Need Some Advice

[Dr^ke]

Ok, so many of you know I have been looking for a good turkey spot in Central, PA. Well after knocking on a few doors I got permission to hunt some fields and a small strip of land. After some scouting yesterday and today, I know there is at least one long beard and about 8-10 hens. Today out in the field I watched the tom strut around for about an hour with the hens out in a corn field. It was quite though, didn't hear any gobbles. Anyway, he's missing some tail feathers so I'm assuming he's a fighter. This is my question, normally when hunting I'll either put out a single hen or I'll put out a small flock with a jake, submissive hen, feeder, and looker. Do you think I should put out a strutter instead of the jake to get him mad? What would you put out? How would you attack the situation? Thanks, Tom

[TauntoHawk]

If he's missing feathers he could have been the one beat on and shy away.. but I'm not big on using strutting decoy espically right out of the gate. I would stick with the jake and two hens

[Gooserbat]

I too like a jake decoy better than a Strutter. 

[gobbler336]

i would say he is a more of a survivor than a fighter, i'm not a decoy guy so i would either pattern him or look for a bird that wants to play and come back to him later when his hens are nesting.

[redleg06]

I'd stay off in the woods a little bit, just enough for you to see him but him not see you, then figure out a direction he's heading in and go get in front of him by staying in the woods.

Out west, we hunt a lot of field turkeys just like this.  Decoys lock you into a location, for better or worse, and dont leave you many options if the gobbler doesnt respond like you want him to.