DSD Decoys YES!! (Pic Heavy :)

[dutch@fx4]

I have been using a full strutting tom decoy for many years.mostly early morning hunts.i am still using thepretty boy decoy. I have killed a lot of large toms with this decoy.i am going to look into the dsd decoys after seeing this thread.old pretty boy must be 15 or more years old now
Starting to look pretty rough.lol.i add a new real turkey tail to him every spring and he still works.i just lo e to see big toms come running in to kick his butt.makes for a great hunt.

[MK M GOBL]

I have been using a full strutting tom decoy for many years.mostly early morning hunts.i am still using thepretty boy decoy. I have killed a lot of large toms with this decoy.i am going to look into the dsd decoys after seeing this thread.old pretty boy must be 15 or more years old now
Starting to look pretty rough.lol.i add a new real turkey tail to him every spring and he still works.i just lo e to see big toms come running in to kick his butt.makes for a great hunt.

I remember when Pretty Boy came out, he was the first production decoy I had ever seen with the White Head and from my notes/log book he was released in 2003 or at least that is when I first seen him... I know Primos had put their B-Mobile Decoy out in 2007 and it had the White Head too. DSD Released their Strutter Decoy in 2011 and the NEW White Headed Strutter for 2018.

MK M GOBL

[zelmo1]

My DSD Jake decoy is the most important decoy I use, when I use them. I use decoys when I use a blind. My daughter is 11 and fidgety and my wife is hunting for the first time this year, so blinds are a yes with them. When I hunt with my turkey partner Joe, we run and gun a lot. Decoys are used situationaly with us. We rely on calling and best set up with the terrain. Nothing that works for you is wrong, keep learning and be adaptable. Good luck, Al Baker

[MK M GOBL]

My DSD Jake decoy is the most important decoy I use, when I use them. I use decoys when I use a blind. My daughter is 11 and fidgety and my wife is hunting for the first time this year, so blinds are a yes with them. When I hunt with my turkey partner Joe, we run and gun a lot. Decoys are used situationaly with us. We rely on calling and best set up with the terrain. Nothing that works for you is wrong, keep learning and be adaptable. Good luck, Al Baker

I hunt my DSD 3/4 Strut too! He has many uses for me as a sub to my Stutter, when I Run & Gun when the set is right for his use and I also use "blinds" at times, my Double Bulls have allowed many first time hunters, youth hunters, Learn to Hunt students, Bow Hunters and Bad Weather hunts happen that never would have without the blind, and the blinds and decoys allow for some awesome footage with the camera.

I always say "Just Tools in the Shed"

A few of my hunts with the 3/4 Strut Jake and a timber hunt without!! (Left them in the bag)

MK M GOBL

[Bucktale]

Forgive me if this has been asked before, but how do you position the strutter relative to the expected approach of a gobbler? Facing it or sideways to it? I assume you don't want it facing away from the bird or he won't be able to see the head.....

[MK M GOBL]

Forgive me if this has been asked before, but how do you position the strutter relative to the expected approach of a gobbler? Facing it or sideways to it? I assume you don't want it facing away from the bird or he won't be able to see the head.....

I set my strutter at a 1/4 angle to my position (somewhat) more important with the bow than decoy as the shot (body position of bird coming in is different) than the neck shot with the shot gun. I do not face him directley at me, he is either set 1/4 turn right or left, what ever strong side is and where you think bird is approaching from, if you have this scouted out. I set him 15 yards out and he (dominant decoy) is always closest to my position (10 yards with bow, yes were in the Double Bull Blind) and depending on time of year I set certain hen DSD's decoys out and which is palced to his attention. As always I leave space for an incoming tom to walk around my set. Give them some elbow room! Now he is going to want to turn in the wind, you can easily set a couple of bum stops (sticks) for him to still give motion. Give him enough motion for a 1/2 turn.

Somewhere I did a diagram of this, let me see if I can find it.


MK M GOBL

[MK M GOBL]

Here is one of many sets but just to get some basic info out.

So when I use this trio (Strutter/Jake, Upright Hen and Feeding Hen) and depending on if you are gun or bow will change it and to early/late season too. (The incoming tom is set to end up at the Tom/Jake decoy, he will go right by the hen decoys to deal with the Dominance Game first) I will go with a shotgun hunt here and I am RH, So the jake/strutter is set 15 yards from you to your strong side (Left), I have him closest to the Upright Hen, she is set to the side of the approaching bird, still leave "elbow room" between the dekes so a tom can come in at any point, the feeder is off set to these and a few more yards out. I will see if I can show this below. Never put other decoy behind shot path from position to Jake/Strutter, just don't want to be hitting them with pellets. This is an "Open Field Set" I use, it has been well scouted and know where most birds approach from. If I am/can set at the crown of a hill in the field I set the Tom/Jake on the crown and will set a hen to each side of crown so hens are set to each side of approach.

I could write a book on this stuff! Hmmmm....

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

xxx
xx                                                                                              Feeder
xxxxx    Approaching Tom -->
xxxx
xx                                                                                                      Upright
xxx                                                                                                                               Jake/Strutter



                                                                                                                                     Hunter (righty)
                                                                                                                                           xxxxx
                                                                           xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________


Hope that helps, more questions just ask!

MK M GOBL

[Bucktale]

Thanks. Interesting info. I like to use DSD decoys when I'm not moving much. It's fun to watch the interactions of gobblers, jakes and hens with them. Hens and jakes often peck at them. Jakes attack. One day I'll lay off the trigger and see what a mature gobbler does when he gets to the strutter. Fun stuff.

[chefrific]

Late season swamp bottom monster snuggled up to my dsd leading hen last spring.



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[Gobble!]

Why a full fan vs a Jake fan?

[wchadw]

Are the dsd decoys big and bulky like the avian x? I have the avians and they look good and work well but they are big and bulky


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[MK M GOBL]

Why a full fan vs a Jake fan?

My "White Headed" Strutter is set as the dominant decoy, and Jake is set as a subordinate in my sets.


MK M GOBL

[MK M GOBL]

Are the dsd decoys big and bulky like the avian x? I have the avians and they look good and work well but they are big and bulky


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Well my "full sized" strutter was, and a bit of a pain to carry around. I only used him for certain sets depending on the hunt. I used a DSD 3/4 Strut Jake and the Upright Hen as my Run & Guns. The NEW "Jake Strutter" is much smaller and will fit the need for me!

MK M GOBL

[husker]

Agree completely.  Started using DSDs last season and they completely changed the game for me. 

[Jrkimbrough]

MK, I would really love to see some pictures of your different decoy setups.  I only use decoys about half the time but I would be interested to see actual pictures of your setups and when/why you use one setup over another.