portable ladder

Hello Everybody,

I'm pumped up for an awesome turkey season. This will be my second season hunting turkeys. First one by myself. I bought 2 delta decoys, a jake and a hen. I will be hunting over corn / bean fields, midwest hardwoods and pastures. I could really use some advice on how to set the decoys up and what call to use the most. I want to create a mating pair. Should I cluck, purr...etc. Thanks for the help.

Adrian J Hare

Hunting with Decoys

Decoys can produce successful results at times. Knowing when and how to set them up can be a helpful tool in becoming a successful hunter. There are a number of different makes of decoys on the market today. Hardbody's, collapsible, foam and silhouettes are a few. Knowing the pro's and cons of each type is important to your hunting habits. Different companies make different decoys Buckwing, Featherfex, Flambeau, Delta, Carrylight and Outlaw silhouettes to name a few.

Decoy setups can be done in a number of different ways. One or two is normally used because of lack of space in ones turkey vest. Decoys can be a helpful tool but not a substitute for bad calling. Setups are important as well for the success of the decoy. Turkey hunters can not expect to place a decoy in any one spot and have a gobbler come walking into the setup. Scouting the hunting area and setting up in travel routes / strutting areas will be a big asset to your decoy setup.

Decoys can work against the turkey hunter as well. Gobblers that have a lot of hens in his presents are less likely to come to a decoy. Turkeys that become Call shy can as well become Decoy shy. An area where decoys are used a lot is the likely place to have failure with a decoy setup. Hang-ups are a known factor of decoys as well. By setting up in a spot that the gobbler can not see the decoy at a distance until he is in range is a good practice. Make sure you can see beyond the setup for other hunters. At times decoys will work and others they will not, By one depending on success will not happen on every visit to the woods.

Decoy setups
Keeping a setup within a 20yard range is a good idea for the turkey hunter. When a gobbler enters the setup and struts to the decoy, the hunter still has a advantage of a within range shot. One or more hen decoys are ok for this type of setup. All hens or add a Jake will make a gobbler think that he is being undermined. A Jake decoy seems to work best at the start of the season, as most are still or breaking from winter flocks. Lone hen/hens tend to work better as the season nears the end. At this time most hens are down on nest and the gobblers have a harder time to finding that wondering hen. Don't be scared to use a Jake gobble shaker off and on, or gobbler yelps with the setup and keep a safety issue in mined at all times. Private land would be better for this setup. When setting up decoys make a practice to place the Jake the closes to the setup hunter. Most times a gobbler will pass a hen decoy and come straight to the Jake running him off to win the hen.

By facing the decoys to your setup/blind, most times a gobbler will make eye to eye contact with the decoy; this puts the gobbler facing away from you and allows the hunter to make a move, or a Bow hunter to draw.

Another successful way of setting decoys is called the Breeding Hen Setup. By setting a Hen decoy close to the ground as in a crouch and adding a Jake on top of her, will make an old gobbler think that another dominate bird has taken his place. The hunter can also add a second hen not far off from the breeding set to allow a secondary tom to take an advantage of her. With the pecking order of gobblers in the yearly spring a setup of this nature can drive Toms crazy.

Motion Decoys can add realism to a great setup to the keen eye of the gobbler. A hunter that is using foam body decoys can place two small sticks in the ground on either side of the tail end of the decoy allowing a few inches for the wind to move the decoy on the stake. This will stop the decoy from spinning on the stake. This also will add the realism to the foam bodies.

Making your setups later in the morning, along field edges that turkeys frequent and setting a blind at lest 10 yards from the fields edge can be a prime way to hunt. Patients are a must at times with this sort of setup. Gobblers that use the same field day after day and tend to strut out in the middle can be some of the hardest to hunt. By studying the travel route you can setup close to where he enters and exits the field and place your decoy setup that he can see it as he enters.

