1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, presented by first Light, 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: creating proven versatile hunting apparel for the stand, saddle or blind. 4 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: First Light, Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host 5 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. 6 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:23,080 Speaker 2: Hey, everyone, welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundation's podcast, 7 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 2: which is brought to you by first Light. This week, 8 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:28,319 Speaker 2: in honor of our Turkey Week campaign here at meat Eater, 9 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 2: I'm going to drop a few extra episodes for all 10 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 2: of you. They'll be based on bag and your bird 11 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 2: this spring. This episode is all about turkey deacers how 12 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:48,200 Speaker 2: to use them throughout the season. It's not quite Turkey 13 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 2: time for most of us right now, but we're getting close. 14 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 2: You probably heard me say it already or have seen 15 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 2: I don't know one hundred and seventy six Instagram posts 16 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 2: about it, but Meat Eater is having a celebration around 17 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 2: turkeys this week. That means we're dropping a pile of 18 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 2: turkey hunting content and having a sale around all kinds 19 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 2: of our best turkey hunting products. So if you're thinking, eh, 20 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:12,759 Speaker 2: Turkey season's coming up and I might need a new 21 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 2: call or something like that and you would like to 22 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 2: get that call on a sweet discount, head on over 23 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 2: to thum meat eater dot com to check it out. 24 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:24,960 Speaker 2: And now that that's out of the way, I want 25 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 2: to say I'm probably more excited for this podcast than 26 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 2: a lot of the other ones, mostly because I don't 27 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:32,399 Speaker 2: get to talk about turkeys a lot, and I love 28 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 2: talking about turkeys. I love just about everything about turkeys, actually, 29 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 2: but I'm really obsessed with decoying them. It doesn't matter 30 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 2: if I'm bow hunting or if I'm gun hunting or 31 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,319 Speaker 2: guiding one of my daughters to a bird. Decoys and 32 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 2: decoy setups are just so important. In fact, they're so important, 33 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 2: at least in my mind, that this whole damn episode 34 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 2: is going to dive into the what, how, and why 35 00:01:54,920 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 2: of decoying turkeys all season long. Picture this if you will. 36 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 2: My buddy Hawk and I were camping on a chunk 37 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,639 Speaker 2: of public land in Nebraska in twenty twelve, well before 38 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 2: first light. We lugged packs, blinds, chairs, decoys, bows, everything 39 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 2: everything you could imagine up a bluff to set up 40 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 2: on a grassy ridge top that was not only dotted 41 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 2: by cedars but also offered us a good view of 42 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 2: a private cornfield. Since it was early April, we knew 43 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 2: the birds would be flocked up, but we also knew 44 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 2: that our decoys would be highly visible in that spot 45 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 2: and that they'd be able to hear us call. It 46 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 2: was also supposed to be sunny and warm, which is 47 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 2: the best forecast you can have for early season birds. 48 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 2: And it really didn't take very long before I called 49 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 2: in my first Tom. Although he came in behind me 50 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 2: and gobbled close enough to get me to jump, he 51 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 2: didn't step into my spread. I didn't think that mattered, though. 52 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:55,920 Speaker 2: It was just one of those mornings where they were 53 00:02:56,240 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 2: just blowing up. This was also back when Nebraska was 54 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 2: filthy with birds, so much so that you knew that 55 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 2: even if you were hunting public land with a bow, 56 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 2: you're going to have a good hunt. Well I had 57 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 2: a good hunt, sort of. I can't remember how many 58 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 2: birds I called in that day, but I think it 59 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:18,839 Speaker 2: was eleven between jakes and Tom's. Do you know how 60 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 2: many walked into my decoys and strutted though zero. I 61 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 2: eventually got an arrow into a jake that skirted my 62 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 2: spread and I never found him, so that sucked. And 63 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,080 Speaker 2: after that hunt, where I didn't kill a turkey, by 64 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 2: the way. I did what any desperate hunter would do. 65 