Hunting turkeys in fields and woods varies in the way you call and the way you setup. Decoys can mean the difference in killing and not killing. In this video, Brad Farris will help you learn a thing or two on using turkey decoys in the woods.
Using decoys in the woods can be an extremely effective technique to kill a gobbler and here are a few tips to help you be successful when setting up a decoy in the timber.
OPEN WOODS
Hunting a longbeard in big open beautiful timber is about as fun as it comes for turkey hunters, but it can also be the most frustrating. It all comes back to the biology of a turkey. As turkey hunters we are trying to reverse nature, in that a gobbler normally will come to a hen. In our situation we’re trying to do the opposite. When a longbeard hears a hen and can see where she should be located, but sees nothing, he’ll be more leary and often will hang up out of gun range. This is where using, at minimum, a hen decoy can come into play. If he hears you calling and then looks over to see a hen (decoy) sitting at 200 yards he’ll be much more interested in closing the distance.
STRUTTER DECOYS
The full strut decoys has added an indispensable tool into our arsenal. It will often illicit an aggressive reaction when seen by a gobbler. The woods aren't always the best place to use it though. Fields and field edges are prime locations for a strutter because it’s visible, and they can inspect the decoy from a distance.
TIMBER SET-UP
Setting up decoys in the woods can be crucial to killing a gobbler that might slip in on you. If you expect one to come from your 12 o’clock position, don’t put the decoy at 12 o’clock because if lock on to the decoy, you’re right in their line of vision. Instead put it off to the side from 2-3 o’clock or 9-10 o’clock position. This will give you a better chance of catching a longbeard before he catches you!
VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION
Primos Hunting - Stream the Language. This morning we set up on a beautiful edge of some pines and some hardwoods and instead of putting a strutter decoy out there we just put one hen and this turkey came and he saw that hen decoy from a hundred yards out in these pretty woods.They came right toward the hen, then we had three more come from the left. They came and were all going to meet up at this hen. So probably a strutter decoy would work in this situation but most of the time in the woods I like to just put one hen by herself. Now you get on the edge of a field where turkeys can come up there and size things up I think of Strutter and a Hen Decoy or two hens works really well.
