Looking to buy a Tom stutter decoy and am looking for recommendations.
DSD.
Turkeys are dumb. Take your pick. They're either going to react the way you want them to or they won't. No guarantee no matter how much you put into them. Completely depends on their mood. I've used a few different ones and find that the weight/space isn't worth it if covering ground. Only one I've got now is an Avian. But I've had it 2 seasons and it's only been in the field once.
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Depends on what you want to spend Dave Smith Decoys are great but you will pay $170 to $200 for one. I have the Avian X 1/4 strut and 1/2 strut jakes and they cost about $100.00 each you can get a full strut Avian X for $120.00. I would also give a look at the flextones decoys. You can get a full strut and 1/4 strut for about $60.00. Like I said depends on what you want to spend.
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lots of good looking decoys these days from many brands at many price ranges. even the cheap ones flex tone etc look a lot better than they used to. I don't think you can go wrong with any as in my opinion decoys are extremely situational . I rarely use them, but I do occasionally. I have an avian x hen and a 1/4 strut jake. Ive used them effectively a few times, and unsuccessfully a whole lot more.
I have what is called a stuffer. It is a real stuffed turkey about 1/4 strut. Beard is trimmed to jake size.
I don't think it matters much about the brand you use. I'd consider how hard or easy they are to carry and set up, what happens to them when shot hits them, and other features that may or may not be nifty to you.
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I have been hunting a Strutter Decoy since 1997, and 2 years after I started making upgrades to the decoy and how I hunt him. In 1999 I designed/developed a White Headed Strutter AKA BIG PUFFY, I did this after a lot of study into the social structure/dominance order of turkeys and he worked! Then in 2011 I bought a DSD Strutter added my designs to it and JUST DEADLY. That DSD is a heavy decoy and not for every hunt, same as decoys in general.
So here we are for 2019 and my NEW DSD "Strutting Jake" Decoy, I have already taken to modifying him for my use, first I will hunt him as a Gobbler, Full Fan and Long Beard. I have re-painted his head color to my "White Headed" Strutter design. I did have a few other mods I did to the decoy to get him "right" for me. I bought this decoy as he is a much smaller stature then the "Full Sized" DSD Strutter, mainly I wanted the portability of the smaller size in a Strutter. I do have a set of "Rules" I use when setting decoys and everyone has a different hunt, these are just tools in the shed and not for everyone. I always say there is a lot in to hunting decoys "right". I can tell you his effectiveness over the last 20+ years, "He's Dead using the White Head".
And here's the NEW "lil' PUFFY" White Headed Decoy I made!!
MK M GOBL
DSD
Any of them will work, all depends on what you want to spend. I used the primos b mobile for quite a few years and when it works, it works. Havent used it in about 5 years though. Avian x jake has taken his spot. Id reccomend looking at the new Higdon Apex strutter, half the weight and half the cost of a dsd.
Ive got a foam fold up. Works just as good as the high end decoys. And folds into my vest
Prostaff member for Old Crow Custom Calls
Roberthyman14 is right, it really doesnt matter. Ive got a Primos Bmobile that I got in 2006 or so. Ive shot a lot of angry gobblers over it. I also have a hen decoy that I bought in 2001. Not sure the brand... Carrylite maybe? Anyway, I shot a silent gobbler over her last year too. The paint is coming off her beak pretty bad and just looks mostly like a black blob, but that gobbler didnt seem to notice either. Everytime I see some of those DSD or Avain X decoys, it crosses my mind to pick one up, but then I remember a of the birds Ive killed without them, or even having a decoy at all for that matter.
The new Higdons look good!!
Quote from: drake799 on March 15, 2021, 11:12:00 PM
The new Higdons look good!!
Very good looking and at a great price.
MK, I brushed white krylon over my stuffer strutter years ago, i think it was Knight and Hale when they came out with the pretty boy deke talking about the white head!
Deadly, however once I got the DSD jake I just never tote that big thing around!
Quote from: Dtrkyman on March 16, 2021, 12:40:19 PM
MK, I brushed white krylon over my stuffer strutter years ago, i think it was Knight and Hale when they came out with the pretty boy deke talking about the white head!
Deadly, however once I got the DSD jake I just never tote that big thing around!
Yup, first commercially available "White Head" I seen was the Pretty Boy, he was released in 2003, then Primos B-Mobile in 2007. Somewhere after 2001 I was "Building" and selling these to customers at the store. I started making more mods and upgrades in decoys. There was King Strut when Flambeau bought Feather Flex and he went flocked. In 2011 I bought my first DSD a Upright Hen, after her I bought the DSD Strutter and added all my mods to him DEADLY, I started modding them and selling these right away killed my first bird over him in 2012, I was holding seminars and was getting customers asking for that decoy. Eventually I was emailing back and forth with DSD because customer wanted them direct from DSD. I would have to look at my notes and see when DSD released one, think 2018. I have no idea how many I made over the years but was a lot. Just seen this year Avian-X released a Strutter with a White Head and called it "New" and Revolutionary" LOL I'm like ummm yeah 22 years ago...
Part of the reason I went to the new Jake Strutter, I wanted that smaller body size, mobility and weight. I "Gobblerized" him added my White Headed Design and hunt him as a Tom. Results yup still DEADLY!!
MK M GOBL
I have a primos Killer B. Killed some fired up toms over it, but scared off a lot of insubordinate toms as well. It seemed every now and then it'd work incredible, but the times it didn't it hurt my chances. I've had a DSD 1/4 strut the last 3 seasons and it's just deadly. The thing is bulky and heavy, but it gets toms and jakes up and in its face every time. I think DSD just got the size and posture of that decoy right, and that's where the difference is. Just enough to make everything see a challenge, but in a way that everything thinks they can get in its face and run him off.
Seeing more talk about limiting decoy use. Alabama will prohibit decoy use for the first 10 days of the season starting in '22. Trying to lessen early season gobbler harvest to optimize bred hen numbers.