DECOY SETUP

[erf]

How far away do you set your decoys, and do you set them up looking at you are sideways from you.

[handcannon]

When I do use decoys, I generally set them up about 20 yards from me. I usually put them at a side profile towards the direction I think the birds will come in.

[turkey harvester]

20 yards or less, i like mine where i have the least movement with my gun, and where i want him to drop.

[joker]

About 20 yds in front, sideways, where they can see it.

[gobbler777]

When gun hunting ... 20 - 25 yards broadside. With a bow I place the jake facing me at the distance I want to shoot the gobbler. For me thats 12 yards; my bow shot at 10 to 15 yards...just right for a getting the shot in the breadbasket.

[Grant Flaming]

Generally about 20 yards out (so if they hang up I can still whack them), facing towards me because I feel that if a turkey comes in they will move between me and the decoy so they can get the decoys attention. And if they are coming from the left, I place them a little to my right, so if they don't want to commit to the decoys they, I am closer.

[erf]

 :thanks:thank you all for all the info. i will put it to the test and send the pic.

[gophert]

I set mine up at 20 steps in a triangle formation.  (1 strutter and 2 hens)

The triangle needs to have enough room for the gobbler to get between the strutter and the hens.  I always face the strutter towards me. 

My goal is to get the gobbler to stand right in the middle of the "bermuda triangle".  Here is a video of my daughters first turkey last year.  The decoys worked exactly like I planned.  Keep in mind this does not ALWAYS happen, but is the goal. 

http://youtu.be/PN8lPFbm-Pk

[MOStrutter]

I seem to always like a jake/strutter decoy to the side so that the turkey will have to cross me to get to it.  I believe its best to keep the jake/strutter facing away from the direction the turkey is going to come from. For the hens, just place them in a natural pose but not to block the travel of the turkey.

[erf]

  :wav:thank you for the video congradulation on her turkey.I will try your setup

[30_06]

If I use decoys I usually set them up 5-7 yards away, and usually a touch to my right (I'm left handed). Makes for a nice close bow shot.

[redleg06]

i will usually set mine off to the side of me or back behind me where the bird will have to close the distance to get to it. 

When I use decoys and I know which direction the bird will come from, I do the same thing if I have time.   Alot of times Ill set the decoy and the walk at a 45 degree angle away from the decoy and closer to the bird.  All those times that the bird hung up 20-30yds out of gun range made me realize that attention to the small things like this make a big difference. If I use a decoy at all, I'm going to position it so that I reduced the chances of a bird hanging up on me just out of range.

[SonicBanshee]

i put mine bout 30 yards away

[captpete]

I set them about 20yd out off to the left. I like to position the hens so they are facing away from the direction I think the gobbler is coming from. If he thinks the hen can see him, he is likely to hang-up. It is in their nature for the hen to go to the tom. If I am bow-hunting them, I use a jake decoy and set them at 10 -15 yd. I face the jake decoy so it is facing toward me. Mostly likely when the tom comes in, he will go "face-to face" with the jake decoy....with his back to me, it gives me a much better opportunity to draw the bow without being seen.

[gunnerj]

If I'm using decoys, it depends on the set up. We killed a couple last year with the lead upright hen going away at 35 yds a couple of feeding hens and finishing with 2 jakes at about 10 yds to the right. They were going away to the right, lead hen at about 2:30. Only about 10 yds into the field. Both birds came in on the left. Both birds hung up 30 yds away from the decoys, but we were in range at 20 yds.