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 2: I drove to Cabella's and bought the cheapest of the 66 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 2: best looking decoys I could get. I mean, they looked 67 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 2: good enough, but those inflatable decoys just wouldn't hold air 68 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 2: for very long. It was frustrating, mostly because I was 69 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 2: trying to arrow birds and I could not, for the 70 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 2: life of me, get it done. It was like I 71 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 2: had a force field around my setup that they would 72 00:03:56,160 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 2: just say, Nope, I'm not coming any closer. Before the 73 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 2: twenty fourteen season, I went big and I bought the 74 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 2: Dave Smith flock. Now I know we owned Dave Smith 75 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 2: decoys now, so you can be as skeptical as you want, 76 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 2: and I don't blame you. But in twenty fourteen, I 77 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 2: doubt I even knew who Stephen Ranella was, and I 78 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 2: sure as hell didn't think i'd end up working for 79 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:21,720 Speaker 2: him or working for a company that would buy Dave 80 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:25,599 Speaker 2: Smith nearly a decade later. I just wanted a better 81 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:29,920 Speaker 2: advantage with the spring birds. Like quite a few years, 82 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 2: Hawk and I started in Nebraska that year, even though 83 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 2: we'd mostly swung and missed every other time we'd gone 84 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:40,479 Speaker 2: down there this time. However, we set up and I 85 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 2: immediately called a jake into my spread and shot him 86 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 2: at seven yards. He died right there, and it honestly 87 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 2: felt like a fluke until I went home and called 88 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 2: in a jake from way across a pitcornfield and I 89 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:57,480 Speaker 2: rowed him too. I added another jake that year, and 90 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 2: I realized something. My decoy choice seem to be helping 91 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 2: me as a turkey bow hunter quite a bit. Since then, 92 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 2: I've used a pile of different decoys and configurations, and 93 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 2: I feel like I've learned an awful lot about what 94 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 2: makes decoys effective and when to use what. For starters, 95 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 2: I'll get this out of the way. Quality is expensive, 96 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 2: but it is worth it. The look of your decoys 97 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:27,280 Speaker 2: not just paint jobs and finishes, but body language is 98 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 2: so important. You want a decoy that looks good up close, 99 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 2: because even silhouettes perform just fine when birds are two 100 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,280 Speaker 2: hundred yards out. It's when they get right into the 101 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 2: mix and the light is low or the sun is 102 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 2: straight overhead and it's crazy bright out that you find 103 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 2: out whether your decoy looks real to the birds. Just 104 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 2: like with deer hunting, a great litmus test for your 105 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 2: decoys is how often the ladies accept them. Until I 106 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:57,599 Speaker 2: started using really realistic decoys, I never knew how many 107 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:01,360 Speaker 2: hens you could not only call in but keep around. 108 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 2: It's not uncommon for me to have hens come in 109 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,719 Speaker 2: and lay down with my decoys or sit and call 110 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 2: to them for an hour or two. If you think 111 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:12,600 Speaker 2: that isn't something you want as a turkey hunter, then 112 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 2: you need to get your head checked. My friends, having 113 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:18,360 Speaker 2: a real lady or two right there, mixing in and 114 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 2: acting natural while they're making noise, that's a huge benefit. 115 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 2: Now here's the downside to really good looking full body decoys. 116 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 2: They are super cumbersome and can be noisy to carry. 117 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:35,839 Speaker 2: The turkey decoy world hasn't solved the problem of crazy 118 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:39,719 Speaker 2: realistic and ultra portable yet, kind of like the hub 119 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 2: blind world hasn't figured out the problem of being big 120 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 2: enough to house a couple of people comfortably, but not 121 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:49,160 Speaker 2: way a lot. Now you might think you don't need 122 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 2: expensive decoys because you only run and gun for birds 123 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 2: and shoot them at forty five yards with a shotgun. 