What would you use?

[Phil from Maine]

Last year was my first year at trying turkey hunting. I almost got a shot off at my first tom and I never started until late season. I am using a bow for my choice of hunting. I have some decoys 3 hens a jake and a srtutting tom. My question is would use the strutting tom with the hens or the jake? Would you use both the strutting tom and the jake? Would you set them up as a group or separate the jake and a hen and leave 2 hens with the strutting tom? As stated last year I gave it a late season effort with out any decoys so even though my question may appear kind of stupid. I want to give this a better effort this year.

[JW]

Well a Strutting TOM can be real good or real bad so be aware of that. By that I mean I have had Toms shy away from my strutter.
Then at other times they have come right on in!

I like groups of 3. A Strutter, a laying hen and a feeding hen. Recently I have added a 4th feeding hen.

If I think the Strutter is causing me harm or making birds shy I take him out of the picture and use the 2 or 3 hens.

I have witnessed terrible luck with a Jake decoy and have since got rid of mine.


Above picture was taken from the back of my strutter looking back at my blind. The strutter is 12 steps away - the full bodied laying hen is 11 and the 2 feeders are 6 steps away. I like my decoys close for several reasons. Main one safety!
You can see I do not brush my blind in at all.
This is a early morning setting and the blind is facing west because the sun will warm this edge of the field up first and is a strut zone!

Above is looking from the blind.
Decoys are on my right.

Now this has worked for me many times - and in later seasons I do remove the Tom

I always have the Tom facing me - hens facing away or off to one side. I like the bobble hens as they have nice movement.
The full body old carrylite hen is placed right onthe ground and I have a 4 inch stake in her belly.

Hope this gives you some ideas to try - but what ever you do - make it look real -

SAFETY
Never place decoys directly in front of you. There are some who don't know the difference.

JW

[Phil from Maine]

Thank you for the pointers JW! I will give that a try as our season opens up on Monday, May 1st up here. This may help out but I am not sure with the way our weather has been this year. Unseasonably warm for us and some have been strutting for quite some time. If it appears to late I can head up north from here and give them atry though. It has been some what cooler up that way. Again thank you for the pointers..

[cataraft]

I would just stick to using turkey decoys. There is no need to put a drake out there becuase ducks aren't in season and they kind of keep seperate from turkey anyway. Just my oppinion, but if you want to try it, good luck!

[Phil from Maine]

Originally Posted by cataraft

I would just stick to using turkey decoys. There is no need to put a drake out there becuase ducks aren't in season and they kind of keep seperate from turkey anyway. Just my oppinion, but if you want to try it, good luck!

Thanks for catching that as I ment to say a jake not a drake LOL I did edit my post to reflect the jake..

[IL-Cornfed]

Just make sure you have that Strutter out and that he's no more than 10 yards away and FACING you. That is by far, the best strategy that I've found for bowhuntin' Gobblers.

Personally, I also like to set out a pair of DSD Hens and a DSD Jake as well. It just all goes together to form the ultimate flock and certainly helps pull those birds in tight.

Good luck and good huntin'

[JW]

I try to keep track of what phase the birds are in as it helps me understand how to hunt them.

What I am hearing as of 4/23/10 - Toms gobble just fine from the roost and maybe a time or two on the ground but go silent for the better if not all day.

The Tom is henned and in strut walking behind his hens. Find the hens - you'll find the Tom - Now that scenerio is coming in MN, WI, MI, MO, IN,

Way south the hen is on nest......so Toms a bit more vocal.....

Hope that helps

JW