Ive always heard you can use as many hens as you want but dont put out more than one jake as two or more could intimidate a tom. Is there ever a scenario that two jakes would be approproprite?
I would only use two if I were set up at a blind crossing that required more visiibility; however, I wouldn't put them were a tom would see both at the same time.
2 Jakes no go. 2 full strut decoys takes the right situation.
I don't carry decoys, but yes there are unique situations where two Jakes could be to the hunters advantage. Over the years I've seen two jakes and a longbeard running together for whatever reason. If the longbeard suddenly found himself alone, say the jakes got doubled on by youths, then that surviving longbeard could be very vulnerable to the two jake decoy spread for several days.
But I personally go with the thought that a decoy may spook a bird on any given day or situation. Where opting for no decoy isn't going to spook him. Worst case is he walks off and you have to try him again from a different set-up. Second chances on a spooked bird are far less common than second chances on an unspooked bird.
I had 4 jakes and 2 longbeards running together this season in early April. This was in central Florida and the season had been in 2 weeks. They all charged a Funky Chicken decoy I had set up with two hen decoys. Bottom line - you just never know what is going to consistently work on any given day. Good luck.
I'd go with two jakes if my only intention was to find out if a gobbler thought he was tough enough to challenge two jakes.
I don't think it's worth the chance of running your gobbler off or your gobbler taking a wide sweep around the 2 Jake decoys ....
I've got a couple of Funky Chicken decoys which, when put neck-to-neck, look like a couple of jakes fighting, especially when adding the fighting purrs calls. While I've yet to try this combo, it seems like it would be more likely to work in the fall than in the spring.
It might not hurt, but outside of visibility, where is the upside? (If I am using decoys, I am generally hunting an open area, and visibility is not an issue for me)
I cannot imagine a scenario, in which a tom will come running into two jakes, and would hang up on one... I can imagine situations in which multiple jake decoys might make a tom more hesitant to come in though.
I would NEVER set 2 jakes, just goes against the dominance game (Part of my "Decoy Rules")
Now a Full Strut Tom with a jake set as a sub works! DSDeadly
I have a lot on decoy use posted here: http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,70971.0.html
MK M GOBL
Quote from: Greg Massey on June 08, 2018, 10:54:00 PM
I don't think it's worth the chance of running your gobbler off or your gobbler taking a wide sweep around the 2 Jake decoys ....
This!!! ^^^ :icon_thumright:
Ive tried all kinds of set ups through the years just so I could see for myself. Tried to 2 jakes and a hen once. A tom circled wide strutting but stayed 100 yds out. Based on my experience I'd say not worth it.