Decoy placement

[mullo16]

Hey guy just wondering, I usually don't use decoys but I got an avian x hen and jake combo set and was wondering how far away do you all set them up. Also do you want them facing you or each other or what.  Thanks for the help

[beakbuster10]

I always face my Jake towards me and place the hen(s) between myself and the Jake. By doing this, the gobbler will get between the Jakes and the hens if he decoys, which they usually do with my avians. I don't believe the hen placement is really that important. Gobblers always approach the Jake first, and then after the fight club show, I've never waited to see what he thinks about the hens.


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[maytom]

Always place the jake decoy facing you, a gobbler usually approaches from the front with a jake, hence having his fan blocking his vision so you can make your move. Also, place your hen decoy facing away from you because with a hen,  a gobbler will approach her from the back side, again, making his tail fan block his eye sight so you can move your gun for the shot.

[dirt road ninja]

The placement of the dekes makes little difference, put the jake about 10 feet from the hen and put the hen about 20 yards away from you, then hide. Put them out where they can be seen in an area turkeys are know to frequent. Don't over think it, the turkeys won't.

[Marc]

I am a right-handed shooter, so the decoys are always a bit to my left (never to my right if I can help it).  In other words place the decoys (especially the jake) where you want to shoot the birds.

I will not have a decoy facing me, as I have noted that the birds coming into the decoy will often look hard in the direction that the decoys are "looking."  I might have the decoys angled towards me, but never directly facing me.

I hunt the foothills of California in the spring, so if I go to the trouble to taking them out (which I do less and less frequently), I want them to be seen...  I pick a high spot with low grass growth (which can be challenging at times)....  Often this means right off a small access road or dirt trail.  I will often pick an area on the road with plenty of other turkey tracks (as an indication of crossing).

If the birds are aggressive, I put the jake right on the hen's azz...  If the birds are a bit more skittish and wary, I might put the jake in front of the hen some distance, and have the hen facing the jake.  I don't actually know why I do this, but it just makes sense to me...

I'd actually love to hear some constructive criticism on my own thinking here...

[sixbird]

The advice of not worrying too much about it is good...That said, I do as Marc does and orient them left of me (I'm right handed). That's the most important thing to my way of thinking.
It is true that toms will normally get in front of the jake decoy so they can try to intimidate him but by the same token, they also get alongside of him and display. This and he can come from any direction. Normally there's a time when he is in display and has his back to you that you can get your gun up or change positions or whatever you need to do. About 1/2 the time I'm laying down when the bird comes in. There's normally plenty of time to get into position.
I like the jake somewhat close to the hen to try to create some measure of urgency for the tom to get over there and intervene. BUT, I don't think any of it is critical. I mean if you watch jakes displaying for hens, they're all over the place at any given time...

[MK M GOBL]

Here has been my experience with decoy placement, and will depend if you are a bow hunter or not and for the most part this is a different deal when the shotgun is in hand.

So first off setting them facing a certain way won't make much of a difference as the wind will turn them in all directions (one of the features of decoys is "motion") which makes them appear alive unless you immobilize or control them you are defeating the feature... I always set my Strutter/Jake closest to me and at 10 yards w/the bow and 15 yards with the shotgun. In most cases a tom will not care much about your hens as he is going to deal with the Strutter/Jake first. I always leave enough room to allow a tom to walk between the decoys and are set to my strong side, RH set dekes to left and vise versa.
I could write you a book on this with social structure, seasons set-ups, numbers and more... but for now we will go with this.

I will also say I have been using DSD's from their Strutter, Jake, Upright, Feeding and Leading Hens and have had tremendous success with them! I hunt both fields and Open timber/pastured areas with them and for the most part never in regular timbered areas.

MK M GOBL

[Honolua]

If you can't spit on them they are too far away. This way you should bea able to reach the ones that hang up...

[Flounder]

5 yards to the side and facing me,

[Anobody]

1st answer is distance shotgun 20-30 yards bow 10-12 yards

when u use decoys think "buissness end"  so for hens the buissness end is the back so face ittowards you so he circles her for the mounts putting him in between you and the decoy.. jake same thing he is gonna display for him and bust his face so face him toward you.  also give enough space for him to get between the decoys alot of people i see bunch them to close together.  he will 9/10 try to get between the jake and hen.