Favorite decoy setup
Turkey
Let me know your favorite decoy setup for each period of the season and also any cool turkey stories you have
I alternate between a single hen, a single jake and a hen/Jake together. It would be neat to go on about how each of these set ups work at different times and situations but after a few decades I really haven't figured anything out. Sometimes a set up works amazing. Other times they hate it. Sometimes those two results are 1/2 hour apart from the same set-up.
My favorite set-up varies as the season progresses but as long as you have Dave Smith decoys you can't go wrong! Ha!
Scoot, you should see what I bring in with my decoy of Nancy Pelosi.
I like the Jake and hen Combo from Dave Smith decoys. Close 8-10 yards from set up or blind. Man is it spring yet??
I have a DSD half strut jake decoy, I like it but haven't seen toms attack it like some people have. I mainly like how realistic it is, and will buy a few more detailed dekes as I have the money. I usually set him out with a couple of hens and maybe a strutting tom sometimes.
I'm also in the camp that can't pattern anything. A few years ago I had the dsd set up with a couple hens and had about 25 turkeys moving in. I was doing some light calling, there were strutting toms coming from 3-4 different directions and I was thinking "oh boy, here we go! They're gonna start fighting". They circled my dekes, met up on the far side, and strolled away like they were just meeting up for breakfast. I did manage to shoot a jake that hung around too long. Meanwhile, at the same exact time my dad who barely cares about hunting, and pays more attention to crossword puzzles while he's out there is sitting 100 yards away from me. He has a large tom come running right into his $10 Walmart shiny full strut tom and he blasts him. He came in to one shock gobble that my dad had done. WTH is the pattern there? LOL
It is simple for me....1 Dakota Jake. I haven't found any need at all to use a hen or strutter.
I just think... What would TBM do?
I just think... What would TBM do?
all of these setups have produced a dead tom
all of these setups have produced a dead tom
I use the same set up through the season, however, my season the past 4-5 years has been short, one or two outings. Then I’m tagged out. My set up is a DSD half strut jake set at 9-10 yards (not further) from my blind, and facing or quartering to the blind. And an up right or feeding hen about five or so yards closer to the blind but a bit off to the side by 2-3 yards. I have both the upright and feeding but rarely use both, too much trouble. My experience is that an approaching gobbler will go to the jake decoy. He will walk in front of it making you a chip shot at under 10 yards. If you don’t take an early shot, he will circle and beat the crap out of the jake and will present multiple shot opportunities. Two years ago I killed a gobbler and was in my blind waiting for a friend to pick me up. Another gobbler came in a beat on the DSD jake for 20 minutes till he bent the stake and knocked the decoy off the stake. Guess he thought he won and walked a away.
a non agressive jake over a hen with two other hens feeding nearby is my GO TO set up. Most fun, the HeadsUP decoys. spot and stalk
a non agressive jake over a hen with two other hens feeding nearby is my GO TO set up. Most fun, the HeadsUP decoys. spot and stalk
Dan Mallia's Link
I always put out a DSD jake and hen. Killed birds over the mating pair last year. Birds often bypass the hen to pummel the jake. Here’s a video of a flock of Jakes vs my DSD flock.
Same as dan in the spring season! Off the roost will use multiple hen deeks with a jake deek, but later in the day usually just one hen maybe two with the jake deek. All Dave Smith decoys here. Nothing better!
DSD jake and one or two hens. Pretty hard to mess that up! Big fields you may have to add motion if they can see it to long.
Paul, looks like you’ve got it down man! How successful have you been with the Heads Up? Knee pads a great idea as well! Is that a leafy suit you’re wearing?
I have tried a few knee pads and found these to be the best, soft rubber with a rubber layer inside to protect the knee. I use them in my tent blinds for turkeys, geese, pronghorn as I shoot of my knees a lot. And also, when hunting with the bow/decoy.
The Heads Up decoy works. One really needs to practice with the decoy on the bow, before the hunt to see if the arrow flight is compromised any ways. Also, one needs to draw before the tom gets into range. The first time I used it, the toms ran 100 yards, up to within 10 yards. I was so involved watching, I forgot to draw. The second , two toms got too close and all I got was feathers. The third time was the charm.
Leafy suit, Yes, ASAT pro leafy suit.
Do you know the brand of your knee pads, Paul?
Heads up decoy! The real fan really ads to it! Nothing like have a turkey come barreling in wanting to fight!
Dan - pretty cool video. I may have to get some new decoys. Not a fan of the price but thinking of getting a jake DSD or something similar
Jake and two hens DSD it mounted decoys. 6-8 yards so they are in your face.
Troy, They are CLC knee pads purchased at Harbor Freight for less than 15$. The Tool Barn (website) shows them for 18.95 then add shipping cost.
Harbor Freight does now have a similar pair, ie, Western Safety Pads for $12.99. You can see both pairs on their web site.
Thanks for the info,Paul! I had a pair that I loved, but I loaned them to a friend and they disappeared somewhere unfortunately.
Same as Glunt pretty much. Do have two hen decoys thought that I use if not to far from the truck. Always set the submissive hen facing away from the blind and jake facing towards, that way there Tom is likely to be facing away from me for the shot and I put them close, hen about ten yards and Jake about fifteen
Like others... I use a DSD halfstrut jake about 8-10 yards out with a submissive hen in front of him.
Last year, I was in an island of brush in the middle of a field. I put out several different spreads in different directions: a prettyboy full strutter at 12:00, the DSD jake combo at 3:00, some generic hens at 6:00. Turkeys could see most of the decoys from most of the field. Turkeys circled for quite a while but eventually came to the DSD jake.
Half strut jake and an alert hen. Last year I added a GHG feeding hen that balances on the stake and bobs/moves in the breeze. That movement really seemed to help with later season Toms.
I tried something new yesterday and not sure if it helped or hindered.
Had a hen and and old jake fan setup that I had.
We were successful but when the two toms came out that just lingered at about 100 yard for over an hour. Not until I got aggressive with calls and additional hens came into the field did they meander slowly over.
Any thoughts on if you think it helped or held them up??
