Decoy Placement
 

I was just wondering what everybody's favorite decoy etup was for turkeys. Mine personally is a hen breeding with a jake. What is yours ???

RE: Decoy Placement
 

i have a jake and 2 hens.....sometimes i might just bring in 2 hens, even one, but most of the time it's a jake and 2 hens........

RE: Decoy Placement
 

i took some advice a few years ago to give a gobbler what he wants in the spring plain and simple.i put out a lone hen and that tactic has not failed me yet.it also gives you alot more room in your vest.

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RE: Decoy Placement
 

:D;)Good club to join BB!!!!I might use a jake and hen the first 3 days of the season,depends on if they have established dominance yet.The rest of the season they go back in the closet!!!;)

RE: Decoy Placement
 

I'd be curious to take a poll of decoy users vs non decoy users. From what I understand---they will be legal here in Alabama next year for the first time. I was certainly thinking of adding some decoys to my bag of tricks---but would love to hear some decoy user feedback---both positive and negative. I find it interesting that most all turkey hunting videos use decoys. So far I have been lucky enough to take 11 longbeards in 4 seasons without them.

RE: Decoy Placement
 

I rarely use them. And rarely feel they are needed to get the turkey in.

My experience is that they spook too many turkeys. I guess if I field hunted all the time I might want to use them some.

Hal

RE: Decoy Placement
 

If I use a decoy(s), I put it/them at a 45 degree angle to where I want to set up so if the tom comes straight at me he won't peer over the decoy(s) and possibly pick me off. Just a little insurance from an animal that has x-ray vision!

RE: Decoy Placement
 

this is for spring hunting in nw missouri. for the record, i'd rather go out without a call than without my dek. that big ol boy is looking for that lovesick hen that you are trying to sound like. when he hears a hen and sees a hen, all is right with the world, and he's not looking eyeball to eyeball with you. for placement, i step off about 20 yards, place one hen dek past where i think the tom will be coming. my boy took one during the mo youth season within 20min of set up. i took mine within 30min during the regular season. i have had a lot of success with deks and couldn't imagin hunting spring birds without one.

RE: Decoy Placement
 

I find Decoys a 50-50 chance. Sometimes they work and some they don't. This past season the wife and I had a decoy out on a field edge and call 2 longbeards from a way off across the field, the birds hungup at 50 yards 20 yards from the decoy. That was it I kicked the dam decoy all the way to the truck![:@]

Now on another note , I've had a decoy setup with 6 different ones this season in the same area , and walked away after a couple hours to find when I returned a Tom gobbling right in the decoy spread.

As for this past season , I did kill far more birds with out decoys then with.

I have this thought after this past season that any Callers that are aggressive maybe better with out decoys , as the Gobblers tend to move into the sound of the hen because of excitment. If your a less suttle Caller and tend to sit and watch , a decoy may work better in your case.

There's something about decoys that seems to draw in Hunters for that added reasurance that One thing may work just a little bit better to your advantage...BT

RE: Decoy Placement
 

I agree with Adrian. I didn't use a decoy this year. Best year ever.

IMHO, if the bird spots the decoy there's a 50-50 chence he'll strut and wait on the hen to come to him. If there is no decoy he will move around looking for the hen. Hens don't stay in the same place. I think the gobbler realizes this and goes looking for the hen.

As far as being eyeball-to-eyeball, I like it. Yes, it's a further test of your skills.

RE: Decoy Placement
 

I like decoys for open field hunting and had success with them there. In the deep woods mountain terrain I have never had no luck at all with them and don't even try to use them anymore.

RE: Decoy Placement
 

I agree with dawgwatch. I too am from NW Missouri. I use turkey decoys and have had them come in with one hen and with a jake and two hens. I use decoys every time I hunt because of the rolling hills . I spot and stalk alot of turkeys and find that it is great fun to spot the flock and then put out the decoys in a ideal spot and call them in.

RE: Decoy Placement
 

I Own A Hen Decoy But They Scare More Turkeys Here Then Coming Into Them. HADD....
(Hunters Against Damn Decoys)
Joined It :D