Decoys - First Time Turkey Hunter

[Pat92]

Hey Everyone,

First time turkey hunter here. Looking to get out in NM on the public lands and give it a shot. When it comes to Turkey Decoys, how essential are they to a Spring Hunt? I have both a box call and some mouth calls, but does anyone have some insight into the necessity of the decoys (jake, hen, both?) for Turkey hunting and some decoys that you like. Im not looking to get $500 into a first time turkey hunt, but I am curious to see what I will be missing out on if I don't get any decoys (just to temper expectations a little). Appreciate the help everyone!

 

[Addicting]

I’ve hunted both ways. It depends on the terrain. If I can “chalk and stalk”. (Just use my Call to locate and get in front of them) I will. But the terrain has to be able to hide you. A turkey can spot movements and head the other direction from a long distance away. If the terrain won’t allow me to hide in ditches/draws to close the distance than I will get in where I know they are heading to early and set up decoys. A strutting jake and hen seemed to be very effective. Both styles of hunting can be very fun, I would encourage you to give them both a try and see which you prefer. A decent set off Primos decoys will run you under 50 bucks. No need to get fancy decoys. Turkeys don’t care how real it looks. They have come in to elcheapo ones and died just like the expensive ones.

 

[Doublecluck]

Open country, setting up near Birds you know exist, hunting property borders trying to get birds to come to you, use decoys.. random walks in the woods or heavily wooded areas, it’s easy to kill birds without them.. I use two avian x hens and a primos strutting jake with Fan from a real Jake.. but I killed a quite a few rios with just a cheap flambeau hen decoy in some of the most heavily hunted woods of Southern California..

 

[Pat92]

As far as the terrain, it will be mostly canyon/forest hunting. There is a lot of tree cover and it is mostly forested but the terrain itself is a lot of hills and the occasional steep canyon.

 

[CampRipleyLF]

Depending on the situation. I've hunted areas where the turkeys were decoy shy and others where the visual was key to harvesting one. Weapon type and distance you want to shoot can also play into if you need one. Having a decoy gives the turkey something to focus on instead of looking around and likely seeing you. To me I would get some decoys just in case but do you really need them, not really..... Good calling and stealth is important more important.... If you are to get decoys Avian X are packable and very realistic. You will pay a little more for them but its quality gear. Get a half or quarter strut jake with a hen. Always a deadly combination.

 

[406LIFE]

All the above consolidated would be good advice on decoys. First time, not wanting to drop bunhc of money, then don't worry about it. Gonna get into it, then you want that tool in your tool box. I like my MT decoy ones, they break down real nice. I also have a stuffer (bird I shot last year and skinned and gonna turn into a decoy) that I'll be trying out this year.

 

[kansasdad]

If you do go with decoy/s, I would suggest the you thoughtfully position them so that you have a clear line of sight beyond any birds so as to prevent you from being in someone else's line of fire (if they were to mistakenly shoot at your decoy/s).

On high wind days, be very certain to really anchor your stakes. I have had setups ruined when the wind knocks over a decoy as the real,birds were making their approach.

One of my decoys bears the scars of a good old fashion turkey battle. I had placed the decoys at the edge of the field, and then turned my body to face where the birds were heard gobbling, 180 degrees away from the decoys. One tom stayed down below to distract and make me think he would come up the hill through the CRP to me, while his buddies did an end run and made it up to the field level I had so convientiently turned my back on. Coming in on silent mode, I never knew that they had snuck in behind me. My first clue was the sound of my foam jake getting spurred and wing beaten by several super jakes. There were enough turkeys in this sneaky flock that there was no way to slowly turn to get into shooting position, and when I finally decided to make my "all or nothing" quick turn, they were already on the far side of shooting range and moving away.

 

[ringer]

I used them twice in my life. I found them to be a PITA to carry and put up and 90% of the time I just sit down in front of a tree and call in a bird. I always set up at dark on a hilltop with the tallest trees and wait until dawn to call them in.

 

[nturpin]

I turkey hunt or think about turkey hunting more than any type of hunting. A decoy is something that I use when I feel the opportunity is right. I have used a lot of different combinations and different types of decoys. I feel like the Primos gobstopper series are good looking for a pretty good value. If you were to only buy two my vote would be a semi-sneak hen and a half strut jake. I prefer the semi sneak hen because I can use her with a stake or put her on the ground without a stake to look like she is about to breed. I like the half strut jake because he isn't showing dominance and a tom will feel like he can beat the jake up. I would suggest always facing the jake towards you. This will force the tom to walk in front of the jake offering you a better shot.

