Turkey Decoys

[vtpainter]

I just received a set of decoys as a gift.Having never used them before, I need a few pointers.Should I just put the hen out alone first? How far away? I might add that I don't have access to any fields.Just woods with maybe 40 yds max.If I do put out both, how far apart? Thanks in advance for any tips.

Edited April 11, 2016 by vtpainter

[jjb4900]

I put out a hen or two and Jake, so far so good. I set them up fairly close....15-20 yards, helps out if the bird hangs up.....putting them too far away is no good if that happens.

Edited April 11, 2016 by jjb4900

[turkeyfeathers]

What kind did you get? I have running a DSD upright hen for a number of years and for Christmas this year received a DSD jake so he'll be in tandom this spring.

My deke is set about 30 yards from my turkey tree on the edge of the field and hardwoods. With no field access I think I would set it up 20-25 yards from you. Maybe 5-6 feet apart.

[jjb4900]

I set the Jake real close to the hen, almost right next to her....seems to get the Tom a little more worked up.

[vtpainter]

What kind did you get? I have running a DSD upright hen for a number of years and for Christmas this year received a DSD jake so he'll be in tandom this spring.

My deke is set about 30 yards from my turkey tree on the edge of the field and hardwoods. With no field access I think I would set it up 20-25 yards from you. Maybe 5-6 feet apart.

It is an Primos Gobbstopper set with hen and a Jake

[dbHunterNY]

depends on the time of the year but normally with our later season your jake with feeding or submissive hen work well maybe 3 feet from each other.  later season it's best to call sparingly and use decoys mostly to pull them in by sight.  earlier in May setup so the bird is coming over a knoll blind to the decoys and so they walk somewhat past you and off to the side to get to them.  you don't want to be setup with the decoy directly in line of sight between you and the bird if you can help it.  easy to get spotted that way.  if you're 40 yards and in then your decoys should be pretty close maybe 15 yards.  if there out further and you only have about 40 yard shots for woods density then they could come in to within 10 yards of the decoy and you still won't have a shot.  a jake might bring them in face to face but just a hen they'll keep a little distance and expect her to follow or expect her to move and they'll follow.  don't think your decoy is full strut but a real dried fan on a full strut decoy works awesome to bring them in.

[Skillet]

I keep mine about 20 yards from me. I want to be able to shoot double the distance that my deke is from me, in case the bird hangs up a ways from the deke.

[wooly]

I like to use one of each (hen/jake) about 6-8ft apart and within 20yds of my set up.

Jake usually get's and holds most of the attention from an approaching tom. Position him where you want your gobbler to be directly in front of him.

Make sure you leave a tom some room to strut in front of the fakes.

I just use the hen for added realism effect but she rarely gets any attention. She's always facing me so any gobbler that approaches her from the rear will be closing the distance to me.

 

[vtpainter]

Thank's for all the tips guys .Wooly,. for taking the time to post pictures. All are very helpful.If I have any luck ,I will report back.

[LET EM GROW]

If i use decoys. i like to use a feeding hen decoys. Once in awhile ill use a jake, or full strut decoy. When im aware that there are no neighbors around. i would like to try the stalk with a full fan "blind"

[Pygmy]

Up until about ten years ago, I was a runner and gunner. I had large amounts of acreage that I could hunt and I often covered several miles on foot in a morning's hunt.

Now the amount of property I can hunt is considerably less and I can't physically do what I could do just a few years ago, so my hunt style has become more sedentary. I now spend most of my time in a blind with a decoy setup.

I have had mixed results with both alert hen decoys and jake decoys. Oddly, I have had more adult birds spook at a jake decoy than any other decoy.

My favorite setup is a full strut gobbler with two feeding hens. I use a Pretty Boy full strut decoy with a real fan. I have had very few gobblers spook at this set. Usually they either challenge the gobbler decoy or ignore it and go to a hen.

I only use the full strut tom in setups where I will not be in the line of fire if someone sneaks in and takes a shot at it, even if I have exclusive permission on the property. You never know.

I like my decoys no more than than 20 yards from my blind, so that if a gobbler sets up a strut pattern outside the decoys he will still be in range.

I think realistic decoys are definitely more effective. I have a friend who fills his tags in two states every spring with a recurve, and he uses a real taxidermy mounted hen for a decoy. He says his average shot is about 10 yards.

My most successful single decoy is a feeding bobblehead hen. A little breeze gives the decoy some motion, adding to the realism. I am considering buying an Avian feeder to go with my bobblehead. They are very authentic. They are pricy but they may be worth the price.

[jjb4900]

I will say I have had some mixed reactions from birds using the Jake/Hen setup....I've had mature Toms break away from hens and come in on a string, I've had the hens show more interest and the Toms just followed them and the Old Tom I got last year put on the brakes the second he saw the decoys and turned to leave...luckily he was close enough and never got the chance. I'm still reluctant to use the full strut Tom decoy I bought a few years ago and it hasn't left the basement.

[Adkhunter1590]

I've used decoys for over a decade now. Many different brands and styles. I'm a firm believer in them when hunting easterns. Rios and other sub species don't seem to require decoys as much to have a high success rate. But dang these easterns are tough most days without a nice set of decoys to bring them close.

That being said....my advice is buy the most expensive ones you can afford because they will last many years to come. I finally gave up on the cheap ones as they just won't hold up to more than a season or two. I'm a big fan of the Avian X decoys. A little pricey but you can find them on sale a lot for a good deal. They look great and are durable. I use the jake and breeder hen. Set them about 3-4 ft apart from each other about 15-20 yards in front of me. Adding a feeder hen also helps.

And the most important tip that no one has mentioned....don't shoot the decoy!! Lol. When I guided out west I had to remind guys every time we went out. I lost two avian X decoys to guys getting anxious and firing when the tom was almost on top of my decoy. Ended up with decoys full of pellet holes. Not a happy guide!

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