Why Investing in Turkey Decoys Is Essential for Hunting Success
Written by John Wren|
Hunting has been a part of human life for centuries and is an import part for us here at Outdoor Magazine . It is an activity that requires skill, knowledge, and the right equipment. Hunting turkeys can be very exhilarating, but it can also be quite challenging. One of the best w
Key takeaways
- In addition, decoys can be used to create the right environment for a successful hunt. By placing the decoys in strategic locations, you can create a more natural setting that is conducive to a successful hunt.
- Another type of decoy is the “hen” decoy, which is designed to look like a female turkey. These decoys are usually made of wood and are designed to be more realistic looking.
- Finally, you want to make sure that the decoy is durable and can withstand the elements. This means that it should be made from a material that is waterproof and weather resistant.
A turkey decoy you will still carry is one hen you can see, a call you can use quietly, and a sit you already walked in the dark — not a four-bird flock you mailed because a catalog said strut. The short answer: keep the spread small, buy Primos mouth calls, and get the foam birds at a shop where you can see the paint. The shotgun stays a licensed dealer.
Short version. Turkey calls is the mouth sibling. Duck decoys is the marsh cousin. Pair with public land. Check live prices.
This page is why a decoy earns a strap. A jake you cannot pack out is a circus. Ammunition stays a counter.
A hen gives a gobbler a reason to walk the last 40 yards
Turkeys have eyes. A decoy they can believe beats a bush you hoped was enough. One well-painted hen, sometimes a jake if the farm already wants a fight, is plenty on public dirt that has heard every yelp. Quail with kids thinking scales: short sits, quiet, a cancel when the bird is already educated.
The shotgun stays a dealer. An M3500 sit if the other season is already inertia. Choke and load stay a counter conversation. This page does not crate shells.
Foam birds stay a shop you can see
Avian-X, Dave Smith, and a farm-store hen you can still pack will do the job. Confirm flocked paint, a stake that will still hold wind, and a bag. A listing we cannot match to a turkey decoy photo is not a card.
Avian-X — current turkey decoys
Do: one hen you will carry a mile. Don’t: a four-pack you will leave at the truck. A first sit brain: one job.
Primos PS3 if you want a cut-down mouth call
The Primos Hunting PS3 Ghost Cut is the live mouth call we named. Practice in the truck, not a scream on a ridge. Check live prices.
Do: two or three soft yelps. Don’t: a contest sequence on public land at 9 a.m. The call page is the longer mouth.
Primos Deadly Double if you want a second cut in the same tin
The Primos PS115 Deadly Double is the live second mouth call we named. Two cuts, one tin, a spare when a reed soaks. Check live prices.
Night thinking does not apply at dawn turkey — but ID the bird and beyond still does. A strut on a skyline with a road behind it is a sit, not a shot.
| Want | Honest tool |
|---|---|
| The bird in the field | One shop hen you will carry |
| The close | Primos PS3, then a Double as spare |
| The gun | A licensed dealer |
| A four-decoy flock | A circus you will hate packing |
Small spread. Soft yelps. Check live prices.
Put her where he can see her without seeing you
Twenty to thirty yards, open enough to strut, with your back in something that breaks your outline. A decoy on the skyline is a postcard for every other hunter. Public paper. Do: a sit you walked in the dark. Don’t: a first setup at legal light on a ridge you have not scouted. A hunting lamp for the walk in. Same pocket every dawn so a glove can still find the button.
Orange on the walk, ID the beard, know beyond
Dawn turkey is when people shoot movement. A vest on the hike in is manners in some states and sense in all of them. A safe that closes when you get home. Glasses if the other hour is already a pattern plate. Never a decoy in a place that points a gun at a parking lot.
One decoy in April still beats a flock in a closet
If you hunt two mornings a year, one hen is the investment. A four-bird flock is a hobby. Duck decoys if the other season is already a marsh. Come home with a call you practiced and a hen you can still carry.
One hen from a shop, Primos you practiced, a sit you walked
That is why turkey decoys earn a strap. Check live prices. Come home with a small bag, not a flock you abandoned at the gate.
One hen you will carry a mile beats a four-pack flock in the truck
Turkey decoys. Turkey calls. Duck decoys is a different bag.
The Primos PS3 we named. The Deadly Double we named as spare. Check live prices. Soft yelps. Public land.
Foam birds stay a shop you can see. Avian-X on the maker page. Turkey decoys. Quail with kids.
The shotgun stays a dealer. An M3500 sit. A pump. Loads stay a counter.
Where he can see her without seeing you
Twenty to thirty yards. Back in something that breaks your outline. Not a skyline. Turkey decoys. Public land.
A hunting lamp for the walk in. Same pocket every dawn. How to use a lamp. Night is a different PDF.
The PS3 we named. Practice in the truck. Check live prices. Turkey calls.
A safe that closes. ID the beard and the dirt beyond. A road is beyond.
Dawn turkey is when people shoot movement
A vest on the hike in is sense. Turkey decoys. Shooting 101. Rated glasses.
A safe that closes. A safe. Empty, verify, then the ride.
