Expensive decoy I say money well spent!!

[R. W. Mackey]

Yes, the Jake bag is very large, you just have one bag to tote
And you won't notice the added weight. I'll try to get some pics of my "run & gun" Bow set up for you. You might find it interesting.

RW

[Mark Normand]

both are nice! Had a strong gobbling jake climb and stand on top the avian for about 5 minutes, filmed it all from 15 yards. He balanced like standing on a rolling balloon, never slipped off!
Man we were about to explode with laughter!

[jonsimoneau]

Great pics. I never had a turkey come in and attack the decoys until I started using those Dave Smith ones now they almost always do. Fun stuff.

[huskyarcher]

Those things look great!! I don't quite have the money to drop on a DSD yet but those Avians look mighty intriguing. Cant wait to give them a try. Thanks for the awesome pics! Our opener is Saturday, this doesn't make it get here any faster lol

[Msbow]

R.W.
How do you set up your decoys when using the jake and hen? I am very much interested in seeing your "run and gun" set up!

[Kevin Dill]

I had been thinking about a new decoy or 2 when this thread appeared. After going through way too many mental contortions I ended up ordering a single DSD hen. If I like it enough I might add a second hen or a jake. I'm definitely not a hardcore turkey hunter any more, and all my hunting takes place right where I live. I mainly chose the DSD because my longtime friend (and too-dedicated turkey man) has used a variety of decoys for almost 20 years. He got a DSD when they were first available and still uses it. He tells me his DSD easily out-performs his other decoys when the birds get touchy or difficult. I can't opinionate on that, but Dennis' word is good enough for this man.

[Bowwild]

I have a DSD Jake on hold for me at the Cabelas I'll pass tomorrow as I return home. I will probably buy a hen as well.  

I used to be eat up with bowhunting turkeys but have not been very active the past 5 years or so. I'm hoping to fire up again starting next Saturday!

[Skipmaster1]

I used to use Cherokee inflstable decoys, not as lifelike but the heads are amazing. I've had quite a few hens come in and strut, peck at the eyes and beat them with their wings. It always makes for a good show. Last year I switched to Avian but never really got out. I can't wait until May

[R. W. Mackey]

Msbow, here is how I put my two decoys out. Jake is 8 to 10
Yards facing me. The hen is off to one side a few yards and about 2 yards deeper facing away.
 The reasoning behind this is simple. Jake faces me because
Most Gobblers will come in and face the Jake, head to head.
This gives me a shot with the Gobbler looking away and a great shot at his back, which is were I prefer to hit them.
 The hen is facing away from me because her business end
Will be where the Gobbler will head. Again when he moves to her rear end to mount her, his back is facing me and his head is looking the other way.
 This set up was in Nebraska last year, I shot two birds in two days here. I had seen birds feeding in this field two different times and they were roosting within 1/4 mile.
 It may be a few days before I can get some pics of my run&
Gun set up, on the road now.

RW

[eagleone]

i picked up a DSD jake and an Avian breeder hen, thanks to the very convincing threads here. 1 week til my season opens,,,,,, I can't wait

[Msbow]

Thanks R.W. for sharing and explaining your decoy setup. When you say the hen is " 2 yards deeper " do you mean she is 2 yards further away from you than the jake is?

[Longbow58]

R.W., I use the same dec set up and it works well for me. Good luck.

[R. W. Mackey]

Yes, about 2 yards farther away than the Jake. Lots of people
Do it different, other ways will work, this is just how I set them up. It's worked multiple times for several years in different states. I don't think the hen placement is as critical as the Jake. Basically I have a hen decoy because I'm making hen sounds to attract the Gobbler, once he sees the Jake he usually forgets the hen. All he can think about is some disrespectful Jake has challenged his dominance, he will not stand for that.
 I have a buddy hunting in Nebraska now, called me last night,
Told me a big Tom came into his set in the afternoon, never gobbled, marched straight in and attacked his Jake. Knocked  it off the stake and continued to attack it on the ground. Put a serious butt kicking on him, of course he missed the shot.
Good luck to all.

Roy

[Steve Chappell]

I have been using Dave Smith Decoys for yaers and while some of the other makers are doing a lot better job and getting close to Dave Smith....I still think Dave Smith has the best out there.

[Msbow]

R.W.
Do you have the upright hen and if you do have you ever been able to tell any whether putting her on the ground like she's about to get bred makes any difference or not?

[R. W. Mackey]

No, I have never tried that. I guess at some time during the season the breeding hen might work, but like I have said before I mainly have the hen because I'm making hen sounds to attract the gobbler. I do think it could be used to add a different look to a set if you were hunting in the same area
For several days. Or maybe you shot and missed and wanted
To give the birds another look.
 I hunted once with a guy that used four hens and a Jake.
The set looked great, but a real pain carrying them in.
RW

[Msbow]

So you are saying in your experience the gobbler is the main attention getter once the longbeard can see your setup? Sorry about all the questions, but my experience with public land Mississippi turkeys once they got into gun range I never gave them a chance to really interact with the decoys. The few that snuck up on me and actually got close within ten feet or less of my cheap decoys ALWAYS quit strutting and tried to find the quickest way out as fast as possible. When I started trad hunting them this year and used that DSD hen and had that bird beat up my hen at 8 yards after 20 years of bird hunting! Has had me rethinking this whole decoy setup deal. When I gun hunted I didn't care how they were setup. I just stuck them in the ground and that was it.

[R. W. Mackey]

Ms bow, i still like to gun hunt turkeys, I go about it completely different, I don't use decoys at all, simply because of what you said, once they get close its usually over.
 I guess I haven't made myself clear with these few posts, I
Am saying the "JAKE" not to he gobbler is the main attention getter. I'm gonna say in the last 5 years me and my hunting partner have had appx 30 to 40 birds come in to our sets and only twice have the Gobblers been more interested in the Hen than the Jake. They usually come straight for the Jake, never paying any attention to the hen. Now at times we have called
In a group of birds, usually the lead hen comes in and the rest follow. She will usually go straight to the hen as the one did you have the pics of. Sometimes the Gobbler will get close enough for a shot other times he is content to stay with his willing hens. It is usually the lone gobbler that will really Attack the Jake, sometimes there will be two grown birds come and take turns killing the Jake. Have had groups of Jakes come in as well, they get pretty brave in bunches. Won't really Attack the decoy but will display around it and try to determine who is the baddest.

RW

[Msbow]

Thanks R.W. I appreciate all your input on the decoys and how to set them up. Maybe I'll have a longbeard try to do the same to my jake and see if I can quit shaking long enough to make the shot lol. Good luck to you this turkey season.