Turkey Decoys?

[Devil Diver Down]

I'm looking for a decent turkey decoy - not looking to spend a bundle on Dave Smith dekes because I may only hunt Arizona (we have so few birds we have to draw to hunt w/ shotguns) and this is my first draw ever. My kids had OTC tags a couple years back but they had a crappy guide (me) who has average at best ability on a slate call and a flat Montana decoy tom, which I probably should've never bought.

 

[gritz]

I bought a Thunder Chicken at cabelas for $30 and it has worked pretty good when paired with a hen decoy.

 

[Summitthunting]

http://bestturkeydecoy.com/

I have one and they are a pain to carry but man are they realistic. $59 is a great deal.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Consider getting a hen and a jake. When the tom sees that young whipper-snapper trying to get some of his action, they get pretty fired up.

 

[ringer]

I always hunt unit 1 in AZ and you don't need decoys. I have shot birds off of them but have shot more by going out into the woods in the dark and setting up under a tree and calling in the area near the roost. If the birds are around and horny one will find you eventually.

 

[Redwood]

Avian X hen

 

[skimerhorn]

Bass pro has 2 hens and a Jake for $30. Not the best, but it will keep the eyes off of you.

 

[RUT JUNKEY]

Avian X hen

agree 100%. I have the feeder, looker, and jake. They are the best I"ve ever owned. They are a bit pricey. . .but IMO, well worth it. Good luck. HS just came out with a new hen and jake deke that are very similar to the Avian and 1/3 the cost.

 

[putm2sleep]

A friend was in Kansas for bow opener. Borrowed him calls and decoys. He bought the Thunder Chicken and said it worked like a charm. When they used this with other decoys,' they stayed away, but by itself - those Toms did not like it one bit'.

The best and cheapest is a diy mounted bird.

 

[JohnCushman]

I got the Bass Pro Shop ones mentioned earlier and like them. They are collapsible for easy transport too.

 

[Mudranger1]

Avian X hen

I think you missed the price point thing

 

[Redwood]

You can drop $30-40 on a cheap collapsible foam that flakes and creases or spend $80 on the LCD that looks way better and will hold up way longer. Buy quality, buy once.

 

[sbhooper]

Decoys are helpful SOMETIMES, BUT they can also be problematic. I have had lots of success with them, but they have also spooked birds for me. With archery gear, I think they really help for the most part when used with a pop-up blind. With a shotgun, I think you will do as nearly as well to try to get ahead of the bird and do some purring or putting with an occasional yelp.

Knowing where the birds are likely to move helps a lot, but is not always possible. If you have a henned-up tom, he will not leave them to approach you unless the whole crew moves your way-which they often will if you are patient. A single tom is easy if you position well and play your cards right. He will usually come into shotgun range without worrying about a decoy.

The decoys that I have are old and did not cost much. You may be better off the more life-like the decoy looks. I suppose if it makes you more confident, even a cheap one is better than nothing, though. I agree that a jake and hen combo would be a good purchase.

 

[naturebob]

I am with sbhooper, the above post 100% . I allways have thought decoys are over rated. Iv'e killed many a bird with out them.. Not saying thy don't help some times. Who do You think sponseres all these shows with turkey hunts. DECOY companies. When a Tom is hot He's coming in running generally, and aint stopping........BOB!

 

[RUT JUNKEY]

I am with sbhooper, the above post 100% . I allways have thought decoys are over rated. Iv'e killed many a bird with out them.. Not saying thy don't help some times. Who do You think sponseres all these shows with turkey hunts. DECOY companies. When a Tom is hot He's coming in running generally, and aint stopping........BOB!

Agree to a point. . .decoys are great at keeping the birds eyes/attention away from you. I do agree they will come in if they are hot, but, if they hang up because they don't see where the sound is coming from. . .they dekes are priceless. To each their own though...

 

[sluggo6850]

I can tell you one not to buy, I picked a couple up at cabelas last year. they are rubber and were rolled up. one year later and a lot of trying to get them to straighten out, they still want to roll back up. about to go in the trash.

 

[hardscrabble]

I can tell you one not to buy, I picked a couple up at cabelas last year. they are rubber and were rolled up. one year later and a lot of trying to get them to straighten out, they still want to roll back up. about to go in the trash.

Fill them full of hot water upside down in the bathtub. Let sit for a while. Any places that did not fully straighten use a hair dryer on at max heat while stretching the material.

My vote for the best decoy is the Avian X. Spendy, yes but well worth it. Just like anything, you get what you pay for. Throw out a jake & hen and have fun.

Best of luck!

 

[Devil Diver Down]

Thanks for the answers everyone. I should probably add for those of you not familiar with AZ turkey hunts, we don't have many birds in general and we get a really late start so toms are often henned-up. The youth hunt is this weekend, 1st general the following week and 2nd general the first Friday in May. Archery guys may as well pee in the wind because it begins May 9th and poults are often on the ground already.

I always hunt unit 1 in AZ and you don't need decoys. I have shot birds off of them but have shot more by going out into the woods in the dark and setting up under a tree and calling in the area near the roost. If the birds are around and horny one will find you eventually.

That's the unit I drew, but it's the second season which has me a little concerned - unlimited OTC youth tags followed by 300 guys with shotguns, probably educating every bird in the area I plan on hunting, before I step foot in the unit. If I get lucky enough to fool some dumb bird, no jake is safe, let's put it that way.

I don't think I'm going to go with dekes this time around. We'll see how it goes and if I'm going to hunt them I'll probably spend some extra dough and get quality ones like suggested, rather than skimp and replace.