Decoys for Spring Gobblers- Yes or No?

A turkey decoy can be your single best strategy to bag a bird with bow and arrow.  Whether you are sitting against a tree or concealed in a blind, a decoy can lure a gobbler into close range and distract it at the moment of truth.  Once you call to a turkey, it knows your exact location and unless the bird sees the source of the call (the decoy) it may refuse to approach.

Know the Distance

Decoys give the hunter several advantages.  The first is the attraction of the gobbler and the distraction the bogus bird provides.  Just as importantly, by luring the bird to a specific spot, you know the range within a yard or two.  When blind hunting, you can lure the tom into prime shooting position based on your shooting windows.  When hunting from the ground, you prevent the bird from strutting behind you or to your non-shooting side.

The Joy of Jakes

Jakes, yearling male turkeys, often travel in small groups and act like thugs when they approach a mature gobbler.  They will attack as a group flopping and pecking at the tom’s head.  Mature gobblers have an equal disdain for jakes and often run to attack them.  The turkey world is a constant battle for dominance and watching these interactions is interesting and often comical.

One, or a Flock?

Since hens will still be in flocks on opening day, several decoys will look more natural than a lone hen.  As above, I post a jake with two hens to further enrage a passing gobbler.  Despite the hen’s location, an approaching gobbler goes directly for the jake, attacking it.  This requires extreme patience on your part as you must wait until the tom presents the correct position and is still.  Your kill zone is the size of a baseball and is disguised by feathers.  Accuracy is critical.

Decoys, the Downside

Shotgun hunters use decoys as well and given the excitement a strutting tom can create, missing a bird at very close range is easier than many think.  Once fired at, gobblers can become wary of decoys.  Also, hens often dislike a single hen decoy and may alarm putt and move away, causing alarm for a trailing gobbler.  For the first time in five years, a gobbler shied away from my decoy spread, an indication that at least one local tom has been educated.  I plan to reposition my blind and set up in a different location this spring.

Full-Fan Gobblers

Many hunters in YouTube videos use a gobbler decoy with a real turkey fan taken from a previous harvest.  Hens often ignore these decoys, but they arouse the dominance in toms, especially if they are paired with a buddy or two.  The disadvantage of strutting toms is the DANGER.  These decoys look real to turkeys and hunters, and you must exercise the most EXTREME CAUTION when using one.  If you see another hunter approach your decoys, shout HEY! I’M HUNTING HERE!!!  Don’t move or shake your hand, just shout.  Your life is in peril.  

Decoys allow for a precise shot at a known distance and can be a huge advantage when hunting.  When hunting from a blind, I store the decoys in the blind prior to opening day to facilitate transport.  Feel free to share your experiences in the comments.  We are always open to a new idea or technique.