I rarely use decoys on public land for fear of idiots. I also haven't ever used decoys in the woods. Only when I hunting open areas or fields and only when I don't feel like being mobile is an advantage.

With all that said. Turkey hunting always seems to change from bird to bird and you are always learning!

 

[AKal]

You may run the risk of a tom getting "hung up" and not closing the final distance without decoys. But with that being said I don't use one. The turkeys where I hunt hang out in some nasty thick stuff. I sneak up and position on the edge of a meadow or field, and call them out to the edge. Once they get to the edge they are almost always in range. This year I am hunting a different area and am investing in some mid grade decoys to have just in case.

 

[Ryan2782]

I recently wanted a more realistic looking decoy but wasn't going to spend a ton of money to have one either. I got a HS Strut at Cabela's for $30 that looks good. It's a little shiny compared to the $100 plus decoys, still realistic paintings though. I took it out to the garden and rubbed in some soil, looks even better now especially for the price tag.

 

[WalkingBird]

It all depends on the situation, where I grew up chasing toms in NY, we used decoys about 50% of the time, but always had them with us. They can really make or break a hunt in some instances and it others just be another thing to carry that's never used. If you're in an area with thick timber (where sight is limited to 100yds max at any given time), I don't use them as much and try to use the terrain to my advantage and make Mr. Tom come looking for me, other times if I'm in more open forest or hunting a field edge, I will do everything I can do get a decoy placed as it gives them something to focus on and not look as hard for the true source of that horned up hen that keeps talking to him.

My vote is always have at least one with you, and 2 is better (If 1, a hen, but if 2 I really like a Hen/Jake combo). I found a combo box of Avian X's in the Bargain Cave of the PA Cabelas, and I WILL NOT chase birds without those at least in the truck. I'll stay minimalist on my calls and calling, but those decoys will always be an option

 

[MThuntr]

I didn't use decoys growing up but find myself using them more often and it seems to help. Last year I decoyed one and did a run-and-gun on a second without a decoy. Very situational but I always carry a jake and hen just in case. sometimes I have the jake mounted and have had toms come in on a string to put the jake in its place.

 

[Pat92]

I appreciate all the tips and advice from everyone. I found a Jake/Hen combo from H.S Strut for a decent price so I will be sure to have them with me. After reading some comments especially considering the public land and the pressure of other hunters I figure the best thing will be to see what it looks like when I get out there and whether or not decoys will put me in any bad situations I want to avoid. For a first time turkey hunter and the hunt coming up in mid April Im excited to see how it goes and truly appreciate the help.

 

[F250]

I hunt fields mostly. I use the Avian X hen/jake combo.

 

[hobbes]

They are not necessary. They are a pain in the back to carry. They can prove useful, but your set up is the key to not needing them.

 

[phutch30]

What hobbes said....unless your just gunna sit in a blind, I don't find them very useful. On very very rare occasions I say to myself I think a decoy would have made a difference. I still put them out occasionally when archery hunting some spots.

 

[howl]

If a turkey can see your position, without coming into range, then it is unlikely to expend energy to move closer than necessary to get a look. You wouldn't spend money to get in to see dancing women if you looked in the window and saw the joint was empty. You might not still if they didn't look like the right sort of women or the men already in there looked like trouble.

If the turkey must come within range to see your position, then it will not matter whether you have decoys or not. The turkey would not have been able to see them before it was in range.

Years ago, when I still carried dekes, I was challenged to call a gobbler about a quarter mile. The last eighth was over a plowed field. The property line was the edge of the field. I set dekes inside the wood line hoping the gobbler would go in to be shot. This, assuming I got the bird to come that far. I didn't think it would come. I got it to come down a creek bottom, out a logging road and all that way across that bare field with not a hen in sight. The bird hung up and started edging away as soon as it saw the dekes. It came a quarter mile and hung up fifty yards from the dekes.

You could wonder what and why about those kinds of situations. You could try to figure out how to make it work. There is no point to making turkey hunting that complicated when you can make it simpler by leaving the decoys on the shelf.