Never a decoy that points a gun at a lot. Public land. Deer targets thinking: beyond.
The Double we named when a reed soaks. Check live prices. Turkey calls.
Two mornings a year still only need one hen
A four-bird flock is a hobby. Turkey decoys. Duck decoys.
The PS3 we named. Check live prices. Turkey calls. Quail with kids.
An M3500 sit. Pattern the choke you will hunt. Extra-full is a conversation at a range.
Leave some gas. A dawn wreck after a work week is not a strut.
Walk the setup in the dark of a scouting evening, not at legal light
Turkey decoys. Public land. A hunting lamp.
Do: a sit you already walked. Don’t: a first ridge at gobble. Deer targets patience scales.
The mouth calls we named. Check live prices. Turkey calls.
Kids outside if a child is already the sit. Short, quiet, a cancel.
A jake is a fight you will still pack
Only if the farm wants it and you will carry it. Turkey decoys. Public land.
One hen remains the default. Turkey calls. Soft. Then quieter.
The PS115 we named. Check live prices.
An M3500 sit. Ear protection. The gun stays a shop.
A soaked reed is why you carry two cuts
The Double we named. The PS3 we named. Check live prices. Turkey decoys. Turkey calls.
Do: a dry tin. Don’t: a shirt-pocket reed in rain. Plan B.
First aid. A cut lip from a call is ordinary. Life-saving.
Last line: shop hen, Primos you practiced, a sit you walked. Turkey decoys.
Write the field and the wind on a card
Tired you will skyline the hen. Tape will not. Turkey decoys. Public land.
Check live prices on PS3 and Deadly Double.
Turkey calls. An M3500 sit. A safe that closes. That is enough.
A flock in the closet is not an investment. One hen you carry is. Turkey decoys.
A hen he can believe pulls the last 40 yards. A skyline hen is a postcard for every other hunter.
One well-painted hen you will carry a mile. A four-pack flock in the truck is a circus you will hate packing. Turkey decoys. Turkey calls. Public land. Foam birds stay a shop you can see — Avian-X, Dave Smith, a farm-store hen with a stake that will still hold wind. A listing we cannot match to a turkey decoy photo is not a card. The shotgun stays a licensed dealer. An M3500 sit. A pump. Loads stay a counter. A safe that closes.
The Primos PS3 Ghost Cut we named still wants two or three soft yelps, not a contest sequence on public land at 9 a.m. Check live prices. The PS115 Deadly Double we named is the spare when a reed soaks. Check live prices. Practice in the truck. Turkey calls. Quail with kids thinking: short sits, quiet, a cancel when the bird is already educated.
Put her where he can see her without seeing you — twenty to thirty yards, your back in something that breaks your outline. Walk the setup in the dark of a scouting evening, not at legal light on a ridge you have not scouted. A hunting lamp. Same pocket every dawn. How to use a lamp. Dawn turkey is when people shoot movement. A vest on the hike in is sense. ID the beard and the dirt beyond. A road is beyond. Never a decoy that points a gun at a lot. Deer targets patience scales. Shooting 101. Rated glasses. A safe. Empty, verify, then the ride. Write the field and the wind on a card. Tired you will skyline the hen. Tape will not. Two mornings a year still only need one hen. A four-bird flock is a hobby. Come home with a call you practiced and a hen you can still carry. Turkey decoys. Duck decoys is a different bag. Don’t mix them.
A dry tin and two cuts. A soaked reed is why the Double lives in the same pocket.
The PS3 we named. The Deadly Double we named. Check live prices. Turkey decoys. Turkey calls. Soft yelps. Then quieter. Public land. One hen you will carry. Avian-X or a shop bird you can see. An M3500 sit. The gun stays a dealer. A pump. A safe that closes. Rated glasses. Shooting 101. Pattern extra-full at a range, not on a gobbler. A hunting lamp. Walk the setup in the dark of a scouting evening. Same pocket. How to use a lamp. Dawn is when people shoot movement. A vest on the hike in. ID the beard and beyond. Never a skyline hen. Never a decoy pointing at a lot. Deer targets. A safe. Empty, verify, ride. Leave some gas. Two mornings a year still only need one hen. Duck decoys is a different bag. Don’t mix. Quail with kids. Short sits. A cancel. Write the field and the wind. Come home with a small bag. Turkey decoys. Turkey calls. Ear protection.
Also in the magazine
Keep going with turkey calls, duck decoys, public land, and an M3500 sit. Check live prices.
Frequently asked questions
Why buy turkey decoys?
A hen a gobbler can believe pulls him the last 40 yards. One well-painted bird you will carry beats a four-pack flock.
Which decoy on Amazon?
None we will fake. Buy Avian-X or a shop hen you can see. We name Primos mouth calls.
What calls?
Primos PS3 Ghost Cut and the Deadly Double as a spare. Soft yelps. Practice in the truck.
How many decoys?
One hen for most public sits. A jake only if you will still carry it and the farm wants a fight.
Can I buy a shotgun here?
No. Licensed dealer. Loads stay the counter.
Where do I put the decoy?
Where he can see her without seeing you. Not on a skyline. Not pointing a gun at a lot.