What’s your decoy setup?

NuthinTooFancy

Curious as to what decoys you guys use and when. Just picked up a half strut Jake, and painted his head white. Also have a hen. I painted the Jakes head after watching the head color of numerous Jakes that have come in the past few hunts, and almost all of them turn white right as they begin to strut around the hen decoy. I am planning on just running the Jake the next couple hunts to see if I can draw a long beard closer to investigate the hen calls while trying to intimidate the Jake deke. Am I on the right track here? Still very new to the turkey thing.

Crkr23

Never used a decoy in the killing of over 75 gobblers. I've heard too many stories of birds spooking or hanging up. To each their own though, good luck.

Big Mak

I'm leery of putting a Jake or strutting decoy out, particularly on public land. I actually go about 50% of the time without a decoy altogether. Makes the bird come looking. It also depends on if I have someone who can't sit still. 

Back when I hunted 3L allot I called in too many googans to take the chance. Never needed anything like that on private land. 

Had a buddy almost get shot at 3L by road hunters who were hunting Prairie Lakes when they shot at a Jake crossing the road to get to his decoy once too. 

I say use what your conscience tells you, and you will hunt harder and hunt longer. 

NuthinTooFancy

I hunt private mainly, so less pressured birds and all hunters in area know to steer clear

joelunchbucket

Talked to someone hunting private a week or so ago who had the neighbor draw down on their decoy with them right behind it. 

Wasn’t a good encounter with the new neighbor.

I use decoys occasionally but generally prefer hunting without one so that I have less to carry. 

MCSHunter

I almost always use a jake with real fan and two hens. Has worked well for me.

Ruff One

Turkeys by nature are gregarious. They love other turkeys. Never had a decoy scare off a gobbler. I use only one hen now. Gobblers seem to love her. 

bowhunter4life

MCSHunter said:

I almost always use a jake with real fan and two hens. Has worked well for me.

I have a jake I use with a real fan and real wings that I dried out( I always save the fan and wings)..Never had one spook from it. I have had them spook or hang  up from other decoy setups though. Also have killed them without decoys. I guess it comes down to where you are hunting whether to use them or not. I just love to watch a Tom come in and jump on a jake decoy. If you do use them , I recommend setting them up so that if someone did sneak in on you,have yourself set where you aren’t in the line of fire.Keep the decoy out in the open…. I rarely will use a decoy on non quota areas. If I do, it’s a single hen.

swampdog

Only time I use one now is when on a youth hunt. I want the gobbler focusing on the deke instead of looking in our direction for the hen. Rest of the hunts I travel light and it’s one less thing I have to fiddle with. 

cracker4112

I see both sides.  Much rather not carry any around but for youth hunts and field birds decoys work great. And if you’ve never had a big gobbler/group of gobblers gang up on a gobbler or Jake decoy and beat the crap out of it you’ve missed quite a cool show. Frankly from what I e seen with my boys jake/gobbler decoys might should be illegal…

FloridaOD

Best Turkey Hunter I ever encountered used a real life taxidermy Hen.
” Henrietta” 
Another accomplished Turkey Hunter did not care for the classic decoy.
Used a decoy head , cut off, placed on a mounting stick....... placed Just So in grass,brush, poking out in to an always not too big of an open area of a certain layout. 

Pinman

I mostly use a single Hen decoy when I have a bird roosted and want to entice him to come my way at fly down. Or if Im going to sit a long time (which isnt often). Like bowhunter4life said, if I put one out on public land I make sure that someone cant sneak in on it and have direct line of fire to where Im sitting. In other words, I make sure there is something large beyond the decoy from me (palmetto head usually).

Pinman

FloridaOD said:

Best Turkey Hunter I ever encountered used a real life taxidermy Hen.
” Henrietta” 
Another accomplished Turkey Hunter did not care for the classic decoy.
Used a decoy head , cut off, placed on a mounting stick....... placed Just So in grass,brush, poking out in to an always not too big of an open area of a certain layout. 

I bought a Gobbler head ball hitch cover Ive thought about using in just this manner 

drgibby

If I am using decoys, it is a half strut jake and 2 hens.  That is only if I am planning on sitting tight in one spot. Otherwise, I only carry a real fan.  The real fan has out killed the decoys for me 3:1 over the past few years.  Like mentioned above, I would be wary of decoys and fans if I was on public land or hunting near private property lines. 
Good luck to all the north of 70 guys tomorrow! Hopefully, the weather cooperates.

meateater

lay down hen and a upright leading hen      those 2   90% of the time on public land never a issue other 10% i use just 1 hen           if you use a jake or a gobbler decoy long enough you will have birds hang up just outa range      not a lot but that one time a big gobbler comes running in gobbling his head off then spots your jake or gobbler and turns and hauls butt      twice was enough times for me so just hens on pressured public land for me.

meateater

Pinman said:

FloridaOD said:

Best Turkey Hunter I ever encountered used a real life taxidermy Hen.
” Henrietta” 
Another accomplished Turkey Hunter did not care for the classic decoy.
Used a decoy head , cut off, placed on a mounting stick....... placed Just So in grass,brush, poking out in to an always not too big of an open area of a certain layout. 

I bought a Gobbler head ball hitch cover Ive thought about using in just this manner 

have had 2 of those exact ones      1 stolen from three lakes  other one stolen from ok slough    sad someone risked there life for such a trinket. 

