I am not an expert turkey hunter but I do like to hunt them. I've had a few breif encounters this season that got me to question my decoys. I use the cheap fold down foam hens... This year I have had jakes, a Tom and a few different hens come in and none of them payed any attention to my decoys. Thinking back over the years I can't say I've ever experienced a bird come in and pay attention to my decoys let alone beat one up or try to mount it like you see in the videos. So, the question : Do the "life like" decoys work better? Are they worth the money? I'd like to hear some of your experiences.
Joe :campfire:
Joe,
I broke down and bought some DSD Dave Smith Decoys this year. I used alot of my cabelas points to make this purchase. I will say the 3rd trip out I had 2 toms come in and beat the crap out of my Jake decoy. It was a first for me. I dunno if it was because of the decoys but it was an awesome experience. I sure do like these decoys better than any I have ever had. So I guess to answer your question my opinion would be yes.
David
I had good results with the Avian X decoys this season. We killed three birds over them in four hunts. All hunts were on hard hunted public land and two of the three gobblers were coming straight for the jake decoy. I can't say for sure if the decoys made the difference or if we just had good luck. I do know I'll be using them again next year.
I have, and have used a bunch of different decoys over the years.
I have had much more consistent results with Dave Smith decoys than any others I have.
The down side is.......it is not nearly as funny watching a gobbler pound on an expensive decoy.
First year with the Dakota X-treme Jake from Bestturkeydecoy.com and I had two big toms come in like they were being led... pecked the jake then got nervous and, here is the bummer, I missed a shot at very close range - LOL. Tough ending but the decs sure were impressive.
Every other year with less realistic decoys I have had turkeys hang up... I was shot gun hunting so I never worried too much about a 30 yard shot... but with the bow and 5-10 yard optimal shots I believe the realistic decs are your best friend.
JW
On the right day and in front of the right turkey, anything will work. Day in and day out, I really believe the higher end decoys do a better job, especially on pressured birds.
I've wondered about that myself. I use the old feather flex (foldable) hens and a primos jake decoy. I have never had turkeys to seem to pay any attention to them.
I called 2 mature toms in this year to 20 or 30 yards (too far for a good shot) and it seemed that as soon as they could see the decoys, they slipped back over the edge of the flat and circled my blind. They seemed to be nervous about either the decoys, or the blind.
This was with the mesh netting up on the only window I had open.
Yesterday I called a group of gobblers from way across a hollow (away from a shotgunner) but they stayed out of range the whole time.
I've killed so many turkeys with the shotgun that I lost count years ago. It's not like I don't know how to call... but something (blind or decoys) is hanging them up.
FRUSTRATING!!
QuoteOriginally posted by Big Lefty:
On the right day and in front of the right turkey, anything will work. Day in and day out, I really believe the higher end decoys do a better job, especially on pressured birds.
My thoughts exactly. If you catch a dominant gobbler in the right mood, you could probably put a turkey fan on a cardboard box and he'd walk or run 300 yards to destroy the box. Another day he might stand and look at it and walk off. Turkeys are moody.
Trap
To answer the question NO!!!
I have found that Turkey will hang around a more realistic decoy for longer periods of time before realizing something is not right. The downside to my avian x decoys, is that they are about 10 times heavier than my feather flex decoys!
The deke which one has confidence in will likely serve him well.
I would say without a doubt a better decoy will help. Especially for a bowhunter. I have only ever bowhunted turkeys and have had many spook at my decoys until i bought an avian x jake and hen. It is not coincidence. But like others have said if you have a fired up bird any decoy will work but I truly think they hang out longer with better decoys
QuoteOriginally posted by Friend:
The deke which one has confidence in will likely serve him well.
Ditto. Not a turkey hunter but some of the things I used to bring in yotes would make you think no #$% way. I think its all in arrangement. Have a brother that duck hunts ,some of his decoys no longer have paint on them . He says its all in how the are arranged out there. You got to beleave in what your using . Know its going to happen not think it might happen. :thumbsup:
I have been using the Feather Flex Decoys for 25 years and killed plenty of birds over them. My buddy has a hodge podge of different chepos and I can't remember a year he has not bagged a bird. I guess it all depends on what you want to spend but i do not think you have to have the top of the line decoys to have success.
One awesome fight at 5 yards and youl forget all about the money.
