be tough.

Silly you! Everyone knows turkey-in-estrous scent is useless without his trade-marked squealing hen system.

To me 20 year olds are young turkey hunters. And Im pretty sure after almost 50 years chasing them I know how tough turkey hunting is but thanks for pointing it out.

You are against decoys. That is great. I could care whether you use them or not. It is your CHOICE. I like people having choices. You stated you do use them at times.

I dont mind them or others using them and any law that prohibits the use for 10 days of the opener is a stupid, feel good law based on the "Dominant Gobbler Theory" and not based on anything else. It is a moronic law IMO. If you dont think so that is fine. That is my opinion and you have yours.

But what I was saying is that Ive seen the same argument YOU use against decoys for just about every development in turkey hunting :

-commercial calls ( what sissy buys a call old timers would say, everyone looking for the easy way! A true hunter takes the time and makes his own!),

-camouflage semi auto shotguns ( us true old time purists used a single shot break open with just a BEAD sight! And Who needs more than one shot for turkey old timers would say),

-10 gauge shotguns (who the heck needs that? We aint hunting geese old timers would say. Trying to make it easy, almost like cheating!)

- red dot sights and shotgun scopes ( who the heck needs a scope to shoot 30 dang yards old timers would say. A scope to turkey hunt? Jeez just trying to make it easy!),

-Special shotgun loads, turkey loads and TSS ( who needs to use anything than what we've have shot for decades old timers would say. Us purists use dove loads and let them get CLOSE. 25 to 30 yards is a loooonnngg shot! That is what turkey hunting is all about! Might as well use a dad gum rifle shooting 40 -60 yards! Man that is EASY! anyone can do that. That AINT turkey huntin!),

-Blinds ( dang half of turkey hunting is getting wet. Dang city folks hiding in a fancy tent old timers would say laughing. I guess they want to take naps and take it Easy!)

I dont think you understood what I was saying or my point.

I dont think any of those should be illegal either but dang it man, turkey hunting is supposed to be hard. You even said so.

Well using any of those things make turkey hunting a lot EASIER than it was when I started trust me. And I would guess you use a couple of the things I mentioned as well. So do I.

But I am all for new developments though I still just shoot a cheap pump shotgun with stock sights, and just my old number 5 turkey loads not TSS, but I dont condemn those who do nor think it should be illegal .

Blinds, semi autos, TSS, Decoys, calls, red dot sights, scopes, xbows, bows and more. Whatever makes that person happy and they CHOSE to use and is legal is fine. I dont want any laws on any of them that we dont already have, nor do I want a shorter season. Im just silly like that.

And by the way Im not here to argue , Im just here4fun .

Smart man!

not sure but is the new rule just for strutting decoys or fanning?

Dang I feel so guilty after reading that post I’m gonna give up my Hecs suit next season..

Turkey numbers are down. They feel like this might possibly reduce harvest numbers, allow populations to recover somewhat without shortening seasons or bag limits further.

I'd much rather have a 10-day ban on decoys than further reduce days of opportunity or bag limits which is slipping away from us at a rapid rate all across the southeast. The dominant gobbler theory/hens not being bred before gobbler being killed isn't proven, yet they aren't hesitating to take away hunting days or bag limits. I'm personally very glad they are looking at other options and hope it sets a precedent!

That was the reasoning of the CAB members who came up with the 10 day decoy ban idea. And no, it isn't at all proven that it will make one bit of difference in the turkey population. It was done entirely in response to the dominant gobbler theory and the doomsday presentation that Chamberlain made to the CAB at the last meeting of 2020. Chuck concluded that meeting by leaving everyone with the impression that the dcnr would propose an April 1 start to the 2022 season with a 3 bird limit. And at some point he put in the idea of letting no hunter kill more than one in the first 10 days of April. All of this was in response to Chamberlain's theory.

Some of the CAB members did not want to see our turkey hunting destroyed over an unproven theory, so they proposed the compromise that we got and managed to get enough votes to pass it. I don't know who thought up the decoy ban, but it was a counter to Chamberlain's theory - if the gobbler with all the hens is really being killed too early, he is likely being killed by the use of decoys. There aren't many who can call a gobbler away from 10 hens, but we have all heard the stories of them charging a full strut decoy or a fan. It isn't scientific, but neither is the dominant gobbler theory. Anyway, that's how we got it.

You can be certain that Chuck and Chamberlain will not be satisfied with it and want a lot more cut off the season and the limit. If the harvest goes up, that will be proof that the changes didn't work and we need to cut more. If the harvest goes down, that will be proof that the crisis is worsening and we need to cut more. Nothing is gonna stop the Agenda.

So the 10 day ban is a temporary thing and when the CAB members who pushed it rotate off the board, Chuck will replace them with his lackeys and then get the changes he really wants. Turkey hunting is doomed, so our turkeys are doomed.

Where?

Some areas are fine.

Why do hunters in those areas have to sacrifice? Oh yeah, I forgot - it’s gotta be fair. All about fairness.

See - if you regulate and take away hunter opportunity around where I hunt - a hunter from out of state can hunt public land 150 miles away and I’ll save a bird for him and it will be fair.

Within a few years we will be applying for a lottery to be able to hunt turkeys on a quota basis. Quota gets filled, season ends. You don't get a tag that year? Tough. Here's a preference point for your trouble but be sure to buy your license before applying.

Already a reality in some places. I’m not sure about residents, but I think there are a couple states that nonresidents have to do the draw and get points. Iowa and Illinois maybe?

Gonna become more and more like elk or worse yet sheep tag draws.

I happen to live in a area of the state where up until about 15 years ago, I thought that the turkey population and hunting was second to none. Couldn’t possibly be any better. Now, with a exception of some small, isolated pockets, I live in a turkey desert. I have racked my brain trying to figure out what’s changed to cause such a drastic decline in my neck of the woods where other parts of the state haven’t.
I try not to be overly critical with decisions pertaining to this because I want to believe that they are doing their best with what information they have at the time but I guess time will tell. The one thing that really bothers me and I know it has to do with the “Almighty Dollar” is why doesn’t the CAB limit nonresidents first then if that doesn’t improve the population cut back on the resident hunting. Just my opinion.