What Turkey decoys do you use?

[JoshCampbell]

just looking into some turkey decoys for the upcoming season, see alot using the strutting fanned out decoys along with a hen or jake decoy if you had to choose only one would it be a strutter or hen decoy?

thanx for any advice that is given.

Josh

[300H&H]

I use the "love triangle" by Feather Flex.
It is a jake and 2 hens.
I am soooo careful as to when and where I use them.
Last season on opening day Dad & I had a guy walk within 50 yards of us and did not see us.
Fortunately my decoys were not out.
I could just imagine if the other hunter saw them and shot in our direction.
It is a problem I worry about when I set them up.
When I do use them I take the time to be sure that if a hunter comes thru I see him before he sees my decoys.
Better safe than sorry.
I bought my decoys off eBay.
This was before Grouse River came to town and nobody had turkey hunting stuff.

[JoshCampbell]

that is an excellent point i had not thought about other hunters seeing the decoys, i have had people come arouind a corner in their boat out on the salt chuck and raise to shoot my duck decoys pointing dirctly towards our blind, needless to say we jumped up screaming as soon as we seen the gun rise. so what kind of situations would you use the decoys? is being hidden and good calling more important then having a decoy out for a turkey to see and draw him in closer? what kind of calls do you use i have quakerboy mouth calls i have been practicing with for a few months still not as good as i think i can be but i think a turkey would come see what the noise is. also do u use owl or crow calls for locating? i have spent many hours watching clips of turkey tips and many folk use them to locate a gobbler. thanx 300H&H for your post helpful imensly so far.

[300H&H]

Most often I use my decoys mid week.
The reason is the area is near a road and very few trucks come thru there mid week so I feel more comfortable having them out.
I also use them in areas away from "the crowds".
My set up is simple.
I place one hen "on" the ground like she is ready to be bread.
Another on a slightly elevated spot looking at the other hen.
And finally the jake is behind the hen on the ground a few feet behind.
Also because I bow hunt these decoys are set up at measured points (25 & 30 yards) from where I sit.
No guessing distance when its time to shoot.
With a gun you may want them farther away, but the farthest I have ever shot was 15 yards and the closest about 6-7 yards.
So you see you can bring them in close.
Decoys are a great way to distract toms as the come in.
Its always best to have you decoy facing away from you, because the tom will come behind the hen decoy to bread her so he will not see you.
For me good calling is much more important than having a decoy.
If you just have a decoy out and don't call your just hoping a tom will come by and it does happen.
If you call the tom thinks a hen is near and will search for her.
BUT, good calling is very important !
Each year before opening day I see/hear so many hunters owl hooting/crow calling/ and hen calling the birds smarten up FAST !
Go out and scout for the roost and learn which way they fly down and where they go after fly down.
Then set up accordingly.
Camo head to toe is a must.
Look for any thing like a shiny buckle or exposed skin that may make you stand out.
Calls.
I use almost all of them but the one I go to every time is my friction call.
My favorite is a slate call and frictionite call made by Primos called the Freak.
The freak straps to your leg and I think sounds great.
Box calls are great to have as the sound goes out along way but I don't use them when I have a tom in close.
I have a owl locator but I don't use it much.
I prefer to cup my hands together to make a "loon" call, I sometimes hunt near water.
But it comes down to what works for you and what you feel comfortable using.
And that is a big point, you must feel comfortable with what ever call you use.
Practice...practice...practice !
Primos has a good DVD about turkey calling and is only $15 plus tax.
I noticed you are in Castlegar...lucky dog.
You are in a great turkey area.
I just found out that Grouse River here in Kelowna will be hosting the "Turkey Calling" seminar again this year.
Huntwriter will be the speaker and will help new and experienced hunters learn more about these elusive birds.
Watch for the info being posted soon or call Grouse River, also a sponsor here on HBC.
Any more questions I will be glad to help.

[JoshCampbell]

Thank you again this is a great help i have ordered the primos dvd last week from the sports shop here, hopefully on my way back from quesnel i can stop at Grouse river in Kelowna as not much for turkey gear at any stores around here. i have seen dozens of turkeys in the past few weeks so i am pretty confident i will have a good chance at my first Turkey. just waiting for some snow to go away to get out and do some real scouting trips.

[300H&H]

Just remember when it comes to calling less is more.
If you need a hand calling your bird just PM me and if the timing works I will come over to help you.
PS join the turkey contest put on by bcBrez.
And Grouse River is holding a turkey seminar very soon.

[gbrown001]

I've found that in some areas with high hunting pressure, decoys will scare away the birds. I set up on a feeding area for a flock I was watching. When the 3 big toms came into the clearing and saw the decoys, the FLEW off, not ran. Perhaps it was my set up, but since then, I have taken 4 birds with no decoys, just calling alone. Again, box calls, and slate calls work the best, but I do have fun playing with the mouth calls. Good luck whatever you try.

