Twice last year I had the same experience. I called a tom in, he came around a corner or over a ridge, saw my decoy, let out an earpiercing gobble, and nearly before the gobble was done he took off running. Both times I didn't move an inch, never even took my gun off my knee. I'm pretty sure that because the decoy didn't turn and look at the tom he took off. I'm hesitant to even use decoys this year.

Due to the amount of terrain I was covering, I only took one female decoy with me. Do you think these toms would be more susceptable to multiple decoys? Is there such a ting as being decoy wise or shy?

I also seen where you posted this on the zone.

Theres no telling. Maybe someone has messed with them before.

I had the same thing happen to me last year to, i am not sure why they do this. I am glad you asked cause i would like to figure it out too.

I'd say they're decoy shy...couldnt hurt to try without!

I will tell you what I saw last year hunting with a friend, or what he did. The place was hopping with Jakes. Well the day I got my Tom, he was on the opposite side of the field. There was a jake and hen near his decoys. Out pops a tom, and starts in to my partner. All of the sudden the jakes starts hissing at the tom, next thing you know the tom makes a big cirlce around the jake and the hen and out of range and heads to the woodline. I suspect there were so many jakes they were teaming up on the Toms. Heard about it before, they get bold and in numbers like 4 or 5 they take on single toms....... more then likely this was a satalite Tom that was trolling for ladies and bet he had his butt beat by a group of jakes before and as soon as the jake hissed, he thought, oh boy where there is one might be more, so he avoided the jake...... just my opinion!

Do know the one I shot had a partner and they were a little hesitant to come to the dekes with the struttin jake I had........ bet there was one of those 'juvinell' (sp) gang causing trouble for the old timers! [8D]