Decoys..

[cornfedkiller]

For those of you that use decoys, how many and what do you use (as far as hens, jakes, strutters)?

Also, whats your setup/decoy position like? How are they placed? Which direction? How far from you/the blind?

Have you been more successful with one thing over another?

Lets here your setup!

[huntinfool14]

decoys have there time and place...i prefer if your in a thick woods, dont use one...keep that turkey interested and wanna keep coming forward by looking for that "hen sound"

if your hunting an open field/open woods/etc. i would use a decoy...you can easily get by with just a hen decoy, but if possible, i have TREMENDOUS luck over a hen laying in the breeding position with a jake decoy about 5 feet away behind it..its a killer setup

i ususally put the decoys around 15-20 yds from me...that way if the toms come right to the decoys, its a chip shot..and if he hangs up a little bit away from decoys(its usually around 40-50 yds) then you can still make that poke with a shotgun..

with a bow, i would go as close as 8-15 yds and no further..

another thing to keep in mind when using decoys..i like to keep them off center of me, put them on the left or right of yourself..that way if the tom is coming from straight in front of you, he will be focused on the decoy and if the decoy is directly in front of you, he'll be able to catch you moving in the background

[muddy]

In the past few years I've gotten to the point where I don't put a decoy any further away than 10 yards. I spread them around my blind and if I'm using my strutter deek he is 8 steps away looking right at my blind. I like to put the hens right up next to my blind as if they're scratching in the leaves next to a brush pile or if in the open next to a hay bale. Here's a few pics of how I situate.



This pic the camera is on the tripod inside the blind, yes, same location as first pic.

This pic the blind is JUST out of frame to the left under a pine tree, it was 90 degrees that day, needed shade.

Barely see the strutter behind the blind, within spitting distance.

Deeks clustered around blind, worked like a champ even in the middle of NOWHERE

[cornfedkiller]

Thanks for the pics muddy!

I currently use 2 hen decoys and a jake. I typically place the hen either in the breeding position or in a somewhat submissive position, with the jake a couple feet behind her.. I usually place the other hen just kinda off to the side in a feeding postion.

I like them 6-8 yards from the blind..

Lets hear some more setups..

[Ack]

Ever since I started using my Dave Smith upright hen I hardly ever take the strutter with me anymore. The one lone hen 7 yards in front of the blind seems to be working great. I have taken a couple birds using the strutter along with the hen, but it's not always a sure thing.

[cornfedkiller]

Gander had the Primos Killer-B on sale the other day, so I decided to pick one up..Pretty excited to try him out this spring!