Tukey with Bow

[ksgobbler]

I am hunting easterns here in KS and they decoy fine. The one I shot this weekend came into a dsd feeder hen and an avian x upright hen.

 

[yoderjac]

I am hunting easterns here in KS and they decoy fine. The one I shot this weekend came into a dsd feeder hen and an avian x upright hen.

Yep, I think one factor is how heavily pressured the birds are.

 

[swat1018]

Not sure where you are located, but it is not that simple with easterns around here! Oblique angle passes on the edge of gun range and the norm here. Occasionally I'd get a dumb two year old to come right in. My experience with decoys is that 70% of the time, they are ignored, 10% of the time the gobbler will turn tail and run, 10% of the time he will hang-up and gobble waiting for the hen to come to him, and 10% of the time the gobbler will come to the decoys. Those are rough numbers and they change slightly depending on the specific decoy setup I'm using and the time of year.

Your buddy is either hunting a different kind of turkey than I am, or he is watching too many hunting shows on TV.

Thanks,

Jack

I've killed around 70 or so turkeys, all over the place. What he said is true, they walk right up to a blind without much of an issue for me. 70% of the time decoys are ignored, or they turn and run? Something odd must be going on at your farm!

 

[yoderjac]

I've killed around 70 or so turkeys, all over the place. What he said is true, they walk right up to a blind without much of an issue for me. 70% of the time decoys are ignored, or they turn and run? Something odd must be going on at your farm!

Yes, they will walk right up to a blind. My comment was regarding how they relate to decoys, not blinds. I agree, unlike deer, turkey have no issue with blinds. You still have to call them in, and in my experience, decoys are no slam dunk at all. Birds are a bit less sensitive to decoys on my farm. I've kill about 20 at the farm and probably about 1/3 using decoys. I killed most of the birds I've harvested on a fairly heavily hunted military base. Only about 10% of my harvests there were with decoys. Here is my experience decoys:

- When gobblers are henned up early in the season, the completely ignore decoys. Hens with gobblers will often hesitate when they see decoys. Most of my early season success is light feeding calls that make hens feel safe and bring them in with gobblers. Both birds I killed opening week were killed that way.

- Later in the season when hens go to nest, gobblers are more susceptible. Sometimes dominant gobblers will respond to a jealousy setup, but it is sometime difficult from a distance to distinguish a that setup from a very large bird and sub-dominate birds will often turn tail and run.

- In nature, hens to to the gobbler. Gobblers called in will frequently hang when they see the hen and just strut waiting for her to go to him. Of course, when hunting open areas like fields, a gobbler will often come in to the point where he should see the hen and if he doesn't he becomes suspicious and leaves.

- In the woods, unless they are very open, birds will often be shocked by decoys and take off. Hens are always moving unless they are looking for possible danger, and in a wooded environment, an approaching gobbler can pick up that movement at a safe distance. When a gobbler doesn't see the decoy until he is right on top of it, they seem to turn tail and run.

So, in early season I don't use them at all. As the season progresses, I will only use them when I have to setup in an open area where a gobbler expects to see the hen before he is in gun range. My preferred setup uses topography or vegetation so that by the time the gobbler should see the hen, he is in gun range.

I have no experience with other subspecies, and until we got the farm, most of the easterns I hunted were heavily pressured birds. Here is an interesting anecdote:

Years ago, the crew from Primos came to the base to video tape hunts for a TV show. The closed down one of the best training areas on the base for them and gave them a guide to put them on birds every day. They had that entire area to themselves for a full week and came up empty handed. They opened the area to regular base hunters the following week and in the first two days, they killed a couple birds. Oh, and it wasn't just that the birds got hot the following week. Birds were killed in adjoining training areas during the week they were filming. I just found this funny.

So perhaps my experience with decoys is biased by hunting pressure. When I was hunting the base, hunting pressure was limited to no more than an average of 1 hunter per 225 acres for spring gobbler.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[buckdeer1]

But right now my toms are following the hens and the hens love my DSD decoy

 

[yoderjac]

But right now my toms are following the hens and the hens love my DSD decoy

Sounds like it is working for you. I had a bad experience 2 years ago. I was hunting a small field, maybe an eight of an acre at the bend in a logging road. I had 2 decoys setup on the logging road across from where I was sitting. After fly-down I did some soft feeding calls. It wasn't long before hens and a gobbler came down the logging road. They were on a direct course for me. when the first couple hens came around the bend and saw the decoys, they stopped and looked attentively at them. The rest of the hens and gobblers stopped as well, on the edge of gun range. They were grouped to closely for me to get a shot. Some of the hens filtered into the field and fed, but the gobbler just didn't like the situation. He turned and strutted while walking the other way taking a few hens with him. The rest fed in the field and eventually had no problem approaching the decoys.

