Decoys can be a valuable addition to your hunting arsenal, but by no way can they be a substitute for bad calling, inadequate scouting, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You can' t just stick a decoy in the ground and hope for a turkey to walk by. Some days, decoys don' t work at all, and they can even cause a bird to hang up. Don' t become over dependent on decoys; people have killed lots of turkeys without them. Sometimes setting out decoys isn' t worth the risk of spooking a gobbler if he' s nearby. That said, a decoy in the right place and right time can work wonders. It can literally bring a turkey running. Here are some tips for decoy use.

- Set decoys about 20 yards in front of you. If a gobbler hangs up outside the decoys, he may still be in gun range.
- One hen decoy is good, two or three hens are better
- Motion adds tremendous realism to decoys. Set a collapsible decoy on a piece of aluminum arrow shaft, and it will move back and forth in the lightest breeze.
- Field edges are prime location to set decoys later in the morning. Set out your decoys, build a blind and " blind-call," that is, call softly every 15 minutes whether you see something or not. It' s a dull way to hunt, but if you' re patient, it will work.
- If you' re trying to hunt a gobbler that struts in the middle of your field, find out where he enters and leaves the field and set your decoys there, in gun range of your hiding place at the field' s edge.
- Hen decoys are most effective late in the season, when the majority of hens are on the nest.
- Hen decoys are least effective when gobblers are accompanied by lots of hens.
Since afternoon hunting is legal in Washington, set out a flock of decoys where a tom will pass by them on his way to the roost.
- Fall hunters, when they break up a flock, should set one or two decoys out at the scatter point.
- A flock of 6 to 10 decoys can be very effective in the fall. Scout until you know where birds are roosting and feeding. The very best spot for a decoy flock is near a roost in the morning, along the bird' s route of travel to a feeding area. Build a blind nearby and aggressively mimic the calls the real turkeys are making.
- To keep gobblers from hanging up and displaying a long distance, try to set your decoy where a bird won' t see it until he' s in gun range, say, around a bind in a field or behind a small rise. For safety' s sake, you need to be able to see beyond the decoy however.
- A scattered flock of 6 to 10 decoys can work well if you hunt from a blind in the spring. Spread them out in front of your blind so they' ll attract birds into shooting lanes to the left, right, and in front.
- Some hunters believe a gobbler will display to a decoy' s face. They set their decoys facing their hide, so the bird will come around between the hunter and the decoy for a close shot.

The latest trick among decoy users is to make a " breeding hen" by shortening the decoy' s stake so you can easily set her with her belly touching the ground. That' s the posture a hen assumes when she' s ready to be bred.

A breeding hen by herself may lure in a gobbler, but if you add a jake right behind her, as if he' s about to breed the hen, it should drive the tom nuts, especially early in the season.

Turkeys have a rigid flock pecking order, and no adult male turkey will tolerate the sight of a jake breeding a hen.

If you don' t mind shooting a jake, add a second hen, 5 yards further away and off to the side. The theory here is that a real jake will shy away from fighting the jake decoy, and he' ll go to the single hen decoy instead.

If you use this setup, make sure you have a clear field of fire at the jake and the second hen decoy.


Turkey hunters always have to be careful in the woods. Obviously, using decoys - especially jakes - means you have to raise your safety precautions to a new level.
- Don' t hide too well; sit against a tree or rock that' s wider than your shoulders and tall enough to protect the back of your head in case someone comes up from behind and takes a shot at your decoy.
- The greatest danger in decoy hunting comes when another hunter stalks the decoy from the opposite side, putting you in his line of fire. From your seated position identify the clearest line of vision to your front. Establish a sight line that allows you 100 yards of visibility. Then set your decoy(s) approximately 20 yards from your position on the line.
- If another hunter does stalk your decoys, don' t wave your hand. Don' t move, just speak out in a loud, clear voice.
- If you are calling over decoys and elect to move to a new stand, check carefully that no one is stalking your decoys. Check before leaving your stand tree. Should you see someone in the area, the preceding rule applies.
- Wear gloves and face mask. In the excitement of the hunt, white hands or sunburned face can look just like a turkey' s head.
- When you walk through the woods, carry your decoys hidden in a back or in the gamebag of your vest.