They have helped me close the deal quite a few times...
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They can definately help,... but not all the time. During late season, I think the toms get decoy shy. The ones that are left have seen a lot of setups and will be sceptical. Also late season has thicker vegetation, and often the birds are in range before they can see anything anyway. Sometimes even earlier in the season, a tom will hang up if he sees a "hen" a ways off. He knows she can see him and will stop and strut expecting her to come to him.
Decoys are just one more option to be used when the situation calls for it.I still usually carry at least a hen, but some days she stays in the game pouch.
They can definately help,... but not all the time. During late season, I think the toms get decoy shy. The ones that are left have seen a lot of setups and will be sceptical. Also late season has thicker vegetation, and often the birds are in range before they can see anything anyway. Sometimes even earlier in the season, a tom will hang up if he sees a "hen" a ways off. He knows she can see him and will stop and strut expecting her to come to him.
Decoys are just one more option to be used when the situation calls for it.I still usually carry at least a hen, but some days she stays in the game pouch.
Good point. Ialso believe this is where the strutting tom decoys really shine. It challenges that tom to come closer.
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Sometimes even earlier in the season, a tom will hang up if he sees a "hen" a ways off. He knows she can see him and will stop and strut expecting her to come to him.
Yep.
Infact I think this acctually has happened to me more times than not. I have gotten to the point where if I am just hunting a field edge that turkeys have been walking along the edge of.... no decoys for me. I prefer them on roads, gas lines and smaller fields. Now full strut decoys work the other way around....
Some of the early jake decoys spooked a lot of birds for me. Most of them were big black turkeys, with bright red heads and stumpy beards. A long beard don't make you a bad bird... size, head color and posture do. One of the things I like about B-Mobile is he looks a little bit smaller, and I think that helps birds gain the moxy to try him out.
Another useful tip... gobblers will always come to a decoy "head-on", so remember to keep your decoys facing toward you when you set them up. Espeically with the full strutters. Otherwise, the bird will hang up short and expect to get a reaction out of the other bird.
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Decoys work great, however, they don't work everytime. I have had toms literally come running and stop 60 yards out, go into a full strut and not come any closer. If you want to really get your heart going, get a tom running at you from 150 to 200 yards away. I have had luck with decoys when hunting a small open field. The gobblers can see the decoys as soon as they enter the field, and they almost immediately start coming my way. I would say the hardest part of decoys is getting that gobbler to go the last 10 yards you are going to need him to take in order to get a good shot.
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They CAN work. Ive been using them since i started turkey hunting 8 years ago, but after all that time quit using them. They first day i left them home it payed off. Called in a tom and made him LOOK for the hen, not see it and hang up. I do think though that if you decide to get one, get one of those bobble head ones. I got one a few years ago and they look really realistic. But overall, I think in my experience, decoys tend to make the tom hang up out of range rather than come right to it. Not all the time, but most of the time. At least from what ive seen. On TV, they come right to the decoys every single time. That wont happen every single time. Good luck to you whatever you decide.
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I have had some success with them, and I have had them cause the bird to shy away from me. It's not an exact science. If you get on a bird that ahs had his butt whipped in that area, then he is likely to keep his distance from the decoy. But if you get on a bird that hasn't been whipped, then you are in for a hell of ashow. I had 2 longbeards spot my decoy on the otherside of acreek and they races to get to me. They flew across the creek and it was one of the best hunts I've been on. It did'nt work out well for either one of them.
Decoys do the job?
. I have had luck with decoys when hunting a small open field. The gobblers can see the decoys as soon as they enter the field, and they almost immediately start coming my way. I would say the hardest part of decoys is getting that gobbler to go the last 10 yards you are going to need him to take in order to get a good shot.
