Will be going Turkey hunting this next spring for the first time. Was just wondering about decoys. Whats better this time of the year, hen, jake, or Tom? And how do you hunt them? Will be hunting from a ground blind. Do you use the owl call to locate them? Or do you just set up, set the decoys out, and start calling. Thanks for any tips!

Well, you have a lot of options. I don't know where you are hunting, so I can only give my experience. First, when using decoys, make sure you place them in natural positions. When you are scouting, look for how hens are grouping, if you see a few jakes in the flock, use a jake in your set up. Just make sure the decoys aren't looking up. That means they are looking for danger. I have noticed that, the turkeys think a hawk is around if the decoy is looking up, and they scatter.

You say you will be hunting from a ground blind, since this your first year, I would think it best for you to hunt from a blind. Turkeys have excellent vision, they notice the smallest movement.

When it comes to locator calls, you will find what works best in your area. An owl call might work for you, I have found that a gobble call works for me just before nightfall. Crow calls don't work in my experience.

You should always try to set up as close to the roost as possible. When they fly down, I find calling as little as possible works best. You may be a better caller, I don't know. Remember, keep it simple.

Best of luck, happy hunting.

Personally, I always like a jake decoy with at least one hen. I believe it can increase the likelihood of a tom coming in, as he will generally approach the jake when he does come in. Keep in mind that a male decoy can intimidate a non-dominant tom, but an alert jake decoy would be the least likely to intimidate. I often use a strutting jake, as I more often have a tom approach, than shy away. I usually hunt fields that I know the turkeys are using, and I place a ground blind out in the field, where the turkeys tend to be. I don't worry about turkeys being intimidated by the blind in the middle of the field. One pasture I hunt has a spot in it where turkeys like to dust, and I will set my blind there. My blind doesn't flap in a breeze; if it did I would have concerns about turkeys shying from it. I set the jake at a distance I am comfortable shooting at, as I anticipate the tom going to the jake (25 yds, usually if gun hunting, but I've set a jake up as close as 6 yds when bowhunting). I've also set a blind up very close to the roost area (the afternoon before the hunt), in a circumstance in which the birds were roosting on property I hunt, but traveling off the property, from the roost.
I may owl call before flydown time and after setting up in the dark of early morning, just to confirm where birds are roosted, but I generally like to wait to see if they gobble without my intervention. As long as I know birds are consistently using a field, I'm not to worried about where they roost. Keep in mind, too, you may have birds roosted very near that for whatever reason aren't gobbling on a particular morning. Also, pre-season scouting is incredibly valuable, as well as knowing the property you are hunting.

As far as using a ground blind in the woods, I have done that, but generally when hunting near a roost, first thing. I don't like carrying a blind with me during the day through the woods, and generally won't bring decoys, either. In that situation, if i have a bird answer me, I will choose to set up so there is a rise in the topography within 40 yds of the tree I sit against, so the turkey won't expect to see a hen until he is on that rise, and then he will be close enough for me to shoot. (if he comes in from where I expect him to.
Hey, this is my advice, based on my experience; others may have different opinions on the best way. Good luck and have fun!

Welcome to the turkey woods. Everything the others have posted is true. My favorite way to hunt the longbeards is to get as close to the roosting tree as possible. Turkeys will usually hit the ground where they flew up the night before. So if you can watch them go up, you will have a pretty good idea of where they will hit the ground, and where you want to set-up in the morning. I don't use decoys when I hunt them this way and I get in at least an hour before daybreak. I usually will not do any calling when they are in the roost. What's the point, your already close to them. If I'm by myself, I don't use a blind but do when I have a kid with me or my 68 year old dad. If you sit on the ground, then I recommend that you invest in a Turkey lounge from Cabela's. They are worth their weight in gold. You will be able to sit longer and much more comfortable. Good luck. And let us know how your season turns out.

I'm not a blind hunter and have only used a decoy for a couple seasons. That said if you choose to hunt from a blind you need to locate them the evening before with an owl hooter. Once you have a good idea of where to hunt you can get a game plan together. You can go in early to set up your blind but you want to be a good distance off. If you don't use the blind you want to get as close as possible.

The only time I use the decoy is when I am hunting very open areas...clear cut, fields, woods that have been prescribe burned. I can go either way with a decoy. I haven't killed one yet in front of my decoy. I just don't put it out enough.

Scout, scout, scout! Once you've located a roost, don't get too close in early AM or evening before & just after fly-up.

If you can learn where they fly down to, and how they move into and out of the area, you'll be in a good situation to place your decoy where the turkeys want to be.

A hen & jake decoy combo has worked for me a few times. I've tried the jake in a 'mounted" positon over my hen decoy a few times w/o luck. I'm not sure what went wrong. I've killed 2, (spooked 1-I coughed), with a squatting hen a few yards in the open and a jake just at the brush edges. Other times, I just had my hen out.

Then again, I've seen posts here, where some very experienced turkey hunters claim the best decoy placement is inside their truck!

Decoys work in the right situations. I hunt open field edges where the sight of a hen could bring a tom in from a long distance. They also take the attention of the tom off of you and on the decoy. Decoys are useful, but don't learn to solely depend on them. Learn to talk to the birds and coax them to you. I also don't use blinds. What happens if you set up your blind and the birds roost somewhere else? I like to be able to move to a different spot at any moment. You can't do that with a blind. Good camouflage and little movement is better than a blind.

My experience is that decoys are a hit & miss deal. I don't use them much.
As far a setting up decoys, when I use them it is usually in the afternoon when i decide to try hunting in a field. I set two hens (Avian brand). One is an in upright stance and the other is in a feeding posture. I have never tried a Jake or Tom decoy.

I have had gobblers come to these two hens on a string. And I have had Toms hang back 50-60 yards strutting for over an hour waiting for the hen to come to him. Then just leave. Good luck and hope to see the photos.