One Turkey decoy

[Jmort1754]

If you could have one hen turkey decoy and one Jake decoy---

WHat do you pick?

I have an avian x upright hen and a full straight jake turkeys don't seem to respond to them.

Do I go with a DSD feeder hen and a 1/4 strut jake?

 

[fatlander]

DSD Jake is the best, but some turkeys just don’t care about decoys. Some are downright scared of decoys. Some have different moods at different times of the day.

Turkeys are fickle creatures. Some days they’ll run in so fast you can’t get ready. Others they’ll run away so fast it’ll make your head spin.

If you’re not bowhunting, you’ll probably kill more turkeys learning to call and use the terrain to your advantage than sitting behind a decoy. It’s a pretty tall order to kill turkeys with a bow without decoys. Running and shotgunning, they’re more trouble than they’re worth in my opinion.

Good luck!


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[rclouse79]

I bought the Primos gobstopper combo a few years ago, thinking I would upgrade to a better set later. To my knowledge a turkey has never seen the decoys and not come running to them. I am operating under the "If it aint broke, don't fix it" principle for now.

 

[Jmort1754]

I am not worried so much for me, as I am the youth that hunt with us.

 

[fatlander]

I am not worried so much for me, as I am the youth that hunt with us.

The kids will be better turkeys hunters if they watch you and learn to tree yelp, do a fly down cackle while smacking your thigh, soft lonely yelping, scratching leaves, quiet purrs and whines, excited cutting and yelping when the time calls for it. They’ll appreciate the land and the animal so much more if you teach them to setup so that as soon as the bird can see where you’re calling from you’ve got a shot at him, instead of sticking them beside plastic with their phone in their hands waiting on a turkey like a deer.

Good luck with the kiddos!


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[Jmort1754]

Why would you assume that we don't already do that, however when you have 12 year old youngsters with you a little help in not only drawing them in but also having them stick around could mean the difference.

 

[fatlander]

Because you asked a pretty basic question. That doesn’t really have an answer you’re going to be happy with.


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[UTJL]

My dad has a hen decoy with a cloth neck around a spring. You run a string from the beak to an eyelet in the decoy stake and then to you. When you pull the string the head bobs. It’s deadly. That little bit of lotion helps put gobblers at ease and they come right in. It helped when I was a kid and couldn’t sit still.

That said I can’t find any company markings on it and haven’t been able to find a similar decoy.

 

[go4thegusto]

After many years of messing around I now use a bedded mating hen (flat bottom so no stake) right under a partial strut Jake. Seems to be the most consistent set up.
I use Dave Smith but only because he was the first to offer these. Their are many now.

 

[MattB]

One decoy? Jake

 

[roosterdown]

DSD Jake is the best, but some turkeys just don’t care about decoys. Some are downright scared of decoys. Some have different moods at different times of the day.

Turkeys are fickle creatures. Some days they’ll run in so fast you can’t get ready. Others they’ll run away so fast it’ll make your head spin.

If you’re not bowhunting, you’ll probably kill more turkeys learning to call and use the terrain to your advantage than sitting behind a decoy. It’s a pretty tall order to kill turkeys with a bow without decoys. Running and shotgunning, they’re more trouble than they’re worth in my opinion.

Good luck!


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I can't speak to all of this as I have never shotgun hunted turkey. 7 for 7 last 7 years, single-arrow kills from a blind over DSDs - Jake & upright hen. I've had Toms at three feet from the blind, focused on the dekes at 15 yards. I have also had them pound the snot out of my dekes, though they've taken it like champs.

Calling is not my strength; I do what I feel is enough to get a talker to think about heading my way. Once in sight, the dekes do the rest.

 

[Gbfan]

DSD setup worked on a previous hunt. He came in ticked off and started beating up on the jake pretty good.

 

[Roosterstraw]

I would keep what you got. Mimic everything fatlander said.

 

[bcv]

I've got a pile of Dave Smith decoys. They all have their place but I've killed more birds behind a strutter with a jake tail fan than all the others. The jake over the breeding hen, mating motion pair, would be second place.
The way I see it... The gobbler knows there's a hen around because you're calling like one. So if he comes in and see's a strutting decoy then.... Game on!
I've had gobblers run in on my posturing jake and things get sideways.
Hen decoys seem to get the most attention from real hens.
This is just my opinion based on all the hunts and experiences I've had. I mainly use them when hunting with kids. If I'm going out by myself then I usually don't take a decoy. I find I'm more successful being mobile and not restricted by hauling around setting up decoys.

 

[pirogue]

I’ve always been on the fence of whether decoys helped or not, and inconsistent in using them, depending on conditions and style of hunt. But I did have a first of a kind happen the other day. I set up a DSD standing hen, and found a place to sit. After a few minutes, l did a few yelps. Out of nowhere, a coyote comes in and attacks the decoy. I’ve been wondering since then, which was more realistic, my calling or the decoy.

 

[Honyock]

I’ve always been on the fence of whether decoys helped or not, and inconsistent in using them, depending on conditions and style of hunt. But I did have a first of a kind happen the other day. I set up a DSD standing hen, and found a place to sit. After a few minutes, l did a few yelps. Out of nowhere, a coyote comes in and attacks the decoy. I’ve been wondering since then, which was more realistic, my calling or the decoy.

I've got a foam decoy that the yotes have attacked twice. One of the little bastards caught a bunch of lead in their butt when he started to run off with it. The teeth marks give it street cred.

 

[Titan_Bow]

I use Avian X decoys, and they work awesome when they work, but suck when they spook birds LOL. I archery hunt public land in Nebraska. Ive shot gobblers that were trying to hump my decoy, and I have had gobblers go out of their way to avoid them. Really depends on the situation, time of year, etc. etc. I try to use 1 or 2 hens if its early in the year, sometimes just trying to get the lead hen in a group to come check them out and drag the toms with her. End of archery season, I'll usually use a jake and single hen pair. I typically will sit a blind and decoys in the morning and then be more mobile, typically without decoys, or just a single hen, during middle of the day.

 

[Britt-dog]

One decoy I'd choose a DSD jake. But I've had toms seem to ignore the jake by itself. A jake hen pair is better. if your worried about to much to carry, sometimes Ill carry a DSD upright hen and a funky chicken jake decoy because it fits in the bag with the hen.

 

[Irish Miner]

I use the Avian X quarter strut jake and two DSD upright hens. Good combo when they work and they did twice this year. Like some have mentioned, sometimes the decoys actually make the birds nervous and shy away. Sometimes..

 

[Rich M]

Funky Chicken, baby!