Field Dekes

[RebelW]

I'm from Arkansas so I've hunted hardwoods and Logging roads until I started going out of state several years ago where it's more open country. I was used to just carrying a hen decoy with me, until up there where jake and Tom decoys really help. I've always tagged out on my trips using my hen Dekes, but would like to see some action on film. I worry about a full strut decoy scaring away 2 year olds.

My question is, when and how do yall field hunters determine which to use? A 1/2 or 1/4 strut Jake, a strutting Jake, or a full strut Gobbler?

[owlhoot]

Do you have a strutting decoy ?

[Greg Massey]

I just use a 1/4 strut Jake...one reason it's a lot easier to carry and i don't want birds shying away. I've heard people talk about birds shying away from a full strutter ...So if that's the case, i want to cut out any possible birds from shying away from my decoys...that's my thinking...I know some people like a full strutter so i guess it has to do with what you want to carry...

[owlhoot]

One thing that helps or seems to is the jake fan .

[RebelW]

Do you have a strutting decoy ?

I sure don't but I'd by one today if I knew it wouldn't scare young birds off. I'm sure they do, I have heard to many storied but certain times of the year they might not.. Just don't know when to use it and when I would keep it at the house lol

[Greg Massey]

One thing that helps or seems to is the jake fan .

Do you think the Jake fan helps with keeping the birds from shying away from a full strutter ?

[Greg Massey]

Do you have a strutting decoy ?

I sure don't but I'd by one today if I knew it wouldn't scare young birds off. I'm sure they do, I have heard to many storied but certain times of the year they might not.. Just don't know when to use it and when I would keep it at the house lol

That's why i have always just used the 1/4 strut jake...less problems. 1/4 strut has always worked great for me...i think most people use a full strutter in the later part of season...

[owlhoot]

Yes I do and have used it that way many times and had successfully got gobblers to the kids guns.
I have seen the full tail spook birds and never use 2 stutter decoy even if one is that super small primos jake .
Now  we have used the primos b-mobile decoy which are a bit smaller body .
Have got gobblers to the full fans , Funny thing is with those we got  were the old long spurred.
Have had 2 year olds vere off .
Two or three toms charge in stomp your decoy good. Full fan or not.
Have bought a half strut but haven't tried it yet so no help there.
Kinda backed off decoys  when the kids got older.

[ARjtk]

One thing about a full strut gobbler decoy, if the bird sees it he's going to do one of two things....come running to maul decoy or run the other way. In my experience 9/10 times he's looking for a fight

[Uncle Nicky]

I would say it depends on how early your season starts. I've used strutters in states where the season starts in March to mid-April, and the strutting decoys seem more effective, almost all gobblers are looking to scrap earlier in the season. Here in PA or NY where the season doesn't open until late-April/early May, a lot of the fighting is over  by opening day, and younger birds have already been whipped a few times, and not looking for a repeat (but older, dominate gobblers still want to fight). That's my theory, anyway.

[Gamblinman]

One thing about a full strut gobbler decoy, if the bird sees it he's going to do one of two things....come running to maul decoy or run the other way. In my experience 9/10 times he's looking for a fight

This.

In 3 years of using a DSD strutter, I have only had a couple of toms shy away and many come running in looking to fight. They beat the hens to the decoys many times.