decoy help

[Bossmoss]

2 times this year I had birds in the field see my decoy and not come. 1st time I had a hen and strutting tom 2 jakes cam e in about 80 yds look and walked off. today I had I beleave a tom fan looked full about 80yds come out strutting saw my hen struted some and walked out into the field out of site. I heard another gobber start gobbling hit him with the box and bird in field hammers me but neve came. Real question ditch decos just bad luck put a flock of hens I have more?

[guesswho]

Personally I'd ditch the deke's.   I know they work, I also know they may spook birds, so that's enough for me to not use them.   

[Michigander]

Personally, I don't really have a use for them. 15 years ago I started using them, after about 4 years I wondered why. Havent used them since and never wished I had one.

[Thunderbolt]

I always used decoys and have been successfuly and yes they do scared gobblers off at times.but ive pulled birds across huge fields with them....I only use 2 hens decoys never any gobblers...So if I were you cause your hunting a field bird ..id get in close but don t bump him...don t do any calls to him when he s on the roost....but when he hits the ground after that first gobbler hit em with some soft calling.and give him 2 mins or so before you call again....let him set the tempo of your calling....make him want to come to you...you ll get into his head.,.soft calling kills a lot of field birds and their the most stubborn...cause their so use to hens comming to the field...so kill em with soft and seductive calling...Thunderbolt

[sixbird]

2 times this year I had birds in the field see my decoy and not come. 1st time I had a hen and strutting tom 2 jakes cam e in about 80 yds look and walked off. today I had I beleave a tom fan looked full about 80yds come out strutting saw my hen struted some and walked out into the field out of site. I heard another gobber start gobbling hit him with the box and bird in field hammers me but neve came. Real question ditch decos just bad luck put a flock of hens I have more?

Been my experience that sometimes tom decoys will work VERY well. Others times not well at all as you saw...
I think that maybe those birds that shy away from tom decoys (either jake or mature decoys) have been beat up by other toms and would just rather avoid...
My opinion is influenced by a BIG mature gobbler that I had called in along with a hen from another direction. The two were having a get "aquainted" with the hen brushing against one side of the gobbler and then down the other side of him, when a small flock of jakes showed up...He folded and was in the process of sneaking out of there when he heard the BOOM!
As soon as the jakes showed, in spite of him being a mature bird AND having a willing hen right there, he beat feet! My deduction was he had been whipped on...
I've seen gobblers since, leave my setup with passive jake decoys for no apparent reason...I don't use them any more...Hens, yes...Jakes, no...

[bat man]

Realistic decoys make a huge difference.  Stuffers or high end are the only way to fly.

[vaturkey]

Get you a Dave Smith {DSD} Jake decoy ! IMO the best decoy made ! Gobblers NEVER EVER shy away. NEVER ! You will never regret it ! Good Luck



   vaturkey   

[Turkey Beard]

Tom Kelly says that it's his opinion that when a gobbler sees decoys that are MOTIONLESS, it'll scare him. Think about it, when a turkey sees/hears danger, it freezes and all of the rest of the birds do, too. That gobbler will likely freeze, too, and look for the danger. If your decoy has motion, that should help the situation.

[captin_hook]

Turkey Beard... I agreed with you and a lot of other hunters about turkeys being spooked by a motionless decoy until last spring. Me and a close friend set up approximately 200 yds apart in a cut field that is a known strut zone. My friend had out a spin and strut decoy out with a hen and I had out a Jake and 2 hen deks. Mine being motionless. A  big ol Strutter came out exactly between us and turned towards my buddy. He started to spin his dek slowly and the turkey turned towards me and started my way. I never touched my calls and he worked right to my set up. He took a dirt nap. He sported a 10 1/2 inch beard and 1.25 inch spur. I wouldn't think he would've been intimidated by the Jake spin and strut decoy, but it kinda looked like he wasn't in the mood for a fight, or maybe he wanted to steal a hen of my Jake dek. Who knows. These birds always keep me thinking.

[Kylongspur88]

Tom Kelly says that it's his opinion that when a gobbler sees decoys that are MOTIONLESS, it'll scare him. Think about it, when a turkey sees/hears danger, it freezes and all of the rest of the birds do, too. That gobbler will likely freeze, too, and look for the danger. If your decoy has motion, that should help the situation.

This. I use old arrow shafts as stakes and they swing easier in the breeze. I'm trying to rig a jerk string like I have used for ducks.

[Turkey Beard]

Great minds think alike! I've always used cheap arrows from Wal-Mart for my decoy stakes, partly for motion but mostly because those big things that are included with the dekes just won't go into the ground very easily here in Missouri (read ROCK!).  I cut the arrows in half and brad a piece of copper tubing onto one half, then I'm able to slip the other half into the copper tubing, makes it a lot easier to carry instead of those long arrows.  How do you top your arrows off? The nock is so small that it slips right through the hole in the top of most decoys. I just build it up with duct tape wrapped around (and around and around and around and around....) the shaft until it's too big to slip through.

[ctwny1]

I've found the early time of turkey season gobbler decoys work well. But here in NY where I live our turkey season opens is May 1. By then the pecking order (fighting) is done and putting a gobbler decoy or a Jake decoy out, I've found will scare away another gobbler or Jake. They had their butts kicked and don't want to get them kicked again. I agree with Turkey Beard about movement in decoys. That's why I use Buckwing Decoys because the movement is very real and natural.

Using gobbler decoys early like down South will work because pecking order has not been established yet and gobblers are more willing to fight.

[Shotgun]

I'd ditch them