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Buck of a Lifetime
My name is John Heller. I live in Eastern South Dakota. I have been hunting with your Carry Lite Deer Decoy for 4 years. If you have never hunted whitetail deer during the rut with a decoy you have got to try it. On October 31, 2007 I was spot and stalking Mule deer when I bumped a huge whitetail deer from his bed in a small draw. Three days later I was back in that same little draw with my Carrylite buck decoy hoping to rattle the big bruiser into bow range. At 5:30 that evening I heard a loud grunt coming from behind a cedar tree 10 yards from my decoy. As I looked around a small tree in front of me I saw the body of a big whitetail. I reached for my bow knowing this was the deer I had had an encounter with three days ago. He came around the tree stiff legged looking for a fight. He caught me bringing my bow to full draw and ran about 30 yards away. I followed him at full draw and bleated to try to stop him. He pulled up and looked back at the decoy, which gave me the opportunity to put a well placed arrow in the pocket behind the shoulder. He ran only 30 yards and expired. I know that if it wasn’t for my decoy I would have never harvested such a great deer. Thank you Carrylite
Granddaughter's first buck
Hello, I just wanted to let you know how much I like the Carry-Lite Deer Decoy. I took my 9-year old granddaughter on her first deer hunting trip. We live in Van Buren. We went to the Mountainburg area to hunt. We took the Carry-Lite Deer Decoy and some Code Blue Doe Estrous with us. We set up in our little pop-up blind. I put the decoy out and put some scent on it. We set up about 5 am. A little after 6 am doe’s started coming out. I asked her is she wanted to shoot a doe (this is the Arkansas youth hunt on November 4, 2006). Well, about 6:30 am a buck shows up. He got within 85 yards and she shot the 7-point buck. This was her 1st deer to kill. We had a lot of fun together. Thanks to your products and hard work. This Grandpaw and Granddaughter will have an event that we will remember the rest of our lives. Thank you. Oh, yes, we had the deer shoulder mounted. Thank you so much for a deer season of a lifetime for me.
Jeff W.
Van Buren, AR
Chris' Turkey
I've attached pictures of my turkey that beats the current Georgia state record with a bow by 13 points. Spurs 1 1/8 and 1 3/16, 3-beards 10 3/4 - 7 1/2 - 6 7/16 inch and 18.4 lbs. I’ve had noting but success with Pretty Boy and Girl. There is blood on this turkey decoy from both my Osceola and this Eastern turkey. Through success with the decoys I've convinced about seven people to buy the Pretty Boy turkey decoy. Me and my friends joke that you have to defend him. Both turkeys were 8 yards. Georgia Outdoor News, the largest outdoor publication in Georgia is doing a story about the turkey, I assure you I am going to plug Pretty Boy. Thanks again for a awesome decoy.
Chris B.
Hawkinsville, GA
Mark and his daughter Sera admire his bird and the Pretty Boy
I really feel the Pretty Boy and Pretty Girl made a difference here last weekend as the Toms were really glued to the hens and weren't responding well to calls at all in the morning. The afternoon was a different story. Once they spotted Pretty Boy they couldn't resist.
Sheila's Turkey
The afternoon before Opening Turkey Season '07, my husband and I went into a local gun shop to pick up a few last minute items before going hunting the following morning. They had the Pretty Boy & Pretty Girl decoys set out. We had looked at these before and considered purchasing them, but had gone back to using a borrowed, beat-up decoy with limited success. We looked at the decoys on display and discussed going ahead and purchasing them. The store owner explained it was the last set he had in stock and would even discount the price some to get them sold. We went ahead and purchased them, wondering how successful they would really be. We went home and watched the enclosed video, wishing a hunt would really go the way it was depicted in the video. The next morning we set up our blind and set out the Pretty Boy and the Pretty Girl before sunup. It was extremely windy and we were worried we wouldn't see a turkey in that kind of wind. I used the slate call and called once with no answer. I waited about 15 minutes and called again. An answering gobble! I called one more time. Again an answering gobble, and this time he was quite close. I picked up my shotgun and got ready. Suddenly, we heard a quick-stepped "crunch, crunch, crunch" in the leaves and could see the shadow of the gobbler running right past our blind (I mean within 1-2 feet!) toward Pretty Boy and Pretty Girl. He went straight to the decoys on a dead run. Once he arrived at the decoys, he started strutting for Pretty Girl while keeping an eye on Pretty Boy. We watched him for a minute or two, then I fired. He had 1 1/2" spurs and a 9 1/4" beard. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. The decoys were worth more than what we paid for them, just to experience the reaction of the real tom to them! The hunt went exactly as the hunts filmed in the video that came with the decoys!!
