Decoy numbers

[quackattack90]

I'm new to turkey hunting and am curious about decoys.  How many do all yall use and why.  Thanks

[kevinlisa06]

I have been carrying a decoy in my vest for years and haven't killed a bird using it yet. You don't have to use them period to kill birds but one of these years I'm sure I will set it up.

[turkeydancer]

If I'm using them, I usually use 1 jake and 1 or 2 hens.  I face the jake decoy towards me because usually he'll come in to challenge him and will have his back to me so I can make any adjustments without him seeing me move ... and I face the hens away from me so if he comes in to breed them it's from the rear and again he'll again have his back to me.  I also have a smaller body full strut tom decoy dependent on the situation that I'll set up just like the jake decooy.
 
The general rule is that if they hear a "turkey", they want to see a turkey.  But if I see the birds shying away from the decoys (usually early season), I'll leave them in the truck. 

[tgomez]

I have always used only a single standing hen decoy and have shot many birds. You don't need one to get a bird, but they can help an uneasy gobbler come in to range when they hang up.