Hunters that can hunt afternoons can also use a Decoy setup on the travel route of the gobbler heading to and from the roost. A flock setup works well with this type of hunting.

Decoys in the fall:
Flock setups with 6-12 decoys work great at this time of year. Setting up as close to a roosting area as possible without the chance of spooking birds and mimicking the calls of the local birds can be very effective.

After a busted flock the fall hunter can setup one or two decoys at the bust spot and call the same way as the scattered birds trying to regroup. A gobbler flock can be very timely, as gobblers can take hours and even days to regroup.

Decoy safety:
Decoys can be dangerous; all safety issues should be taken at all times. Keeping in mined that when using Jake decoys You Are The Hunted. Setting up with your back on a object wider then your shoulders is a good practice. Being able to see in all directions for approaching hunters. Never wave or move if another hunter is noticed. ALWAYS yell a Name of some sort, this will get there attention.
When using decoys always check around before moving. When traveling in the woods make sure you have your decoys in a cover bag/vest.

Never wear the colors of a Gobbler while in the turkey woods RED, WHITE, BLUE and some say BLACK.

Adrian J. Hare
QuakerBoy Game Calls

ironranger

I was typing this up and submitted. Noticed that Adrian had already posted so this may be old info.

I usually don't use decoys as I've had alot of wise birds hang up on me at 70 to 100 out and no sweet talking on my part could change their minds. If you use decoys I think that setup of the dekes and where you are positioned is very important. Take an extra minute to stop, look around you, and think about it. I've messed this part up enough to emphasize that point!!

Last season though I brought out two hens and a buckwing jake on one particular morning. It had rained most of the night and I just had a feeling it would be a good morning as the rain had subsided. At first light it was windy as I made my way along the edge of a field so I pulled out my quaker boy box call to project the sound farther. As I walked along slowly I'd yelp every 20 yards or so. I always try to act like a hen and figured as she walked along she'd yelp. I went around to the bottom side of the field which acts as a natural funnel for those birds. I've taken 4 gobblers within a 150 yards of that spot in the past few years. There was a natural blind just off the edge of the field that included a massive oak. I setup the two hens putting one up the hillside farther and then one closer. I drove the closer hen into the ground so that it appeared like she was sitting there and then took the jake and put him right behind her as if he was mounting her. I sat down and heard a gobbler sound off from where I'd come. He gobbled closer so I knew he was coming. I switched to soft clucks/purrs just occasionally and he walked onto the field edge above me all fanned out. I didn't need to call anymore as he was either gonna like what he saw or he was going to shy away from my setup. It took him awhile but he came in spit drumming and walked up to my jake and stomped on him. He tripped and took off running. He didn't like the feel of Mr. Remington too much!!

I think that calling too often and sometimes too loud can keep them from coming in. I've killed a few by just switching to soft clucks/purrs when they would just sit there and gobble at my yelps. If you live in an area where you can get out there and listen to turkeys take every opportunity to do so. I get out in two different locations where hunting isn't allowed but the birds are there. I take the camera and try to imitate hens. Last spring I got into a shouting match with a hen and man was she pissed off at me. She kept calling louder and louder as we exchanged calls. Then the gobbler flew down to me about 7 to 10 yards away and start gobbling. That was awesome. Anyway, I'm babbling. It seems that each bird is different so don't be afraid to switch it up as far as calls, amount of calling, where you setup, going with dekes or leaving them in the truck, etc.

Adrian J Hare

Sorry ironranger , I'm really not that quick , I already have it typed up in my Documents . I would say thats great added info for sure...BT

1950KID

I've had luck early with the mating pair idea, however the gobbler clawed the heck out on my jake decoy. It was fun to watch. That was one irate, confused tom. He's resting peacefully now.

jepcho

One thing to keep in mind is that turkeyes like to face one another. So it would be a good idea to set the decoy up facing you. That can sometimes prevent the turkey from hanging up 25 yards out from the decoys.