Why DON'T we use Turkey Decoys??
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- Опубликовано: 22 апр 2023
- Warb talks turkey decoys and shows us a recent hunt from Missouri where decoys altered the outcome.
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Went for my first public land hunt this past weekend. First turkey call attempt, had a bobcat come in looking for the turkey. Was 10 yards away from me for like 20 mins, then started coming right at me. Was wild!
I think the issue was it was the decoy posture. The gobbler doesn't know it's supposed to be a jake decoy. He only sees it as a male displaying. If you'd used an upright (standing) jake, he probably would have came on into gun range.
I’ve had about 80% luck with upright jake. The other 20 are misses 😂
@@JayN4GO lol 🤣🤣
@@strydershadow391 Hi
Ohhh Shane whatta you know about it?? 😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@JayN4GO 🤣🤣🤣
You guys are great. Hunting public land is tough I hunt public too. Just took a friend from church on the 21st it was his first ever turkey hunt. We had a great day and I was able to call up his first bird. He is hooked. Thanks for your videos
Couldn’t agree more Aaron. Another benefit is it makes you all that much lighter and mobile. I also love hearing them gobble at close range when they are searching for that hen.
We had similar experience this season. We had 2 hens and a strutter jake in a field and the first gobbler stopped at 70 yards and left the field. I grabbed the Jake out of the field and 20 minutes later another gobbler came in and straight line to the hen decoys, actually left a live hen to come to hen decoys. Sometimes they work and sometimes they dont.
That's a great summarization, like you said, they work about 50% of the time. I haven't used a turkey decoy yet, but there are times I wish I would've to draw attention in another direction. Thanks for the schooling...lol 😂😅 Love what ya'll are doing ❤️
This video came out just in time! This year was the first time for my hunting turkey's on public, and my buddy's first time hunting turkeys. We had multiple gobblers come in to a call but either turned back once they saw my strutter or didn't get close enough to our hen setup. Although the hen was probably just placed poorly. After our turkey field education I saw this video pop up. It helped me make sense of our failed attempts. The next morning we left the decoys in the truck and like magic we were both able to call in turkeys just like these movie stars^^. Decoys always worked for me in the past so it was hard to leave them behind. This year along with this video gave me a better understanding of how some turkeys think. I think I'm a better hunter than I was last year because of it!
We quit using jake decoys for the same reason, they will spook most toms except the dominant ones . We like a lone hen decoy because a lot of the older toms will hang up at 60 + yards if they don’t see the hen that’s calling . Also a bonus to the single hen decoy is that a dominant hen will sometimes come in to see who’s cuttin’ and she will drag a long beard or two with her .
Good stuff guys! I'm in the same boat. Decoys work when they work... Can't wait to see what's next.
Im in the NO DECOYS club.I have decoys but have never had much success with using them. Hunted over 35 years for turkeys, can only remember couple times they worked. Love your channel.One of my favorite ones.
Amen brother
Love your videos! You guys are the best Hunting Channels on RUclips!! Who else agrees?? 👇 love your channel
Hi
What a great day in the woods! Nice of Linda to carry out your bird and I'm with you on the smell of a shot shell 😆
For me it depends on terrain and the time of season.
If they’re still flocked I will use a decoy or if I’m in open timber or a field. I had a gobbler just the other day turn and leave because he didn’t see a hen. I’ve also had a gobbler come rushing on to beat on a jake decoy. Just depends on the situation I’m in.
It's a mixed bag for me too. I've used a strutting Tom and submissive hen setup and had success, then the next time they run away from it. A lone hen has worked for me on occasion too. Most of the time I'm decoy free, it's just a lot easier to make a last second setup without the excess baggage clunking through the bush
haven’t had much luck with decoys either, but I’m getting pumped to go out and hopefully bag one for the second season up here in WI!
Love the advice! Since getting back into it last found that to be so true about the decoys. More often than not if bird is solo or group of jakes noticed they all spooked. If there were two or more Toms would come in cautiously.
I agree, I use a hen decoy sometimes but I hunt in mostly woods ,no fields around. I've killed most without a decoy
I completely agree with it works about 50% of the time. I think you guys give some great tips and advice thanks for the vid
Thank you guys for filming all the vids been watching for a few years now . Turkey hunting for me at 53 .25 yrs 5 turkey total fall hen 4 three Jake's and a questionable young gobbler and dozens of misses has been a frustrating love passion hate relationship I live in tidewater va suffolk concentration of turkey are highon private but local land is just as many hunters you guys make my day watching vids and the youth getting the bug
Yesterday I got a turkey with my truck, the Jake took out my grill and dented the front part of the hood 14lb at 50mph ouch did not get the radiator thank God. Keep up the good wotk
You guys rock. A wealth of knowledge
very good information! as allways a great video!
