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How many turkey decoys do you use?

1K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  AirForceGuy85 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I used to use a hen and a jake. Now, I'm going with safety in numbers or something simular to what's used with waterfowl field sets. I've got a strutting tom, a jake and 4 hens. It'll be interesting to see their response to "the flock", but may have to cut back the numbers.

The last time I was out, the 3 toms that came in spotted my jake and strutting tom and were instantly pissed and were in a quick approach to kick some butt...or at least investigate what those turkeys were doing in their area.

What has been your experiences with turkey decoys?
How many do you use? Hens? Jakes? Toms?

Thank you, Bowhunter57
 
#2 ·
I don't have a ton of experience but I did just shoot my 11th spring turkey. Of those 11, one was shot over a decoy. I don't even remember which decoy(s) I used as it was about 10 years ago. I do remember it was a jake that I shot that year. I own about 7 or 8 various decoys and will use them sometimes just to have some fun and do something different. But I have had enough turkeys hang up or ignore dekes that I rarely use them anymore. I have much better luck having a jake come to a decoy vs a mature tom. I never even took a decoy out of the box this year and tagged out. So that was a very long answer to say that the number of decoys I use is zero most of the time. LOL!

Sent from my Ally
 
#3 ·
I have used the mega-flock approach before and I have used the "invisible hen" approach and everything in between. It really is a case by case basis. I have often seen turkeys ignore dekes entirely and I have seen them expect the dekes to come to them. I have had them periscope and refuse to make another step becasue no hen was in sight. I have also seen them do what they are supposed to do and walk right up to sort out the new commers. My best advice is that if you are going to use them, use them in a tighter enviroment, more to seal the deal than to drag them a quarter of a mile across open ground. I have yet to see them work like they do on the hunting videos. Maybe that is the public land birds I hunt, but I am very careful when I employ dekes becaue of past experience. When I go out tomorrow, I will be using no decoys because of the field I will be hunting.
 
#4 ·
I use 2-3 hens and this year just a standing jake and a feeding hen. Feeding hen cuz later in the season and on public land an alert hen doesnt work for me. Right now im mounting a jake from 2 yrs ago to use as a decoy then this fall try to get a hen mount that as well to use as a decoy.
 
#7 ·
I'm by no means an expert, and I asked a similar question (I think on another board) when I was shopping for gear preseason. I had no clue what to get. I was recommended a jake and a hen. I pretty much bought everything new this year for turkey hunting. I literally had nothing. So with that being said I was on a budget and walmart had a 2 decoy pack... I'm not sure the brand but it was the one with Jimmy Jake and Sally the Hen or something like that. It was a good deal at $20 for two decoys. 3 times I had toms come right up to them in 4 days out and I tagged two birds one with a crossbow. I can't complain...Money well spent. I did have some hens get really nervous about them and they came right behind the blind and just clucked for 20 minutes before leaving. They wouldn't get any closer. I think like someone else was saying, they were expecting my decoys to come to them. I think they wanted the jake to follow them.
 
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