Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting BEST HEN DECOY ??

AvionX has been good for me

T,

I like a realistic hen decoy like Avian's new decoys or the DSD set about 20-30yds out in the direction I want to shoot if hunting in the open and the birds are unpressured. If I'm going out of state to hunt birds I know are not fooled with, I'll use an Avian qtr strut jake a few yards my side of the lone breeder hen. That set-up works outstanding and they almost always go straight to the jake. When hunting woods, you don't need any decoys and when hunting high pressure areas, you definitely don't want a decoy.

Just an example of decoy screw-ups I've had, that happened this year. I found an older bird in a really high pressure area that get's hunted by multiple hunters every single day. This bird wasn't really vocal, but some days he'd get a bit cranked up if you got in his zone. 1st day I had him commit I was decoyless and finally called him to 40yds, but he was behind brush. As he strutted twds a clear lane for the shot, something spooked him from behind and he came hauling butt twds me at an angle with no clear shot had. The next time I encountered him mid-day and decided to put one of the new Zinks out in an open space. He came in quiet and started putting at the decoy at 40yds. I didn't shoot as I'd called up two jakes a few hrs earlier and he had come in at an angle facing away. When he turned I saw his long thick rope and knew it was him, but thought he was too far(he wasn't). I was thinking he saw me move the whole time, didn't even think about the decoy since it's so realistic. The 3rd encounter I got on him early but he would get remotely close. I sat there for 5.5hrs again with the Zink breeder hen out in a big open area. He finally got cranked up at 11:30ish and was coming hot and that rascal locked up and started putting as soon as he topped the ridge and saw the decoy. We have a few days season left, so Dad and I are going to try to get on him, decoyless of course. I knew better, but it was open and I wanted him to come in out front. Live and learn. I sure have killed a truckload without decoys, but got back into using them a bit when they started looking so realistic. It does not matter how good they look, wise old birds know something is not right in certain situations, especially when the pressure is on.

Good Luck,

loder

That's the thing. I doubt it was the decoy but some screwy thing one might not even be aware of like the glint off a glass lense or who knows what else. I've had them come into a decoy that tipped over and was on its side. Refuse to come into me all brushed in in front of a tree and then walk up to a 5'x5' Double Bull blind in a pasteur that wasn't there an hour ago.

I too like the AvianX decoys. I think I have everything they make!

The Feeder Hen is my favorite, but I usually position it near a Jake decoy.

Truth be told, I've killed more birds while using a Tom decoy or a simple fan than I've ever killed just using a hen decoy.

There's no way he could see me for the brush on that setup. I've had a bunch of birds spook off decoys over the years. I learned long ago that you were better off without them in high pressure areas, they'll actually come closer without them and hang up less often. What many folks don't realize is a tom can pin point the location of a call with amazing accuracy. There are situations they work well, but there are many situations when they are useless and actually hurt your odds tremendously.

I hunt about every day and RARELY have to use a decoy. When I do, I use the fold up foam decoys that are cheapo. The birds do NOT care.