Decoy?

[Frsdturkeyhunter44]

I am relatively new to turkey hunting. I have a set of three deks, two hen and a jake. When I set them up how should I position them. I have bee putting the two hens ahead of the jake like they were heading in a certain direction. I dont know if I was doing any thing right or wrong. Any suggestions.

[proturkeyhntr]

Just put the jake closests to you, good chance if he does respond to the dekes he will come looking for a fight with your jake decoy. But honestly I don't use a decoy and dont even recommend using them, Back in the day when they first hit the market I tried them off and on for a few seasons but honestly I've had more shy from them than come in to them.....

Scott

[proturkeyhntr]

How quickly you forget about the 900 yd field gobbler two seasons ago???? I will disagree with the hanging up in gun range because of many, many, instances where the bird saw the deke and froze up or hung up or all but bascially spooked and walked off when they spotted "the hen that doesnt move".....

scott

[Frsdturkeyhunter44]

This will be my fourth year hunting turkey and I have found that in the early monring it is better to not have any decoys out. It is during that time between 9am to noon that I have used them the most. Thanks for the tips, I will have to try them this year.

[schlunger]

scott dont you rember all the carnage on creek road with decoys and the belly crawl to put the decoy out that one time ? Every circumstance is different i agree and personally i dont use one most of the time but sometimes its good to have something else to throw at a tough bird. as far as positioning the decoys the biggest thing i can say is dont have them facing your set up .

[shaman]

I've tried a bunch of different decoys over the years. For a while there, I was buying 1 new Feather-Flex a season so that I could do any sort of spread I needed. I generally carry three in a rucksack and I either use them or use the rucksack as a backrest.

I've seen some really spectacular results with a motorized remote control deke, but it's not legal here in KY. I also have a little stand that puts motion to a deke controlled by string. The latter invariably gets left behind, because it has a lot of long pointy parts and its complicated to set up.

What I have found in 20 years of hunting with and without dekes is this:

1) Jakes love dekes. So do some 2-yr olds

2) The really old gobs get shy. (see 4 below)

3) Windy days where the deke is moving a lot can be a turn off. A little wind is okay.

4) Once a turkey has been fooled by a deke, he never gets fooled again.

When I use a deke anymore, it's in a spot that's partially hidden past where I am in relation to the gobbler's travel. The gobbler will spot the decoy and be concentrating on it and maybe keep his mind off you. If it's you-decoy-turkey, you're setting yourself up for failure on a wary gobbler, but if it's decoy-you-turkey, it can be a real plus.

I haven't used my motorized deke in several years, but I'll tell you what's downright funny: deer versus motorized dekes. Oh my! I had a herd of doe come in on mine one morning right after sun-up. I thought I was going to leave a puddle I was laughing so hard! One old doe finally came over and pawed it and knocked it over, and then the deke and the stake were thrashing about on the ground. What a hoot!

[proturkeyhntr]

I'll just say this, sometimes they work sometimes they dont, you never said how thick the vegetation was would dictate the outcome of the gobblers travel...At any rate as far as me, Early season, less or unpressured birds will yield more success with dekes. Your not gonna kill a late season call shy gobbler with a triangle love flock...(or whatever that thing is called)

scott

[proturkeyhntr]

What I meant was that I would not set up in a briar thicket and try to call a bird to me in the first place...I would try something exactly like what we did with the 600 to 900 yard bird. Mind you we wouldnt have been able to even put up a deke without bumping those turkeys, but it proved my point to a T and in the fact that the bird was so far away but, yet came looking for a hen in the woods and didnt watch a hen decoy not move for 600 - 900 yards of travel....My opinion is that turkey would have never came that far using a deke....especially after we learned how bad that place had been ravaged by the those other boys....


scott

[Frsdturkeyhunter44]

Sorry guys I didnt mean to start an argument :D Thanks for all of the advice I will have to try it out.

[proturkeyhntr]

No apologies FRSD just all in fun.....but some good advice. Paul, as far as killing more turkeys...weeeelllllll I'm gonna leave that one alone....:eek:

scott

[Mr. Longbeard]

Like some of the other guys already said, I'd personally rather not use decoys and make the bird come looking for me. I've had a few successful hunts with decoys, but I've also watched birds spot the decoys and head the other way. With that being said, I do think there are times when a decoy can help you, especially if you are in open areas. Last year I saw this gobbler walking up and over a hill. I got set up along a logging road and started off calling softly and the bird didn't respond. After a bit I cranked it up and started yelping and cutting with a mouth call and the bird fired up and came over the crest of the hill and looked for the hen and when he didn't see a hen he kept going and never made another peep after that. I wish I would've had a decoy in that situation.

[PHammond91]

I use them all the time put them about 20 yds out and set it up like below.Make a triangleout of your decoys and have the jake closest to you (facing you).


HEN HEN

JAKE



YOU

[proturkeyhntr]

right off the box the "love triangle"