New to Turkey Hunting---Question about Decoys
03-05-2014, 06:43 AM
#12
Spike
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Western Maryland
Posts: 87
I usually use two hens, or two hens and a jake. Last year I was hunting in a field and a tom was making his rounds following a hen on the other end of the field and couldn't care less about my hen/jake decoys. The next weekend I set up a hen with a b-mobile strutting tom decoy, he came by with his hen again, wandered off following her, then about 20 minutes after he went out of sight he full on sprinted across the field from where he had disappeared up to my b-mobile decoy (about a 200 yard sprint, lol). So while a hen or hen/jake combo has worked plenty of times for me in the past, sometimes you just have to guess what the bird wants to see.
From what I've seen, a tom who already has hens often isn't going to care about hen decoys. He'll call to them and when they don't come to him, he'll move on. By adding a jake/tom decoy to the mixture, you give him more of a reason to come over and see what's going on or pick a fight. But then if your own decoy looks too intimidating, he might just shrug you off because a fight isn't necessary if he's already got hens. You've just got to learn the birds you're hunting. Early in the season, just go with the hen/jake combo. Old birds might know better then to come into decoys, but you can be fairly rest assured young birds early in the season who haven't been shot at before are ready to strut their stuff and pick a fight with your jake for the hen. And if you're lucky, the older birds might just let their guard down and come in.
As for brand, I'm not certain. I usually avoid inflatable decoys, they're just a little too fake looking for me and I usually field hunt as 80% of the property I hunt is field, and I sometimes have trouble keeping rubber decoys on their stakes when the wind starts gusting through the mountains. I have the same issue with foam decoys too. So I usually just go with cheaper rubber decoys. You can't really go too wrong with how decoys look, a fired up bird will usually come into just about anything if it looks like a turkey. I usually just try to avoid mixing brands. A flock of decoys where the half the hens have grey heads and half have pink looks kind of odd, just like decoys with white wing primaries showing and those without primaries colored look odd when mixed. Most toms probably don't put a whole lot of thought into the details and that's why cheap decoys work, but I know a few birds I wouldn't have put it past.
From what I've seen, a tom who already has hens often isn't going to care about hen decoys. He'll call to them and when they don't come to him, he'll move on. By adding a jake/tom decoy to the mixture, you give him more of a reason to come over and see what's going on or pick a fight. But then if your own decoy looks too intimidating, he might just shrug you off because a fight isn't necessary if he's already got hens. You've just got to learn the birds you're hunting. Early in the season, just go with the hen/jake combo. Old birds might know better then to come into decoys, but you can be fairly rest assured young birds early in the season who haven't been shot at before are ready to strut their stuff and pick a fight with your jake for the hen. And if you're lucky, the older birds might just let their guard down and come in.
As for brand, I'm not certain. I usually avoid inflatable decoys, they're just a little too fake looking for me and I usually field hunt as 80% of the property I hunt is field, and I sometimes have trouble keeping rubber decoys on their stakes when the wind starts gusting through the mountains. I have the same issue with foam decoys too. So I usually just go with cheaper rubber decoys. You can't really go too wrong with how decoys look, a fired up bird will usually come into just about anything if it looks like a turkey. I usually just try to avoid mixing brands. A flock of decoys where the half the hens have grey heads and half have pink looks kind of odd, just like decoys with white wing primaries showing and those without primaries colored look odd when mixed. Most toms probably don't put a whole lot of thought into the details and that's why cheap decoys work, but I know a few birds I wouldn't have put it past.
03-05-2014, 07:27 AM
#13
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: missouri
Posts: 195
not to long ago i found myself in this exact same predicement.. what i did was went to walmart and bought the cheap turkey thugs decoy i just bought a hen but ths year i will be buying a ugly jake decoy as well..i personaly dont use struttin tome because they will alot of time scare more birds than attract..as for a simple call..i used a box call they are easy to learn on and you can make pretty good cluks ect.. hope this helped
03-05-2014, 08:22 AM
#14
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 53
All so much good info thanks guys. On the note about a decoy possibly looking too intimidating, many of the videos ive watched online, a lot of people seem to like to use a hen and jake decoy that isn't positioned up like they are spooked or paying attention to something, but ones that are face down eating.
dragon you make a good point about the foam/inflatable decoys falling over because of the wind. I'll be hunting in mostly open field as well...I guess I should just suck it up pay alittle more and get the rubber ones. Im just being cheap! lol. Trying to get everything at once can be kind of overwhelming. The call, decoys, a blind, etc.
