How effective is a lone hen decoy?

[WyoHunter]

Most decoy layouts use a hen and gobbler. Does a single lone hen work as well? Your thoughts? 

[Gooserbat]

If I had only one deck I would opt for a semi strut jake. 

[drum817]

I don't use decoys very much...but when I do it's a lone hen & I've had good luck with it!

[eddie234]

Your calling to sound like a hen. A gobbler is coming in to your calling looking for a hen, alot of time when he comes in and doesnt see the hen he'll leave. A jake or less dominant gobbler will sneak in to get a crack at her. A lone hen like all decoys works sometimes and sometimes it dont.

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[turkeyfoot]

Lone hen is probably the safest bet like said Tom is coming in looking for her it can cause him to hang up and strut some but adult gobbler decoys will spook smaller toms and jakes. Not to mention its safer to hunt with related to other hunters. I most often prefer to just use terrain and set up so gobbler has to come in range before he figures there is no hen here not big fan of the decoy

[surehuntsalot]

I would say about 50/50 for me,I've had birds come in when they see the hen and I've had them hang up once they see "her"

[jblackburn]

First of all, I don't tend to use decoys much, but when I have used a single hen the toms are more likely to hang up just out of range.  He struts to tell the hen, HERE I AM HONEY, GET YOUR ARSE OVER HERE FOR SOME LOVIN! 

Adding a jake seems to help me when I use dekes, adds that territorial piece.

[appalachianstruttstopper]

When I use only 1 decoy, it is always a standing jake. In my experiences a lone standing jake has proven to me to be more effective than a lone hen.

[wvlimbhanger]

As has already been said any decoy may or may not work on any given day or gobbler. 

That being said I have used a lone hen and been successful on several occasions.  If I were to have only one decoy I would carry either a DSD upright hen or DSD jake. 

[THattaway]

How you set the decoy has something to do with results. I'll use one where it's very open or when hunting with kids or old men (Dad). It helps set up the shot with them pointed in the right direction. If you face the hen toward where tom is coming from he thinks she will come to him, hangs up etc. Put her as if leaving a field and he's more apt to come cut her off.

[Mike Honcho]

THattaway has a good point...Tom's can hang up if the hen is looking at them (heck they can hang up over anything!) ...they can't understand why she won't come closer as nature intended.

I have had some success using a lone jake in a field edge....looking in towards the weeds, cover etc. where I am sitting.   Just not looking at ME....off to the side of me where I want the shot.    My theory is the tom thinks the jake is going towards the hen he can't see who is in the cover making the hen sounds.   

Now if I could call as good as I can create theories I'd be a heckuva turkey hunter.

[matchbook454]

A lone hen is great to use but as THattaway has said , face them so that they are leaving the field or towards you.  When using multiple decoys, put them in a line coming past you or your blind as if they were "going somewhere".  Toms usually rush to get in front of them.  I've had much better luck with this set up, even if using 2-3 hens and a jake vs. the typical "spread" which looks like a few birds just lounging around.  This is one of my biggest "now not so secret" secrets.

[jwm1485]

All i used was a lone hen but finally got a semi strut jake to go with it this year.

[bpsmag1026]

I have had good luck with a single hen later in the season but have had birds hang up in the early season.

[Heller]

If I use a decoy it's usually one or two hens, if that ain't workin I throw in a jake