Decoys

Thedeerfarmer

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 16, 2018
Messages
115
Location
Polo, IL and Fort Collins, CO
I will start by saying I have turkey hunted the past couple years with limited success. I can call in birds, but I have never had much time to invest into turkey hunting as the season has an unfortunate overlap with corn planting. Usually, I end up being able to hunt about 3-4 days per season. My issue is when I call the birds in, they hang up around my decoys. Granted, I previously used cheap, inflatable ones which have holes now from spurs. I am going to bite the bullet and go with some Dave Smith decoys. Next year, I hope to start before planting and get some mid-aril hunts in. However, for this year I will be hunting starting around may 3rd. Anyone who hunts this late, could you give me some advice on what decoys would be good to use for this late time? Am I better off with a single hen, or adding in a Jake? Thanks!
 
Joined
May 17, 2017
Messages
701
Location
Mount Airy, NC
I’ve watched mature birds that are pressured shy away from decoys. Jakes and hens seem enthralled with them tho. Do what you want but unless you have totally unhunted ground I wouldn’t sweat the deeks.
 

AdamW

WKR
Joined
Oct 27, 2015
Messages
820
There's a lot of middle ground between cheap and Dave Smith. Avian X for example. Decoys today are just amazing.

Jakes are a gamble. Less dominant birds, especially later in the season, can be wary of a jake decoy. I bought an Avian X jake last year to go with our hens and the first bird that came out stayed about 75 yards wide of the decoys and just kept on walking. The bird I killed last year had had the heck beat out of him and if I had a jake out at that time I'm 99% sure he would not have come in for the shot.

I like 2 hens most of the time, but know guys who have good luck with just a hen or just a jake even. Later in the season I'd probably pass on the jake.
 

Jimss

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Mar 6, 2015
Messages
2,074
The trick to turkeys is being willing to change things up. If one thing doesn't work try something else. I haven't had much luck with jake decoys..but that may be just my particular situation. A lot of guys swear by jakes.

Single, hen, double hen, jakes plus hens, lone tom, tom with hens...the possibilities are pretty much endless. Staking a tom or jake next to a breeding hen may work? I have my best luck with a tom w/real fan attached. A real fan gets the attention of turkeys..in a hurry! With all that said, it's nice to have a variety of decoys to choose from. I do a lot of run and gun hunting and prefer Miss Perfect hen decoys. They collapse and are super light for carrying around. It also possible to change up the position from feeder, to breeder, to upright head position. I have a pair of Avian X hens that are a chunk cheaper than DSD's that work fine. If you are going to spend hours upon hours in a blind it may be worth splurging for the best decoys....which aren't cheap (DSD's).

Another consideration is the turkeys may not be coming in all the way to your decoys because they are shy of your blind? It may be worth setting up a blind well in advance of the season or possibly use the surrounding vegetation to blend you in without a blind. Also, some wise turkeys may be shy due to lack of movement. If it's legal you may want to attach a string to a decoy or 2 to offer movement. Also, a lot of turkey hunters tend to call to much. Over calling, or using the wrong calls, too loud a call, etc may spook birds.

It usually pays to think outside the box. Watch the reaction of the turkeys and figure out a strategy that works. It may be a process of elimination. What works one day may not work the next! Things can change depending upon the time of year.....flocked up toms early in the season vs lone toms late. Good luck and have fun!
 
Joined
Feb 26, 2012
Messages
3,234
Location
Some wilderness area, somewhere
I have had good success with DSD decoys using a jake and upright hen. Sometimes with the jake over the hen, just the jake, just the hen, etc. I tend to think they are pretty versatile, and again, they have worked well for me.

Esse quam videri
 

go4thegusto

WKR
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May 16, 2012
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3,031
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Fargo ND
Couple of years ago we switched to a submissive jake with a hen on ground flat and feeder on a stake. The submissive jake has been magic. I use a Dave Smith but many are just as good now.
 
