SETTING UP DECOYS

[irishevox]

Hello, hunting turkey first teime this year, and i was wondering how many decoys i should have right now i have a jake and a hen... do i need more... if so which ones and what a good configuration. any help is great! please post pics if you have any of your set up relative you your blind or where your sitting thanks

[castor gitter]

never killed a bird with dekes yet. You don't absolutely need em, but they are nice to add to any arsenal.

[buglebuster]

Ive never used one either, tho last year was the first time i could have used one to seal the deal.

[Mfowl]

Put them on a visible place (not hidden by brush.) I usaully will place the jake behind the hen as if it is following or even breeding her. Keep the jake facing away from you (atleast to some degree.) When a tom approaches a jake they will typically circle behind them and approach from the back. This will keep you out of the birds field of vision. Also keep the decoys out of a direct path to your set up, just in case another hunter takes a shot at them. Never happened to me but I've heard of it several times. I've killed more birds w/out decoys but it is fun to watch them come home in to them.   

[irishevox]

ok .... hmmm alot of people killing birds with out decoys... i mean will it increase my chances at all or... is it hit or miss

[turkeydancer]

A jake and a hen is fine ... set them up 15 to 20 yards from your position with the jake facing you and the hen facing away. Usually a tom will come in face to face with the intruding jake and will have his back to you ... ie: you'll be in his blind spot for any last minute adjustments.  If he comes into the hen, he will approach her from the rear for breeding purposes and again will have his back to you.   If you know what direction the tom will approach from, put the dekes just on the other side to draw him past you.  Do not put them to close together as bunched up turkeys is a sign of danger.  If windy put sticks/stakes on either side so the dekes won't spin in the wind (a little movement is okay so they don't have to be super tight against the dekes).

That said ... early in the season when a tom has his harem, the lead hen may not want to share him with another hen and may lead him away.  I usually will wait a couple weeks before using my dekes.  But then again if they hear a turkey, they may want to see a turkey ... 

 

[irishevox]

YEAH I PLAN TO GO SCOUTING THIS WEEKEND... .. I HAVE A IDEA WHERE I AM GOING TO GO LOOK. I JUST DON'T THE AREAS THAT WELL

[Limhangerslayer]

Decoys can be great when used right..  I think the biggest problem is birds getting accustomed to a feeding hen, an alert hen and a jake in a field next to a blind.  The best I have ever seen a bird decoy was last year during the youth season he flew off the hill from over 600' above and landed in the decoys, dead bird

[irishevox]

i am hoping in turkey hunting more is better kind of like duck hunting ya know.  the biggest issue for me i guess would be how many some people say i only need 1 jake and 1 hen but is that all as far a decoys?

[HornHoarder]

I often use 4 decoys. two hens and two jakes, and have had good luck pulling in gobblers. That seems to work best in open areas, such as fields, where they can be seen from a ways off.

[turkeyfeather]

I have killed a couple birds over dekes but it has always been 2 hens. I have never had luck with a jake and definately will never use a strutter. Last year I had 2 hens fly down and walk up to my hen dekes and one of the hens sat there and bitched out my dekes for about 10 mins before deciding to walk away. I waited till she got about 50 yards away and then let out a few yelps and she came running back and started bitching again. My wife and I couldn't stand it and started laughing at her and she took off. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Later that morning I killed a bird over those dekes set up in another field.

[3dvapor]

Here is my set up, never had alot of luck with decoys until dsds, and stuffer were used.  They are scary realistic.

[irishevox]

i would be afraid somone would shoot those.. i think i will get one more hen and stick with my two hens and one Jake... thanks for all the advice now i think i am getting one step close to bagging me a gollber 

[irishevox]

hey what direction do ya'll put them?  Face you or facing away?

[Muleyhunter47]

Like most people i have never killed a turkey while using a decoy. I always bring them though. When it comes to set up for decoy(s) position dose not matter a whole bunch but facing your decoys into the wind would not be a bad idea these birds don't like when the wind is at their back and the wind goes up their feathers just more realistic for if that big ol tom comes in. I think the most important part is where you are set up versus where the decoy is. I like to be calling about 30-35 yards behind the hunter and the decoy about 20-25 yards in front of him, This will help draw him in close because with my experience i have had a lot of toms "Hang up" 60-70 yards out.

[turkeydancer]

hey what direction do ya'll put them?  Face you or facing away?

Irishvox - Go back and read my previous post ...

[irishevox]

hey what direction do ya'll put them?  Face you or facing away?

Irishvox - Go back and read my previous post ...

I See it now... thanks i appreciate it your the best i appreciate all of ya'll help and opinon. 

[h2ofowlr]

Here is my set up, never had alot of luck with decoys until dsds, and stuffer were used.  They are scary realistic.

A nice DSD!  Those should work.

