The best turkey-decoy spreads play to a springtime gobbler’s desire to breed, fight or, better yet, do both. (Photo courtesy of Mossy Oak)
April 12, 2024
By Josh Honeycutt
We’d hunted the pesky gobbler numerous times. He’d strut and gobble on the hillside, but never march down to meet my puny jake decoy. It seemed that tom was happy enough with his five ladies on the hilltop.
Then one day I decided to put out a whole gaggle of turkey decoys to paint a different picture. Wouldn’t you know, that gobbler walked right down the hill and into our spread.
That proved to me that realism matters, and that sometimes it isn’t only about enhancing your decoys’ appearance, but about offering the birds a different look. With that in mind, here are some simple tweaks to increase your turkey-hunting success this spring.
1. TOUCH-UP PAINT JOBS In the not-so-distant past, we gobbler getters used to deploy turkey decoys that didn’t look so great. They were made of foam and sometimes plastic frames that needed to be aired up. They weren’t very realistic, and decoy spreads that featured them paled in comparison to today’s versions.
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Oftentimes, though, those decoys worked. My family, friends and I shot a mess of turkeys over the subpar dekes. If you still use those foam fakes, it’s not a must to trade up for better mimics. However, it might be time to add some paint touches. A few bursts of spray paint can do wonders to an old, run-down decoy. Get some red and white for a jake or gobbler’s head and black for the body. Use light blue and soft pink for a hen’s head and brown for the body.
2. ENHANCE MOTION An often-overlooked option is adding movement to your decoys. I’m not suggesting motorized decoys, as those are not permitted in many states. But most allow manual motion that can be achieved in a couple of ways.
First, consider buying decoys that will move in a light to moderate wind. Some manufacturers accomplish this through their design, others via the makeup of the decoy’s stake. Another option is to attach an inconspicuous, dark-colored jerk string to your decoys that will reach all the way to your setup spot. Then, you can gently move the faux birds as needed.
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3. ADD REAL PLUMAGE Nothing shines like turkey feathers, which also move easily in the wind. For older decoys in serious need of new life, adding a few real feathers can provide a great combination of natural appearance and movement. So, the next time you bag a gobbler, save some feathers and glue them to your old decoys. That will often supply enough realism to convince a leery longbeard to approach.
4. IMPART PROPER POSTURE Turkeys exhibit a variety of postures. They all mean something different and provide clues to the birds’ state of mind. Certain postures suggest fear or alertness. Some indicate aggression, anger or excitement. Others demonstrate indifference, submissiveness and more.
Be sure to have decoys in various shapes to portray different postures. Then, put out those that best fit a particular situation to elevate the realism of your spread another notch and lure more gobblers.
5. EMPLOY QUALITY STAKES Anyone who’s ever broken a stick over their knee to use as a makeshift stake for a turkey decoy understands just how bad the stakes that come with decoys can be. Even some of the after-market options are poor. You want a stake that allows the decoy to move, not turn it into a spinning ballerina or spastic break dancer with every wind gust. Remember that subtle, natural movements increase realism, while abrupt and exaggerated ones diminish it.
6. ORIENT THEM CORRECTLY Generally speaking, the direction a decoy faces doesn’t matter much. We aren’t aligning a decoy’s axis with the stars, sun or moon. But it is still possible to stake decoys in an awkward, unnatural manner. So, face decoys in directions that look natural. And don’t have them looking toward your position, as this can draw attention to you.
7. GO LIFELIKE Modern turkey decoys undoubtedly blow away their counterparts of years past. Some of the options available these days, such as those from Avian-X and Dave Smith Decoys, are incredibly realistic (though you pay for such realism).
Nevertheless, some hunters opt to go one step further and employ taxidermized turkeys called “stuffers.” The most common stuffer poses are feeding hens, alert hens, half-strut jakes and 3/4-strut jakes. Keep in mind that using a taxidermized bird as a decoy isn’t legal in all states, so be sure to check regulations.
8. PAINT A SCENE Staking out a decoy spread at random often won’t cut it. It’s important to paint an inviting picture in a gobbler’s head. When trying to trick a bird into range, it’s best to play to his temper, his desire to breed or both.
Whenever you display male turkey decoys, using one that shows aggressiveness is a great way to spur a real tom into a rage. An aggressive turkey exhibits a solid white head. So, placing a male decoy in a confident posture with its head painted white can provoke a boss bird to rush in.
9. USE A FULL GAGGLE Want to blow that bird’s mind? Throw an entire flock at him. Pull together as many decoys as you can muster, even if you must borrow a few, and deploy them all at once. This frequently draws in turkeys that wouldn’t commit to just one or two decoys. Putting out five to 10 decoys, I’ve bagged turkeys that otherwise would have remained out of range.
10. MATCH YOUR CALLING Keep in mind that adding realism shouldn’t stop at your decoys. It must also include your calling, which ought to match the decoys you display. Got only a hen decoy out? Don’t start gobbling on that mouth call. Instead, reinforce the picture you painted with the visuals. If you have a feeding hen out, use soft clucks and purrs rather than loud cutts and yelps. If it’s an alert-hen decoy, go with a few soft to moderate yelps, along with clucks and purrs.
Deke tweaks are a legitimate way to take your turkey game to the next level and should be more than a passing consideration. Adding realism to your decoy spread will substantially boost its effectiveness, ramping up your odds of succeeding in getting birds to come well within your range.
