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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