fbpx

5 Reasons You Can’t Decoy

By Josh HoneycuttApril 1, 2015

LAST UPDATED: May 1st, 2015

A thunderous gobble pierces the fog. He’s not far. He’s just over the rise. You stake the decoys in a haste. Seconds later, gleaming tail feathers crest the hill. His snood drapes over his beak. His beard bounces off his chest. Morning dew flies from his feet with every stiff-legged step he takes. He’s almost in range now. And then you hear it — the dreaded putt of an alarmed bird. He turns and runs. You scratch your head and wonder why.

Decoying is a delicate art. You can’t just stake a decoy and let ‘er rip. Are turkeys avoiding your setups? If so, one of these five reasons might be why.

1. Your Decoys Aren’t Visible

Gobblers often won’t commit to something they can’t see. Decoys should be as visible as possible. Visible decoys are effective decoys.

Tall grass is a decoy’s number one enemy. Heavy cover and vegetation make it tough for toms to home in on dekes. There should be a clear line of sight between decoys and gobblers’ expected entry point.

Turkeys are more apt to use openings with shorter vegetation. Tall grass and vegetation provide predators with an elevated ambush advantage. Also, turkeys often retreat to this type of edge cover when they are alarmed. A gobbler looking at decoys in knee-high vegetation might be reluctant.

Terrain is a factor. Topography plays a huge role in tagged birds versus tag sandwiches. Rolling hills, creek banks, benches, saddles and other geographical features impact visibility. Now I’m going to play devil’s advocate. Visibility is important. But there is an exception to the rule. The key is to setup within range of the geographical landmark, such as a hilltop, on the opposite side the bird is on. If the bird is alone, place the decoy halfway between you and the crest of the hill. Use soft calling to lure the bird over the horizon. Lonely birds are generally easy to call to vantage points such as these. Their inclination to see what is on the other side often gets the best of them. If the bird has company, stake them right at the crest of the hill in hopes of drawing them in.

Proper decoy placement is critical for maximum visibility

Proper decoy placement is critical for maximum visibility.

2. Decoy Placement is Off

Placement is everything. It can mean the difference between a hung-up bird at 60 yards and a hung-up bird at camp. The distance between you and your decoys will always be different. That said, a good rule of thumb when bowhunting is 10 to 15 yards. Staking decoys too far out not only makes for a longer shot, it also gives birds the opportunity to hang up out of range. But, keep in mind, you don’t want to sit right on the decoys for obvious safety reasons either. Keep a happy medium.

How decoys are physically positioned matter, too. Strutter and jake decoys need to be turned at a 30-to-45-degree angle. Most dominant birds will approach decoys head-on. Facing decoys in your relative direction takes the attention off you once the bird is in range. This can give you that split second you need to draw your bow. If the bird is strutting, wait until his tail fan blocks his view of you. If your decoys are positioned correctly, it will when he confronts the deke.

Hen decoys should be placed differently. Boss hens run the show. More times than not, they are the danger detectors. Therefore, hen decoys should be turned at a 45-to-90-degree angle. You don’t want hen decoys looking at you. This will direct turkeys’ eyes toward you as well. Also, use the decoys to “steer” gobblers in the direction you want them to go by pointing the hens in that direction.

3. Calls Don’t Match the Dekes

This is something often overlooked by even the most experienced of hunters. Use calls that match your decoy spread. If it’s wide open, and you don’t have a jake or a tom decoy, don’t gobble. If using a feeding hen, supplement with clucks and purrs. If using a jake decoy, throw in a few jake yelps. You get the idea.

 

Matching your calls to the decoy spread you display helps seal the deal on tough toms.

Matching your calls to the decoy spread you display helps seal the deal on tough toms.

 

4. They Don’t Sell the Part

Decoys need to be realistic. In today’s world, there is no reason for them not to be. Store those foam decoys you bought on a whim seven seasons ago. Sure, I’ve killed plenty of turkeys using cheap decoys. But I’ve also seen them tuck tail and run from them, only to die at the feet of a better decoy the next day.

You can get good decoys on a budget these days. You don’t have to go all out and buy a taxidermy stuffer. But, quality dekes will lead to more successful hunts. It isn’t just the amount of detail in the decoy, either. It’s the paint that is used, posture in the decoy, etc. Higher-end decoys will take these things into account where lower-end decoys will not.

Pull more longbeards  from the woods this spring with quality decoys

Pull more longbeards  from the woods this spring with quality decoys.

5. The Timing is Off

Timing is crucial for effective decoying. Your decoy spread should match the breeding cycle. The phases in the breeding cycle are: first peak gobbling, suppressed gobbling and second peak gobbling. The first phase is when birds are still grouped up and breeding is minimal. Suppressed gobbling is when hens are most receptive to toms. The second peak gobbling spikes as hens begin to nest and become less receptive to toms again.

Early in the season, during the first peak gobbling phase, is the best time to be aggressive. Birds are fired up and ready to breed. This is the time to use strutter decoys and other aggressive-style decoy spreads.

As the season progresses, during the suppressed gobbling phase, throw some love in your decoy spread. Birds are less vocal now. Breeding has ensued. Implement a breeding jake and hen. This could be just what it takes to bring that longbeard charging in.

Once the late season arrives, during the second peak gobbling phase, birds are bruised and battered. But they’re still willing to breed. Hold off on strutter decoys and other aggressive decoys. Instead, use a single or pair of hens. Gobblers will be much more likely to approach your spread if it lacks a male presence. This is especially effective against subordinate gobblers.

The moral of the story? Tailor your decoy spread to the current behavior of local turkeys. Do this and you’ll be surprised how much more effective decoys become for you.

Conclusion

Toms are gobbling. Gobblers are strutting. Strutters are breeding. The season is upon us. The dekes can be kryptonite for longbeards. But they can also be self-destructive for you. Know your trade. Hone your craft. Decoying doesn’t have to be hard.

The author with a big Kentucky gobbler he duped with a decoy.

The author with a big Kentucky gobbler he duped with a decoy.

the author poses with a Kentucky longbeard from the 2014 season. Photo by Jesse Garrett

Josh Honeycutt
Josh Honeycutt is an avid deer hunter. He's hunted whitetails from South Carolina to South Dakota but spends most of his time hunting in Kentucky. Honeycutt has written and created other forms of media for more than 60 media companies in the outdoor industry, including: North American Whitetail, Whitetail Journal, Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, Deer & Deer Hunting, Rack Magazine, Inside Archery, Game & Fish, Fur-Fish-Game, and others. He's also very active in digital content, specializing in writing, editing, photography, videography, podcasting, and more. You can see how his deer season unfolds each year on Midwest Whitetail and Chasing November.
Post a Comment
Login To Account

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *