Are they all created equal?
I'm going to be out chasing Turkeys in the next week or so. Never done it before & have no expectations :D
Will the rubber Primos deeks that WalMart sell be of any use?
I've been practicing my calling with a pot-call & I think I sound like a turkey (possibly a slightly ill turkey, but a turkey none the less) but I don't posses any decoys at all.
Yah, I've killed several with the cheap $5 foam decoys that walmart used to sell. I just put out 1 or 2 hens out. I think decoys are more important if you're hunting fields, but still not necessary. If you're hunting woods I don't believe it's as important, but it just depends.
NOPE, definitely not created equal - all things being equal. I want to make believers out of the big boys and the best decoys in my arsenal of tricks for pulling that off are taxidemist mounted decoys. Despite what some guys will tell you, they are not that difficult to carry around either. My jake's fan is rigged to off. I wrap his body in a big sock or large panty hose leg (That's right, panty hose:^))to keep the feathers smoothed down and better protected. Both tuck into my Bisongear Elk Pack. When hunting solo I usualy wear a Rancho Safari "Shaggie" suit, but when I'm with my son I carry a DB blind. BTW, You CAN "run and gun" with this setup. I strap the tightly rolled blind vertically on a Bullpac frame with a Bisongear pack containing the decoy and other necessary equipment. I can move into position quickly, throw open the blind, set the dekes, and jump inside ready to go. It took some practice but we pretty much have it down to a science now. In these situations we use 1 big jake mounted decoy and a "widow maker" sculpted hen. We have taken a lot of Easterns this way.
A friend of mine has a mounted hen and everytime I hunt with him hens and gobblers jump on it. They don't do that with my Primos or any other decoy I have used. When I hunted with a shotgun I killed more without a decoy. I am no turkey expert just what I have noticed.LCH
Since I like to carry two or three and already have a bunch of gear on my back, I stick with the blow up decoys. They are starting to look a lot better than my earliest versions and pack small and light. I've called many a gobbler in to them....killin is a whole nuther game.
My Father has a mounted bird he used last year from his taxidermist friend. He let other people borrow it and said there were over 40 birds killed with that one decoy in one year in Wisconsin.
I've had success with Primos' She-Mobile. I usually tuck my Double Bull in some brush and place the She-Mobile directly on the ground (haven't had success using the stake) facing me about 7-10 yards away. With the hen being in the submissive posture gobblers have been pretty quick to mount her.
I have used mounted hens, but prefer the simplicity of being able to roll up the decoy and stuff it in my backpack.
Hey rob, I see you're in tullahoma...if you're looking for a place to chase turkeys you can't go wrong On AEDC. That place is loaded.