124 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 2: That's great. I didn't really need good decoys until I 125 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 2: started bow hunting birds, but It's also a game changer 126 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 2: with kids, and when I take out new hunters, your 127 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:06,840 Speaker 2: mileage may vary. But my experience with new hunters and 128 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 2: scouting spots is that the final straw is always a 129 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 2: good decoy setup. And on that note, you're probably thinking 130 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:17,720 Speaker 2: about the different kinds of Tom, Jake and Hen decoys. 131 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 2: The primary Tom decoy you're gonna find is a full strutter, 132 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 2: And this is a decoy I'll admit I don't really 133 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 2: like very much. I'm an opportunistic turkey hunter, so I 134 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 2: don't want a bunch of Jakes and two year old 135 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 2: skirting me because they don't want to mess with the 136 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 2: boss man. Now, if you can hunt early, say anywhere 137 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 2: in March or the first half of April, maybe the 138 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 2: first couple weeks of April anyway, as a rough guide, 139 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 2: and you can scout out a flock that is sticking together, 140 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 2: a full strutter can almost be unfair. I don't find 141 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 2: this situation very often, but when I do, the biggest 142 00:07:56,520 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 2: Tom in the flock almost always can't handle it. He 143 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 2: sees a full strutter with a few Hens in a 144 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 2: spot he planned to take his girlfriends through. He's not 145 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 2: going to put up with it. This is so fun 146 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 2: in the right situation, but you also need to be 147 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 2: prepared for a lot of drive buys from birds that 148 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 2: don't want to tussle with the king. This is not 149 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 2: to say you can't put a full strutter out at 150 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 2: any time in the season and have birds come in. 151 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 2: They are dumb birds, so sometimes anything goes. I'm just 152 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 2: giving you my thoughts from my experience. Now, while I 153 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:31,960 Speaker 2: might not use a full strutter too often, I use 154 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 2: a jake almost every single time I hunt. In fact, 155 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 2: the only time I might not use a jake is 156 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 2: either in real late May maybe or when I'm running 157 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 2: and gunning public land and I don't want to get 158 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 2: shot in the face because I don't know exactly where 159 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 2: I'll have to set up at any given moment. Jake 160 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:53,560 Speaker 2: decoys are your friends. My favorite is a quarter strut 161 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 2: submissive looking jake. That kind of a decoy with a 162 00:08:56,960 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 2: lay down hen is often all you will ever need. 163 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 2: This is the decoy that seems to give the most 164 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 2: real birds the most confidence. If you only have a 165 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:11,559 Speaker 2: little budget for decoys, get yourself a quarter strutter first. Now, 166 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 2: there are several other jake options out there, and I 167 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,320 Speaker 2: think I've used them all. I do like a breeding jake, 168 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 2: especially in April, and especially if it has a white head. 169 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 2: I had a really good turkey hunter from Mississippi tell 170 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:26,439 Speaker 2: me a long time ago that he paints the heads 171 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 2: on all of his decoys white because that's the color 172 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 2: of Tom's head turns when he's right about to breed. 173 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:34,560 Speaker 2: I'm not a turkey biologist, but I guess maybe that 174 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 2: has something to do with the blood supply. A head 175 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 2: and south for a bit. Anyway, your jake decoy is 176 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 2: the anchor to the whole set. It's where most of 177 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:48,440 Speaker 2: the approaching birds are going to focus. If you're bow hunting, 178 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 2: that means he should be positioned close. For me, that's 179 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:55,200 Speaker 2: no more than ten yards. For gun hunting, I love 180 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 2: the twenty to twenty five yard mark if they come 181 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 2: right in their toast. If they get cagy and hold 182 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 2: up twenty yards back from the jake still pretty much toast. 