Strutting Decoy...Good or Bad????

[KentuckyTJ]

I have come to the conclusion that the strutting decoy is bad most the time. I have only had one set of birds come to it a few years back and that was a competition thing with multiple very excited birds. In my experiences the action has to be hot and heavy for it to work. Countless times gobblers steer clear of it. I would bet if I had only hens out there weekend this guy would have walked right in. He sure wanted to but just wouldn't commit. He stuck around a long while just watching the decs. What are your findings???

   

 

   

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Same thing here with those big strutting toms BUT I have had exceptional luck with a strutting jake!

[KentuckyTJ]

Jim, mine is a Jake. It's small, has the longer center tail feathers and a 1" stub beard.

[R. W. Mackey]

TJ:  I don't like the big strutters either, but like Jim, the Jakes have worked great.  My hunting buddy just got back from 10 days in Nebraska, used the new Zink, Jake 1/4 strut decoy.  Had it attacked several times and had at least 6 different gobblers come to investigate it.  This one is very realistic and doesn't offer much of a threat as some of the full strutters.  The bird in your picture is a young one probably two year old, he may have had his butt kicked lately and a little hesitant for another fight.  The older birds usually are not that shy. But they are Turkeys and they do what they darned well please.  RW

[Dirtybird]

Tom a jake in half strut seems to be the best set up with a hen.  IMO. I have had great success over many years getting birds in range with this setup.  When I did try the full strut turkey I also had birds hang up or shy away.  Just my two cents.  Check out this website for some great turkey info bestturkeydecoy.com

[Tim]

Hey Tom, thinking back I only had one occasion when the fanned tom like your using in the photo really worked.  My son and I had a good sized group of gobblers come in, maybe 12 in the group. They were all mature birds and it was a very competitive environment.

The times I've had jakes or a single tom interested they always skirted it by 50 yards.  I've continued to use the big strutter decoy, only because it worked like a charm that one hunt with my son.

Now you got me thinking?    

Where's Curt, he should chime in on this one.

[tradhunter]

I have changed my set up to just running two hens,and for the last seven years it has worked out the best.Now i don't take anything but hens,and the turkeys just roll in.

[Dirtybird]

Tom and Tim that websit I posted about is all about bowhunting birds.  It's one of the most informative enriched sites I've read(3 times).  I think it will help make for better turkey hunting in the future.  Good luck fellows I'm a week away from chasing them.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

I use a jake tail in a holder called the fanster and then cut off the rear end of a cheap jake decoy and set the fanster up tight to jake. i have had  toms come and jump on it . punch it, spur it . Even other jakes have gotten aggressive with it.

the big full strutting tom decoy have done nothing but scare bids away.

[rolltidehunter]

if it is early in the breeding period it works great. almost like fishing with dynomite! now that doesn meant the 1st day of season. sometimes opening day is late in breading period or early depending on the weather. the previous two years opeening day has been perectly timed. it is the early stages of breeding and gobblers are trying to obtain dominance on other birds and they will try and fight every tom they see.. this year was another story. it was 85 deg all march and by the time april rolled around breeding period had already peaked. and most gobblers would run from a strutter.  

think about that next time you set decoys out. but a good all year decoy is a hen and a jake . jake at half strut so he doesnt look intimadating

[snakebit40]

If I use a male decoy at all it's defiantly a jake at half strut. I've seen way to many birds not come all the way in when I was using a full strut.

[AkDan]

like everyone else, its only truely worked once for me also....had toms come from two different areas, had 3 hens and the bmobile out..the first tom got there won a trip to the dinner table.

different hunt, had another tom come in very hestitant...finally brought him in on wingbone, two of us going at it.  

all in all, it's hard to be a single hen decoy, maybe 2 at most.  

 I think the strutters are a hype honestly.  When they work they work very well.  I think  early season just as the flocks are getting close to bustin from winter to spring groups, lots of competition for status and very very few hens ready. This is when they are really deadly.  Later on when toms are henned up and the pecking order is laid...not so much.

Something you'll also notice, the real lifers...be it Zink, David Smiths, or the 'best turkey decoy' are all non strutters.  The latter toting a more calm profile than worked up (its all about the snood lol).  

Heavy worked wooded areas...I've found no decoy is better...more open areas a single hen does very well.

[MJB]

Tim,
I'm pretty sure Curt recommends a strutter early in the season.

[KentuckyTJ]

Originally posted by rolltidehunter:
if it is early in the breeding period it works great. almost like fishing with dynomite! now that doesn meant the 1st day of season. sometimes opening day is late in breading period or early depending on the weather. the previous two years opeening day has been perectly timed. it is the early stages of breeding and gobblers are trying to obtain dominance on other birds and they will try and fight every tom they see.. this year was another story. it was 85 deg all march and by the time april rolled around breeding period had already peaked. and most gobblers would run from a strutter.  

I think you are absolutely spot on John. Our season usually begins with the birds all henned up and in bunches. This year I haven't seen a single bunch of birds. They are all alone, hens and gobblers at least in my area. I'll go all hens next outing and see what happens.

think about that next time you set decoys out. but a good all year decoy is a hen and a jake . jake at half strut so he doesnt look intimadating

[Tim]

David's correct, the website he recommended has some real good info!  Thanks......Tim  

[KentuckyTJ]

I'm with you Tim. We need to hear from Curt. Curt you out there??? I also wonder how much hunting pressure plays a roll in this as well. We had a youth weekend the weekend prior.

[bluegrassbowhunter]

Birds are used to seeing strutting Toms,jakes,hens,etc...specially this time of year.. it's just natural...if birds are steering clear of your set-up it's most likely something else they are seeing...I use a b-mobile with "Great Success"...Mine goes everytime I go..wouldn't think of not taking him.

Now with that being said,I've had birds work get 60 or 70 yards from me & hang up then go the other way but I've had it happen with several different decoys as well as no decoys as at...That's just the way things happen some times....

I'm curious to hear how close are these birds getting to your set-up before they decide to go the other way.

[JamesKerr]

I usually find that even in our early season a strutting jake or tom decoy tends to spook our birds.

[lunchbucket]

Tom I have found they work if our season comes in right when the other males are hot for the ladies.After things cool down they seem to be a little less frisky.

[Tim]

At least some of you are enjoying the season....PA doesn't open for a few more weeks!