I wish it were so simple. Throw a hen turkey decoy out. Maybe two hens. Sit down. Old Longbeard is going to go on a full run because he is enthralled with the cute little turkey he is staring at and the beautiful siren sounds he can hear. Make a quick call and get ready. Doesn’t matter that that “girl turkey” is plastic; he doesn’t care. All you have to do is pull the trigger, congratulate yourself, throw them over your shoulder, and start walking back towards the truck.
Sometimes it almost seems that easy — this turkey hunting game. You say, “Just stake it out and he’ll come running,” which is sometimes true but not always the case, so why is all of this happening?
Sometimes you have to work at it. A little strategy. Finesse. One hen. Two hens. A jake. Jake and a hen. Half-strut gobbler … not a full-strut tom, but half-strut … off to one side. Is the hen decoy completely visible or partially hidden, and which way is “she” (the decoy) facing—away from you or toward you?
This week, Slayer Calls looks at how you might use turkey decoys—hens, jakes, half-struts, and full-struts—to improve your chances of being able to give old Mister Tom a ride home in the back of your pickup truck.
The age-old question of “how many turkey decoys should I use?” plagues turkey hunters every spring. While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, understanding the dynamics of turkey behavior and the different decoy setups can help you make informed decisions and maximize your chances of success.
Factors Influencing Decoy Number:
Several factors influence the number of decoys you should use:
- Time of Season: As the season progresses, flocks shrink. Early season calls for multiple decoys to mimic larger groups, while later hunts might only require a single hen decoy.
- Location: Open areas often necessitate more decoys for visibility, while timber setups might only need one or two.
- Tom Behavior: Aggressive toms readily respond to multiple decoys, while pressured or wary birds might be spooked by a large spread.
Effective Decoy Setups:
Here are three proven decoy setups for different scenarios:
1. The Full Strutter:
During the early season, when dominant toms are strutting and fighting, this setup is perfect. A full-strut jake decoy with a few hens should be placed close to the feeding area where you anticipate the toms. This mimics a breeding environment and draws in hostile toms for a closer inspection.
2. The Shortbeard:
This versatile setup works throughout the season. Combine a submissive jake decoy with a laydown hen to attract any tom, especially jakes and curious older birds. You can add more hens for the first half of the season to further entice toms.
3. The Eligible Bachelorettes:
This setup is perfect for the late season when toms are looking for lone hens. Use one or two hen decoys, preferably feeding or upright, to mimic a small flock. This setup is especially effective when paired with realistic calling to convince toms they’ve found a willing mate.
Additional Tips:
- Consider using a jake decoy: Jakes are often more curious and readily approach decoys, making them excellent for drawing in toms.
- Pay attention to tom reactions: If toms seem hesitant or spooked by your initial setup, try reducing the number of decoys or changing their positions.
- Use realistic decoys: Invest in high-quality decoys that accurately represent real turkeys. This increases their effectiveness and believability.
- Practice calling: Master your turkey calling skills to further entice toms and seal the deal.
Remember:
The number of decoys is just one aspect of successful turkey hunting. Scouting, understanding turkey behavior, and employing effective calling techniques are equally important. Experiment with different setups and adapt your strategy based on the situation to maximize your chances of bagging a gobbler this spring.
Bonus Tip:
Don’t be afraid to get creative with your decoy setups. Sometimes, unconventional approaches can yield surprising results. For instance, using a decoy of a predator like a coyote or owl can sometimes spook a tom into approaching your setup out of curiosity.
Happy hunting!
Types of turkey decoys
These are probably the most popular and most widely used decoys in the spring. Why? Because, as mentioned earlier, they give the gobbler what he expects to see and they nicely complement the noises we’re making. It all makes sense — most of the time, that is.
Nine times out of 10, when I set a turkey decoy, it’s going to be a hen. Or two hens — one feeding and one looking around casually. It’s what the gobbler expects, and it provides a sense of security to the whole scene—nothing amiss here! Moreover, turkeys, particularly hens and jakes, are gregarious (i e. , birds of a feather flocking together). Therefore, one or two hen decoys can attract a hen or group of hens carrying a gobbler that had been eschewing my best yelps, clucks, and purrs up until this point.
Where do you set a hen/two hens? In an open-field setting, I’ll partially hide the decoy, if possible. I don’t want him to see the decoy, climb the rise, and stop to strut and gobble at 100 yards. I don’t want to hang him up. Rather, I want him to keep coming, searching, hunting for the hen he hears. This is easy in the forest; use a tree, a cluster of ferns, or a blackberry bush to partially hide the ruse.
And here’s something that an experienced turkey hunter taught me years ago: face the hen decoy toward you instead of away from you when you set her. This way, instead of coming from 75 yards away to dance in front of her cute little plastic eyes, the gobbler will have to approach her to show off his good looks. I’ve tried it both ways and enough times it worked as the old man said it would, so I’m pretty sure this is real.
The use of jake (year-old toms) turkey decoys is a territorial thing. A dominance thing. A twelve-inch beard or older gobbler would never permit a young child to come wandering onto his property and start flirting with his females. Therefore, as soon as an adult gobbler sees a jake and hears you yelling low-pitched jake sounds, he should quickly move over to establish his dominance. Giving him a decoy that features a hen and a jake together will make it impossible for him to resist hitting something.
On the flip side of this, we’ve hunted farms that held shark packs — groups of four to eight mean and angry jakes — that have, as a single unit, terrorized even the adult gobblers on the place. In this case, a lone tom coming to a call sees a hen … then a jake … and starts backing away from the setup. He’s afraid, plain and simple. So again, you’re running the risk of your decoy plan backfiring when you set a jake.
Is there an answer? It depends on how well you know the birds you’re hunting. A combination of decoys, scouting, and familiarity with your particular flock(s) of birds is essential for success in this situation. Is the farm overrun by a pack or two of sharks, or are the mature gobblers in charge? .
What’s the ‘right’ number of turkey decoys?
The question of how many turkey decoys is “right” has no clear-cut answer, as is the case with many hunting situations. In the thirty-one years since I killed my first gobbler, I have staked zero to twelve fakes in front of my hide.
But, first things first. You’re trying to convince the gobbler that this is a real, live, attractive hen and that he should go meet her right away. If you’re going to create an illusion with a turkey call, then why would you want to set up a turkey decoy in the first place? For him, now, the only thing that can compare to hearing a hen is actually seeing one. Enter the decoy. Now the illusion is ramped up a notch. You should be able to finish the illusion and draw him in now that you’re providing both the sound (the call) and the visual (the decoy).
But wait! Biology now. You see, Mother Nature intended for the spring play to go like this: She goes to him to spread the species, breed, build a nest, and lay a clutch, and he gobbles That’s the way it’s supposed to work. NOT him coming to her. So we’re hoping for the best here as we deliver a 180-degree blow to Mother Nature.
I say this to explain why, sometimes, Mr. Strutter will stop, strut, gobble, and wait for the hen to approach him when he spots a decoy, letting Mother Nature take her course. Understand that there’s a chance a hen decoy you set will stop, strut, gobble, and wait.
Which brings us back to our original question: How many decoys? Well, it depends. Let’s take a look at the different turkey decoys and the pros/cons associated with each one.
Tips to Setup Your Turkey Decoys – Michael Waddell | SCHEELS
FAQ
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