I can't think of any situation where decoys have helped me when gobblers were with hens, but I've called in a lot of hens with gobblers tagging along using soft clucks and purrs. I just never know how birds will react to my decoys.

I will say, some of my most cool hunts were using decoys in a jealousy setup. One year I was hunting from a blind on the edge of a field with the setup 20 yards in front of me. I watched a gobbler and hens in a field with binoculars about 200 yards away all morning. It was cool cause I got to watch the gobbler mounting hens. Slowly as the morning when on, the hens pealed off and went to nest. The gobbler eventually moved off into the woods. It was about 0845 when I got a gobble about 300 yards away. I responded and we had a nice conversation. At one point, he was gobbling his head off about 40 yards behind my blind but it was too thick for him to see the decoys. He simply would not come out. He moved about 200 yards south gobbling all the way and then popped out on a knoll in the field. He took one look at the decoys and did a 200 yard fast walk straight in . He went into full strut as he approach the decoys. He came out of strut, presumably to fight, and was introduced to some heavy shot.

So, while decoys can be very effective in some situations, they are far from a slam dunk.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[blueKYstream]

I hunted yesterday afternoon. I edged up over the hill and spotted 4 toms gobbling and strutting in a half-acre fall planted winter wheat plot. I tried calling and they stood pat gobbling. Eventually, I made a move to get closer walking around the other side of the hill. When I got to the field, they were gone. Confused at what happened, I went back to a spot I was hunting prior to spotting them. A couple hours later nothing was happening so I went back. The toms were in the field again. This time I popped my hen decoy up over the hill. They continued to feed for another 3 or 4 minutes and then walked out of the field. There are definitely times where their behavior is mind boggling.

 

[Mortenson]

My success with decoys has been marginal also. Last week, my 1st time out for the year, I had a group of hens and 2 gobblers including the boss travel past me and feed/strut in view for an hour. I couldn't hear anything vocal. They'd acknowledge my calls but wouldn't come in. They eventually moved into a neighbors timber. I then called in 2 more gobblers, they were a lot more interested in my calling and hen decoy, but also wouldn't close the distance. They went to the same neighbor's timber, but only stayed in there a few minutes and came back my way. I wonder if they got chased out by the boss. They were still interested in my setup, and at this point the wind had taken my decoy down. I'm not sure if that fact helped but it certainly didn't seem to hurt bringing them in on a string the 2nd time they were in my field. You can see my dead tom laying in the grass next to the strutting tom, and the tipped over decoy out front. Might be a new thing.

 

[ksgobbler]

Sounds like it is working for you. I had a bad experience 2 years ago. I was hunting a small field, maybe an eight of an acre at the bend in a logging road. I had 2 decoys setup on the logging road across from where I was sitting. After fly-down I did some soft feeding calls. It wasn't long before hens and a gobbler came down the logging road. They were on a direct course for me. when the first couple hens came around the bend and saw the decoys, they stopped and looked attentively at them. The rest of the hens and gobblers stopped as well, on the edge of gun range. They were grouped to closely for me to get a shot. Some of the hens filtered into the field and fed, but the gobbler just didn't like the situation. He turned and strutted while walking the other way taking a few hens with him. The rest fed in the field and eventually had no problem approaching the decoys.

I can't think of any situation where decoys have helped me when gobblers were with hens, but I've called in a lot of hens with gobblers tagging along using soft clucks and purrs. I just never know how birds will react to my decoys.

I will say, some of my most cool hunts were using decoys in a jealousy setup. One year I was hunting from a blind on the edge of a field with the setup 20 yards in front of me. I watched a gobbler and hens in a field with binoculars about 200 yards away all morning. It was cool cause I got to watch the gobbler mounting hens. Slowly as the morning when on, the hens pealed off and went to nest. The gobbler eventually moved off into the woods. It was about 0845 when I got a gobble about 300 yards away. I responded and we had a nice conversation. At one point, he was gobbling his head off about 40 yards behind my blind but it was too thick for him to see the decoys. He simply would not come out. He moved about 200 yards south gobbling all the way and then popped out on a knoll in the field. He took one look at the decoys and did a 200 yard fast walk straight in . He went into full strut as he approach the decoys. He came out of strut, presumably to fight, and was introduced to some heavy shot.

So, while decoys can be very effective in some situations, they are far from a slam dunk.

