A decoy can make or break a bow hunt. Drawing your compound or raising a crossbow in the sight of a gobbler will certainly cause it to run or fly, unless its attention is totally focused on a rival gobbler or mating opportunity. Posting one or more decoys in plain view of passing or approaching gobblers eliminates the need to call and allows you to focus on the shot at the best possible moment.
How Close? How Far?
If you are hunting from a blind, set your decoy at 15 yards and sight your bow dead-on at that distance. Closer than 15 yards puts you at risk of spooking a turkey with a sound from the blind. Murphy’s law predicts that “stuff will happen” and having the tom at a known close range minimizes error. If your arms begin to tremble or you jerk the trigger on a crossbow, you may not need a perfect shot.
One, Two, or a Flock?
Notice the body language of these two decoys. One hen is feeding, and I intend to tie a piece of fishing line to her head so that it will bob up and down as if she is pecking bugs or gravel. The second hen is in a natural walking stance. Neither seems alarmed. Contrast this to the normal hen decoy with its head erect as if it had spotted danger or another approaching gobbler. Two hen decoys work better than one. More than two increase the work with little increased effectiveness unless it includes a jake. That issue is next.
Lone Jake
A jake (immature gobbler) decoy sparks aggression in most adult toms, especially if there two or three together. Most of the time a gobbler will literally attack the decoy by spurring it, flapping its wing, or jumping on top of it. Once knocked off the stake, gobblers will continue to spur and flog the decoy. This is exactly the kind of distraction a bowhunter needs, but you must be very patient with your release. You not only must pick the exact spot to aim but wait for the gobbler to stand motionless.
Breeding Jake
Depending on the kind of decoys you have, it may be possible to set up a mating scenario that will certainly capture the attention of any passing tom. Place the hen decoy on the ground and a jake decoy directly behind it on a stake as if the two birds are about to breed. You can expect a gobbler(s) to directly attack the jake and be extremely aggressive. If you are at full draw or in your scope, using a diaphragm caller to make alarm putts may cause the attacking bird to stand motionless for a second or two.
Safety First
Decoys can be dangerous, and you must always use them with the utmost caution. Sure, hen decoys aren’t legal game, but hunters can get overly excited and mistake your decoy for the real thing. As you carry them and set them up, could a hunter see turkey figures and shoot? Jake and gobbler decoys are particularly dangerous because they simulate fair game, and you must deploy them in situations where a hunter mistake does not put you in harm’s way.
Mobile Strategies
If you use mobile tactics, it’s tempting to move a decoy ahead of you when you hear a gobble. If a turkey suddenly gobbles or responds to your call, it means the bird is acting naturally. By moving the decoy five-to ten steps ahead, placing it, and then retreating takes time and makes unnecessary noise. When you get a response from a gobbling tom, put the decoy where you stand and then make seductive calls as you retreat to the largest tree in range. Scratch in the leaves with your hand as if a hen was feeding. If the tom is approaching, you need not keep calling. If you are right-handed, set up to your left where the decoy will draw a gobbler past an obstruction, allowing you to draw or raise a crossbow.
During the pandemic when schools were closed, my grandson hunted with me. We had placed a decoy 15 yards in front of our blind when a hen marched up to the jake, purred, half strutted, and put on a performance I’ll never forget. Decoys spark lust or aggression in turkeys, and apparently, contempt as well.