# decoy question



## brownitsdown84 (Jan 19, 2009)

Just bought the pretty boy and girl set at cabelas. Last year i bought a really nice looking jake decoy. So i will have those 3. I guess i need to know if it makes a difference of i put them out facing my direction or facing away.. Should i put all three close togetheror move the jake away a bit. Ill be hunting the edge of a woods with my decoys in the cut cornfield...also how close can i get away with putting them from me? Thanks guys!


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## Bux-n-Dux (Dec 18, 2009)

Tell you the truth, I have had the most luck with just the jake and hen. Not sure if the pretty boy scares away the toms or not. But the tom decoy hasn't drawn them in for me. its probably all dependent on the birds in your area. Something to try anyway.


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## Tess1 (Feb 28, 2013)

I'm going ot set out the funky chicken with a pretty mama feeding hen at about 25-30 yards. I suppose you could set the decoys closer it all depends on camoflauge and how steady your nerves are. If you are all over the place and you cant sit still set them out farther.


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## Bowhunt (Jul 27, 2010)

I have never set my decoys up further than 15-20 yds from me. I seldom use decoys anymore but I have had birds hang up short of the decoys. If you set them too far out, you may have birds hang up out of range. Good luck.


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## sniperx043 (Nov 27, 2012)

I usually put my decoys anywhere from 5-15yrds and I try to put them on the side opposite from which they will be coming in.. and usually have them facing quartering to but facing the way I want the tom to walk.. so if I think he's coming from the left I have the decoy to my right facing me and to the right.. that way he will cross infront of me and try to get infront of the decoys face.. works good for me

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## sniperx043 (Nov 27, 2012)

Also I face them that way because turkeys are followers when they feed.. so if I have a decoy facing a way they r coming from more then likely that birds gonna hangup and wait.. if its facing away it will want to catch up so it don't miss out on food 

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## nacturnal (Mar 11, 2013)

I try to always put the decoy facing me or at least in my direction with a Jake about a foot away from a hen...I've had long beards pass up real hens in the field and charge my Jake decoy...works very well for me....and i put them about 20-25 yards out

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## buck11pt24 (Mar 11, 2007)

I found that the pretty boy was scaring birds....not all the time, but sometimes. I believe he is too big and sold it in a garage sale. I took my theory of a smaller sized strutting tom and made one myself. I boraxed the skin from a bird I shot, used spray foam to create a body then used liquid nail to glue everything in place. For the head I was given a freeze dried head and painted it myself. I place him at 15 yards and I try to aim him with 1/4 turn towards where i believe the birds are coming from. Sometimes i use a hen decoy with him, other times I only have him. He works 80% of the time and have never had a bird see him and run away. Some just strut with the ladies and don't acknowledge him. Most come running to him and even kick his butt.


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## iLiveInTrees (Jun 29, 2010)

I put my decoys 20 yds from my blind location. 

Remember turkeys are visual animals.....they like to be seen, face your decoys away from where you think the toms will come from....they will take offense to being "ignored" and hopefully move in to get in front of the decoy.

If you move your decoy too far out, they could come from the backside making for a long shot.

Good Luck!


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## Ack (Oct 3, 2004)

This is my typical spread when bowhunting fields........all dekes are within 10 yards of me. If you are shotgunning they obviously do not need to be that close. With this setup the toms will almost always go to the strutter first.


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## 88luneke (Jan 13, 2009)

Ack, is there anything that dictates what decoys you set up if any at all?


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## Ack (Oct 3, 2004)

88luneke said:


> Ack, is there anything that dictates what decoys you set up if any at all?


Depends on how many I feel like carrying! :lol: Seriously, my best results have come from my strutter and hen, so those two usually always go out with me. The jake only seems to bring in younger birds around here. If I have somebody with me using a shotgun I typically won't take any of them.


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## Martian (Apr 28, 2011)

I like to set them close 10-15 yds off to the side of my blind, so the birds don;t come in straight at me and I like the jake, or strutter facing me, generally , the tom coming in will face the deoy, so its head is facing away, not at me


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## D.Gross (Sep 20, 2005)

I have a "small" decoy that I painted up as a Jake and put a real fan on him plus a turkey skin. I use another hen with a turkey skin. I place decoys 15 yds to my right, within a couple feet of each other. Sometimes I place hen right on ground in front of Jake, have Jake facing my position.I turn my "sand chair" to the right so I can swing all the way to the left if need be. Has worked well for me. Have shot 16 Toms in 17 years.
Watched video of the Funky Chicken and went to Bass Pro yesterday to buy one but they had none. So will just go with regular set up.


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## charlottes web (Feb 11, 2013)

I always hunt the early season and I find 2 or 3 hen decoys alone can be very effective. I've had bird's from 300 yards spot those girls all alone and come on a dead run. One year I only had one hen decoy so I put out a jake and I had two jakes come racing in looking for a fight. I was using inflatables, they are not spur proof. I usually don't shoot jakes but I had just bought the dcoy, if it was a two bird limit I wouldve taken both of them.:yikes::rant:


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