Best turkey decoys and set up

My old decoys are shot. Looking at new ones. Want some that are not too bulky to carry and good for a “run and gun” style. I’m not that patient and move around. What do y’all recommend as far as brand and how many and how to you set up, as far as hens, or gobblers.
Plus how to you carry them? Any other advice on decoys would be welcome.

First bit of advice is patience will kill more turkeys than constantly moving. What deocys... well it depends. On a big open area I will run a strutting DSD Jake right over the top of a DSD breeding hen and then run a leading or feeding hen about 5-10 yes away. More densely covered areas I will run a 1/4 strut DSD Jake with the breeding hen. If I could just pick one I would run the 1/4 strut DSD Jake. You will see some people say a single hen but i have had a good many birds hang up with a single hen than anything else. The setups I mentioned above have worked throughout an entire Turkey season and in multiple states.

Check out my YouTube channel and you can see some of them in action.

https://youtube.com/channel/UCiaZn2enZ_vlJDHybR3Sh2w

Thanks for your advice. And I agree, patience pays off. I can sit forever deer hunting. But in the spring, I enjoy moving, even though I usually see turkeys as I’m leaving right where I started. Looked at the DSD decoys. Nice! Just ordered the set. Season is month of April here so I’m about set. Thanks for recommendation.

Not a problem at all. Glad I could offer some help.

I start the season with one jake and two hens. The hens are shell decoys with stakes that I have been using for almost 30 years and I expect they will last my lifetime. The Jake is full body with a motion stake. I fit the full body into the stacked shells, into a bag or small backpack. Later in season I tend to change to using just the two hens, then even a single hen by the end of season. If I am doing a run and gun, it is usually with one decoy or none at all. My lease hunting success is increased many fold if I do the traditional scouting and roosting birds to hunt the next morning then staying put rather than run and gunning to them. But yes, the latter is more fun.

Running and gunning is fun but I kill a lot more turkeys staying put for longer even taking a few naps, I have been woke up by gobblers that came in while i was taking a nap. Sure I might miss one of two doing that but those naps are some of the best sleep i ever get.

Decoys, DSD are the most realistic that i have seen, good quality as well and if taken care of will last for years.

i carry my decoys in the pouch on the back of the turkey vest, it is big enough for my deeks and a turkey.

running and gunning is a lot of fun and can be effective but as I have gotten older and less mobile i do it much less.

Scouting is a big part of success and if you are where the turkeys want to be or between them and a desired location they are much easier to call in. Do not discount the middle of the day, I have killed a lot of gobblers from about 10 to 3 in the afternoon, once a gobbler breeds the hens he gets around him in the morning he often can be pulled away form them with a bit of calling.

All good advice. Thanks. Any day in the Spring woods is a good day. Especially in these times!

A Tom I killed last year and one the year before both came down with hens near my setup and wandered off with them ignoring my decoys and my calling. Both birds I ended up killing late morning after they came back alone. Knowing this is common, at least on my lease over the last 20 years, I take an ear bud to listen to the radio on my phone and those wonderful naps to help stay with it as long as possible. It is real tempting to get up and move with them or to distant gobbling birds, but as long as I know that initial bird saw my decoys and heard me, I stay put.

The Turkey pouch on the back of my vest won’t hold a Turkey plus my DSD jake and two hens. When I’m running and gunning, I can’t handle all that weight either. I got one of those large Turkey decoy bags and I attach to each shoulder with carabiners. I also drop down to a jake and only one hen when I’m walking a lot in rugged country.

I often use a couple hens when running and gunning and for years used inflatable ones, they work well if you are hunting in areas without too many thorns and you can fit 2 or 3 in cargo pants pockets.
I have also used the cheap foam shells for running and gunning and they work ok, not as good as more realistic decoys if the gobbler can see them from longer distances but seem to still work good for closing the deal for the last 50 to hundred yards to et them within shotgun rang.

I use the DSD 1/4 strut jake and 2 Avian hens. One I put in front of the jake and the other makes a great pillow.

DSD by far the best,have aged well with Toms attacking for the last few years.
okie