A little help......opinions

[cat44]

Hello guys (and gals)....the spring turkey season has come and gone for the year.  Before next season gets here I want to get myself set with some better equipment, mainly some decoys and a blind.  Decoys....what do you guys recommend?  I've done quite a bit of research and I'm finding the most recommended decoys are the Avian X and DSD decoys.  Some hunters say that you really don't need "quality, expensive" decoys to bring birds in.  I've shot birds with the cheap foam decoys, but this year had a really tough time bringing birds in with them.  Also, blinds.  Any recommendations on a blind that is fair size and easy to set up?  I'm certainly not a novice hunter, just looking for some better equipment.  If this topic has been covered before, I apologize. I looked through a few pages and didn't see what I was looking for.  Thanks for the help.

[Borch]

I find the hub style blinds work very nicely for us.  Quick set up, easy to haul.

 

Decoys...  A love hate relationship with them.  I do sometimes use them, but usually only a Jake decoy.  

[Hoyt4]

Double bull blinds

 

As borch said love hate, 95% of the spring they stay in the truck some years never touched. Avian and DSD  I would recommend.

[monstermoose78]

I would check out the clam blind, because they known for building a rock solid hub house. I really like my new Avian decoys, but I want to upgrade to the clam blind.

[ANYFISH2]

I will leave decoys to those that know.  I used the cheap foam decoys as well.  if I were a turkey the Avian X would fool me, I am not spending $150+ on one decoy though.

I hunt out of a blind I bought at menards. A Nano silverstreak blind. it is 6x6x6. a inexpensive, well built hub blind.  was $95.  been hunting out of it for 3 turkey and 3 deer seasons now.

[bigbucks]

I have cheap decoys, I rarely use them, but did shoot my tom over my jake decoy this year.  It's an old rubber inflatable that leaked & cost me my tom in 2014, because too much air came out & it tipped over when two big toms were at about 80 yards coming in...  I was going to throw it away & then realized I could cut the bottom stake pocket out of it & make it a hollow, non-inflatable decoy, it worked just fine like that.  I couldn't see buying more cheap ones or spending $50-150 on something I at most years 2-5 days a year, it at all.

I have two blinds, the cheap round hoop style doghouse blind, $50 on sale, & an older Ameristep called Tomtaker.  I like hunting out of both, although the tomtaker has band latches with plastic knob things you unhook in 2-3 spots per side & velcroed on shoot through mesh.  The hoop blind, just has zippered windows, which I prefer greatly.  I like the lightness & ease of carrying the hoop one best, pop up, pop down in no time & small on your back.  That with a foldup, 3 legged camp chair with a shoulder strap, no bag, make me very portable without having to just sit by a tree.  A small deocy or two will fit in the blind bag.

That said, I usually drive my truck out to setup & take down blinds because I can & I'm generally lazy.  Hunting hayfields on private land you've hunted for years, makes that much easier.

Edited June 2, 2015 by bigbucks
typos

[DonBo]

I almost always use decoys. I've had great success with my Dakota Extreme jake and an Avian X hen or two. I believe these newer realistic looking decoys work way better than the old foam type. Do they work all the time? No. I actually had a very poor second half of the season, but earlier I saw 6 birds take a dirt nap in the middle of my decoys.

All the newer hub style blinds are pretty nice. As mentioned, the Primos Double Bull is as good as it gets, but they are heavy and expensive. I've been using the new Cabela's Zonz360 blind this year and really like it. The window configuration is the best I've seen, and it was less than $200 on sale.

[NoWiser]

I've shot a few birds over my old cheap decoys, but they almost always acted a little skittish around them.  Last year I had the opportunity to hunt over a DSD and I couldn't believe it.  Not only did they come running in, but they stayed there, beating the snot out of it.  I was so impressed that I made sure to have a DSD jake come opener this year.  Of course, then my old hen just didn't look right standing next to him so I had to get the DSD upright hen.  I'm very happy with them.  The Dakota jake, I'm sure, would work every bit as well and the Avian X hens look pretty sweet.  I'd look at any of the above and I'm sure you'll be happy with them.

For a blind I have the Double Bull Dark Horse and love it.  If it suddenly vanished I go right out and buy the same one.  I'm sure there are plenty of other great ones, too, but I have nothing but good things to say about mine.

Good luck!  It sounds like you'll be all set next spring!

[Scoot]

After hunting out of NoWiser's Doublebull this year I decided I had enough of the cheapo blinds I had been using.  I got a Doublebull Doublewide and I love it.  It's so much sturdier and well made than what I had been using it's crazy.  I love the window design and it sets up easy (once I got the hang of it).  I trust DonBo's opinion on the matter too and the option he's talking about would be something I'd look at because of the price and a solid window design. 

As for decoy, I'm no expert at all, but I've sure been happy with how the DSD and Avian X I have worked the last two years. 

[cat44]

Thanks for the info. All good comments.  I appreciate it.  Keep em' coming if anybody else has anything to add!

Edited June 4, 2015 by cat44

[x1957x]

​I agree with Scoot. I have all the DSD decoys and they are the bomb for sure. My son has a dakota jake and the feeding and upright hen Avianx and they to are the go to. As far as ground blinds I love the double bull blinds. I really like the agility of them. I have the Dark Horse, The BS5 and the new Doublebull Doublewide. They are all great and durable blinds. At least they have been for me over the years.

After hunting out of NoWiser's Doublebull this year I decided I had enough of the cheapo blinds I had been using.  I got a Doublebull Doublewide and I love it.  It's so much sturdier and well made than what I had been using it's crazy.  I love the window design and it sets up easy (once I got the hang of it).  I trust DonBo's opinion on the matter too and the option he's talking about would be something I'd look at because of the price and a solid window design. 

As for decoy, I'm no expert at all, but I've sure been happy with how the DSD and Avian X I have worked the last c

[PFUNK]

After using the cheap foam decoys for several years I bit the bullet and bought a couple Avian decoys this year and I am happy I did. Not that the old decoys didn't work, but the new ones are just plain better. Had 2 jakes in the decoys for an hour this season and one of them was really getting after the Avian Jake decoy. He beat on it and stood on top of it for an hour. Pretty funny to see. That would have never happened with the old decoys, so I am convinced they feel more comfortable around decoys that look more natural to them.

[Rick]

I would check out the clam blind, because they known for building a rock solid hub house. I really like my new Avian decoys, but I want to upgrade to the clam blind.

​I really like the Clam blind as well. It is insulated, easy to set-up with a ton of options. Heck, might even be able to ice fish with it as well if you were on a tight budget.