When it comes to turkey hunting, having the right decoy setup can make all the difference between a successful hunt and going home empty-handed. Turkey decoys allow hunters to draw in wary toms during the mating season by simulating a flock of hens or a challenging rival gobbler. But with so many turkey decoy styles and options on the market, it can be tricky to know which decoy or combination of decoys will work best.
Why Use Turkey Decoys?
Turkey decoys can be very effective for several reasons:
- Decoys attract a tom’s attention visually, pulling them in from a greater distance.
- Decoys arouse a tom’s competitive nature and desire to show off, especially when using a strutting gobbler decoy.
- Decoys bring toms closer into shooting range.
- Decoys distract and focus a tom’s attention away from hunter movement and calling.
- Decoys provide something for hunters to hide behind for concealment.
By setting up a quality turkey decoy or set of decoys properly, hunters can draw in and hold a lovestruck tom’s focus long enough to get a shot. The most convincing decoy spreads will combine multiple decoys and look as lifelike as possible.
Decoy Styles
There are three main types of turkey decoys to consider:
- Full-body decoys: These are life-size, realistic 3D models of an entire turkey body and often considered the most effective. They show full feather detail from head to tail and feature movable parts like adjustable legs. Full-body hen or gobbler decoys are available.
- Half-body decoys: As the name implies, these show just the top half or front part of a turkey’s body. Half-body decoys are lighter, more portable, and take up less space than full bodies. They often feature detailed feathering on the breast and movable heads.
- Fanning decoys: Fanning decoys display a gobbler’s tail fanned out to mimic the mating display posture. Some have motorized fanning action. Adding a fanning decoy can help attract toms looking for receptive hens.
Each style has advantages. Full-body decoys offer the most realism, while half-bodies are easiest to transport and conceal. Fanning decoys are specialty decoys that target a tom’s breeding instincts. Most experts recommend using full-body hen decoys as the core of your spread, combined with a fanning or full-body gobbler.
Best Decoy Setups
While every hunting property and situation is different, here are some proven decoy strategies:
The Hen Party
A setup of 2-4 full-body hen decoys is ideal to attract a lonely tom looking for love. Place the hens in a loose group facing in different directions, scattered as they would be while feeding in real life. Put one hen in a receptive pose to denote an open hen. A deer tail can be added to one’s rear for extra realism. Calling from behind the decoys completes this tempting scene for any fired-up gobbler. This is a go-to setup for most hunters.
The Jealous Jake
Adding a full-strut or half-strut gobbler to a hen spread imitates a rival tom on their turf and gets toms riled up. The decoy gobbler should be more prominently placed while the hens are relaxed and feeding around it. Aggressive calling will hit a territorial nerve and you’ll often see the real tom come in on a string to the decoy to start trouble.
The Sneaky Approach
Sometimes a subtle, minimalistic decoy setup works magic. Place a single full-body hen decoy in a lifelike pose about 20 yards from your hidden blind or brush. Her placement should be visible when the tom emerges but not conspicuous enough to scare him off. Once spotted, this decoy will draw him right in for a close shot.
Fanning the Flames
Adding a fanning breeder gobbler behind your hen decoys kicks things up a notch when hunting pressured toms late season. The spinning wings and vibrant colors add motion and mimic a lovesick gobbler strutting for the hens. Use this in conjunction with excited calling and challenging gobbling sounds.
Decoy Tips and Strategies
Follow these decoy deployment tips to maximize success:
- Set up decoys in an area you’ve scouted and know turkeys frequent. Focus on roosting zones, fly down spots, and feeding areas.
- Make sure decoys are visible at 40-60 yards out. Toms need to see them from a distance when approaching.
- Place decoys where they’ll be illuminated by first light rather than in shadows.
- Set hen decoys at different angles rather than all facing the same direction. Vary their body postures.
- Allow enough room between decoys for a tom to strut and display for the hens.
- Use decoy stakes or sticks to anchor decoys in uneven ground to prevent tipping over.
- Conceal the stakes beneath the decoys with natural vegetation to blend them in.
- Avoid over-using decoys. A handful of quality full-body or half-body decoys is more than enough.
- Make sure you can draw your shotgun and shoot through openings between the decoy bodies.
With smart decoy strategies, you can make even call-shy spring gobblers think love is in the air. Adjust your spread based on the conditions until you find what works on your hunting site. Decoying wary late-season birds is challenging, but the right lifelike decoy setup will pull old toms in despite their reluctance.