Thanks,

Jack

What decoys are you using

 

[yoderjac]

What decoys are you using

I've used all kind from inexpensive foam feather-flex type to a stuffed hen. Turkeys have small brains. General size and shape are sufficient. Probably the most effective individual decoy I've used was a cheap feather-flex that was mounted on a motion unit. The motion unit had a remote. When turned on the turkey would move in a feeding motion. The stuffed hen was a pain in the but to carry, and ignored just a much as any other decoy I've used. But then again, I've often watched gobblers ignore live hens. I've had live hens in front of my blind and watch a gobbler strut at 150 yards trying to attract them and then finally give up and feed away.

The money I spent on the stuffed hen and my experience with this says that some of the newer more life-like decoys are like fancy trout flies, tied more to catch fisherman than fish.

The most fun has been the Jealousy setup, but that can back-fire. When it works, gobblers can run it over, but when seen from a distance, it can also look like one big bird and sub-dominate birds can turn tail and run.

Don't get me wrong, sometimes decoys can work well, but it needs to be in the right situation with the right gobbler at the right time.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[ksgobbler]

I will tell you I never saw turkeys behave the way I am currently experiencing it around the old carrylites and feather flexs I used to run. I 100% believe that quality decoys make a huge difference. You can say they dont matter, but I am consistently shooting birds in the face at under 20 yards on public and private while shooting shells that are sub $1 a trigger pull. And our public gets hammered.

 

[weekender21]

I bow hunt turkeys, never shot one with a gun. I think my 2019 Tom was number 20. I did lose one early on shooting a small fixed blade. Any broadhead will technically work but the bigger the better. Especially if you’re just getting started and aren’t confident on hitting their golf ball size vitals.

Rocket broadheads made one called the hammerhead (100 grain) and the strictnine (125 grain). I’m not sure if those are still in production but they are excellent turkey heads. But, I’ve killed them with Rage, Slick Trick and my next bird will likely receive an Iron Will wide cut.


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[weekender21]

I shot my first turkey with a bow when I was living up in South Dakota, a Merriam’s by hiding behind a tree and drawing when the bird walked in front of the tree towards my decoy on the other side. I have also taken eastern birds when living in Missouri. The majority of birds that I have taken since returning to Texas are the rio grandes and yes, I have personally seen most birds work directly to the decoys wherever you place them while hunting from a pop up blind. I like a close shot as it reduces operator error. Of all the three subspecies that I have hunted, I would say rio grandes are the easiest to decoy but you still have to make the shot. I think that using a pop up blind makes it MUCH easier to take a bird with a bow because it hides your movement when drawing back your bow which is the hard part when turkey hunting. I have done it with and without a blind and I will choose a pop up every time when turkey hunting.

That is probably the difference. I have no experience with Merriam's or Rio's. All my turkey hunting has been with easterns. Decoys are no panacea for them. There are situations where they work well, but they can hurt you as easy as help you. I only use them in situations where I really need them. Bowhunting without a blind is one. I may have to try other sub-species after I retire.

Just my opinion. Subspecies has nothing to do with it. It’s all about hunting pressure. By default Eastern’s are generally considered harder to hunt but that’s a result of high hunter density. Not smart turkeys.


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[bowhunternw]

Very limited sucess with decoys here as well. Most of the time they will hang up out of range, then eventually move on, losing interest. But we always hunt early season when they are grouped up yet. Maybe they work better when toms are searching harder.

 

[weekender21]

I finally had to throw a water bottle at an eastern to get him to leave the decoys last year. I thought coyote howling at 10 yards would be good enough...nope. The water bottle didn’t really work either.


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[yoderjac]

I will tell you I never saw turkeys behave the way I am currently experiencing it around the old carrylites and feather flexs I used to run. I 100% believe that quality decoys make a huge difference. You can say they dont matter, but I am consistently shooting birds in the face at under 20 yards on public and private while shooting shells that are sub $1 a trigger pull. And our public gets hammered.

Perhaps it is regional. I teach a turkey hunting workshop for the state. Some of my fellow instructors are probably some of the best turkey hunters in the east. Some travel and at least one I know has a grand slam. They experience very similar behavior with respect to decoys. They use a variety of different kinds.

Not sure why the experience is so different between us.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[john volkman]

i watch around 20-30 eastern gobblers get shot each spring, all in WI and all over decoys. In 90% of the hunts we use blinds. I hunt with all types of turkey hunters from inexperienced youth, to very experienced hunters . WI has a lot of turkeys and a lot of turkey hunters , the season lasts 6 full weeks here not counting the youth hunt. They come to decoys througout all 6 seasons. Blinds and decoys allow you to set up where the turkeys are or want to be regardless of the situation. They are a deadly combo. The key is using good quality decoys and setting up in the right location. Im not sure how many i've lured into a decoy set up in my life but its well over 500 and counting. IMO turkeys dont like being bumped or pressured anymore than deer do. In some cases less. If you dont push them out of an area decoys are very effective.