Use of decoys in the fall

[featherduster]

According to what I have read and seen on the the usual manner for hunting turkey in the fall it appears that you walk around in an area until you bust a group of turkeys and then you sit down and call them back.
I have a group that for now has a routine of walking a certain path from their roosting area to an area where they spend most of their morning which is approx. 1/8+ of a mile away from the roost
Question: would you use a decoy or two to attract them to you, and would you or would you not call.
I will not set up anywhere near the roost because these are the birds that I hunt in the spring and I don't want to invade their space.

[antiwheeze]

I used a desoy last year to take my first fall turkey. They responded to purrs and soft yelps but when they saw my decoy they seemed to lock in and move in to investigate. The decoy also takes the visual focus off you the hunter and on to another object. For me it worked well.

[HillBillyJeff]

I would ambush them by setting up on their morning feeding grounds. I have a group that always fly down into a field behind my stand I bow hunt in. Then they go straight across to a tall cottonwood on the ditch to get a morning drink. I plan on sticking a tom there if they do as usual this year.

[gobblerstopper]

It's pretty hard to effectively bust up a flock by walking up on them. Most of the flock will go the same direction and then you will be competing against them for the few singles that get separated. That is why traditionally dogs are used. They scatter the flock a lot better.

Most of the few birds that I have shot in the fall have been called in using keekee runs after they fly down. The birds are usually pretty vocal in the fall and easy to located.

If you know they are using a certain path and don't mind ambushing them, I don't think it will hurt to put a decoy out with your setup. Turkeys are constantly establishing their pecking order, so it might do the trick.

[danf]

After my only attempt at fall birds last December, I don't think I'll be using a decoy nearly as often as I do during the spring.

I set up on the edge of a grass field and put my feeding hen decoy in the grass about 15 yards out. Nearly 30 birds flew down directly over me, landed in the field and promptly avoided my decoy and headed up the hill. I tried to chase them to break them up, but there's no way I could keep up with them, let alone outrun them to break them up.

If you know their path, I would maybe set up a decoy along the path and avoid the area where they fly down. Calling works from what I understand. Try it without a decoy first though.

[oneshot]

I killed my first fall tom last season by setting up where I knew there were turkeys and using the kee,kee run call on a double D diaphram. I had 3 long beards come in looking, one rode home with me. I'll be doing that again in about a month.
I have never used dekes in the fall.

[dawnpatrol]

i've only shot 1 w/ my bow in the fall............first time i had a decoy out and the group came in to my purring........but were hesitant bout the deke...............the next day no decoy...........purred.....had them right on top of me and let the arrow fly..........

[BOBinIN]

No expert here but I have taken 3 birds in the last 3 fall seasons, soooo my advise ...get there early and set up a blind in their path to shoot one as they walk by! If you are in their path, that is what matters. Dekes and calling can't hurt from what I've seen but I'm not sure they help either. You've already done the hard part by getting them patterned....I see turkey in your future. Good luck and shoot straight. BOB

[huntingman]

If its safe just fire a round off when you cannot get any closer. they WILL scatter.