Sheila M.
Lakeland, Florida
Scott and "Roscoe"
Attached is a picture of the last Tom I killed this spring here in Missouri. I have been hunting Turkeys here in MO since 1984. I am 36 years old. I have harvested 2 birds every spring and 1 or 2 birds every fall since the mid 80’s but I have never enjoyed Turkey hunting in the spring like I have since I started hunting over the Pretty Boy Turkey Decoy.
Sue's 26 lbs. Turkey
This was my first hunting experience. I spent the first three days hunting with no success, with one of those days being an all day downpour. The fourth day was clear and cool and the Tom's were gobblin' like crazy. I had the Pretty Boy Turkey Decoy set up on the edge of a field. I had a Tom come out 300 yards away on the opposite edge of the field. He worked his way all the way to the decoy set up, where I dropped him with one shot. I weighed him at the local sporting shop, and he weighed 26 pounds and had 10" beard!! I am still shaking with excitement, and needless to say, I am... hooked! Can't wait for the Fall hunt!! The Pretty Boy decoy worked like magic!
Sue S.
Oshkosh, WI
Turkey Hunting in Minnesota
Spring Turkey Season in Minnesota and the Pretty Boy does the trick on 3 tom’s. Minnesota Turkey Season is broken up into 8 season each 5 days long. Mike and his father Erivn would be hunting the 2nd season starting on April 23rd. With their blind set up and Pretty Boy about 40 yards from it they sat and waited in the morning of the first day about 200 yards from were the birds were roosting. About 6:00 a.m. 5 hens and 1 jake came out of the trees and into the field where the Pretty Boy Turkey Decoy was but they stayed away from him. Mike and Ervin did no calling just with the hope that a tom would see the Pretty Boy. No longer than 10 minutes later Ervin and Mike heard a noise behind them and just as they turned 2 toms where in a full sprint to Pretty Boy running just besides the blind by no more than 2 feet. Mike wanted his father to get his first ever turkey so he told him to shot once he was ready. But Erivn told Mike that why don’t they both shoot and each get a tom. So on the count of "3" they both shot and down went 2 tom’s each weighting 22 lbs, 9-1/2" beards and 7/8" spurs.
Jim and Dean's Turkeys
Took my work associate on his very first turkey hunt on Monday, 4/30/07... He’s on the right. Used the Pretty Boy and Girl Turkey Decoy. At 6:05 a.m. the Boss Gobble shot out of his tree, landed and immediately went into a full strut. He walked on a direct line to the decoys and was dispatched by my friend after he cleared a small cedar bush. Dropped at 17 yards; he was 23 pounds with an 11 inch beard. He neither looked right or left, but focused right on Pretty Boy. I have had two other encounters where the toms have run full tilt at the decoy set up. It really works great! Please see enclosed morning shot on Monday 4/30 after all the dust had settled. We were done by 7:20 AM. I shot mine out of a group of 7 mature gobblers that were approaching the decoys from a creek bottom. Great product; great morning!
Jim K.
Saint George, KS
Chad and Marty's Turkeys
Absolutely the BEST decoy system I have ever used. On the afternoon of April 25th 2007 my twin brother, Marty, and I went out for a hunting trip. I purchased the Pretty Boy and Pretty Girl shortly before turkey season came in this year, 2007. We made a blind out of vegetation that over looked a field. We put the Pretty Boy and Pretty Girl out in the filed at 40 yards. At 5:10 p.m. three large gobblers came out a logging road on the other side of the field which our range finders showed them to be 325 yards. We watched them feed for about 15 minutes in a "bowl" like section of the field (they could not see the decoys as long as they remained in the "bowl"). They made their way out into the field and one of the gobblers looked toward the decoys and all three of them made a dead run to the Pretty Boy. The first Tom got within 1 yard and fanned out... the next thing was on the count of "3" two of the Toms were dead. The great thing about this hunt was I was with my twin brother and the Tom's both had 11 inch beards, and 1 inch spurs. The only difference was 1 Tom weighed about 1 pound more than the other. It was amazing how the Tom's were fooled. I was using a real turkey fan which makes the difference. I watched a hunting show with Knight and Hale in it, and they use Pretty Boy and Pretty Girl, which is what sold me on buying them, the Tom's we killed did exactly how the show portrayed... it was simply amazing.
