Decoy Tactics
 

What is your best decoy tatic? For spring season

RE: Decoy Tactics
 

Here's a topic that can go on for a very long time......
Completely dependant upon the area, birds, setup....
If I'm in a field, I set it up so I can swing across my body left to right with the possible entrance of the bird over my left shoulder and decoy out in front of my right shoulder. In the woods, I set up close on my decoy due to the fact that I cannot judge the new direction of the birds arrival.
If there's a creek around, I like to set up so that I can keep that decoy visible from the creek, if there's a valley, I get to the highest point, shoot from high ground.
Bottle necks are fantastic fun and may yield alot of failures before you get set up right...

RE: Decoy Tactics
 

Use a jake with the hen to get thatbig boys attention. He doesnt want his hens hanging with the little boys so if he sees it he will usually come in quickly.
Also if you are hunting with a partner, and you are both calling, use two hens at first light when he is still on the roost or just on the ground and both of you cluck and soft yelp at the same time. That worked for me this pastspring and I killed a nice goobler.

RE: Decoy Tactics
 

I came up with something i nicknamed the TOOD last spring, I dont know if youve heard of it or not....it seems to work pretty well.[8D]

I pack a lone hen in my vest for when i am moving alot and want to be mobile. this last spring i picked up one of those prettyboy decoys and when i added a real fan, this thing is amazing. if you can call a bird within sight of this deke, watch out he WILL come charging. called in a bird for my buddy last spring, got about 60 yards out before it saw the prettyboy, it then continued on in for a, oh i dont know, 5-6 yard shot?

where i setup is the main determining factor in which decoy setup if any that i use. if im in a small field which you cant see from a long way away, ill use prettyboy. i think it helps to have him in a place where the gobblers cant see him until they are 100 yards or closer. maybe its just me though.

RE: Decoy Tactics
 

Depends on the area I hunt. I usually use 3 decoy set up in the woods. Thats because the sight of the tom is limited. 3 decoys triples my chances of the tom seeing a hen decoy. Now in the fields I will usually use 1 or 2. The open area allows for the toms to see greater distances and pick out the hen decoys easier...

RE: Decoy Tactics
 

People rave about using Jakes including the old man, I never pack more than 1 deek mainly because I like the mobility it gives me and the freedom I have to make desicions on the fly. I ussually carry a double of everything in case of failure but I wouldn't wanna pack out or have to deal with 2 many of my deeks. I did have a setup last year where I used 3 hens and ended up with a whole hen flock 15 yards in front of me feeding.... Deek numbers is all personal preference, if you can be effective and you enjoy doing it.... go do it...

RE: Decoy Tactics
 

For years I swore I had to have no less then a jake and 2 hen decoys and they had to be set out on every setup...Hey that's how the manufacturers sell them and thats what all the guys in the videos used...Well as I've gotten older and somewhat wiser I have cut way back to just carrying a hen decoy to use in certain situations while hunting open meadows...Decoys are pretty much useless in the woods since turkeys rarely see them...it reallytakes movement to get a turkeys attention...and the extra weight of 3 decoys in your vest is a pain...[>:]

I have gone tousing a single Buckwing Bob-N-Head hen decoy when setting up onthe edges of open meadowssincethey usuallyoffer verylittle cover to set up in...With the decoy placed 20 yardsout in an open meadowand withthe decoy moving freely in the slightest breezeit really grabs the toms attention taking his eyes off of me.

RE: Decoy Tactics
 

Just put one or two hen decoys 20 to 25 yards out in front of me and call. Usually works for me.

RE: Decoy Tactics
 

Agreed. I have a jake decoy and I use to use it quite often. I started getting tired of carring three decoys, so I stopped caring the jake as much and I find myself going for just the two hens more often.

RE: Decoy Tactics
 

I use one jake and one hen. I put the jake facing me and the hen slightly in front of the jake a few yards to the side facing away from the jake. I don't know what the turkey has in his pea brain, but in my pea brain I think the turkey sees a Jake about to make a move on a hen, and if he's gonna put a stop to it he's gonna get face to face with that jake giving me the opportunity to get my gun up and take care of business. I keep the dekes within 15-20 yards.