I thought I might try decoys out this year. Does anyone have any suggestions or tips on setups?
With a gun, 20 or so yards away an if your right handed set them up at about 10:00-11:00 If your a lefty then 1:00-2:00.
I'm a lefty, but I set them up closer to 2-3 o clock and about 5 yards away.
5yds is a little to close for comfort for me. If I even use one, its about 20-25yds away from me. This is the range that I like to shoot at the most and also it isnt so close to me as to draw attention to the area that close around me (little room for any movement @ all @ that range) IMO.
I'm a "righty" but I still set them up before it gets light out! What's with the 10:00 - 11:00 stuff!?!?! Just kidding! ;)
Some things I've learned over the years....... I like to use a Jake and a couple of hens.
1) Set the Jake up where you can easily shoot and make sure he is about 20 yards away so you have a good pattern. The Tom will most likely try to get into the Jake's face to scare him off.
2) make sure you have adequate space between decoys..... don't bunch them up. When turkeys start to become alarmed, they group closer together..... when feeling safe, they spread out a little. This will give the Tom plenty of room to strut in and head for the Jake.
3) have the Jake facing away from the direction the Tom will will most likely come from. The Tom will strut towards him and if he see's the Jake looking in his direction and not backing down, he might sense something is wrong and will hang up. This holds real true if you are using a strutting Tom decoy.
4) Try to set up so the Tom is not looking directly at the Jake from the opposite side you are on. That means he will have a better chance to see any movement from you.
5) Take lots of pictures and post them here for all to see and please include a hunting story to go with it! Thanks. :popcorn:
Thanks for the tips. I get to try them out tomorrow, season finally comes in :)
I always try to set my dekes up so they are facing the opposite direction that I think the bird will come from. If the Tom thinks the hen(s) can see him, there is a real good chance that he will hang up. It is natural for the hen to go to the Tom, not the Tom coming to the hen.