Use Turkey Decoys To Add Realism

© By Othmar Vohringer

When a tom answers your calling and is approaching your set up his eyes will scan the terrain before him for another turkey. If the tom does not see another turkey where he expects to see one it’s likely that he will get very suspicious. Even a lovesick tom knows that there is no such thing as an invisible hen.

It is for this reason that decoys have become part of every turkey hunter’s standard equipment. A well placed decoy or two, in combination with good calling can create the perfect natural illusion to bring a tom close enough for a shot.

In this post I will list and describe a few of my favourite decoys that I use and believe that they have helped me to create that lifelike illusion I want to present to the tom.

Flambeau Master Hunter ™ Breeding Flock ™

This group of decoys consists of a juvenile male turkey (Jake), an alert and feeding hen. The decoys are constructed with a durable extra thick foam bodies that depict a real turkey in every detail, including the iridescent colour of the jake. To me most important, the heads are very realistic copies of real turkeys. This set of three decoys is very affordable and in my opinion is perfect for every hunter looking to create a flock of turkeys on a budget.


 Hunters Edge TransFan

As far as decoy companies go this is the new kid on the block. Hunter’s Edge came up with an idea of making decoys even more realistic but without the bulk common to most decoys. The Transfan is as the mane implies a fan that can be folded up after the hunt and easily fits anywhere in the turkey hunting vest without taking up any space. The lifelike photographic image is printed onto a lightweight and durable fabric that lasts for many years. The ease of transport and set up lets a hunter set up a large flock of turkey decoys to add that little bit extra realism. TansFan decoys are available in three designs, a strutting tom, feeding hen and resting hen.

Montana Turkey Decoys

Montana has become a household name for easy portable and life like decoys of a very high quality. This is no different for the Montana Turkey Decoys. Montana offers four different models, jake, alert hen, resting hen and a tom in full strut. The decoys are made with a photograph of a real turkey printed onto fabric. The printed and cut fabric is mounted onto a spring steel frame that pops up and can be twisted to fold into a small size that fits easily into a pocket of your turkey vest. The decoys are anchored to the ground with a fibreglass rod.

For a great selection of quality turkey decoys look no further than to Sportsman’s Guide/ Turkey Decoys.

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New Winchester® Super X®3 NWTF Turkey Shotguns

With continued support of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Winchester® Repeating Arms is introducing two new Super X®3 shotguns for 2011 which help raise funds for wild turkey conservation.

The Super X3 NWTF Extreme Turkey shotgun comes in both 12 and 20 gauge models. The 12 ga. is a 3 ½ chambered gun and the 20 ga is a 3 inch chambered gun. Both guns feature a 24 inch Back-Bored barrel and an Invector-Plus™ Extra-Full Extended Turkey choke tube. The fully camouflage guns feature Mossy Oak® Break-Up® Infinity™ camo and the stock and forearm are covered with the protective Dura-Touch® Armor Coating.

The guns have an adjustable rear sight and a TRUGLO® fiber-optic front sight. Each gun is equipped with steel sling swivel studs. An Inflex Technology recoil pad helps reduce felt recoil.

Suggested retail for the 12ga is $1,559.99
Suggested retail for the 20ga is $1,399.99

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This blog post has been brought to you by Othmar Vohringer Outdoors