Hen Spooked by Decoys

[BDeal]

Last night I was sitting in a fairly brushy area with a small meadow. I had 2 feeding hen decoys in the meadow. It was a quiet hunt except for a handful of very distant gobbles. I had a hen come in and when she got about 25 yards away from the decoys she clearly saw them, came to an abrupt stop, craned her neck to look at them closely and then turned and walked directly away from them quickly while doing the nervous putt. There is no way she saw me as I was in the popup blind and she never even looked at me-she was focused on the dekes. Any thoughts on why she would be so spooked?

Thanks

[Southerngobbler]

Its not uncommon for hens to get nevus and go around my decoys, just as often they join them and hang around for awhile. There Avian X -the ones I have. It seems like a semi strutter with a real fan added to the group helps a lot. But when everything is way out in the open and doesn't move for a long time it could freak them out. Some people place their decoys slightly in the bushes-so they can be seen but not real well.

[nyhunter]

Same reason you'd be suspicious of a blow up doll in place of your lady friend,    "there fake" . Ditch the decoys and just hunt.

[MK M GOBL]

I have been hunting with decoys for the past 29 years and can tell you the difference in what I have used to what I now use, my DSD's are undeniable the best decoys I have ever hunted with. I have seen things with them that have never happened with others, now of course I haven't hunted with every decoy brand out there but have hunted with a good variety of them.(also don't know what you hunt with)

They are just tools in the shed and not for every hunt. I also have a set of "rules" I go by for when I hunt them, and to what I call hunting them "right".

I field a lot of questions at my seminars on the decoy topic, and what I do. Can't expect to just put them out and turkeys come running in.

Now I can't say your set was wrong, turkeys are turkeys and will do things we have no reason or explanation for LOL


MK M GOBL

[BDeal]

MK- Can you give me examples of some of your rules? I have used decoys in this exact spot before in the same manner that has resulted in the demise of 3 different birds.

[MK M GOBL]

Sure, mostly goes to how I set and changes throughout the spring season early to late and by the year and bird I am hunting.

So these are the always rules for me.

I never hunt over more than 1 Jake decoy in a set.

My dominant decoy of a set is always set to me and then to strong side with next.

For shotgun decoy is set at 15yard mark, bow is about 7-10 yards.

I make my sets according to what I am seeing while scouting, and if I know the bird.

I always give the decoys elbow room, I want space for a gobbler to move around them.

I would rarely hunt decoys in the timber, but there are a few...

I will also note motion is a major part of this and have modified my decoys to move easily in the wind.

If I am using a Strutter it is only a White Headed one, I designed/developed this 20 years ago and don't play any other game than him.

Decoys are not for every hunt, just tools in the shed.

Would be hard to explain every situational set I make, a lot is in my head and just know what works from experience. I have studied a lot of the behavioral and biological side of turkey hunting and how the dominace game works.

If you have some specifics PM me and can always go from there.


MK M GOBL

[Paulmyr]

Had a Tom fly down to my right into a corner of a small clearing not 40 yds from me and my hen decoy. While swinging gun not trying to hit any brush in front of me he disappeared. Never heard him gobble from roost or he came from a couple hundred yds from up above. Just heard the whooosh of his wings and he was there. After while tried calling far away birds for about  an hour. Got up to move closer to them. When I reached down to pick up my decoy he spooked from 40yds away 15yds in the woods to my right. He hit the field, seen decoy. Backed into the woods 15yds. And sat there for an hour and never made a sound. He may have been drumming but I wasnt in tune to it. This was a public bird so he might have seen a few of his buddies get hammered over a decoy and backed off waiting for the hen to come to him.

[Marc]

Could be she has had some lovers shot over decoys???

Maybe she is a non-dominant hen that has had her butt kicked by other hens?  (Many, many times when hens have come into my hen decoys, they do so to fight)

Personally I am not a fan of feeders...  You are taking a posture that should show motion and making it stationary. 

[yelpy]

Had a Tom fly down to my right into a corner of a small clearing not 40 yds from me and my hen decoy. While swinging gun not trying to hit any brush in front of me he disappeared. Never heard him gobble from roost or he came from a couple hundred yds from up above. Just heard the whooosh of his wings and he was there. After while tried calling far away birds for about  an hour. Got up to move closer to them. When I reached down to pick up my decoy he spooked from 40yds away 15yds in the woods to my right. He hit the field, seen decoy. Backed into the woods 15yds. And sat there for an hour and never made a sound. He may have been drumming but I wasnt in tune to it. This was a public bird so he might have seen a few of his buddies get hammered over a decoy and backed off waiting for the hen to come to him.

He was waiting for your hen decoy.

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