ORIGINAL: superstrutter
Maybe the gobblers that spooked got their tails wooped by jakes. You never know. Try using just one or two hens. I use the featherflex dekes also. I use one or sometimes two hens and have never had a gobbler spook. I have a jake featherflex, but never use it. Just remember, decoys aren't going to work every time you use them.
Not a jake per sea.... but I think that a lot of jake decoys look WAY WAY too aggressive. Big black bodies with bright red heads.
I hunt mostly easterns as well, and I've had birds come to decoys and birds spook from decoys. I've found that the birds that didn't spook when I had a jake decoy out, were usually no younger than 3, and quite typically at least 4. Meaning that they were older, badder birds... usually the boss of the area. I've had plenty of birds come out and see the jake and turn tail and book it. Those are likely sub-dominent birds that have gotten their butts kicked recently, and are not up for seconds. I doubt that turkeys can tell the difference between a jake and Tom, unless they are strutting. All they see is a big black bird with a bright red head... thats enough for them.