SETTING UP DECOYS

[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