SETTING UP DECOYS

[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!