I've been watching al[t of your videos for awhile now and I have to thank you for alot of the instructions that you use to hunt turkeys. I've learned from it and called in and killed my limit here in Arkansas. Thanks for the 3-4 yelp I called a Tom in and he was with a hen. It took about an hr but he got into 46 steps away when all he was doing was stretching that neck out looking for that hen for about 5 min. So I pulled the trigger on him
I have heard the same thing regarding using jakes. Some really good footage. Out today trying to get a bird. Had one fired up, but I didn’t bring my hen decoy. He got close just wouldn’t come into range with just calling. Thanks for sharing.
Another great one guys!
Very good tip thank you!
It's situational for me. Field hunting I usually use a jake standing over a breeder hen and a 2nd hen in the background. Never had that setup scare anything off. Hunting in the timber, I never use decoys. Just use terrain and calling to get 'em close
I tried a half strut Jake and a hen decoy this year. The Tom came in perfect. Once he saw the decoys he spooked, turned and walked away. He knew something wasn't right. I've used them three times total and the birds don't like them in my hardwoods set up.
Great advice
Agree with what you’re saying. One thing I do is put the Jake low to the ground to help make it look a bit less intimidating.
My experience as well. Great video 👍
Yes Indeed had one come in pretty close but I believe he saw the Jake decoy and didn't wantna come any further... I'm going to try that bird again without any decoys.... Have only one more week left for Spring gobbler and I hope I can get her done.....
I had the same thing happen yesterday morning. I'll tag my first bird one of these days!
Good point.
Have you ever tried the mating pair decoys from DSD? It's a Jake mounting a hen, with a pull string that makes it look like the Jake is trying to balance on the hen. Toms literally can't resist
I guess I’ll have to ask my mom to send y’all a message to take me hunting!! Keep up the great work!
This is EXACTLY what happened to me in West Virginia two days ago. Perfect set-up until it wasn't!
Where at in west va? I’m really interested in summers co, the bluestone wma. Going to deer hunt it this year or next
Running and gunning through the timber without decoys is my favorite way to chase turkeys. If I’m sitting on a field on private ground, then I will utilize them. I’d be nervous to use decoys on public land. Early in the season, I’ll put out a Jake and a hen, but usually just stick a hen or two out.
One of the things that drew me to your channel is that you rarely use decoys. I quit using them several years back. They work sometimes. Sometimes they don't. But when they work, they almost work too well. There is no better feeling than calling in a gobbler to shotgun range and knowing I did it with woosmanship and calling. When the gobbler comes to investigate the hen he thinks he heard instead of coming to investigate a rubber decoy on a stick, that's when I feel like I accomplished something grand. 🥰
Yessir!!
I have a love hate relationship with decoys. Hate toting them around and having to take them down between sets. Love them for bowhunting cuz I refuse to use a blind. I also prefer to hunt the bush so decoys aren’t as visible. Good video boys, keepem comin.
I always carry a hen decoy in my vest in case a particular set up suggests using one. That might be 10-20% of the time. Just another tool in the vest. It all depends. Most people set decoys or a decoy right out in the open. Try staking it along an edge and partially obscured by brush if in a field, or near a blowdown etc., in the woods. It looks more natural and the turkeys will need to look for it but will see it. Also lay a hen on the ground in front of the Jake decoy. That can sometimes piss off a gobbler enough to bring him in. Gobblers are finicky and one day can be called in by a squeaky truck door, and the next day they run the other way.
Don’t like using decoys myself and like your explanation. I’ve harvested all of my turkeys without them.
Awesome info.. only time I've ever used a decoy is while Bowhunting and I use just a hen decoy...
Ever use that hen for fall?
I just shot à turkey today on public. My freinds and I had been using à hen and jake decoy as well as à lone hen hunting fields. The only thing coming yo the decoys were long hens. The toms were avoisine the fields mostly. Going after them in the woods decoys usually are just too tough to lug around . Using the terrain to your advantage works better and is what got me a bird today.
Keep up the awesome work you do. You guys do it better than anybody else right now.
We use the funky chicken by flextone with a hen standing and a hen ready for breeding...doesn't work all the time but lots of birds fall to this setup for us in new Hampshire
I’m on a weight limit for another month so this just confirms I won’t break it with a Jake or even a hen deke even for field birds.
After too many years of trying various Tom/Jake decoys and spooking more toms and hens we quit. Switched to one or two very realistic ( expensive) hen decoys. They don’t spook the birds and our success increased dramatically.
