Whats y'alls opinions on it?

It's pretty common for me to come up on some decoys somebody either left out in a hole year round or that got carried away by high water, Most are so old and useless I've never really taken more than two here and there that were no doubt somebody had lost them and wouldn't find em.
I know they are fair game for anyone to take on public water and a lot of people do it, but where do yall draw the line on "stealing" and "salvaging"?

After duck season if I find em I put em in the boat....... Now I don't just stroll up to some ole duck blind and pick em up I'm tlking like ride down the river seening one floating......

I would say a general rule of 5 should work. If they have 5 or more in a pile, leave them. Other than that pick em up.

I pick them up to see if the owner's name is on them. If it is, I take it home and try to look the fella up. If I can't find him, I'll put the decoy back the next time I go that way. If there is no name on it, I leave it where I found it.

I know if I were to lose a couple decoys and someone else found them I would much rather them get to use the decoys than they just sit in the river and go to waste. This only applies after the season ends though.

Hey...if it's a month after season and you find decoys still in the water on public land whether it's one or one hundred....They're coming in the boat with me. Litter patrol.

This late after the season, they aren't trying to find them anymore. I'm not one for taking someone's decoys, public water or not, but i've let some of mine get away from me, that someone else prob ended up with, and I have zero issue if someone else were to take and claim them. If it's a couple days after the season, different ballgame, but im not going to get mad about it. I just won't pick someone else's up. It's nearly March, dude, so I say unless they have a phone number on them (and all of mine always do), then they aren't concerned, and shouldn't have an issue with someone else picking them up.

On public ground I'd pick that shit up anytime. If it was on a lease or something I may leave them, I'm not sure how that all works down there.

I came close to getting 5-6 from the bushes around someone's blind today.

To me, even if its still duck season it's just plain laziness to leave decoys out all year especially to help claim a spot.
I've never takin any before but it really aggravates me. I got into an argument with a guy once this year because he had decoys out an thought it gave him the right to come in there 15 mins before shooting light

All depends on type, condition, and location

If there is a phone number on bottom - I call them.

If not, and they are spotless and something good like G&H....I'd be taking them home - 5 or more or not. But this is all public water up here....

It's situational I guess. I give them a week after season then they're fair game. I don't care if they're cheep-o's or the high dollar ones. One of them or a hundred. I'll get the ones I want and chunk the rest in the trash if they're not marked. After duck season they're nothing more than a duck shaped plastic bottle.... Trash.

If someone left them then shame on 'em....