183 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:08,120 Speaker 2: The point I want to make is that jake matters 184 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 2: the most, so position him for your shot. Now. I 185 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 2: almost never ever put a jake out without a lay 186 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 2: down hen as well, just make sure you put her 187 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:31,680 Speaker 2: right beneath him and push him down right over her 188 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:34,840 Speaker 2: if you have to use a gopher mound or pile 189 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:36,800 Speaker 2: up some grass or whatever to make her a little 190 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:40,320 Speaker 2: bit more visible. If you think that Tom's holding up 191 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 2: at seventy five one hundred yards might not be able 192 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:45,720 Speaker 2: to see her. And as far as adding extra hens 193 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 2: to the whole thing, think about it this way. From 194 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 2: winter until late spring, the birds will go from big 195 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 2: flocks to solo. As a hunter, you want to factor 196 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:00,439 Speaker 2: that into your spreads. For me, this means my early 197 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:04,720 Speaker 2: season decoy spreads might have up to five or six 198 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:07,640 Speaker 2: decoys in them, while my late season spreads might be 199 00:11:07,679 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 2: a party of one or two at the most. Now, 200 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:13,960 Speaker 2: if you go the more is better route, let's say 201 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 2: in early April, you'll want to consider something that people 202 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 2: often get wrong about decoys, which is which direction they 203 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 2: are facing. Go watch a wild flock of turkey's feed, 204 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 2: and even though at any given moment the birds might 205 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 2: individually go one way or another, as a whole, they 206 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 2: tend to move all in the same direction. I often 207 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:39,199 Speaker 2: see people put out two hens facing totally opposite directions, 208 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:43,000 Speaker 2: and then they put a jake between them. Listen, you 209 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 2: can kill turkeys this way. They are dumb ish. But 210 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 2: if you hunt pressured birds or you don't want to 211 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 2: give them a reason to question your setup, think about 212 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,840 Speaker 2: how actual turkeys feed and move across the landscape together. 213 00:11:57,559 --> 00:12:00,160 Speaker 2: And on that note, for a setup and a fee, 214 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 2: i might spread them out a little bit, but they'll 215 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 2: all be facing the same way. If I'm on a 216 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 2: logging road or in a spot where they would naturally 217 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:11,600 Speaker 2: revert to single file travel, the hens go first and 218 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 2: the last bird is the jake. Think about this. If 219 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 2: you're hunting close to a roost in the evening, the 220 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:20,719 Speaker 2: birds will feed and mill around and then all of 221 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:22,959 Speaker 2: a sudden decide to all walk in single file to 222 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:25,400 Speaker 2: get to the roost. They do this in the mornings 223 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:28,440 Speaker 2: and just sometimes when they are on the move. The 224 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:31,640 Speaker 2: more natural you're spread is, the higher odds you have 225 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 2: of calling in birds. It's really that simpole. It's also 226 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 2: worth considering what your decoys represent. Are you in a 227 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:43,280 Speaker 2: well scouted spot where they're staging up before they go 228 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:46,000 Speaker 2: to roost, so they expect to see a bird here 229 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:48,720 Speaker 2: and one there, Or are you on the edge of 230 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 2: a field at first light where the birds should fly 231 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 2: down and walk out to the groceries In that case, 232 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:56,679 Speaker 2: the decoys should all look like they are walking out 233 00:12:56,679 --> 00:13:00,320 Speaker 2: into the field reverse that in the evening. I know 234 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 2: this might seem like I'm overthinking things, but I believe 235 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 2: something about turkeys. It's that if you give them a 236 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:09,079 Speaker 2: reason to trust their judgment when it comes to survival, 237 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:12,800 Speaker 2: they will. I also believe that this stuff happens in 238 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 2: small increments, and it's up to the birds to decide 239 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:19,400 Speaker 2: when he or she has had enough. So look at 240 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:22,880 Speaker 2: it this way, Maybe some approaching toms would forgive the 241 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 2: fact that all of the early morning birds look like 242 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:27,520 Speaker 2: they are coming from the field and heading to the woods, 243 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 2: which wouldn't make much sense, but it might cause them 244 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 2: to question things just a little bit, you know, and 245 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 2: slow down their approach. Then maybe they catch a sunlight 246 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:40,120 Speaker 2: flare off the top of e or blind which is 247 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 2: in a huge deal. But now that's two things that 248 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 2: have tripped their brain a little bit. Or maybe they 249 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 2: hear your bottom limb tink against your chair while they 250 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 2: are sixty yards out. The birds that aren't dead set 251 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:55,559 