Hunting location: Burke County, NC Canoe Creek Hunting Club
Chad P.
Eric's 23 lbs. Turkey
This is me and my grandson with my Georgia opening day bird!
I killed him at 10:00 a.m. on March 23rd. He was with hens and NEVER gobbled. He weighed 23 lbs. and 14 oz. according to the taxerdermist. He had 11 inch beard and 1 1/4" hooks. I pulled in an entire flock with my Pretty Boy and Pretty Girl turkey decoy. I would not have had a chance without it!!! I hope to have my grandson out with me in a couple of years.
Eric H.
Lafayette, GA
Tony's 26 lbs. Turkey
Your Pretty Boy and Pretty Girl decoys are incredible! Opening weekend I took the 2nd heaviest turkey recorded by the NWTF in South Dakota (26 lbs). My friend borrowed them last weekend and shot a 21 lbs. bird that came into them.
Excellent work!
Tony H.
Sioux Falls, SD
Bill's 18.5 lbs Turkey
This turkey was taken on the 1st day of the 2007 Turkey season in Enfield, NC at 2:30 in the afternoon. I bought my Pretty Boy-Pretty Girl late in 2006 and didn't get a chance to use it until this year. I watched your video that came with the outfit and had some doubt about Pretty Boy's real effectiveness. Well, I can tell you now, the doubt is no longer even a factor.
Steven's 18 lbs. Turkey
Killed April 22, 2007 in Adams Run South Carolina which is just south of Charleston. 18 lbs, 9 1/2 beard and 3/4 inch spurs.
Love that Pretty Boy and Pretty Girl!
THEY CANT BE BEAT!
Steven E.
Bill's 24 1/2 lbs. Turkey
I just returned from turkey hunting in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri. Early opening day on Monday, I was rudely awakened from my traditional morning nap in the turkey blind, by the blast of a 12 gauge. Two "turkey hunters" crept within 30 yards of my Pretty Boy and Pretty girl set up and shot my Pretty Boy. I'll refrain from the details of my "conversation" with them. In their defense, they had never seen a decoy like this. They asked me what brand it was and where I'd gotten it. After they left, I reset my decoys and around 11 AM shot a Jake who came in to investigate my spread. Not bad for public land and 2 hours after gunfire in the same area.
Boyd's 23.3 oz Turkey
This year's 2007 Spring season was my 4th year turkey hunting. Previous to this year, I had yet to bag a turkey and thought my concentration for bagging a tom had to be focused on various calling technics. I have attached the pictures of the tom I took this morning, my gobbler spotted my Pretty Boy from 200 yards away and once he spotted him, he started his strut and within 5 min the tom was all over the top of of my Pretty Boy and without a single call! In fact, there were two hens in the same open field that he completely ignored to go after my Pretty Boy.
Thank you Pretty Boy!
When I checked him in to the check station the official measurements were:
Weight: 23.3 oz
Spur length: 1.625 inches
Beard length: 10.5 inches
Boyd C.
Josh and Jonah's Turkey
Shooter Josh (Left) and caller Jonah (Right) harvested this old tom on the opening day of Virginia’s Spring Gobbler season. The bird weighed in at 23 lbs with an 11 ½ in. beard and 1 ½ in. spurs. This boss gobbler met his demise by running straight to Pretty Boy from over 200 yds away. He was looking for a fight, but instead all this old bird got was a head full of Winchester Supreme #5s.
Turkey Hunting with the Pretty Boy
Me and my Dad worked this bird in from 300 yards and our Pretty Boy turkey decoy sealed the deal. It weighed 18 3/4 lbs. 10 1/8 inch beard and 1 1/8 inch spurs. I would have never killed this bird if it wasent for the Pretty Boy.
Cameron M.
