I'm looking at getting my first decoy and trying to decide which one to get . Currently looking at the HS Strut Suzie Snood and the Redhead reality series brood hen staked . any experience with either one ??? (I do plan on getting a Jake as #2) . Or , is it wiser to get the jake first and the hen later instead ??
Bass Pro in Vaughn has a turkey hunting demo tomorrow with a draw for an avian X so maybe I wont have to decide lol .
cheers
I like suzie. I just don't like to transport her. I want a decoy that folds down easy. Suzie doesn't at all. I'd get the hen before the jake but that's me. Personally, if t were me, while not as lifelike as some decoys, I'd be looking at the Montana 3D decoys. I'm considering selling my avian, suzie snood and b-mobile to get a pair of the montana's
Thanks . and if you mean the Miss Purr fect 3d I will take a look at it too .
cheers
Do some research on posts here. There are plenty of opinions on what decoys to use and when. It's a bit of a controversial topic given people's strong opinions.
One thing that might help people offer opinions is to note how and where you are going to use them. Are you a blind hunter? Run and gunning? Carrying them in a pack on your back or in a bag in your hand?
thanks .
I'm new . Like green as grass new lol . A buddy from work is going to take me out for my first hunt from a blind and another has offered me use of his property for turkey's (he hunts deer) as he doesn't , so that will be running and gunning (or more than likely flying by the seat of my pants) .
cheers
I have the Montana Purrfect pair (Jake & Hen) and have been very happy with them so far. Easy to deploy in a hurry and then collapse and stick in the back pouch of your vest.
Depends on how much you want to spend. Over the years, I have owned several but the DSD upright hen is my favorite. You definitely don't have to spend that much on a decoy but she sure is nice. Lol
Dave Smith is my new favorite for sure (I have the leading hen). I do have some lower quality rubber (upright and feeding) and they have watched quite a few gobblers die. If money were tight, I would want an upright and a feeder hen-lesser quality for 2 vs more realism for one - I like the flock look and the feeder seems to relax them). I have jake decoys, but don't use them much. If I knew I was on a dominant bird and was willing to spook less dominant ones, I would use a jake. Otherwise, hens only. I only use decoys in a field, on private and leave the dekes at home when I will be in the woods or on public.
I have 2 of the Suzie Snood and they are nice decoys. But if i were going to spend that much for one of them i would buy the Avian X decoys. Up right hen and feeder..
The Delta jake I bought in 1999 has had his butt stomped more than a few times, but he still looks and works great. There's one flyer pellet of #6 copper plated lead embedded in his neck from about 2001, but aside from that, he's good as new. Actually, better than new because I've given him a few refresher paint jobs with acrylic paint and sharpie markers. I have used that jake by himself with great success and I paired him with a feeding hen (also a Delta by HS Strut) with equal success. I use decoys less than 50% of the time, but they have held up well for me and buddies of mine who hunted over them.
Good luck whatever you decide to go with.
Jim
Avian X are on sale at Rogers for $59.
I am big fan of DSD, love my new Jake, he has already help out with one gobbler .
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Avian X feeding hen would be my choice as well. As stated, Rogers has them on sale right now until the 18th of April with free shipping. I had my feeding hen violated today by a jake. Great action.
This will be my 3rd tear using DSD's. My jake decoy has had his butt kicked 4 times in the last 2 yrs. There is something about him that Toms & Jakes just don't like. I have used just the hen, but haven't gotten near the response that I do with when using the Jake.
They will all work the same in my eyes. It's all hunter preference.
Thanks everyone . I look forward to checking several of them out tomorrow .
Shipping is sometimes a pain (Canada here) so if I can get it locally it saves me some pesos .
cheers
If I were looking to buy a pair of decoys and looking to be mobile I would have a DSD upright hen and a DSD jake, a deadly combination! The hen can double as a "submissive" breeding hen by short staking her to the ground. These 2 are my run & gun tactic and have killed plenty of longbeards over this duo. The hen will store in the jake bag along with him and take no time to set up in a hurry, no having to "blow up" a decoy like several other brands...
MK M GOBL
I don't have the funds to buy dsd or avian right now, but I bought the promos gobbstopper 1/4 strut jake and for 40 bucks, I don't think you can beat it at all. I also have a mad feeder hen that is good too for 40 as well.
Semper Fidelis
If I were limited to only one decoy, it would be the Funky Chicken. To look at it, you'd think that any gobbler would immediately notice the ridiculous body proportions, know that it's a fake, and run the other way. Instead, it gives the impression that any tom could lick this thing and put it in its proper place in the peck order. The gobblers that I've taken with the Funky Chicken size it up at 50-100+ yards, slowly begin their approach toward it, sprint the last 10-20 yards, and confront it face to face! This is with both mature toms and jakes as well. For around $30 you can purchase the Funky Chicken and for a few bucks more a hen to be placed in front of him on the ground in the breeding position. Now that really gets the mature birds upset! (I bought two like-new foam hens and a jake at a yard sale for $5. I wonder if the guy knows that his wife sold them for that!!)
My son and I had a blast at the Turkey seminar at Bass Pro shop . We both learned a lot and had fun . There was a rep from Avian X and another gent by the name of Jim Strelec who clearly knew more about turkey's and calling than I ever will . Plenty of tips from both gentlemen as well as the rep from the gun department . Ended up leaving with an Avian X breeder as decoy #1 . Felt I'd buy once cry once and get a less expensive jake and another hen later .
Thanks again for all the help and suggestions .
cheers
Quote from: Gobble! on April 15, 2016, 09:47:14 PM
They will all work the same in my eyes. It's all hunter preference.
Nailed it.
Not a bad choice...
One thing I will say, is you might want to replace the mesh bag with solid pillow case or something... I had two odd experiences setting up on birds, leaving the decoys lie (in the mesh bag) and having the birds run for cover seeing the decoys in the mesh bag...
First time, I had a bird gobble unexpectedly, dropped the decoy in the bag, and ran to a tree some distance away... The bird came around me, and came upon that decoy in the bag, and high-tailed it out of there putting fervently.
On the first bird, I figured something else must have scarred him... But the second bird was coming around a corner (very close to me) and I could not see him, nor him me... He took flight when came across the jake decoy in the mesh bag... Oddly, that was one of the few birds that came downhill to me, and he flew downhill (behind me) and was coming right to me... Very exciting, and very upsetting to have it fall apart like that.
Also, just because you have decoys, does not mean you always have to use them. I still use decoys for my morning setup upon occasion, but if I am going to be mobile, I leave them in the truck... I have been busted by trying to set up decoys, or having them bang together, or just having birds hang up on them...
And, if I am going to change position on a bird, I take the decoys down... Nothing worse than moving to a better position, only to have that bird go into your decoys where you were just sitting.
Thanks for the tips .
The bag that came with mine looks like a green pillow case with a pull cord to close it and a strap to put it over my shoulder . Its not see through at all .
cheers
DSD are prob the most realistic