bow hunting decoy placement

[Brad]

What are some good decoy setups? I have a DSD submissive hen with a btd Jake right behind her, and then two DSD feeding hens off to the side today. All decoys are 7 yards or closer.

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[Stanley]

I have tried every combination possible. I personally think it doesn't matter. I think one hen is as effective as anything. If a Gobbler is going to come in he will, no matter what the decoy set up is. I used this wagon to haul my stuff one year. I just got too old to carry all the the stuff.

[ozzz]

I think the jake breeding the hun close is good the maybe just one more hen farther out for more of a visual to catch the attention of a Tom that mayb not see the closer combo.

[BigHunt]

I have tried every combination possible. I personally think it doesn't matter. I think one hen is as effective as anything. If a Gobbler is going to come in he will, no matter what the decoy set up is. I used this wagon to haul my stuff one year. I just got too old to carry all the the stuff.



]

I agree stan ....

[Bigburner]

I used my Avian X breeding hen/Jake combo and put them with enough room apart so a bird can slip in between. About 4-10 yrds out. Sometimes I lay the hen on the ground and if I know which way the birds are coming from I try to put the jake in front. I like using a jake at the beginning of the season when the Toms are fired up and want to scrap. I had a lot of subordinate birds skirt this set-up later in the season. I figured they got the snot kicked out of them and didn't want a battle. Usually, later on I just throw a hen out. I find when the birds are henned up I don't even bother heading out sometimes until 10am and after the hens nest up for the morning I have toms and Jakes drift in at different parts of the day without the distraction of following around the ladies. Just my 2cents. But If they want to come they come decoy or not. Huntng with the bow is the only turkey experience I have. Never killed one with a gun. I've had birds come in and drew on plenty hunting in the timber shotgun style without decoys as well. just not always the right one. All but one kill was without a blind.

[UPbowhunter]

I put the hen at 4 paces facing away. Jake at 6 yards facing the front of the blind. Most time I have decoys work they ignore hen and attack Jake. I think the hen was part of the reason ol boy came though. I've shot most of my birds with bows. Sometimes no decoy is best. Got know the stage the birds are in.

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[BassBoysLLP]

Thick cover, all times. No decoy

Open terrain, early in the season. Strutting tom facing you and lay down hen

Open terrain, mid season. Single hen. Hen facing bowhunter.

Open terrain, late season. Lay down hen and jake. Jake and hen facing hunter.

Just my 2 cents.

[JoeRE]

I use a lone hen decoy, set up about 20 yards out. If I think I know what direction a bird is coming in I set up the bird 90 degrees off to the left so he has his attention focused on that walking past in front of me. I bow hunt them with a ghillie so I always set up with big trees, deadfalls or bushes in front of me so I can draw as the bird steps behind that, that's why I want the bird walking sort of past me instead of straight in.

With a gun a lot of times I don't use a decoy, just set up so when they can see the hen they hear its too late for them. A lot simpler lol!

I do think the decoys that are photographic prints are the best way to go, higher response rate than ones just painted like a bird. I use a 2-d hen a lot and interestingly it doesn't seem to freak turkeys out when they walk around it. Turkeys are wary bordering on paranoid but pretty dumb in terms of figuring things out.

[Ack]

Decoys close, hen in front, strutter behind her, all facing away from the direction of your target bird. Make him try to catch up to them.

[msailor]

All dekes within 10 yds if I'm in a blind no more than 15yds if I'm w/o a blind. Hopefully I have done my scouting before and I know the circumstances I facing. I try and let the situation dictate.

If I'm hunting a 2yo low in the pecking order, you can bet I wont use a strutter and I'll prob face the dekes away from the anticipated direction of the approaching bird.
If I'm hunting the boss or a bach group, I'll try a lone strutter and hens in some very riske poses, and face the strutter toward the approaching bird.
If i'm hunting a dusting area in the afternoon or travel corridor, just a couple hens.
If a bird is used to be arriving late to the party I'll use every deke I got. If the gobbler is the first one to the party, I'll just wait with no decoys.
And on, and on, on....


I disagree with "it doesn't matter". If you're hunting a property with 8 different gobblers it prob doesnt matter; law of averages. But if you are hunting in areas with lower densities I think it can be the difference from killing that gobbler on your first hunt or your 10th hunt...or not at all.

[muddy]

Echoing the above but I always put the jake decoy at 6 or 8 steps facing my blind and the hens somewhere nearby.

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