RE: Let' Help with Decoy Placement - Share you tips
OK...
I use decoys in different positions at different times of the season...
The big thing on decoys is the birds, if you have flocks of birds.. a number of decoys will be ok... explanation....
If you are hunting a large area, the birds come opening day are with hens or not...
If its a small area, your birds are with hens... period...
Now, if its a big area, the chances of catching a batchelor bird are pretty good..
Scouting will help you with your deek placement and numbers. If you have a large number of birds in a flock opening day, like 15 hens with 7 strutting gobblers or less, those birds will roost with those hens, gobble on the roost and fly down and shut up.. why? they have hens... they may give a gobble and tell you where they are but they are not gonna leave those hens.
Knowing the area is key.... scout dammit...
If you have a field, set up a number of deeks in that field, mimic a bunch of birds that won't get called away, call to the hens, piss one off, you'll have 30 friggin birds on your deeks(I've seen it)
I have feeding hens and a jake... a jake is good,
usig a deek with a full fan is sometimes not great. those birds don't know you and your hens, they will sit out and watch cautiously, not what you want, if its an evident jake, they will come running for a challenge.
If yoy have a large area... just set your hen deek up and call... put her in an area with a shooting lane at your dominate side with at least 25 yards of open shot lane on either side...