Pinman

meateater said:

Pinman said:

FloridaOD said:

Best Turkey Hunter I ever encountered used a real life taxidermy Hen.
” Henrietta” 
Another accomplished Turkey Hunter did not care for the classic decoy.
Used a decoy head , cut off, placed on a mounting stick....... placed Just So in grass,brush, poking out in to an always not too big of an open area of a certain layout. 

I bought a Gobbler head ball hitch cover Ive thought about using in just this manner 

have had 2 of those exact ones      1 stolen from three lakes  other one stolen from ok slough    sad someone risked there life for such a trinket. 

I bought it on clearance on Wingsupply for like $2. Thought of putting it in front of a real fan for a small decoy.

bowhunter4life

Pinman said:

meateater said:

Pinman said:

FloridaOD said:

Best Turkey Hunter I ever encountered used a real life taxidermy Hen.
” Henrietta” 
Another accomplished Turkey Hunter did not care for the classic decoy.
Used a decoy head , cut off, placed on a mounting stick....... placed Just So in grass,brush, poking out in to an always not too big of an open area of a certain layout. 

I bought a Gobbler head ball hitch cover Ive thought about using in just this manner 

have had 2 of those exact ones      1 stolen from three lakes  other one stolen from ok slough    sad someone risked there life for such a trinket. 

I bought it on clearance on Wingsupply for like $2. Thought of putting it in front of a real fan for a small decoy.

If this thing worked, I’m sure you will have success.

Pinman

I have a funky chicken also!  Ole Joekat swore by it. Its easy to carry but Ive never shot a bird using it. 

drgibby

meateater said:

lay down hen and a upright leading hen      those 2   90% of the time on public land never a issue other 10% i use just 1 hen           if you use a jake or a gobbler decoy long enough you will have birds hang up just outa range      not a lot but that one time a big gobbler comes running in gobbling his head off then spots your jake or gobbler and turns and hauls butt      twice was enough times for me so just hens on pressured public land for me.

This one was hell bent on destroying my jake decoy this morning in Nassau Co.!

bowhunter4life

Congrats drgibby!… bet you enjoyed the show!

ANUMBER1

I have dekes, rarely use them

RayI

Ruff One said:

Turkeys by nature are gregarious. They love other turkeys. Never had a decoy scare off a gobbler. I use only one hen now. Gobblers seem to love her. 

Its like the Cobies love your boat Ruff lol

Ruff One

Speaking of cobias, rumor is they have arrived in the big bend. Don't have a turkey permit so will get the cobia gear ready. Just have to get a nice day.

hoggator

This set up worked out pretty good for us this morning. I thought the “funky chicken” was a joke. Almost like a gag gift.  Buddy killed one off it a few weeks ago.  I asked to borrow it for this weekend. This bird came running like an ostrich at it.  Shot at 11 yards.  Fun stuff!

swampdog

Nice pics Hog!

hoggator

 

This set up worked pretty well this morning also.  After the Tom chest bumped the funky chicken, we went into a full strut and wedged himself between the 2 to mount pretty girl.  I am sure he was feeling good before he got dropped. 

4 turkeys in 6 days.  

2 Osceolas on a quota hunt & 2 easterns at the farm in GA.  Been fun.  Going to start the 700 mile drive back in a few. Have fun and be safe out there.  

ANUMBER1

none anymore

meateater

hoggator said:

 

This set up worked pretty well this morning also.  After the Tom chest bumped the funky chicken, we went into a full strut and wedged himself between the 2 to mount pretty girl.  I am sure he was feeling good before he got dropped. 

4 turkeys in 6 days.  

2 Osceolas on a quota hunt & 2 easterns at the farm in GA.  Been fun.  Going to start the 700 mile drive back in a few. Have fun and be safe out there.  

you killed 4 turkeys without your gun being totally camo         wheres the battery powered red dot scope and the motorized mojo decoy         whats next you gonna tell us you use #8 dove loads        nice job   took me bout 15 hunts to get my 2 birds this year         congrats  

hoggator

Meat,
That’s funny.  It was actually 2 hunters for 4 birds.  I also didn’t post any pictures of my set ups at Big Cypress or 3 Lakes where I came home with my tail between my legs. 

meateater

12 days at big cypress before i got one      couple days at corbett nothing    1st day at three lakes got lucky at 3pm    big boy came in silent but strutting the last 30 yds right up to the decoy    think this is third year in a row i got my 2nd bird at three lakes and all 3 were between 2 and 4 pm     might just stop hunting mornings out there     yea that will never happen.      i was sitting next to 4 different guys this year at 3 different wmas who harvested a turkey and  i passed on at least 12 jakes,    some could have been repeat customers.    totally blew a chance opening weekend at big cypress on a huge bird that walked in behind me gobbling his head off      tried to slide outa turkey lounger  turn completely around and shoot him thru the bush i was set up in    soon as i got turned around there he was staring at me 10 feet away     missed him running at 25 yds and flying at 45 yds   pretty sure hes the same bird i killed 3 weeks later.      if i would have just sat still he would have eventually walked around and went to the decoys    couple other close calls but not complaining had a great season.     seen birds every hunt except maybe 2 days   1 day at corbett  1 day at big cypress    2 quota only hunts just covered in birds the short time we were hunting    both hunts ended the first day by 8 am.