Best Brands of Turkey Decoys
The most popular and trusted turkey decoy manufacturers include:
Brand | Description |
---|---|
Avian-X | Known for ultra-realistic B-Mobile full-body hen and gobbler decoys with retractable legs for compact transport. |
Flambeau | Offers the user-friendly Flocked Tail-Slider hens and Flocked Master Series gobblers. Affordably priced. |
Carry-Lite | Specializes in collapsible half-body hen and gobbler decoys for easy portability. Features Fusion paint technology. |
Miss Purr-Fect | Hand makes incredibly realistic full-body turkey decoys with true feather detailing. A premium option. |
Dakota Decoy | Knows decoys, with options like the lifelike X-Treme Gobbler and Triple Threat hen. |
You can’t go wrong with any of these top-notch turkey decoy brands. Look for durable materials, convincing realism, ease of transport, and affordable pricing.
Most Realistic Materials
The most realistic and durable turkey decoy materials include:
- Polyurethane foam: Lightweight, weatherproof, and carved to mimic feather contours. Often flocked for added realism.
- Hard plastic: Affordable, durable, and can be highly detailed.Painted to impersonate real feathers.
- Silicone rubber: Flexible material that allows decoys to fold up or collapse for transport but spring back into shape.
- Burlap: Breathable fabric for decoy bodies with detailed printed feather patterns. Stays supple in storage.
- Custom feathers: Glued, layered, and painted onto burlap or plastic forms. The ultimate in true-to-life feather detailing.
Many turkey decoys cleverly combine several materials, like a polyurethane foam body with layered feathers on top. This provides durability on the inside and feather accuracy on the outside.
Do-It-Yourself Decoys
For hunters on a tight budget or looking for a fun off-season project, making homemade turkey decoys is a satisfying option. Here are some effective DIY turkey decoy techniques:
Burlap Sack Decoy
An old burlap sack stuffed with newspapers or plastic bags becomes the body. Spray paint a feather pattern or adhere faux craft feathers and wings. Add basic stake legs. Foldable and portable.
Two-Liter Bottle Decoy
Recycle an empty two-liter soda bottle by painting the white plastic brown and adding a paper head, wings, and tail. Affordable alternative for kids or beginning hunters.
Carded Taxidermy Mount
Have your local taxidermist create a full-body carded turkey mount in strutting or feeding pose. Insert a stake in the base for easy setup in fields.
Wood or Wire Frame
Construct a body frame from wood, wire, or coat hangers. Cover with burlap, canvas, or other fabric. Paint or adhere appropriate feathers as desired.
With a little imagination and effort, DIY turkey decoys can fill your need at a fraction of the cost. And nothing beats a home-built decoy you created yourself.
Motion Decoy Options
Motion and movement can give your decoys an added edge. Options include:
- Fanning decoys: Motorized spinning wings that simulate mating displays.
- Decoys with moveable parts: Adjustable legs, heads, and tails to pose and reposition.
- Decoy tethers: Allows the wind to create movement in full-body or half-body decoys.
- Decoy anchor systems: Allows decoys to pivot and move in place like live birds.
- Jerky tails: Fake tails that attach to decoys to flap in the breeze.
- Electric decoy movers: Remotelyrotate the entire decoy from your blind with a motor.
Motion decoys obviously add more realism, but can up the price. Subtle motion from moveable parts or tethers offers a good balance and is effective for wary toms.
Proper Decoy Storage
After the hunt, proper storage and transport is key for longevity of your turkey decoys. Follow these tips:
- Let decoys dry fully if damp before packing away to prevent mildew.
- Brush off any dirt or debris so it doesn’t grind paint or feathers over time.
- Use the included stuff sack, carry bag, or original box for storage and transport.
- Wrap decoys individually in plastic bags if storing loose in a large tote.
- Place foam between stacked decoy bodies to prevent paint scratches.
- Keep decoys out of extreme cold, heat, or moisture that could damage materials.
- Hang collapsible decoys on pegs rather than leaving folded to maintain shape.
- Retouch any paint chips or feather loss regularly to maintain appearance.
Your turkey decoys are a significant investment, so take care of them after every hunt and they’ll perform for many seasons to come.
Conclusion
When used properly, quality turkey decoys can be the key to luring in that elusive old tom for an exciting hunt. Consider how you hunt and where when choosing full-body, half-body, and specialty fanning decoys, then deploy them with tactics in mind. Brands like Avian-X, Dakota, and Flambeau offer stellar realism. Add in lifelike motion decoys if your budget allows. With the right decoy setup and smart positioning, you’ll watch your turkey decoys transform from fake birds to irresistible calling cards.