Rich's Turkey
I had two turkeys put to bed on the eve of the South Carolina 2007 Turkey opener. The fortunate thing was is they were roosted right off one of my clover plots. I felt really good that the birds would come to the food plot and strut after they left the roost. I set my Pretty Boy/Pretty Girl 10 yards from my blind. I heard the first bird gobble about 7:10. I gave a few soft tree calls with my Yellow Hammer and had three birds answered back.
Around 7:35 I heard a bird fly down and I gave a fly cackle using a Diaphram Turkey Call. About ten minutes later I saw the first white head, then three more following. The lead bird was the strutter and when he saw Pretty boy - it was on!
He came straight to the decoy and started strutting. He strutted around Pretty Boy two or three times while bumping up against him. I couldn't take anymore so I sent a 100 grain Muzzy through both wings at 11 yards. The bird was 20lbs., 10 1/4 inch beard, with 1 inch spurs. What a wonderful way to start the season.
Brett's Turkey
It was the opening weekend for the 2007 Turkey Season in Alabama. I knew of a couple long beards I had seen in about a 50 acre hayfield the week before so I had my mind set to be there and set up with my Pretty Boy well before daylight. I was completely set up by 5:30 AM just in the edge of the frosted over hayfield. Around 6:15 AM the day began to come alive. Shortly after daylight, I had a hen pitch down about 15 yards in front of me and within feet of Pretty Boy. Thank goodness I had my mouth call in and my gun rested in the right direction because I could not move at all. After 20 minutes of the live hen and myself calling, I saw this gobbler come out from 300 yards across the hayfield. As the sun was shining in a few spots of the field, the gobbler would go to the sunny spots and strut, then run 100 yards and strut again. Finally he ran all the way up to Pretty Boy and made circles around him in full strut not offering a good head shot. Finally after some quick clucks, he stuck his head out from his body enough for an awesome 15 yard shot. With the live hen just yards away, all he was worried about was the strutting tom, he worried for a little to long.
Brett B.
Birmingham, AL
Glen's Turkey
Just wanted to give ya'll a quick update on my Alabama turkey season. Opening Day was March 15 and I found myself under a small pine tree at the edge of a greenfield just outside Greenville, Alabama. My incredibly understanding wife had recently purchased Pretty Boy and Pretty Girl for me at the urging of our local BPS rep. After watching the enclosed DVD, I quickly removed a fan I had mounted in my garage and adding it to my arsenal.
Johnny and son David with David’s turkey
David's not a morning person, so he and his father arrived at the farm about 7 a.m. and spoted 30 or 40 birds in one of the pastures. The pair sneaked within 350 yards of the birds and set up a Carry-Lite Pretty Boy decoy. The gobblers in the big flock answered their calls but would not leave the hens. About 8:30 a.m. Johnny slipped around the side of the hill and called loudly on his Knight & Hale Old Yeller call, and two gobblers broke from the crowd and headed his way. He quickly ducked back to David, called a couple more times and saw the gobblers running toward them. "When they saw Pretty Boy they went into strut and continued approaching," Johnny said. "They went behind a small tree and David repositioned his gun and took the biggest. His buddy gobbled and flogged the downed bird for about 5 minutes, which David thought was the best part of the hunt."
Our Only Real Competition is Mother Nature
This past year while turkey hunting in Hurlock, MD I saw one of the most awesome acts of nature while using your product. My buddy and I set the Pretty Boy and Pretty Girl decoys up about 40 yds from our ground blind and we placed other decoys out as well.
We saw several turkeys and suddenly they began to run. As we looked up a Redtail Hawk came in and picked the pretty girl up into the air and began to fly away with it. After about 10 seconds it dropped it and flew on its way. Just goes to show how realistic the decoy really is.
Zak P.
Georgetown, DE
Rickey and his son Chris with their 19 lbs. Turkey
Rickey and his son Chris, of Waycross, Ga., are firm believers in the Carry-Lite Pretty Boy and Pretty Girl turkey system. Their conversion began on opening morning of the 2006 season.
“I’d purchased a Pretty Boy and Pretty Girl from Carry-Lite a few weeks prior to the season,” Rickey said, “and on opening morning of the season my son and I headed out to get another chance at a wary ole tom we’d hunted several times the previous year.”
