need some help
 

I would like some advice in late season should I set up a hen and a jake decoy or just set up a hen. I have had good luck hunting turkeys but had two gobblers this weekend with one hen each and could not get them to commit. They looked and strutted at 250 yards. They just would come in. Any advise would help.

RE: need some help
 

try to close the distance if you can, and i used my bobblehead every hunt this season....i think they like to have a visual when out in the fields, more so than in the woods/hammocks....

RE: need some help
 

I've had more experiences like that with a single hen decoy than I care to admit. Unless I'm hunting a really early season, I'm no longer using a single hen decoy. Not only do they tend to come in slower, but I had repeated instances of them coming in and then turning and running when the hen didn't move after a gobble.

RE: need some help
 

I was a firm believer that "early" in the season was always better to use dekes, the more the merrier. Then, "late" in the season, I would leave the dekes at home. As I've gained some wisdom, it's really about the current breeding transition, the activity of your birds, and the bird population in your area.

If you saw two strutters with one hen each a week ago, the percentages are in your favor that the hens are now nesting fulltime and those boys are lonely. In that situation, I like to make the tom get aggressive and really look for that sweet-talking hen, hence no dekes.

If you can hunt two days, and find the birds are still with hens on day one, then on day 2 I would use at least one hen...jakes are always optional IMO...

RE: need some help
 

I've also had this year a nice gobbler turn and run away when he saw me single hen decoy. I think I'll be leaving me dekes at home from now on.

RE: need some help
 

Since I stopped using deeks, I have had more turkeys come closer than ever before. Even though I was laying out a nice spread of them, it still seemed like the birds were hanging up out of range.

I am gonna still carry them, but be alot more skeptical about putting them out.

RE: need some help
 

Ditto!!

RE: need some help
 

Ditto

RE: need some help
 

So what you are telling me I should just use the jake decoy if I don't see any hens with the toms. I'm still not sure but is the last weekend to hunt. I got a very nice marrriam 22lb 9 + beard using jake and hen. Do I use 1 hen or both or 1 jake late season.

RE: need some help
 

neb,

NO!!!

What we are saying is this: DO NOT USE DEKES LATE IN THE SEASON!!

Just wanted to clear that up, obviously there was some confusion...[8D]