[MerriamMagician]

I have tremendous results with decoys when hunting henned up birds. Get there early, put them near the fly down zone. Usually it takes a good size flock a few mintues to gather up and the decoys work great to make them think the flock is gathering right there. Try to outcall the lead hen too as this usually aggravates her and brings her your way. She will continue to call the whole way and usually lead the flock right to you.

[turkeydancer]

 In nature the tom gobbles from the roost to attract his hens who he expects them to gather below him.  When he's sure they are all present and accounted for, he flies down and joins them.  I urge you not to call very much to a tom on the roost, but to wait until they are on the ground.   If you call a lot and then don't show up, he'll smell a rat and go the other direction (what most hunters seem to term "henned up").  If he answers your first sleepy tree yelps from his roost, he has recognized you as a real hen ... shut up and use his natural curiosity and sex drive against him.  When he hits the ground, then give him some soft yelps, clucks, purrs, and/or a hat slap fly down.  Let him gobble 2 or 3 times to your answer or he'll still expect you to come to him.  Work him versus him working you.
 

[irishevox]

i didn't know this thanks!

[Diehard0123]

Decoys are good for a set up (blind situation or sneaking in before sun up on roosted birds) if you are runnin and gunnin (i.e. hiking and shock calling) you usually don't have time to set up dekes before calling in a bird.  It never hurts to bring some along just in case the right oppertunity presents itself.

[Diehard0123]

I also suggest practicing pulling them out and setting them up,  most decoys are pretty easy to set up until you go to pull them out of your vest when you need them and they get snagged on something or they dont open up the way they should.  also focus on trying to do it as quietly as possible with minimal movement.  There is nothing more frustrating than getting busted by a bird while fumbling with your uncooperative decoy.  You might want to make sure you have an extra stake or two in your vest just in case you lose one out in the woods. 

[irishevox]

I also suggest practicing pulling them out and setting them up,  most decoys are pretty easy to set up until you go to pull them out of your vest when you need them and they get snagged on something or they dont open up the way they should.  also focus on trying to do it as quietly as possible with minimal movement.  There is nothing more frustrating than getting busted by a bird while fumbling with your uncooperative decoy.  You might want to make sure you have an extra stake or two in your vest just in case you lose one out in the woods.

been praticing... thanks for the advice

[BOWHUNTER45]

good advice you all ... I rarely use decoys if I am hunting in the timber ...I would rather have the bird come lookin for me and most of the time he ends up in gun range ...If I am hunting field birds which are usually the toughest to kill I use a decoy ...mainly because if your calling and they do not see something where the sound is coming from they usually never pay attention to you ...

[irishevox]

yeah i am hunting a "meadow"  so i will be using 2 hens and a jake, i hope that set up works i am going to has on hen facing me the other facing the tree line and the Jake behind the one of the hens... how  does that sound?

[turkeydancer]

Since turkey's eyes are on the side of their head there is only about 45 degrees behind them they can't see, and if he's fanned out (in full strut) he's even more blinded from his rear.  Since a tom will approach a hen from the rear to breed her, he will be looking right at you instead of you being in his blind spot ...  and he'll get right up in another male's face.  Face the hens away from you and the Jake towards you ...  and don't bunch them to closely together as that's a sign of danger to them.

[irishevox]

ok will do thanks again.... i was just going by what a guy at cabela told me... appreciate it

[BOWHUNTER45]

Here is my set up, never had alot of luck with decoys until dsds, and stuffer were used.  They are scary realistic.

I guarantee I would not be on public land with a decoy that looks that real ....He sure is pretty ...but not worth getting shot over 

[irishevox]

   thats what i said!

[PA BEN]

I have killed a couple birds over dekes but it has always been 2 hens. I have never had luck with a jake and definately will never use a strutter. Last year I had 2 hens fly down and walk up to my hen dekes and one of the hens sat there and bitched out my dekes for about 10 mins before deciding to walk away. I waited till she got about 50 yards away and then let out a few yelps and she came running back and started bitching again. My wife and I couldn't stand it and started laughing at her and she took off. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Later that morning I killed a bird over those dekes set up in another field.

Why wouldn't you use a strutter decoy? I've hunted with jakes and hens for 20 years had toms look at them and keep walking. Started using a strutter deak 3 years ago with my set up and when the toms see it they come in running. They do scar off jakes but not the big boys.

[geauxtigers]

Thanks for all of the good info here...learning a lot just reading through everyone else's questions. 

[PA BEN]

I started using blow up decoys years ago, very EZ to pack. Three years ago I used this tom decoy and man what a difference. http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Cherokee-Sports-Billy-Bad-Act-II-Turkey-Decoy&i=420445&str=turkey+decoy&merchID=4005

[irishevox]

how are you setting up your strutter and hen? and are they out in the open? like i am hunting a medow and i using 3 hens and a jake... ton of gobble... but only one show during really heavy snow... a big tom just was booking it about 15 yards out.... didn't even look at decoys.... am i doing something wrong with me decoys...? i have the hens facing away from me and the jack facing me