I am forwarding an email to you that I sent to the Outdoor Editor of the daily Oklahoman. It occurred to me that you also might like to read and see this, considering that one of the pictures is about as good as it gets (in my opinion) featuring your product. I am truly impressed with your decoys…awesome! Please contact me and let me know if you think the decoy picture is as cool as I think it is!
Although I did not have a scale handy, when I picked up the bird by the feet, it hurt my shoulder and wrist. (I have some bursitis in my shoulder and had a strained wrist from retrieving food from the back seat of my truck earlier). Even with that I estimated him to weigh at least 25 lbs. He looked like he was twice as big as the pretty boy (strutting tom) decoy I was using, when he strutted up to it with a sideways stature. It was mostly like a dream. Or maybe it was still raining like it did all night long the evening before and right up to daybreak which was about an hour before he came. But I like to think about it being a dream like apparition when he showed up. When his head lined up on top of the bead of my 12 gauge, he was 16 yards, or about two steps, which is what I remember taking between the seat I was in and where he hit the ground. I had found strut marks and feathers at this spot the day before and figured there had been a fight. Then I figured he was ripe for a “Pretty Boy” encounter. Was he ever. Judging from the tracks in the mud, he came over 100 yards up the road to get to the decoys. The only audible sound he made was spitting and drumming, but I had heard him gobble the day before, so I knew he was capable. I guess he thought he was going to sneak up on pretty boy and surprise him. As you can see, the spurs are at least 1 ½ inches and the beard is 10 inches long. I estimate him to be about 5-6 years old. The wing tips are so worn from strutting, it appears to be missing nearly 4 inches from the tips of the first four feathers. I am still having a hard time believing how magnificent a trophy this is. But I am trying…
It's late in the season in middle Georgia (May 2nd). The Gobblers are not with hens and are hot and heavy. We had hunted the same birds for five straight days with varying techniques and no luck. We had set up close to the roost, backed off and called, tried hen decoys, tried a stalk approach. We tried minimal calling, excited calling, nearly everything you can think of, each time being 'outsmarted' by these wary birds. Each of the five days we heard multiple turkeys gobbling and saw at least 1 gobbler each morning, with one coming within 75 yards for 4 out of those 5 days, but each time they would not close into range. Day six, we set up well before light in the middle of some open pines with Pretty Boy and 2 hens. 20 minutes after daybreak, with a little calling and moving Pretty Boy (with a real fan made from last year's kill) with some fishing line, we had 3 gobblers from separate directions see the setup and come right in to about 15 yards, 2 of them in full strut. We took the double, thanks to Pretty Boy for finally closing the deal, ending some frustration, and allowing me to get some sleep. 11.5' beard and 1.25' spurs and 9.5' beard and 1.125' spurs.
Todd R.
Georgia
I have attached a photo of a friend of our family. Brian is one of my "adopted" hunting sons. He has hunted with my twin sons for as long as they could hunt. Brian drew the first period for spring season here in central Wisconsin. He hunted the first three days before work, and after, and came close, but no bird. My sons came home from collage and Zeb hunted on thursday with him, no bird. Zach went on friday, no bird. They came close but they hung up on them. They asked if I wanted to go on saturday ( heck yah!, of course!). Zach and I would call for Brian. I had purchased the Pretty Boy & Pretty Girl set earlier this year. I thought it would be a good time to try them out!. Brian had a fan from a tom from 2007. To make a long story short, we covered about 100 miles hitting every piece of public land and private land we could hunt. After 3 sets and 10 hours of running and calling, we found some toms who wanted to play! We walked in about a mile and set up. We worked these toms for over 45 minutes. They hung up just inside the woodline, but when they spied the Pretty Boy they RAN in! We had four toms in front of us, drumming and spitting - it was great! Brian dumped the biggest. He was 22lbs, 10" beard and 1 1/8" spurs. I have never seen birds run in like that! I drew the fourth season and can not wait!!
Thank you
Phil W.
Nekoosa, WI
If you have a contest for the best hunt using you pretty boy decoy, I
think I have it wrapped up. I just had to share my story with you.
I am not a writer and the only experience that I have is writing police
reports during my 15 year police career.
However, I had an amazing hunt yesterday and one that I feel is unique
as well asentertaining.
