Turkey Decoys?
Contributors to this thread:Turkey
From: JDM
21-Apr-20
Everybody know decoys are a must for turkeys, but does your decoy usage change through the season? How? When? More/less hens? No Tom or Jake? Whats the strategy?
From: The Ole’ Bowhunter
21-Apr-20
Using decoys can be a hit or miss proposition. I’ve had gobblers Hang up out of range because they expected the hen to go to them. That is the way nature intended turkey dating to go. Then too, I’ve had turkeys come running in to beat the band they were so worked up. When it comes to setting up hen decoys it’s customary to set the decoy facing away from you because oftentimes the gobbler will move to the rear of the decoy hoping to mount it. If you are going to put out a JAKE decoy, make sure it is facing you because that old longboard I’d going to approach that decoy head on so he can kick its butt.
From: Glunt@work
21-Apr-20
I wouldn't say they are a "must" but they are handy. Occasionally I set up with none. Usually after I have a tom that seems to shy from them.
Most of the time it's a lone jake, lone hen or a jake/hen combo. I dont change much based on the part of the season.
This bird came in with no decoys.
From: The Ole’ Bowhunter
21-Apr-20
Congratulations...Nice bird...what kind of bow is that?
From: Ermine
21-Apr-20
Heads up decoys are really fun way to hunt turkeys. They seem to work all season
From: PushCoArcher
21-Apr-20
I tend to use less the later it is in the season of course it's always dependent on the situation. My go to setup for early season is a feeding hen with a bedded hen behind followed by a strutting jake, mid season setup would be just the bedded hen and jake, and during late just the feeding hen.
From: PushCoArcher
21-Apr-20
I tend to use less the later it is in the season of course it's always dependent on the situation. My go to setup for early season is a feeding hen with a bedded hen behind followed by a strutting jake, mid season setup would be just the bedded hen and jake, and during late just the feeding hen.
From: Glunt@work
21-Apr-20
"Congratulations...Nice bird...what kind of bow is that?"
Thanks. That is a "Chadwick". Local buddy that built bows for while.
From: Dale06
21-Apr-20
My season usually ends very early, so I can’t say how decoy use should change as season progresses. I’ve used hens only, jakes only and hen/jake combo. I’ve had the best success with a DSD jake at 9-10 yards from the blind, and one or two hens between the jake and blind, at 5-7 yards and a bit to the side.
From: Pop-r
21-Apr-20
They are definitely not a must as I've killed and seen 10x+ the turkey's killed without than with.
From: HUNT MAN
21-Apr-20
Pop-r with a bow?
For me decoys make all the difference . I use the Jake and hen combo. Hunt
From: Glunt@work
21-Apr-20
I have a DSD now but my ugly old Carry-Lite jake accounted for a bunch of dead turkeys set out alone. I hold out for big toms until a jake comes in :^)
From: Brotsky
21-Apr-20
Jake hen combo all season. I vary the pose of the Jake depending on the mood of the birds.
From: midwest
22-Apr-20
DSD jake set up where I want to shoot and hen where it can be seen the best from several different directions.
From: Beav
22-Apr-20
^^^ What he said!
From: JDM
22-Apr-20
Thanks everybody. I've got a DSD jake, B-Mobile, breeding hen, feeder hen, upright hen, and semi upright hen. What hen would you pair with the DSD Jake? or does it matter.
From: Glunt@work
22-Apr-20
You never know. I have had birds come in, shy away like the decoys have the plague and then 20 minutes later a different tom is rubbing up against them for 5 minutes.
From: Bucbuster
22-Apr-20
No dekes for me. Curiosity kills the cat and the bird... Bit if I still did, I would use them early season and then less and less as the season goes on. Hen and a Jake. The older and wiser Tom's seem to get decoy shy later in the season.
From: Paul@thefort
22-Apr-20
in the past my go to set up early season, included a strutter tom, and I did well, BUT sometimes a in coming tom would not commit.
in the past my go to set up early season, included a strutter tom, and I did well, BUT sometimes a in coming tom would not commit.
But since I have switched to a sub tom, standing over/near a bedded hen, all incoming toms have totally committed.
But since I have switched to a sub tom, standing over/near a bedded hen, all incoming toms have totally committed.
Later in the season, if I see toms not commiting to the tom and hen set up. I might only use a hen or two. This hen decoy is on a string for motion.
Later in the season, if I see toms not commiting to the tom and hen set up. I might only use a hen or two. This hen decoy is on a string for motion.
and anytime during the season, use the HeadsUP decoy especially when dominate toms are with hens.
and anytime during the season, use the HeadsUP decoy especially when dominate toms are with hens.
From: Beav
22-Apr-20
This was our setup last night after my daughter lost the decoy stakes for both decoys so we used a stick. I call this setup "Jake taking advantage of drunk hen!"
From: Beav
22-Apr-20
The stick didn't hold up the best!
From: x-man
22-Apr-20
Trial and error seems to narrow down to a bedded hen with a jake over her and another hen close by.
From: The Ole’ Bowhunter
22-Apr-20
[email protected] like your philosophy...as muck as I like to arrow a big, heavyweight, long-spurred gobbler, I find it hard to pass up a JAKE that walks into my setup to see what’s going on with the cute little quiet lady. Nice shooting by the way plus you have a great memory to relate to friends and family. ??
From: Boris
22-Apr-20
For the past 10 years, I have been using the Walmart bought decoys. An I have taken over 20 birds with them from Pa. and Ohio.
From: RD
22-Apr-20
For years, I've read the experts say, face the jake decoy towards you so the gobbler will come face to face with it. In 20+ years of turkey hunting I have never had it happen, they always come in from the back or the side and start slapping. I set mine at 90 degrees for the best shot.
From: Paul@thefort
22-Apr-20
Rd, I might be wrong but, I do believe the reason to face the tom towards the blind, is to draw the incoming tom closer as they might hang up if the decoy is facing the incoming tom.
From: Dale06
22-Apr-20
Ground hunter, that’s been my experience as well. Merriams in SD are stupid. Rios in Ks not as stupid, but still pretty easy. Easterns in Mn, a lot smarter.
From: writer
22-Apr-20
The past two seasons I've had quite a few mature toms shy away from the Dakota and DSD jakes, where they used to all hit them full-speed. (Both still work great on toms in the fall and winter seasons). A biologist/avid turkey hunter theorizes that our populations are down and there's not nearly as much competition so the toms aren't as wound up. Only called in four bunches/solo toms the spring, and all three that saw a Jake decoy hung up. Two were still in easy range, though.
From: writer
27-Apr-20
Had a young boy shot with a .22, from the road, as his dad was holding onto a decoy this weekend in central Kansas. Bullet went through the decoy, hit the child in the head but he'll survive with no major physical injuries. That's at least twice decoys were shot in Kansas this season. A buddy had his shot twice. Be careful.
