help with Decoys
03-09-2009, 07:54 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: sullivan,missouri
Posts: 166
help with Decoys
ok this year im going to try taking a Turkey with my bow...been wanting to try for a long time and never have so this is the year im gonna try...i have got me a good blind that im gonna use which will help a lot but i was wondering about decoys.....my dad was one of the best Turkey hunters i have ever seen but he never liked using decoys so we never done much with them....what are some of your ideas on Turkey hunting over decoys and how they need to be set up...i have 3 of the Sceenery blowup decoy hens and one Jake...i would like to try one of the B-Mobile stutting decoys but we hunt public land and jsut dont really want to take the chance on another hunter comming in on me so not gonna try that...any tips you could give would be a huge help
03-09-2009, 08:34 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Eldred, PA
Posts: 1,667
RE: help with Decoys
Put the decoys facing you. This makes the gobbler circle in front of the decoy to make an appearance. This will work great from a blind. Make sure you set the decoys up close enough to shoot (15-20 yards) and you should be set.
03-11-2009, 05:37 PM
#7
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 7,444
RE: help with Decoys
Do watch the latest Turkey TV shows if yo can. You will witness typical behavior of what Toms will do arround decoys at times.
For hens Face them away from you or at least one of two hens - Toms approach a hen from the back to to back side to mate.
At times Toms will go beak to beak with Tom decoys - so face them at you.
When I place decoys they are always close - like 10 steps away as I am in a blind - and I try to make it look real. That is hen/jake or Tom real close no more than a yard apart - and one hen off 5 to 9 yards from these two. this hen is always in a feeding position and not at alert!
I place them close and off slightly to the left of the blind for one reason - I don't want no one sneaking up behind me. That close they wil see the blind. And I am a righ hand shooter.
The blind - I never brush it in at all but let it stick out like a sore thumb. More for my protection! I do use shaydy sides of fields to stay in the shadows longer and do like to place it under over hanging branches. But I do not brush it in.
My blinds are used exclusivley for field. On fields I can see a long ways and so can other hunters! I will palce them on the edge of a field again keeping the sun to my back.
I even place full body hens right on the groundwith no stake in and in front of the Tom or Jake to try to make it look as it that hen was in mating position. Hens in the wild will lay down to allow the Tom to mount her as the Tom walks up and stands on her back!
pay attention to flocks you see out there. Mimic what yous see. If using 2 hens don't bunch them but keep a few yards between them.
JW
For hens Face them away from you or at least one of two hens - Toms approach a hen from the back to to back side to mate.
At times Toms will go beak to beak with Tom decoys - so face them at you.
When I place decoys they are always close - like 10 steps away as I am in a blind - and I try to make it look real. That is hen/jake or Tom real close no more than a yard apart - and one hen off 5 to 9 yards from these two. this hen is always in a feeding position and not at alert!
I place them close and off slightly to the left of the blind for one reason - I don't want no one sneaking up behind me. That close they wil see the blind. And I am a righ hand shooter.
The blind - I never brush it in at all but let it stick out like a sore thumb. More for my protection! I do use shaydy sides of fields to stay in the shadows longer and do like to place it under over hanging branches. But I do not brush it in.
My blinds are used exclusivley for field. On fields I can see a long ways and so can other hunters! I will palce them on the edge of a field again keeping the sun to my back.
I even place full body hens right on the groundwith no stake in and in front of the Tom or Jake to try to make it look as it that hen was in mating position. Hens in the wild will lay down to allow the Tom to mount her as the Tom walks up and stands on her back!
pay attention to flocks you see out there. Mimic what yous see. If using 2 hens don't bunch them but keep a few yards between them.
JW
03-12-2009, 02:36 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: indiana
Posts: 1,621
RE: help with Decoys
ORIGINAL: JW!
Do watch the latest Turkey TV shows if yo can. You will witness typical behavior of what Toms will do arround decoys at times.
For hens Face them away from you or at least one of two hens - Toms approach a hen from the back to to back side to mate.
At times Toms will go beak to beak with Tom decoys - so face them at you.
When I place decoys they are always close - like 10 steps away as I am in a blind - and I try to make it look real. That is hen/jake or Tom real close no more than a yard apart - and one hen off 5 to 9 yards from these two. this hen is always in a feeding position and not at alert!
I place them close and off slightly to the left of the blind for one reason - I don't want no one sneaking up behind me. That close they wil see the blind. And I am a righ hand shooter.
The blind - I never brush it in at all but let it stick out like a sore thumb. More for my protection! I do use shaydy sides of fields to stay in the shadows longer and do like to place it under over hanging branches. But I do not brush it in.
My blinds are used exclusivley for field. On fields I can see a long ways and so can other hunters! I will palce them on the edge of a field again keeping the sun to my back.
I even place full body hens right on the groundwith no stake in and in front of the Tom or Jake to try to make it look as it that hen was in mating position. Hens in the wild will lay down to allow the Tom to mount her as the Tom walks up and stands on her back!
pay attention to flocks you see out there. Mimic what yous see. If using 2 hens don't bunch them but keep a few yards between them.
