When it comes to positioning your decoys for spring turkey hunting, what is your favorite stance for your hens and jakes. Upright and alert, feeding, hen prepared to mate with Jake, facing out toward open field or just inside the woodline? I'm trying to decide which is the most popular position and what's your favorite number. 1 Jake 1 hen, all hens, 2 hens 1 jake, gobblers in the mix? What decoy configuration do you use?
Either lonesome hen or if I use two then feeding hen with semi alert Jake but just got a strutting Jake as well to try.
I use a strutter decoy in the fields and pastures I hunt in MS. It's almost impossible to hunt these field birds without the help of visual decoys.
I like the strutter decoy with an upright hen. It drives the toms crazy and I've had tons of success with it.
The main thing with decoys is not so much the combination of turkeys but where you place them in my opinion. For example if you have turkeys working in from your left, put the decoys 20 yards to your right so if the bird hangs up 50 yards from the dekes he is still right in your wheel house. If you were to set them in the direction of the birds 30 yards out and the tom hangs up, well he is too far to shoot. Position yourself and the decoys strategically in this manner to take advantage of every yard you can manage.
Hope this helps.
One upright hen is all it takes usually. A jake right behind an upright hen works really well. I've had a bunch of toms run to the jake. I don't like strutters unless I know its a very dominant tom.
One hen and one strutter. Usually have groups of Toms where I hunt so it draws the whole group..... They feel tough in numbers. Always funny to watch them charge him all fanned out and then most of them bail at the last minute leaving one or two to get their caboose kicked. If it is a single older bird he gets ticked thinking that he is being challenged and comes in slow. Usually put him behind the hen. Works for me.