Joined
Aug 10, 2015
Messages
2,249
I use one half strut jake, or no decoy at all.

The half strut jake puts them right where I want, if they come in. I haven't had one hang up or shy away from it. I mostly just put out a decoy for bow hunting.

Gun hunting, I don't use a decoy much because I like to move. I also like how they have to search for you when they can't see the bird calling. Two Jakes came into a a no-decoy setup this morning, one of them got invited to dinner.
 

AdamRappe

FNG
Joined
Sep 2, 2016
Messages
77
Location
Oregon
To be honest, I have recently gotten into turkey hunting. I used heads up decoys (the turkey one) and had great success. They are built towards the mobile style of turkey hunting and it definitely worked great for me. I had a big ol tom come right up to it. Right before he realized it wasnt a turkey I killed him.
 
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Thedeerfarmer

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 16, 2018
Messages
115
Location
Polo, IL and Fort Collins, CO
The land I am on is the farm I have, so the birds are entirely un-hunted save for a couple days per season. I'm not too picky between a Jake and a tom either, I don't quiet get into the age structure as much with turkeys. I'll give a Jake and a hen a try and then back off the Jake decoy depending on the response. I have looked into the avian-x and some other brands but I try to support made in America brands when possible.
 

Sodbuster

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Joined
Jan 9, 2016
Messages
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Missouri
Thedeerfarmer

The land I am on is the farm I have, so the birds are entirely un-hunted save for a couple days per season. I'm not too picky between a Jake and a tom either, I don't quiet get into the age structure as much with turkeys. I'll give a Jake and a hen a try and then back off the Jake decoy depending on the response. I have looked into the avian-x and some other brands but I try to support made in America brands when possible.

American made was why I went with DSD decoys myself.The Dakota's and the Avain-x are very similar and look great so it is personal preference on brand. I also have flock of Feather flex for public ground hunting.

A couple of places I hunt in Northern Missouri are farms like the one you describe, little to no hunting pressure. Our season is three weeks and my decoy spread changes as bird behavior changes. Every day is a different hunt.

For me, the first week or so I use a feeder, an upright and Jake in open crop fields. In my mind the flocks are still breaking up and fighting for dominance will happen all day long. A mature bird will want to fight with a Jake in the hen set up most of the time.I set the Jake decoy close to me and I don't use blinds.(Even for bow hunting)(Started using the umbrella gobbler for archery,similar to reaping) Multi pattern leafy suits to break up my outline lets me stay right in the action. I can sit down any where and become a brush pile.

Midseason, lots of breeding going on. I use just the hens and keep the feather flex's in another vest to run and gun.Tom's are roosting with the hens or the hens are going right to the Toms at daylight. After eating and breeding the hens head for nests and the Tom's will get bored-eventually.
Our season closes at 1 PM. daily so time is important and like you I need to go get some planting done too. Keeping the hens out as long as possible( I am talking about sets in fields before daylight, think goose hunting only about 30 yards out from cover) can bring is a quiet bird without you ever using a call. If your time is short and you have one that is verbally active but moving away(probably with a hen or hens) move ahead of them, put our a hen decoy of some type and call the hens to you.i use cuts and purrs over and over for this and hens usually become curious. If they come to you stop calling , let them go by and hopefully the Gobbler will follow.

Late season, I use one hen decoy early morning. Most of the hens are nesting and only a few are mating.I would think the male birds would be running to anything then but not in my areas.I keep my decoy as visible as possible and do not call much. If I need to run I am set up for it with the Featherflexs.
Every day is different. I think about paring down the calls and stuff I carry but then something unexpected happens during a hunt and I have what I need to be successful.

Sorry for the novel. Good luck.

Friends of mine in Alaska used to joke about the the "big game" in Missouri with Turkeys being half of 1.5 species we have.
Then they came down to see for themselves and now they come back every other year.
 
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