Don't know why I never got into Turkey hunting before. Honestly I never really thought about it. Turned on the hunting channel one day, watched a hunt, now I cant wait to get out there.
dragon you make a good point about the foam/inflatable decoys falling over because of the wind. I'll be hunting in mostly open field as well...I guess I should just suck it up pay alittle more and get the rubber ones. Im just being cheap! lol. Trying to get everything at once can be kind of overwhelming. The call, decoys, a blind, etc.
Don't know why I never got into Turkey hunting before. Honestly I never really thought about it. Turned on the hunting channel one day, watched a hunt, now I cant wait to get out there.
03-05-2014, 08:53 AM
#15
Spike
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Western Maryland
Posts: 87
I agree, strutting tom decoys can be intimidating so I don't use them all the time. A jake with hens is the way to go, especially if you're new to turkeys. I modified my b-mobile a bit, repainted the head, shortened the beard and I usually put a roughed up or jake tail on him. Also have him on a pretty ghetto fishing line pulley system to make him strut.
I've posted this somewhere before, but here's the jerk bird who turned my decoys up one week, then got mad the next week when I brought B-mobile out --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-46fRFeUiaA
I've posted this somewhere before, but here's the jerk bird who turned my decoys up one week, then got mad the next week when I brought B-mobile out --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-46fRFeUiaA
03-07-2014, 09:46 AM
#17
Spike
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Southeast South Dakota
Posts: 7
New to Turkey Hunting---Question about Decoys
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Advertisement Well Im brand new to Turkey Hunting, going to give it a try this year in May here in NY. Just looking for some opinions here.
Whats the best basic setup I can use as far as Decoys go? Here in NY for Spring Turkey hunt we can shoot 2 bearded Turkeys during the Springtime.
Decoys range anywheres from about 15-20 bucks a Decoy up hundreds of dollars for just one decoy. The cheaper rubber ones seem to be what im looking for as they would be much easier to fit right inside my backpack and haul out to the field with ease, but is there a reason why theyre so cheap?
Also, how many Decoys should I use? 2, 3, 4? Hen? Jake? Tom?
Also looking for a basic call for a newbie Turkey Hunter. I went to Dicks the other day, theres an entire shelf of nothing but Turkey calls. Seems extremely overwhelming to me.
Thanks for any advice
Go to nwtf.org lots of good info articles videos & recorded call examples. Look for a local chapter, all will be listed on website. I would strongly suggest you join, great cause and good for all wildlife. You've gotten some great advice, being frugal myself, KISS keep it simple. Box call or push button great starters, I didn't use blind until a few years ago, not necessary but an inexpensive one is a good tool, lots of net. info there also. God bless your hunts and BE SAFE!
Whats the best basic setup I can use as far as Decoys go? Here in NY for Spring Turkey hunt we can shoot 2 bearded Turkeys during the Springtime.
Decoys range anywheres from about 15-20 bucks a Decoy up hundreds of dollars for just one decoy. The cheaper rubber ones seem to be what im looking for as they would be much easier to fit right inside my backpack and haul out to the field with ease, but is there a reason why theyre so cheap?
Also, how many Decoys should I use? 2, 3, 4? Hen? Jake? Tom?
Also looking for a basic call for a newbie Turkey Hunter. I went to Dicks the other day, theres an entire shelf of nothing but Turkey calls. Seems extremely overwhelming to me.
Thanks for any advice
Go to nwtf.org lots of good info articles videos & recorded call examples. Look for a local chapter, all will be listed on website. I would strongly suggest you join, great cause and good for all wildlife. You've gotten some great advice, being frugal myself, KISS keep it simple. Box call or push button great starters, I didn't use blind until a few years ago, not necessary but an inexpensive one is a good tool, lots of net. info there also. God bless your hunts and BE SAFE!
05-06-2014, 01:21 AM
#18
Spike
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 3
Turkey Hunting
Tips and Tactics
Want to become a better turkey hunter? We want to help! The National Wild Turkey Federation is working hard to make sure that hunting, especially turkey hunting, continues to be a tradition in this country.
To that end, we've compiled turkey hunting tips and tactics to help new hunters get started and to help experienced hunters keep their tradition alive. Check out the latest tips and tactics that will help make you a better turkey hunter!
Tips and Tactics
Want to become a better turkey hunter? We want to help! The National Wild Turkey Federation is working hard to make sure that hunting, especially turkey hunting, continues to be a tradition in this country.
To that end, we've compiled turkey hunting tips and tactics to help new hunters get started and to help experienced hunters keep their tradition alive. Check out the latest tips and tactics that will help make you a better turkey hunter!
05-06-2014, 10:46 AM
#19
Fork Horn
Join Date: May 2011
Location: SouthWest Ohio Somewhere
Posts: 255
I have the turkey thug. When buying a decoy I usually try not to spend too much and get something that will last many years. Wallyworld will have them on sale after the season. Good time to get them on clearance.