The cheap work to a point but I have never had a Tom try to mount them like they do the others. And if I try to adjust my foam ones they fall off the peg let alone if a Tom was to touch it. That rarely happens though as they rarely get that close to a foam decoy. Each to his own though.
Only once have I seen 3 jakes go up to my hen decoy and look peck to peck with it...otherwise the birds I've hunted seem to come in a little bit and 30 yards out or more they move on,,,this is with feather flex and montana decoys...bow hunting with a blind...I'm either gonna have to spend some money or just quit using the decoys...
QuoteOriginally posted by huskyarcher:
One awesome fight at 5 yards and youl forget all about the money.
That's a fact, and still just a fraction of the total cost of bows, blinds, arrows, broadheads, calls, gas, etc.
I have killed tons of birds with a shotgun and have also killed quite a few with a bow. I honestly believe as has been said the new better more realistic decoys will bring the birds in closer and hold the birds longer. On certain days I believe any old decoy will work on a bird that is just plain hot, but the next day when that same bird is a bit fickle, the better more realistic decoy with the right posture may be needed to get him close enough for a shot. I just bought a Dakota Extreme Jake and it definitely has the right posture and the realism is excellent, the DSD may even be better but I could not justify the extra 85 bucks when the Dakota looks so good. Shawn
Guys
In the earlier years with a shotgun i never used decoys, I was a run and gun guy...locate the bird move in as close as I can one hit on the gobbler tube, then start with the hen.
This all changed when we starting filming, too much with a camera guy. So blinds, decoys were used, and I've tried about everything I thought that would fool a bird. We came on board with Avian X and have been using their decoys since they first came out. Let me tell you a quality decoy makes a difference almost all the time...and the last couple years we've just been using the jake with a 100% results. Even though we dont use a hen decoy I still cut with the hen calls. I'm trying to make the gobbler believe a hen is there but the jake is cutting her off.
I hope this helps, and one more thing...when using a quality decoy always think safety with other hunters.
Call Your Own Game
george
My decoys are not the best, but far from the worst. I have a jake decoy that is a blow up type, but has a very realistic looking head. He hasn't let me down yet.
Saturday I had an HS Strut Hottie Hen and and Avian X Breeder hen set up. 6 hens and a tom tailing them came in and the hens went straight past the Hottie to the Avian and gave her the business. Had I set them up a bit farther to the right, the tailing tom may have come into the shooting lane, but the hens hogged the lane.
Thanks for all the feedback. I'm going to give it a go with a new realistic jake decoy.
Joe
yes
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8676029024_e92836d469.jpg)
For many years I used the cheaper decoys. Yes, I have taken many turkeys, but you better be quick, as they will not stick around the cheap decoys. Last year I bought the Avian jake and hen. It has been unbelievable - everytime I am our hunting, the jake gets his butt kicked. Last year a tom beat on him for over 40 minutes. I just got back from turkey hunting and the same thing again - the jake decoy got beat up again. I am a believer - it keeps the turkeys in your shooting range longer. So far they have paid no attention to the hen decoy, but I still think it helps. Spend the extra, they will last you a life time and take some video, you will laugh when they are beating your decoy.
A turkey lives and dies by his eyes, which would you rather look at? Bestturkeydecoy.com is the best for the money.
YES!! until this morning i thought it was all a marketing game. I was sitting in my blind using the decoys that have brought many a turkey within shotgun range for me. I'm all trad now and figred they'd do just fine. I was wrong. Three BIG toms came running out into the clearing I was hunting like they were in the kentucky derby or something. The stopped on a dime at 30 yards, turned and ran. If the turkeys looks could have talked I'm sure they looked at each other and said, "wait, wait, wait, somethings wrong guys. OH SNAP, those are decoys! RUN!!!"
So needless to say I spent the money on an avian X hen and a Bmobile tom that look very lifelike
I have used plastic decoys for years and only had a few gobblers come in to them close enough for a shot. Last year I got a taxidermy mount of a jake. I hunted 6 times in the last 3 years and shot 3 gobblers. I did nothing different except for the decoy.
I noticed with this decoy they stop at 40 to 60 yards and stretch their necks to check him out. Then they come in strutting. I shot 2 of them at 6 feet and one at 7 steps. You can check out the seven step one on you tube search Turkey Hunt Lee Hinton.LCH