If you use decoys, what is your “go to” set up early in the season?
Does it change if you are set up on a field or in the woods?

if i ever use a decoy, it's a hen only; i've had birds spook MUCH less often to it ... normally i don't use 'em in the woods; only in big roads, gas lines, clear cuts & pastures ... sometimes you don't know if you're hunting the dominant bird or the subordinate bird ...

just my $0.02

Very helpful $0.02. I appreciate it

BTW - that's my strategy all season long ... about the only time i use a jake/gob decoy is if i'm fairly certain i'm dealing w/the dominant bird, particularly on a field ...

back to the solo hen deal -- watch this:

Early season I run a dsd Jake stutter, dsd mating hen, and dsd leading hen if I am hunting a big open area. I am gone have to disagree with bgd. I have had more birds see a hen decoy and hang up out of range and just strut around than I have had spooke from a Jake decoy.

set the hen decoy close to you ... sometimes in a road i’ll set her up behind me ...

some land has “fighter” birds & some land has “lover” birds ... just have to hunt & figure that part out

I have always had great luck using Jake hen como regardless of where I have hunted. Later in the year I wont run a stutter though. Just regular Jake. Sometimes I just run a Jake. Has worked more times than it hasn't. I honestly rather set up to where I dont need decoys but all land dont allow that to happen.

i agree - i’d rather not use dekes as well - one less thing to worry/fool with

Clarke, are you mostly a private land hunter?

Yes sir.

I use one hen on fields only never in the woods.

I had 1/4 strut Jake this morning scare a great bird off. First time it’s happened to me. He didn’t want any for sure though.

Side stepped by me walking sideways at about 60 yards. Never took his eyes off it

Hopefully this won't turn into the dekes vs. no dekes argument. I use them very effectively in roads and large fields. My go-to setup is a hen on the ground with a jake over her. I've had that bring in birds so many times I can't count them. Maybe it has also spooked birds, but if it has it's been so few I haven't noticed. I have sometimes used only a hen, but a jake over a hen makes them real mad. I usually have them run in to teach the jake a lesson. Calling a little brings them in, then the decoys can prevent them from hanging up out of range.

Completely agree, has worked dozens of times. First time to my knowledge it hurt me

If I was going to set up on a place and not go after birds I would use a combo of 3-4 hens and either a jake or a mature bird. I just don't like to carry all that stuff around.

i've also had good luck w/the jake/hen combo -- but like you, bama1971, a few years ago i had a gobbler in a field run like a scared mouse from that setup - had never seen that before, either; normally they plow on in & knock the jake off the stake ... since then, i've gone to the solo hen deke model ... hang-ups can be over-come by where you place the hen deke, and i've yet to see a gobbler spook to her, even in the woods when i've used her ... seems to re-assure the gobbler most times -- your call, his visual of the hen, comes on in close enough for a shot ...

again - reference the Pinhoti video for proof that the solo hen deke is effective; those 3 gobblers didn't hang up nor mind her at all

Hunting the Ag fields around Nucor a decoy setup works well.

Mine are 3 cheap foam decoys. Almost zero added weight in the back of my vest, and if I am not using them, it's extra padding for my back. It's a win-win!

That's what I was referring to essentially. Also a lot of times when running Jake decoys it depends on Jake population in the area. A couple years ago I was hunting out of state and it was overrun with Jake's. Even the thought of putting out a Jake decoy scared the gobblers off.

I hear you. I've got foam ones, blow up ones, and some hard shell ones too. But because I usually keep on the run I just rarely ever use them. Probably would increase my success rate though.

I've heard that's a possibility. Fortunately never happened to me, but something to consider if it ever does.

Jake and a hen only. I used a big strutting gobbler years ago and scared off more birds than not. Only use them on roads and fields sparingly.

I like a jake and a couple of hens, that really pisses a gobbler off.

I have had jake decoys scare birds off several times. My dad and I quit using decoys for a number of years because of that. For what its worth, that was in Missouri back when we had jake hit squads patrolling every day.

No bigger assholes than a cocky group of jakes

When this decoy stake broke, I almost took the $12 out of one of their asses (with bow)

[video:youtube]https://youtu.be/TIhDwRfIqIQ[/video]

You have more restraint than I would have.

Had a gobbler turn and run on a jake and hen set up Saturday afternoon. Took the jake out of the set up and later in the afternoon 2 more came in and turned at just the hen but didn't run off. Filled my first Osceola tag with one of them. Wish though I had had a hen out this morning. Had a gobbler hang up at 60 or so yards for 45 minutes or so. May have come on in if he could've seen the hen making the noise.

yup

End of video, it’s literally like they said “okay, he’s dead, let’s get out of here”

To each his own but until I start having more birds run off...very rarely happens...I'm gone run a Jake and hen in a big open area...roads, fields, pastures, pipelines,etc...Basically anywhere I know i cant set up to make them have to look for me and me be within killing distsnce. It has proven in the past to work 9 times out 10 and until that changes I'll keep doing it.

Thank you everyone for the input.

That's great. Thanks for sharing.

I just used dekes for the first time the other day, foam jake and a hen on the ground in front of him. I enjoyed watching the old tom strut around, he finally got close the the jake and stretched up what looked like 6 feet tall. That just made for a great target.

I’m not a decoy user but thought you just stuck them in the ground. Had no idea you had to RUN around with them. Learn something new every day on aldeer.

Early season road and field birds a lone hen, maybe two. Starting about April 1 I’ll put a 1/4 strut Jake with her and they literally can’t handle it. It’s not spooked a bird I was aware of yet. Strutting decoys have spooked so many I refuse to use them. In the woods I rarely use any decoys. I have had several hang up just out of range with a hen wondering why she won’t just prance over to him. If the Jake is with her they run in.

I’ve never used them. But I blow a crow and owl call on public land so what do I know 😀

I didn’t think there were any Ag fields near Nucor

I prefer to get my exercise in when I hunt to ensure I dont get fatter.

I agree. It's funny how almost every single kill on the Primos DVD has a strutter of some sort in it. Killer B, Dirty B, Gobstopper, etc. are all basically full fan decoys.

Selling product is what that’s called

I mean, I get that. My point is the turkeys come in to the set up. Maybe they're hunting planted birds?

how many did they scare off to get that one bird that came in?

I have seen a stutter scare one bird. However I am not going to use a big stutter. Small Jake strutter. I also think they work better in high population areas. If more than one bird comes in and they see it...theybare coming to it. It may scare some that dont gobble that I never see but like I said any gobbling bird coming in that has seen the strutter has come to it besides one.

Onetime in Nebraska i was hunting a huge field surrounded by timber. A bird was gobbling over a hill about 300 yds out. He gobbled there and strutted for over an hr. When he finally got to where he could see the decoys he tucked his wings and was there in seconds. This past weekend in Texas there was two birds I wouldn't have killed without it because of having to pull them out a field away from hens. A bird cant handle a Jake strutting over the top of a hen. When he sees it hes coming.

You get a bird in the right aggressive mindset and a strutting decoy can be a slam dunk. This one came clear across a pasture, circled him to face him. Textbook. I could have been wearing a Santa clause suit and he wouldn’t have seen me

[video:youtube]https://youtu.be/j3cHOYFTjIQ[/video]

Now I have had birds come on beat the decoy kill one. Have another bird gobble at shot. Sit there and when he sees the decoy kicked over and not looking normal him bot come in.