It was the spring of 1999, and I was tagging along with my father to the local hardware store in search of carpentry supplies. As a 5-year-old with a rapidly growing interest in the outdoors, I naturally gravitated to the hunting section of the small shop. That’s when I laid my eyes on it. A brand new FeatherFlex Collapsible Jake Decoy, front and center on the shelf. The same decoy I watched Tim Wells hunt over on my favorite hunting show, “The Sportsman’s Gamebag.”
It was a simple product. Light weight, gray foam in the relative shape of a turkey’s body with what appeared to be a rattle canned red, white and blue head. Best of all, it was affordable, even for a 5-year-old. I bought it with some birthday money I had saved. With a big smile on my face, I left the store, now the proud owner of my first turkey decoy.
Since that day I have purchased a plethora of decoys throughout the past 24 years, ranging in price from $15 all the way up to $250. Each time a new payment is made I think back to that FeatherFlex Jake Decoy and wonder, Are Expensive Turkey Decoys Worth It?
I shared many memorable hunts with my father over that cheap decoy but like any addict, I had an addiction to feed. With an industry taking strides in realism year after year I yearned for an upgrade. But with higher quality comes a higher price. Naturally I’d catch myself daydreaming about what decoy I’d save up for next while hand painting and gluing feathers to the current setup in the meantime.
Always in search of which one would pull that wily, hung up gobbler in for a closer look. I thought I finally had the answer to that question when I had saved up for a Primos Killer B Strutting Tom Decoy. Detailed feathers, realistic paint scheme, taxidermy eyes, and pullcord tail fan for added motion. I threw on a real tail fan, and the first 6 long beards that ever laid their eyes on it got carried out over the shoulder. It was magic! Like all good things, however, they must come to an end. The Killer B’s first encounter with a shy 2-year-old bird had him running for the next county before I could even let out a mercy yelp. So, my search began yet again for that perfect setup.
That’s when I picked up my first Avian-X Decoy, the LCD (Lifelike Collapsible Decoy) Half Strut Jake. That poor decoy got beat up more times than I could count and was the demise of many spring gobblers of all ages. I’ve since added the Avian-X Heavy Duty Realism (HDR) line of turkey decoys. They are easily some of the most realistic, hard body decoys on the market. With that they also carry a price tag that reflects their quality. A blend of realism and price that 5-year-old Kurt wouldn’t believe could exist, let alone afford! Each decoy has incredible details ranging from legs with spurs and flocked back feathers to a combination of removable head positions and colors.
Situation depending, I run a combination of the following HDR decoys in my spread: the HDR Strutter, HDR Jake and the HDR Hen. Early in the season I take advantage of the pecking order establishment by utilizing the strutter with a hen to entice a challenging longbeard. Nothing compares to a dominant bird defending his turf. Unless, of course, it’s a group of hot-headed toms.
Which brings me back to the original question, Are Expensive Turkey Decoys Worth It? Are hunters that are using old, cheap decoys at a disadvantage? I wish I could give you a simple yes or no answer, but unfortunately, I will have to supply you with the generic, “it depends!” Without a doubt there has been, and always will be, the argument that decoys aren’t even necessary to harvest gobblers year in and year out. But after chasing turkeys with archery tackle for the past few seasons, I quickly learned that the name of the game in bowhunting gobblers is getting them in tight and keeping them there. That’s something that wasn’t as much of a priority when I strictly carried the Remington 870 shotgun.
With a bow in hand, I’m a firm believer in getting them so close I can smell their breath. I like them 10 yards or less. So, in my opinion, every bit of realism in my setup counts if it helps keep a gobbler’s eyes off me while I draw. Now, does this mean that harvesting a bird while using a cheap decoy is impossible? Absolutely not.
A longbeard with the right attitude will commit to nearly anything. I will never forget my father shooting a longbeard that was charging towards that FeatherFlex Jake like a bullet fired from a .45. I also remember harvesting a gobbler at 10 feet while hiding behind a black backpack and a tail fan–a setup that hardly resembled a turkey. Yet that bird was entirely fooled. At the end of the day, we are chasing a bird with a braincase the size of a walnut (a fact that at times can be demoralizing).
Purchase whatever decoy fits your style and budget, allowing you to have fun and be successful is all that truly matters in the end.
Are expensive decoys worth it? It all depends!
It depends on your budget. It depends on your hunting style. It depends on your weapon of choice. It depends on the attitude of the longbeard that you are after. Most of all, it depends on your addiction to the great sport we all love, Turkey Hunting!