I own a 175 acre farm in Livingston County, KY. and have hunted it
hard for 6 days without much luck. Yesterday, after hunting, I wrapped
up my hunt at 12:00 PM and was headed home empty handed once again. So,
I decided that I would drive through my cousins farm and see if there
were any turkeys to look at...
This is Erik, our 10 year old son. "This is the day that I have been
waiting for" were the words that came out of his mouth at 4:00 a.m. EST.
After putting some birds to roost the night before, Erik and his Mom & I
headed out to the woodlot where we had been seeing some birds quite
regular. I put out the Prettyboy and Prettygirl decoys and waited for
daylight to appear. The birds were about 70 yards away in the roost, at
flydown ( 7:15 a.m. ) this tom and a jake came charging in on our setup.
The Boss Tom made the mistake of stopping at 23 yards when Erik took aim
with his New England Arms .410 shotgun and let the thunder roll. It was
a matter of maybe 15 seconds from the time they landed until the time
that Erik was jumping with excitement inside our blind, that he had
scored on a Boss Tom. I want to Thank Carrylite for such an awesome
decoy, this is my 3rd season with the Prettyboy setup and have been
successful every year. But none have been more exciting than sharing
this moment with my wife and son. Yes this is the day we all long
for...
Greeley, CO - My long time waterfowl buddies and I were inexperienced turkey hunters who didn’t know much about turkeys so we purchased a set of Pretty Boy & Pretty Girl decoys. We hit the field before sun up and set up. Our decoys were set and we started calling. Within 15 minutes we had gobblers responding vocally and they were headed our way. The excitement grew until we saw them across the river coming out of the grass, just as the sun was cresting above the horizon. After a few calls they flew across the river and started working in on our decoys. Eventually, another group of gobblers came to the rivers edge and we had two groups on either side of us responding to our calls and vying for action. Two nice birds got within range and we tagged them to cap off our first ever turkey hunt. We’ve since told all of our friends about the success with our pretty boy & pretty girl.
Sincerely,
Dan Van A.
Greeley, CO
Since I'm an incurable addict, here goes...after 3 good
days of hunting the first season on private land in St Clair County IL,
in which I'd taken a 15 lb tom on the opener, we found ourselves on
Thursday (April 10) in a torrential downpour. All the big boys say hunt
when it rains, so a huntin' we went...
My name is Brandon N. My wife bought me a Carry-Lite Decoy for my
birthday back in July. Hunting with a decoy is been something I have
always wanted to try and I have to say my first season was a huge
success. I first took my decoy to Illnois and killed a nice 8 point. The
deer came by me about 100 yards away I kept grunting at him to get his
attention, but as soon as he saw my decoy he swelled up and got stiff
legged and came right in. In the picture you can see the decoy standing
in the back ground.
Our Only Real Competition is Mother Nature
This past year while turkey hunting in Hurlock, MD I saw one of the most awesome acts of nature while using your product. My buddy and I set the Pretty Boy and Pretty Girl decoys up about 40 yds from our ground blind and we placed other decoys out as well.
We saw several turkeys and suddenly they began to run. As we looked up a Redtail Hawk came in and picked the pretty girl up into the air and began to fly away with it. After about 10 seconds it dropped it and flew on its way. Just goes to show how realistic the decoy really is.
Zak P.
Georgetown, DE
Turkey Hunting - Chester Country, South Carolina
Chris is one of those kids who are just ‘eat up’ with hunting. I mean 24/7.
We were in Chester Country in South Carolina and set up in a bottom where I’d seen birds a couple days earlier. Before light I’d put out the decoys and we were sitting in a blind. There was not much going on and it was cold – like 29 degrees. I’d just said ‘we need to hear a gobble’ and we heard one gobble behind us. Two gobblers came through a strip of trees and here they came. They walked by the blind at 5-yards, and Chris had his gun sticking through a shooting hole in the blind. They were walking toward the decoys purring and doing figure 8s around them. We couldn’t get them to stop so Chris could shoot. Finally one stopped and Chris shot it. The other gobbler didn’t run off. He just jumped on the downed bird, and before I could stop him Chris had jacked another shell in the barrel and shot the other one! It was just one of those hunts. I ruined him for life on turkey hunting!