What decoy(s) would you recommend ? Does it really make a difference? price and setup are a big factor to myself. Thanks.
You can read about my opening day success using the Pretty Boy set up in team 2's thread. I never thought it mattered and I never used a strutting Tom before Monday. I'm totally convinced now. Completely.
used the pretty boy with an actual tail fan off a turk i got few years ago. holy smoke!! tom was on me before i could get the bow out of the ground holder.
Cabela's has a full strut decoy on sale for $20. Get that one. You can use your own tail, and you can't beat it.
IMHO, A full strut decoy will make just as many toms hang up or as it does bring in. I semi-strut decoys the best. The DSD Jake and Zink Avian-X Jake are excellent. There was a new convertible decoy on Cabelas that looked very appealing but I can't remember the name of it.
I used the pretty boy and girl combo today with another hen feeder.. I think I will be getting a jake next year. I had two gobblers take 25 mins to cover about 75 yards to get to my spread, they seemed really weary and they locked up at 38 yards. still smoked him, but really wanted them to come and work the decoys a bit but it wasn't in the cards.
How's this one. Tail and beard thanks to gutuneforne. i just made the fan today and put it all together hpe it works over the next 2 days Sent from my LG-E739 using Tapatalk 2
I personally never used full strut decoys as In my experience they hurt as much as they help. Semi strut jake is where it's at. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My preferences, to each his own: First thing I would do is hack off the beard to almost a nub. Next I would hack away at the tail fan and make it a really predominant Jake fan.
i have jake decoy. i would never hack up a nice fan or beard especially one that was a gift from a friend
Cherokee 007 Transformer Zink Avian X Dakota or Best Turkey Decoy Dave Smith Decoys All are top of the line for realism, probably in increasing order as you go down the list (price increases as well). I got the transformer this spring and it is a scary real looking decoy...I hate that it doesn't have an inflatable bladder inside it like the Avian X to insure proper shape. If I was looking for the absolute best decoy setup with money in mind as well, I'd get a Dakota Decoy jake ($100) and one or two avian X hens. I likely will have this setup by next year, selling my pretty boy combo and transformer hen. I have killed several gobblers over full strut decoys but they present two very real problems. On slow approaching toms, often a gang of jakes can rush in and ruin the setup before he has a chance to close the distance. And it can also simply spook off submissive toms. I'm not picky when it comes to turkeys, a tom is a tom is a tom to me. If you are confident of your surroundings, one of the easiest ways to kill a tom is to use just the tail fan out in the open laying behind it.
I have excellent luck using a modified B Mobile. The tail fan can be operated up and down using a modified hinge, and a return spring that keeps tail upright when string is relaxed. I use fire line 30lb string as it had no stretch and all but invisable. I attach real wings dried with most bones removed, and use real feathers, Jake tail, and bob the fake beard down to Jake size. Its mounted on a stand so I just set it down and dont have to fiddle with a stake and hard ground. It also has a carry handle. I use a laying Hen with it. I stake down the string in front of it to about 6' out to keep birds from getting tripped up in the string. I carry it in with a couple strips of FLO Orange survey tape attached so I dont get shot LOL
Thank you all so much for your input, I will definitely take this all in! It does pretty much seem like to much your own preference. Best of luck to everyone.