[huntwriter]

I see 300H&H has given you plenty of very good advice. Having several decoys is always better then just one. As for gobbler decoys, I prefer a jake over a "strutter" decoy. The reason for that is that a jake is a lesser bird in the hierarchy and this has two advantages.


It will drive a mature gobbler absolutely hopping mad to see a "teenager" messing with his hens.
If a mature gobbler sees another mature gobbler he could get intimidated, however he has no worries getting his butt kicked from a "teenager".

If you only can have one single decoy I would definitely advice to go with a feeding hen. A feeding hen looks relaxed and submissive to a gobbler, versus an upright (alert) hen decoy which could convey not ready to breed and looking for danger. A single decoy placed wisely can be absolute killer. I started out with a single decoy and over the years I added more until I had a flock of turkeys. However there is very rarely a need to set out an entire flock of decoys. In most cases three decoys is all you'll ever need.

[huntwriter]

I've found that in some areas with high hunting pressure, decoys will scare away the birds. I set up on a feeding area for a flock I was watching. When the 3 big toms came into the clearing and saw the decoys, the FLEW off, not ran. Perhaps it was my set up, but since then, I have taken 4 birds with no decoys, just calling alone. Again, box calls, and slate calls work the best, but I do have fun playing with the mouth calls. Good luck whatever you try.

Hunting pressure can have an adverse effect on turkeys when they see decoys. It is here where it pays to choose the set up very carefully and give some serious thought the layout.

Unfortunately most hunters just stick a few decoys into the ground without any thought. Over time turkeys learn that such careless decoy display means "danger'. Incidentally the same is true for calling. While less than perfect calling, calling at the wrong time or from the wrong location might coax an immature bird within shooting range the mature birds will wise up very quickly to the hoax and stay away. Even older hens will figure it out and in turn alert the younger toms. in the past I've hunted on places in America where there where plenty of turkeys yet they became unhuntable because they all figured out what "sounding almost like a turkey" or "looks almost like a real turkey" meant.

When the first turkey hunting season in BC opened many hunters said "It's easy to kill a turkey". I said back then, "Give the birds one or two seasons and you will see how easy it is." Today we have in some places very educated birds that will frustrate even the veteran turkey hunters.

[rogerb]

hey Josh, ct in trail has a pretty decent selection of turkey stuff. as for calling, easiest way to locate them is to wander down the gaslines, powerlines or grassy skidtrails at dusk & call as you go. if they're in the area, they'll usually reply from their roost trees & you'll know the general area to set up in the next morning. even one decoy is enough if the tom doesn't have a hen lined up by the time you start calling predawn. keep on your toes though - not unusual in your area for a bear to come in to check out a turkey call.

[JoshCampbell]

thank you everyone great advise. i hope a couple bears come into the calling as well, had tag soup all winter.

[300H&H]

keep on your toes though - not unusual in your area for a bear to come in to check out a turkey call.

Now that will make any turkey hunt interesting !

[huntwriter]

keep on your toes though - not unusual in your area for a bear to come in to check out a turkey call.

Very valued advice and every turkey hunter should take note of that, especially here bear invested BC.


thank you everyone great advise. i hope a couple bears come into the calling as well, had tag soup all winter.
Careful what you wish for. A few years ago I called in a gobbler when he suddenly stood still and wouldn't advance. I knew there was nothing wrong with my set up and by all accounts the tom's behaviour was very strange. The tom left and somehow I felt I should turn my head and look behind me. There he was. A huge black bear about 40 feet away staring at me with saliva tripping from his mouth. I got up and he advanced. I shot over his head and he turned and run away. I got lucky that day!

Since that day I always set up in such a way that by back is not turned toward a thicket behind me and that affords me good vision all around me. I want to see a bear when he comes in. Just remember when a bear comes to your calling or to your decoy he's looking for a meal and you are it.

[Good Old Outdoors]

Is that turkey calling seminar still on? Or is that the one at the Kelowna fish and Game club now? I bought the DVD and the freak but would like to fine tune the calling.
Thanks
GOO

[duckslayer]

Here are the decoys I use, a little more $$ but worth it for the life like appearance and they are the newer ones made with the "ACE" material. Some times I use all three, sometimes the pair or just a single but a lot of the times I don't use any!! I have never used a Tom decoy, Jake and hen only.

Dave Smith's.
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o296/duckslayer1/DSC02071.jpg

http://davesmithdecoys.com/shop/decoys/turkey-decoys/cat_18.html

[huntwriter]

Dave Smith Decoys are my personal favourites too. You're right they are a bit pricey at close to $500 for a set.

[Brez]

Josh, you probably don't even need a decoy where you live. Find a group of toms close to home, and pattern them. figure out where their travel routes are. A couple of calls to let them know you're there and they should come. First couple of days should be easiest, but they smarten up real quick. I call like with elk - if they are aggressive, I call more.
My fear with decoys is that you are usually very close to them and I'm leery of someone with a high powered rim-fire blasting my way from a distance. Having said that, here's my home-made decoy that I want to try.http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb395/Brez2/DSCF0041.jpg