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Favorite Decoy Setup

I’ve ran a single half strut Jake for a long time and have great luck with it. Thinking about getting some more decoys to be more flexible. I like the mating motion pair by DSD. Does anyone have any experience with this setup? If so, what is your opinion. I am also open to other deadly decoy spreads.

I used it last weekend here in Nebraska, and it triggered an awesome response 2 long beards strutted in and wing flapped the shit out of him until 1 took an arrow through the chest, I don’t even use the cord and all the motion it’s a pain to setup in the dark I don’t think it’s necessary especially on our unpressured merriams

Hey Mark. I used the DSD pair for the first time last week as my regular Jake is on his last leg. I didn’t use any motion and agree would be a pain to set up IMO. Worked great though and really like the look. Hope all is well!

Full strut jake, upright hen, and a feeding hen is my favorite set-up. Killed a pile of birds over that set the past 5-6 years.

Same as Brotsky.

On public I just use a single Montana miss purr-fect decoy. On private I use my avian x half strut jake behind their hen laydown along side a feeding or lookout hen.

Half strut DSD jake about 7-10 yds from the blind, with a breeding hen right in front of the jake, and an upright hen a few yards further out and off to one side. I set up the jake broadside to me and run some fishing line that is spooled on a small reel, from an eye-hook screwed into the Jake’s breast, back to the blind. I push the Jake’s stake into the ground at a slight angle, so the jake is tilted and ends up facing uphill broadside to me, when at rest. Easy to add a little movement to him with just a slight tug of the string. If I can easily find one or two of them, I will also run the fishing line under a couple of small curved sticks, so the line stays low to the ground, but runs freely under the sticks. Seems to help keep things from getting tangled up, if the birds happen to walk between the blind and the decoys.

I can usually set everything up (not including the blind) in less than 15 minutes ;-)

Forgot the pic

I've used the half strut jake and upright hen forever. The jake is set where I mainly want to shoot and the hen is set where a turkey might catch sight of it from a different angle where he couldn't see the jake. If that makes sense.

Most of the time they completely ignore the hen and come straight to the jake as expected. The biggest spurred tom I've ever killed a couple years ago came in, beat up the hen, then strutted around the jake before he took an arrow. Never had that happen before.

I’m pretty similar to everyone else. DSD 1/2 strut Jake, breeder hen, and I use an upright hen and a feeding hen. But I’m sure I could do away with one of this hens. The breeder is small and easy to carry. I think the only weak part to that decoy though is you can’t see it from very far away if there is any grass at all. Probably helps to finish the last few yards when they can see it though. But I also feel I could do without it. Jake and one hen would be a decent set for most of my hunts in all reality. But I’m not a super technical turkey guy either…

—Jim

same o, tom or jake over hen Killer setup.

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