The best turkey decoys on the market sport realistic detail, like like this Avian-X LCD Breeder Hen decoy, one of 10 new decoys featured in this article. (Photo courtesy of Avian-X)
April 30, 2024
By Lynn Burkhead
If a turkey decoy is indispensable on your hunting-gear checklist, here are some great options to consider before heading into the woods this spring:
Avian-X LCD Breeder Hen The very popular Avian-X lineup, the LCD Breeder Hen has a posture that signals to a big old wily gobbler that she's ready to breed. With high-quality feather detail, superb paint schemes, and a collapsible dura-rubber body that features incredible realism and plenty of detailed feathers, this is a top flight decoy option to keep in the back of your vest.
This decoy comes with a collapsible carbon stake that allows for realistic movement without unnatural spin. Add a storage compression strap and a carry bag and this is a decoy with unmatched realism, detail and value for the spring turkey hunter.
Dave Smith Decoys Breeding Pair No matter how tough the season has been to date, an angry gobbler high-stepping his way into shooting range is the likely result when you deploy the Dave Smith Decoys (DSD) Breeding Pair setup of decoys this spring.
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That's because this combo features a receptive hen and a jake about to breed her, more than a surly old longbeard can deal with. With DSD's rugged decoy bodies made with the company's A.C.E. Technology, this set of dekes requires no inflation while still holding their natural shape as the seasons roll on by. Better yet, the DSD decoy construction helps it withstand an accidental shotgun blast or a broadhead through the body should things go a little haywire in the field. Add two camo carry bags complete with shoulder straps and this DSD decoy setup is easy to carry in the field and even easier to use.
Flextone Thunder Chick Upright If the sight of a subordinate gobbler or jake moving onto hard-won May turf can drive the King of Spring a little wild with rage, then the sight of a dominate hen can send that same old gobbler over the edge as he throws caution to the wind and struts his way quickly into shooting range.
That's the idea behind the Flextone Thunder Chick Upright decoy , which features an upright head design to signify the hen's dominance toward other hens. With a pose that gives a higher profile and aids in visibility from afar, this decoy is easy for an incoming gobbler to see, identify and approach. With relaxed feather positioning, this great-looking collapsible is easy to stow in a carry bag or in the back of your vest.
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Game Winner Turkey Flock Simple, lightweight and checking in at a great price tag, there's plenty to like about the Game Winner Turkey Flock Decoys from Academy . Made of lightweight foam, these decoys feature a realistic HD feather design, and come with head and body paint schemes that will trick even a savvy old longbeard. It fits onto a two-piece plastic stake and weighs about a pound apiece. You can spend more on turkey decoys if you'd like, but these decoys are sure-fire winners and aren't bank-breakers as they deliver realism and detail sure to bring an old gobbler strutting into shotgun range before the spring season is done.
Higdon Upright Hen When the hard-pressured gobblers in your woods are quiet and cautious, using a Higdon Outdoors Upright Hen Turkey Decoy can be just the trick to lure in that gobbler who is keeping his turkey lips zipped shut. Mimicking an upright hen, this decoy is a hard-body design that is ultra-realistic, thanks to the XHD Hyper Feathering process, a motion stake system that brings the decoy to subtle life and iridescent colors that look like the real thing quietly moving about and feeding in the woods. A simple, realistic, and tough decoy, the Higdon Upright Hen is sure to lure in an edgy gobbler where you hunt.
HS Strut-Lite Feeding Hen As one of the longtime leaders in the spring turkey-hunting game, the makers of the HS Strut HS Strut Strut-Lite Feeding Hen Decoy , a lightweight, foldable hollow-body design that weighs mere ounces but checks in with big-time features like the decoy's superb feather detail and flake resistant paint scheme. Easy to carry and use, the HS Strut Feeding Hen's relaxed feeding posture also calms other turkeys in the area and moves gracefully and quietly in the springtime breeze thanks to the two-piece ground stake that is included.
Lucky HD Collapsible Field Strutter Designed to lure in a dominant gobbler with a chip on his shoulder, the Lucky HD Collapsible Field Strutter decoy is just what a springtime gobbler getter needs tucked away in their turkey hunting vest at dawn. Thanks to an aggressive posture that can be seen for a good ways along a field edge, the decoy also works well in tight quarters back in the swampy woods with its EVA plastic design that collapses down easily, tucks away into a vest or carry bag and pops back out into its strutting position easily.
Montana Decoy Miss Purrfect XD Turkey Hen As the lightest 3D decoy on the market, the Miss Purrfect XD Turkey Hen Decoy from Montana Decoy is perfect for run-and-gun style turkey hunters who are interested in keeping the realism handy but also shaving weight from their daily hikes. This decoy will do all of that and more as it collapses to fit into an included zippered pocket—no decoy bag needed here—and can be set up in three different positions (standing, feeding and breeding), thanks to the Miss Purrfect's adjustable head positioning. Add in a stake and strap design that allows for a little motion—but not too much—and feather cuts that aid in the realism department, and this is one tough decoy to beat.
Its lightweight design, ease of carrying, multiple postures and ultra-realism features, this Montana Decoy is a top choice this year.
Primos Lil Gobbstopper Hen & Jake Decoys Primos' new Lil Gobbstopper Hen and Jake Turkey Decoys feature a smaller pair of dekes intent on making an old boss gobbler angry and ready to charge right on in to bully the little guy right out of the picture. With high-definition paint and excellent detail, these dekes—which come individually, or as a pair—are lightweight, collapsible, and feature realistic looks and head poses. With a two-piece stake included, it's easy to quickly simulate a breeding pair of turkeys in the field and to lure in a gobbler into shotgun range as he’s intending to show who's the boss in the local spring woods.
RedHead Reality Series Crazy Jake The turkey decoy lineup from Bass Pro Shops includes the RedHead Reality Series Crazy Jake decoy, sporting a taxidermy-quality head and eyes and a trimmable 4-inch beard. The decoy's durable rubber body and posturing—with the deke's head, body and wings set in a 3/4 strut position—comes in a 30 percent smaller design that suggests that this jake is a young upstart needing to be taught a lesson. Coming with a fabric fan, but able to accept a real turkey fan as well, this decoy comes with a two-prong metal stake, can work with a Remote Strut Stake (sold separately), and is a lean, mean and deadly effective decoy that will cause a love-crazed boss gobbler to come strutting into range looking for a fight.
