Redbelly

I hunt south Ga and yes it is a problem with spooking. This year I am going to try a jake with a fan. I know some guys who have had success with this decoy in S Ga.

FlywayControl

Its a problem here in West,Tn too.Jakes will attack the deeks.Ole longbeard will look like he saw a ghost when he sees it.I think that areas that have several jakes,the deeks wont work because the Tom has been getting beat up by the jakes.Just a theory.

Roadkillwarrior

One thing that I have learned is if there is a hen with a tom and he seems pretty commited to her he wont leave her. That said, I have had toms come in and have a hen with them and he just follows that hen where ever she goes and alot of the time the hens avoids the hen decoys because they dont want the competition for breeding. Last year I had a bird patterned and set up on him perfect along a fence row and he came right on time. I had a hen decoy out and as soon as the hen that was with him seen the decoy she started to cut back towards the woods in the opposite direction. But I have also had hens come right into the decoy bringing tom with her and have been successful.

Bobgobble2

SG# dont want to burst your bubble bud but this doesn't happen to just eastern gobblers.Lot of variables go into why a bird would quarter or walk away from your set-up after seeingyour "deke/dekes'.Young toms and satelite gobblers quite often will what I call "test the waters" in coming in almost to gun range and at the site of your dekes loose there nerve to walk away in fear not of your dekes or calling but the thought of a more dominant bird that inhabits that particular area in getting his but kicked!Even the social status of your birdsplays a role here in that these birds do recognize one another in there home ranges primarily vocally and a newcomer to their area can trigger a less freindly approach to very shy/cautious one especially after the birds have been hunted or pushed around a bit.Flyway makes another great point,as I have seen this happen many times afield Its no theory but fact a young enthusiastic group of jakes even 2 year olds can send an older gobbler packin.But than again I've seen a older tom do some woopin @&& too.......Bottomline is leave em(dekes) at home and make that gobbler look for you the caller/hunter and quite possibly your luck will change.....g/luck Bob..

maytom

I never had a "Gobbler" spook from my deeks, but I did witness several jakes depart pretty quickly after comming into my calls.

RIStrutStopper

I can't say that I never had a gobbler spook at the sight of my dekes, but I can't say that I have either. I hunt eastern turkeys and sometimes they come in to the dekes and sometimes they dont. I'd be a liar if I said I've never spooked a turkey, but I don't know if it was the whites of my eyes, movement, my calling, or my dekes; but if I were to guess, I wouldn't think it was the dekes. I probably could blame the dekes for longbeards hanging up a time or two, especially when I used to use a lone hen. If you think the dekes are ruining your day, leave em home!

StruttinGobbler3

thanks for the advice guys looks like my decoys will be gathering dust in the closet this spring

bigangrychicken

Every bird's different. I've had more birds scared by decoys than ones that came to the decoys.

One factor in the East, I think, is the forests tend to be more dense. Turkeys can be suprised by the decoys----I've seen it time and time again. Don't ask me why or how---they should hear the calling and be expecting to see the decoy, but some birds act plain shocked to see another turkey in the area---whether it's a hen, jake or gobbler decoy.

Another problem is the turkeys get WAY more hunter pressure in the east and south. When they are pressured, they get paranoid about EVERYTHING.

I use decoys only in the open, and only if I've failed on that particular bird without them.

SouthernStrut56

I refuse to use decoys. Here's the reason. Where I hunt and have the most success are the tops of very steep ridges. The bird's gonna HAVE to top the hill to find his sweet thing, and if I'm sittin in the very middle of a small high point surrounded almost completely by ridges, he won't have time to run when he reaches the summit.......if I know which way to face.As soon as he tops the ridge I'm waiting to bust him.Lots of times I can see them coming down other ridges into a hollow beside me and I can tell where he's gonna come up by which direction he was heading going down that opposite ridge. If I know he's comin up the ridge I'm sittin on, I usually know exactly which direction to face and when he pops up he's dead. BUT sometimes he surprises me and sneaks in quietly and busts me, it happens. Another reason I dont use them is b/c I think a lot of turkeys keep a close track on the other birds in the flock and know each other's daily habits, so maybe they know what area all the birds are in andtheir habits, and they know the decoy is probably a rat.......that's just a theory of mine, may be a crock of crap but it sounds good to me. Turkeys arent dumb, they know a rat when they see one (or hear one). All these things are just theories I guess, it has a lot to do with the land, pressure, the hunter, set-up, etc. None of these things are guarantees. I will not kill a bird every time I go in the woods, nobody will. But these are the things I think about when I'm hunting that have helped bring me success. Bottomline, I'm doin just fine withoutdecoys so I aint using em. But it has a LOT to do with the terrain I hunt. I think the ridges give mesomewhat of an advantage.....kinda like that game you used to play in the arcade where you smacked the alligator whenhe popped his head out . In more flat open areas it seems likedecoys would work great b/c of the long range visibility. I dont know much about hunting turks in other parts of the country, so I cant say I wouldnt use them if I hunted in other places. Now that I'm done with my novel I'm goin to bed . Good luck to all this season!

SwampCollie

Not a jake per sea.... but I think that a lot of jake decoys look WAY WAY too aggressive. Big black bodies with bright red heads.

I hunt mostly easterns as well, and I've had birds come to decoys and birds spook from decoys. I've found that the birds that didn't spook when I had a jake decoy out, were usually no younger than 3, and quite typically at least 4. Meaning that they were older, badder birds... usually the boss of the area. I've had plenty of birds come out and see the jake and turn tail and book it. Those are likely sub-dominent birds that have gotten their butts kicked recently, and are not up for seconds. I doubt that turkeys can tell the difference between a jake and Tom, unless they are strutting. All they see is a big black bird with a bright red head... thats enough for them.