How many decoys?

[Colt45]

I am preparing to hunt out of my home state of Indiana and was wondering (When hunting birds in very open terrain, like kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and other states that it is common to see large groups of turkey's, how many decoys do you take with you and what kinds work best?) thanks for any responses!

[Mike Honcho]

Everyone has different ideas on this.  This is just an observation...about midway thru KS season last year I started using one jake....good quality one, Zink avian. This seemed to get more response from gobblers than anything else I've tried.  I had toms fly down and come immediately to the decoy and rode home in my truck. 

Again I can't explain this and most guys would probably say a jake and hen.

Honcho

[MKMGOBL]

It's hard to say or what would be the correct answer seeing there are too many variables. I'd suggest starting off with just one & see what happens. No real need to go out buying up a flock of decoys if one will get what you want done to happen.

As for decoys, I say Dave Smith Decoys but that because I own a few of them & they absolutely the best decoys I've ever seen or used. Now I don't always carry them (DSD) through the woods with me or use them but they are always in my truck close by if the situation or a particular hunt calls for them.

This year I will have the DSD Jake, Feeding Hen to add to my Upright Hen & I can't wait to see how the trio works. In all the years on me hunting, one or two decoys have seemed to work well for me & at times...screwed me. That's why I say "too many variables". I do have one Feather Flex I stuff in the vest that I have with me all the time. All though I think I use it more for a cushion or pillow if I hit a lull mid morning

[old3toe]

  How manys in my garage? 4-5 How many do i use? 0 Most of the time.lol For some reason i haven't had a lot of luck with any kind of decoys. Jake, strutter, hens. i can count on one hand how may times they've helped me on a hunt. I cannot count how many times they've spooked birds and caused gobblers to run the other way. One year i decided to make my own from a real hen taken legally. I used a small foam cheap decoy for a frame support so to speak. I figured the real feathers had to mean something and fixed her up and painted the head of the foam decoy to look realistic since i just used the real hen neck down. It worked great!! It also held up a lot better than i though considering how many times she's been in the pooring rain and wind and never fell apart like i was expecting. I still have her but wouldn't hurt to make a new one considering how good she looked and lasted but I've gotten to where i don't use any decoy very much anyway. most setups i make now are in thick cover and limited visibility so its easyier to just move on a bird and call em back when they come in and don't see another bird rather than have the decoy out and have to keep fooling with it considering they usually never do.

[gobbler777]

Numerous times I've had two or three different brand name decoys out at one time. Hens and gobblers will immediately go to the Smith DSD hen over the other brands. If there is a male decoy out, the gobbler will go to it first. So I would recommend a DSD hen and a jake (DSD if you can afford it)

[jblackburn]

I've never used more than 1 or 2 when I lived in OK and hunted Kansas a lot. 

[Twowithone]

I use two. 1 jake and 1 hen. The hen is in the breeding position with the jake doing his thing. Harvested a nice gobbler last yr with this setup. Mr Tom was quite curious and it got him a ride home with me.

[30_06]

I generally use a jake and a hen.

[hs strut]

everyone has a preference but i like to put out 2 hens and a jake decoy though i have seen decays get a negative responce from the turkeys

[Chuck1443]

Jake and hen , sometimes just a hen


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[Shotgun]

 0

[mwr]

Jake and hen , sometimes just a hen


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same here.........

[turkey_slayer]

0

Yep. I would hate to have to carry em

[Gobble!]

when i use decoys there are typically 3 out. 1 jake/strutter and 1 or 2 hens.

[MazeNBlu3]

Here's my personnel favorite setup. I use 3 decoys 1 Jake and 2 hens. All 3 are in a feeding position, really seems to get the residentt big boy fired up when he sees a youngster relaxing with his girls.