Waterfowl hunters have long made decoys as much a part of their gear as Gore-Tex clothing, non-toxic shotgun shells and game calls. It is the same for most spring gobbler hunters, who have learned the effectiveness of decoys in helping to attract wary longbeards and then lure them into shotgun range.
For deer hunters, however, decoys remain, in the minds of many, nothing more than – at best – a gimmick.