This is a great video, thank you guys! I always use a hen decoy. I tried a tom decoy in the past w my hen, and two beautiful big birds walked away. Never again, just hen or nothing.
What about fall turkey, using a hen decoy?
I got my first long beard yesterday with my bow and arrow using a Primos Jake decoy in front and two hen decoys set up behind it. I had them set up about 15 yards from my blind and made it look like they were just entering the field from a line of timber. I had two toms run over as soon as they caught eye of it and flogged it so hard they broke my jake decoy in half. I definitely would not have gotten my bird if it wasn’t for the jake decoy. In my situation it definitely worked out perfect. Those toms were in a bullying mood that morning 😂 I actually had a guy shotgun hunting a little over 100 yards in the same field that morning, and the second tom worked his way over to the guy’s hen decoy. He used a fan to draw the tom in, and as soon as the tom saw that fan he was working full speed towards the shotgun hunter. It was a pretty awesome hunt, and we both managed to get a bird that morning.
I've watched this 3x now. I'm trying to perfect my calling, so I listen to others' calls to learn.
I've liked this video every time I watch it, but every time I've come back, the thumb isn't white.
Had birds all around me this morning from blind not a tom. Stuck up hen and jake. 10 minutes nice 22 lb gobbler.
The first ever opportunity at a gobbler I ever had was very similar. Public land bird that was fired up all morning in a creek bottom, called him up to the ag field we were sitting on and as soon as he broke the tree line at 50 yards and spotted our Jake decoy he took off in a half run to the middle of the field. Hunted the same field that afternoon and the same bird came out from the end he ran off to and sat in the middle of the field at 400 yards at watched our decoys. Talked to multiple other hunters through the season who said the same thing.
That bird was wise to the fact that those decoys were not moving and was suspicious and apprehensive.
Would love to see a little more in-depth strategy for hunting the Osceolas, I hunt public land in south and south central florida. They sure are hard to get on. You guys have been super helpful in me getting at least close to getting a bird! Deer tour next!!!
Turkey hunting is the easiest of hunting. Sit down by a tree, call and wait. Simple
cool video what part of Missouri I once in a while hunt Wayne county mainly Iron Lincoln Warren and Adrian
I have had some succes with the funky chicken jake decoy with a hen, but most of the time if I use a decoy it is just a hen.
It’s give or take. I have had more success with decoys than I have with not having one. I have more times than I can count a gobbler comes in especially in an open field or open hardwoods and hang up 60 yards just to turn away because he doesn’t see anything. Y’all seem to have better success without them and that’s great but decoys have become an instrumental part of my tactics just because I have had mores success than I have without them. Love the content and keep putting it out there. Every situation is different and unique and in this case it seemed having the decoy out might have been the difference maker
Got my second long beard on opening day of NY spring Turkey season an I put out a hen an Jake decoy, first time he came in about 50 seen the decoys an just keep on going, he turned around an came back the same path an tried to loop around the back side of me an he seen something he didn’t like because he started to putt around working away from me ( couldn’t shoot behind me to thick ) ended up calling ever so lightly an he came back to check it out again on his original path but 10 yrds closer an boom! Decoys definitely has its place an I got very lucky to harvest this guy
I used a decoy or multiple and I quit for years and had the same success, actually better. The drawback I found was that when they show up on your doorstep and they can’t see a decoy they are looking all the time for the hen. Used jakes a few times same result. The positive is that you can get in close with way less noise if you know where they are roosting and you get in early with your mouth call in. Sometimes requires nerves of steel when they come in 10 feet away on the side and the only thing you see first is a red head in your peripheral vision or they gobble at your location inside 5 yards
I had a showdown with a gobbler on Saturday for an hour and half. He was hard gobbling at everything, but hung up at 96 yards the entire time. Open woods so he could see where the calling was calling from.. he never putted, just refused to close the gap.
I haven’t ran a decoy at all this year for my other two gobblers I’ve killed, but I’m guessing I might have to use one on this bird.
You are exactly right.
When you haven't seen or heard a bird all day, set up and decoy in plain sight, call every 20 minutes. Its like kissing you sister; better than nothing but not by much.
That is my exact sentiments on jake decoys myself
The last 20+ yrs, in the woods, I ditch the decoys. In a field I use them and they work pretty much every time I use them, but I don't use a jake decoy. Every time I use a jake decoy, the birds poke out and leave.
I had this scenario play out on me last weekend. I wish I would’ve left that jake decoy in the truck.
Last year I had a Jake set up with 4 hens... Long beard and 2 Jake's showed up and stayed about 80 yards out for about an hour and then split up. Gobbler stayed out of range and just continued to strut. I was a little irritated but I just kept occasionally purring with some cluck mixed in. About 20 mins after the Jakes split, a ticked off hen came marching into my set up and started fighting with my one decoy. Next thing I know the boys came running and I shot the long beard... Crazy how it works sometimes
My best hunt this season, no call, no decoys, no blind. It can be done.
