White head vs. Red/White/Blue head Jake Decoys. Just marketing hype?

[cornfedkiller]

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I have been hunting with a White Headed Strutter Decoy I designed/developed since 1999. I have had a lot of experience with "BIG PUFFY", even though the "White Head" is a dominant bird he is at the breeding stage not at fight stage. I have had plenty jakes come in right up to him, the White Head is interested in breeding the hen, he really don't care about any other bird unless that bird is coming to challenge him, either way birds come to him.

Any DISADVANTAGE to having a white head on the strutter? I have a DSD strutter that I have been thinking about painting the head white, but was always nervous about him looking too dominant..but now with you explaining it this way, I don't know if there would really be a disadvantage.

And do you feel the white head makes a big enough difference to worry about it?  I know its impossible to think like a turkey, but do you think there's birds that have come to your decoy that wouldn't have if he had the red head?

Thanks!

[MK M GOBL]

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I have been hunting with a White Headed Strutter Decoy I designed/developed since 1999. I have had a lot of experience with "BIG PUFFY", even though the "White Head" is a dominant bird he is at the breeding stage not at fight stage. I have had plenty jakes come in right up to him, the White Head is interested in breeding the hen, he really don't care about any other bird unless that bird is coming to challenge him, either way birds come to him.

Any DISADVANTAGE to having a white head on the strutter? I have a DSD strutter that I have been thinking about painting the head white, but was always nervous about him looking too dominant..but now with you explaining it this way, I don't know if there would really be a disadvantage.

And do you feel the white head makes a big enough difference to worry about it?  I know its impossible to think like a turkey, but do you think there's birds that have come to your decoy that wouldn't have if he had the red head?

Thanks!

I have not seen any disadvantage, I only hunt a White Headed Gobbler Decoy. And yes I would not use a "Red" Headed gobbler anymore after getting the results I do. And Yes the reason for the change was I was having gobblers shy away from the "Red Headed" Gobbler, a lot of hunters have seen this. The Red Head is a bird ready for a fight, he is showing his dominance, a bird that is subordinate would shy from a dominant tom. If he has been getting his butt kicked around, he would have learned his place in the social structure. (A DSD 3/4 Strut Jake would be my choice then, a sub to another "sub" tom)

I have a very specific way I paint the "White Head" I will attach the pics.

MK M GOBL

[Marc]

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Here are a couple of links I found discussing this topic:

http://bestturkeydecoy.com/body-language/
http://www.gameandfishmag.com/hunting/turkey/how-to-read-a-turkeys-body-language/

Great topic that can provide some good insight to the insightful our curious hunter...

Interestingly, I was watching some turkeys (that were causually eating, meandering, and a couple strutting)...  I noticed that all the heads were red, and none of the birds seemed "anxious," or overly alert...

I do think the snood is a good indicator...  If that snood retracts while the bird is coming in, you'd better think about taking the shot at the first opportunity...

[MK M GOBL]

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Here are a couple of links I found discussing this topic:

http://bestturkeydecoy.com/body-language/
http://www.gameandfishmag.com/hunting/turkey/how-to-read-a-turkeys-body-language/

Great topic that can provide some good insight to the insightful our curious hunter...

Interestingly, I was watching some turkeys (that were causually eating, meandering, and a couple strutting)...  I noticed that all the heads were red, and none of the birds seemed "anxious," or overly alert...

I do think the snood is a good indicator...  If that snood retracts while the bird is coming in, you'd better think about taking the shot at the first opportunity...

A couple of good points in those, a lot of what I talk about during my seminars on turkey body language, social structure and the dominance game. I have also seen a difference in the "fright" stage color of a toms head and it has a different "pattern" to it, the "Wing Fold" is also another indicator of a bird leaving... the snood is an "indicator" of the birds mood, has to be looked at in the situation. Head tilt is also a factor in this, It would be hard to cover every "change" in body language, there are times the snood is up and tight just because the bird is a subordinate in the presence of more dominate birds, in this case it is not a deal breaker it is just a case of social structure. There is a lot in the Alpha / Beta / Omega dominance structure in male and female roles. It also plays in the game of taking the dominant tom and the effect in re-structure of those roles in the flock. I always take the dominant tom when I have multiple toms coming in and there are keys to knowing which in the dominant bird, I do this for a number of reasons. In some cases we have the opportunity to take more than one bird, "doubles" and in others is to "change" that "Alpha" role. It can really make a difference in future hunts in that area.

There is a lot more to all this I could go over and I am always willing to help out with questions on this.

This is a pic of 5 toms (early season hunt) coming into my full strut White Headed tom decoy and shows each of these birds "dominance" role. I had 5 decoys out on this set. Strutter / Jake (sub) / Upright hen / Feeding hen / Leading hen and I have "rules" to how I set decpys from seasons start to seasons end. All goes into "Hunting Decoys Right"

As you can see in the "Omegas" the snood is high & tight and the head tilt (subordinate), the Alpha and Beta both have elongated snoods.

MK M GOBL