# Success with turkey decoys?



## maverick9465 (Nov 21, 2016)

I'm approaching my 4th season of turkey hunting and am still birdless. But this is my year. I know it. I've run a decoy in each of the last three seasons. Last year I had my closest opportunity to take a shot, but the minute a line of turkeys (led by a boss hen) approached my decoy as they walked a game trail they did an about face and headed back down the other way. That got me thinking. Are they pressured enough that they know to avoid a decoy?

Just curious how many of you run turkey dekes and how successful you are with them. I always hunt public land, so I only run hen decoys.


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## Lone_Hunter (Oct 25, 2017)

I think there is a time and a place for decoys. The trick is to know when to use them. A key thing here is to understand turkey behavior.

To answer the question, I have yet to have a Tom come into my decoy. I have however, had a Hen come into my decoy and start feeding around it. I've also had a Tom hang up on a limb, and not fly down because I set up to close to his roost, and he could see the decoy while on the limb. I'd call, he'd gobble, back and forth, ad nausem until he just lost interest and flew down opposite of my setup and went on his merry way. He expected the hen to come to him. That's how it usually works, Tom gobbles, hen comes. So your fighting nature.

Seasonal habits are important too. By the time general season starts, it's actually the hardest time to hunt them because by this time they are all henned up and have no reason to leave the hens, and I don't think the hens have laid their eggs yet. After about the first week, I think the Hens start break off from the Toms to go sit on their eggs by late morning. This leaves the toms all by their loansome, and they'll start looking for that Hen they haven't got yet. So a good time to go out is, probably 9AM, and just stick with it until late afternoon.


Take what I'm saying with a grain of salt. I swear everytime I think I have those thunderchickens figured out, they prove me wrong.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

which season are you hunting?

Those turkeys only fall for a decoy once.


From your post, it almost sounds like you were in an "ambush" situation. If that is the case, maybe leave the decoy out? If the turkeys are using a trail with any frequency, then patience is the key.

Hunting a field that turkey's frequent, a decoy(s) could be very beneficial to encourage other turkeys to join closer to you.

Hunting in the hills, I've done best by staying concealed and only using a call -- of course, this works really good when you have multiple toms that are really aggressive.


contrary to old wives tails, turkeys are really smart! And they have really good vision -- you move just a little bit, and they'll disappear on you.


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## Slap That Quack (Mar 2, 2017)

I have got decoys to work during the general season, but only very early on in the general season. I got my buddy his first turkey in 20 minutes opening day with decoys. They flew down into the field next to us and then walked right up. There was about 20. But the other times I went out the decoy with just extra weight. Killed mine without it towards the end of the season by calling and then closing the distance once located.


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

Decoys work best when they think a turkey is nearby, aren't hurried in their approach, or have nothing better to do cause the two year old tom doesn't have a date to the prom.


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## maverick9465 (Nov 21, 2016)

Thanks, everyone. This all confirms what I have been thinking. I think the decoy will stay home come May.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

I made some "stuffer" decoys (two hens) and I've had great success using them. 


I'll place them in a location I've seen birds, give a couple clucks and purrs and then shut up and wait. To much calling is your enemy in the GS hunt.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

If you only had two choices, always use a decoy or never use a decoy, I think in the long run you would have more birds come within shooting range if you never put a decoy(s) out.

My favorite time to use a decoy is when you are hunting a large opening(field) that the birds are using and you need to draw them over to you...BUT, if they don't come right over to you when they first see the decoy, the whole thing may backfire.

Personally, I very seldom use a decoy.


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

I use a decoy most of the time. I find that if you can get any movement out of your decoy (instead of it being an immovable statue) your odds go up that a thunder chicken will wander within range. I have a Primos Killer B (along with a couple hen decoys)- put a real tail fan on the Killer B and then raise and lower it - along with some twists of the decoy body here and there...and let the fun begin!

PBH is right though - if you are ambushing turkeys that are on a predetermined route, there is no need for a decoy...just patience. No reason to give them something else to think about. Stalking is fun too - especially when you have a fired-up tom that just refuses to come in to your setup. If he's going to advertise his existence every time you touch the call, but refuses to come in, go get him. Killed my personal best bird last year doing this.

I will say though that you are really missing out on one of the greatest thrills of turkey hunting if you decide categorically not to use a decoy. Watching an enraged tom try to throttle your decoy 20 yards in front of you is a sight to behold. Most of them only do it one time :grin:


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