hardcorehunter

Decided to make him more realistic. I hunted last season with him and a couple of times this season with him, and I wasn't overly impressed with success. I then painted his head red to match the birds that I see in the wild and the very 1st time out; big tom sticks around and falls to my arrow. Coincidence, I don't think so. Thought I would share.






Pretty boy from the factory. I always use a real fan in him unless it is rainy



Googled bird image for reference



1st Day out with the new paint

MeanV2

I didn't repaint the head on mine, but I did pitch the cardboard fan.

I got a Primos foldup fan holder and put the real feathers in it. It worked like a charm.

I do believe success with decoys depends on the mood of the Gobbler/Gobblers as much as anything.

Dan

hardcorehunter

I have seen them predominately white too...but the MAJORITY that I see have a lot of red showing. I just hadn't had gr8 success with the decoy....he is big and could likely scare off some birds. the one I shot in the pic was a nice mature bird. I think they change the color of their heads constantly depending on how horny/mad they are. I like the red cause it really shows up in the woods for longer visibility by an approaching tom

MeanV2

Don, I think you are right and they can/do change the color depending on how dominant, mad, horny, whatever?? As long as it works for you that's all that matters.

Good Luck next season!!

Dan

hardcorehunter

Dan, I am either going to get one or tow of these Dave Smith Hens next year or go fall turkey hunting here when we are allowed to shoot hens and mount a hen myself(I dabble in taxidermy and can mount a hen for little to nothing cost wise) or find a game farm that raises hens and buy a couple of lives ones to kill for taxidermy. I am then ditching my other hens as I want my dekes to be as real as possible. Real feathers and a stuffed bird is tough to beat. I took my gobblers hide and placed it on my pretty boy and it was exactly as I thought; WAY TOO BIG. He looked like a monster turkey and would surely scare the heck out of any other tom in the woods wearing real feathers. Those Dave Smiths are pretty sweet and he makes a jake that is realistic too.

http://davesmithdecoys.com/shop/inde...p;productId=31

MeanV2

Don, I have a widow maker Hen with glass eyes. It has been awesome. I know the Hens you are talking about are super too.

Dan

Howler

We use real "mounted" hen decoys, and they are awesome. Once the toms get close to them, they are sold and will stand around, even try to mount, the hens to give a guy plenty of time to stick'em with an arrow.

fingerz42

As far as I've heard, a white head means that turkey is ready to come and breed.. A red head means he wants a fight...

Howler

As far as the color of the head goes, we had a group of 4 long beards infront of us this lastThursday, and got to watch them for a few hours, and all of them changed colorsmany many times.

MeanV2

True! I had a buddy that had a Jake decoy that had a real Red head and he toned it down and says he has much better success.

So it's really whatever works for the individual and the Turkeys probably even vary from area to area in how aggressive they are and how they respond to a decoy.

Dan