JW
Do watch the latest Turkey TV shows if yo can. You will witness typical behavior of what Toms will do arround decoys at times.
For hens Face them away from you or at least one of two hens - Toms approach a hen from the back to to back side to mate.
At times Toms will go beak to beak with Tom decoys - so face them at you.
When I place decoys they are always close - like 10 steps away as I am in a blind - and I try to make it look real. That is hen/jake or Tom real close no more than a yard apart - and one hen off 5 to 9 yards from these two. this hen is always in a feeding position and not at alert!
I place them close and off slightly to the left of the blind for one reason - I don't want no one sneaking up behind me. That close they wil see the blind. And I am a righ hand shooter.
The blind - I never brush it in at all but let it stick out like a sore thumb. More for my protection! I do use shaydy sides of fields to stay in the shadows longer and do like to place it under over hanging branches. But I do not brush it in.
My blinds are used exclusivley for field. On fields I can see a long ways and so can other hunters! I will palce them on the edge of a field again keeping the sun to my back.
I even place full body hens right on the groundwith no stake in and in front of the Tom or Jake to try to make it look as it that hen was in mating position. Hens in the wild will lay down to allow the Tom to mount her as the Tom walks up and stands on her back!
pay attention to flocks you see out there. Mimic what yous see. If using 2 hens don't bunch them but keep a few yards between them.
JW
That's exactly the way i set up.Keep them decoy's close to you with a bow.10 yards or so max.
03-13-2009, 06:34 AM
#9
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: sullivan,missouri
Posts: 166
RE: help with Decoys
ORIGINAL: JW!
Do watch the latest Turkey TV shows if yo can. You will witness typical behavior of what Toms will do arround decoys at times.
For hens Face them away from you or at least one of two hens - Toms approach a hen from the back to to back side to mate.
At times Toms will go beak to beak with Tom decoys - so face them at you.
When I place decoys they are always close - like 10 steps away as I am in a blind - and I try to make it look real. That is hen/jake or Tom real close no more than a yard apart - and one hen off 5 to 9 yards from these two. this hen is always in a feeding position and not at alert!
I place them close and off slightly to the left of the blind for one reason - I don't want no one sneaking up behind me. That close they wil see the blind. And I am a righ hand shooter.
The blind - I never brush it in at all but let it stick out like a sore thumb. More for my protection! I do use shaydy sides of fields to stay in the shadows longer and do like to place it under over hanging branches. But I do not brush it in.
My blinds are used exclusivley for field. On fields I can see a long ways and so can other hunters! I will palce them on the edge of a field again keeping the sun to my back.
I even place full body hens right on the groundwith no stake in and in front of the Tom or Jake to try to make it look as it that hen was in mating position. Hens in the wild will lay down to allow the Tom to mount her as the Tom walks up and stands on her back!
pay attention to flocks you see out there. Mimic what yous see. If using 2 hens don't bunch them but keep a few yards between them.
JW
Do watch the latest Turkey TV shows if yo can. You will witness typical behavior of what Toms will do arround decoys at times.
For hens Face them away from you or at least one of two hens - Toms approach a hen from the back to to back side to mate.
At times Toms will go beak to beak with Tom decoys - so face them at you.
When I place decoys they are always close - like 10 steps away as I am in a blind - and I try to make it look real. That is hen/jake or Tom real close no more than a yard apart - and one hen off 5 to 9 yards from these two. this hen is always in a feeding position and not at alert!
I place them close and off slightly to the left of the blind for one reason - I don't want no one sneaking up behind me. That close they wil see the blind. And I am a righ hand shooter.
The blind - I never brush it in at all but let it stick out like a sore thumb. More for my protection! I do use shaydy sides of fields to stay in the shadows longer and do like to place it under over hanging branches. But I do not brush it in.
My blinds are used exclusivley for field. On fields I can see a long ways and so can other hunters! I will palce them on the edge of a field again keeping the sun to my back.
I even place full body hens right on the groundwith no stake in and in front of the Tom or Jake to try to make it look as it that hen was in mating position. Hens in the wild will lay down to allow the Tom to mount her as the Tom walks up and stands on her back!
pay attention to flocks you see out there. Mimic what yous see. If using 2 hens don't bunch them but keep a few yards between them.
JW
03-13-2009, 12:14 PM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fulton county IL USA
Posts: 4,271
RE: help with Decoys
The guys above have offered some great advice. You'll want the decoys close to your bow blind set-up... 10 to 15 yards seems perfect. The responding Tomwill be totally locked on toa Jake or Tom decoy in your set-up so you reallyshoulduse one. I can't stress the difference it's made for our bowhunting since using a Pretty Boy strutter. Hens just don't seem to be that big of a help in luringa bird to within bow shooting range as the Tom will obviously expect the hens to come to him..... and when bowhunting where an up close and personal shot is mandatory,it can be very hit and miss. Good luck and good huntin'