I was using a hen decoy last season that was looked more realistic because its made out of some type of plastic. But twice last year I had gobblers hang up in the distance on that same decoy. I threw it away. Used a cheap soft hen decoy last week and stopped a gobbler long enough to kill him. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't I guess.
When i started 25 years ago I used decoys. I stopped after a few trips because the birds were hanging up strutting. Kiled 2 or 3 a year regardless.
If you use a jake decoy, you should have a hen decoy with it. A 3/4 strut jake and a hen decoy or 2 works almost every time for me.
I understand what you're saying about safety. But, you should be pretty safe with a single fold up hen decoy during 'spring Gobbler season.
Totally agree
I run a mounted decoy. Very seldom he doesn't work. But this 23 season he has bumped more birds than I like. High pressure area Fred stays in the truck.
I usually use a couple hens only at times.
I’ve been hunting public land in ohio with no luck would you guys allow me to tag along and learn sometime when you’re in ohio I would like the experience been watching you guys for years thanks!! And good luck this season!!
There is a time for both. I suspect a hen decoy along with the jake would have sealed the deal.
Haha, I never saw a turkey decoy... which is funny cause that is the only way we duck hunt, but would never consider turkey hunting with decoys.
I love using decoys but I try and use the decoys differently than everyone else that is just sticking and ole stationary decoy out in the middle of a field for the bird to stare at. A jake standing on a hens back is way more realistic looking when it comes to open field hunting
It appears the Turkey changed after the last call. Once a Turkey sees the Decoy I stop calling. Never fails.
You said it in the end. Use at least one hen decoy in your set. He came in looking for a hen and wasn’t going to stick around when he didn’t see one.
Turkey decoys work about one and 20 times for me. The other 19 they lock up when they see thr decoy and walk the the other way.
Yup...you never know with a jake decoy. I have experienced times where jakes have run off a strutting tom.
On public land, Tom’s can leave cause there’s no decoy, or RUN cause they see a decoy. Usually right off the roost I never use them. And really don’t use them much in general. If I do it’s just a hen out while I sit and wait later in the morning. I’ve just been burnt too many times later in the season when the Tom’s get super jumpy and stop gobbling.
Effective calling trumps the need for decoys. Decoys slow you down if you are running and gunning.
Can tell its towards the end of the season, y'all look whooped lol...keep grinding boys
Satellite birds can be very timid. No jakes or stutter decoys.
Why would his mom ask 😂😂 at that age I was hunting alone on public. He’s got access to private and wearing full Sitka he should be a pro lmao
Dry good guys 😍😍😍💪💪💪
I’ve had more instances of a gobbler hanging up not seeing what he wants and moving off than one coming in and not liking what he saw. Obviously anything can happen but i like my chances more with decoys
Also your using a hen call but don't have a hen out there. For me personally I run a hen and a jake decoy it works amazing
I only use two hen decoys all season.
When can we expect the THP "harrow recliner turkey chair"?
A Jake and two hens did it for me.
would like them to discuss hen vs jake decoys
Decoys messed me up last year! Not using them this year.
I believe it’s tough to go into a place blind and use a jake decoy. Not knowing flock dynamic of a place hurts in that instance. I’ve seen it happen several times. I have said I will not use Jake decoys in years there are a lot of Jake’s running around. We are experiencing that the last two years. Single hen or no decoy at all is the safe play. Just one of those deals, decoys can be make or break.
I use decoys all the time and have tremendous success. I guess to each their own. I'm just curious about the THP pod cast. Zach said not using decoys makes a better caller. I just wondered why? Great job, guys ❤
Decoys give you an advantage sometimes. Sometimes they are a hinderance. Having them usually negates the need for calling once they see the decoys. Getting them in kill range by just calling takes a little more effort. I've seen some really great callers get skunked more than a few times though. There's no sure fire way to kill a turkey that's for sure.
I used to carry a decoy or two with me. But it seemed like they always spooked more birds than they brought in. I quit using them years ago.
Summed up “It’s all about the setup.”
I’ll use 2 hen decoys if my first am setup is in a field but if I’m chasing in woods I leave em
One time I was calling in this big tom and a jake came in out of nowhere and chased that tom away. Jakes can be more agressive and tougher then toms sometimes.
I think if you add a feeder or lay down hen. That bird is done. Learned that the hard way with Jake only. As a bowhunter. I want them to come to 10 yards. Maybe 5% of the time a lone gobbler won’t come into that setup.