Speaker 2: on committing, you know, come hell or high water might decide, 252 00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:58,360 Speaker 2: you know, what, enough is enough? And I always think, 253 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 2: why risk it if you don't have to now. Movement 254 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:04,520 Speaker 2: is another thing to consider with decoys, but I'll be honest, 255 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 2: I don't really want my decoys to move. I've used 256 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:10,200 Speaker 2: a bunch of them over the years that were fitted 257 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:12,840 Speaker 2: on steaks that allowed me to pull a string and 258 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 2: move them, and have never really had a positive response, 259 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 2: you know, at least enough to get me to care 260 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 2: or think that this was the reason that they were 261 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:24,600 Speaker 2: coming in. I've also had decoys go spinning or flying 262 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 2: in the wind, which really doesn't help your chances of 263 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 2: killing one if it's gonna be windy. I put two 264 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 2: sticks in the ground right by the tails of my 265 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 2: decoys that are on steaks. I might leave, you know, 266 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 2: enough play for them to swivel an inch or two, 267 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 2: but nothing more than that. There's nothing more unnatural looking 268 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 2: than when you set up a flock and one of 269 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 2: the hens decides to do the old decoy twirl and 270 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 2: she ends up a little cock eyed and looking directly 271 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 2: away from the spread. Again. On some birds, that might 272 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 2: not even register. But I say, why risk it now? 273 00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:00,400 Speaker 2: I've talked quite a bit about using multiple decos on 274 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 2: a setup, but what if you want to be mobile 275 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 2: and running gun For me? I tend to almost always 276 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:08,720 Speaker 2: carry a jake with that lay down hen, or sometimes 277 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 2: it's just a feeding or upright hen. I prefer the 278 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:14,480 Speaker 2: jake with a lay down hen because I know I'm 279 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 2: going to be calling, so I figure I represent an 280 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:20,560 Speaker 2: unseen hen in that scenario. But the truth is you 281 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:23,680 Speaker 2: probably wouldn't ever need anything more than a good looking jake, 282 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 2: decoy or solo hen to seal the deal. That is, 283 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:31,040 Speaker 2: you know, until the season draws down and the pressure 284 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 2: gets to the birds and the peak breeding is in 285 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,120 Speaker 2: the rear view mirror and the bugs are everywhere and 286 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:40,800 Speaker 2: the turkeys are totally scattered across the landscape. In this situation, 287 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:43,680 Speaker 2: I often pare down to a single hen, even if 288 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 2: I'm still bow hunting from a blind. When the bugs 289 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:50,160 Speaker 2: are out and the weather is super nice, the birds 290 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:54,000 Speaker 2: have so many options for food. The hens also are 291 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:57,320 Speaker 2: most likely nesting pretty hard, which means you tend to 292 00:15:57,320 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 2: see birds together early in the morning in small groups, 293 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 2: but often solo by mid morning. That's my time to shine, 294 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:08,200 Speaker 2: and it often requires just a single hen as long 295 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 2: as you put her somewhere visible and you make the 296 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 2: sounds that hens make when they are interested in company. 297 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 2: It's really all you need. I've shot plenty of late 298 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:20,240 Speaker 2: May birds with Jake decoys too, but it just seems 299 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:23,080 Speaker 2: like it's a neutral to negative addition in my experience. 300 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 2: I've covered quite a bit of decoy talk so far, 301 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 2: so let me wrap this up with one more thought. 302 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:32,800 Speaker 2: If you use good decoys and think through your spreads, 303 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 2: give them the time to work. Even the best decoys 304 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:39,720 Speaker 2: and the best calling won't get birds into your spread 305 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:42,520 Speaker 2: every time, you know, like when it's sunrise in early 306 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 2: April and still super cold, and the birds first need 307 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:47,720 Speaker 2: to get some calories in their crops before they try 308 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 2: to make little turkeys. But here's the thing. If those 309 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:55,800 Speaker 2: seemingly uninterested birds see the decoys and don't come in right, 310 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:59,520 Speaker 2: then there's a really good chance they'll swing through later. 311 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 2: I don't know how many times I've had birds see 312 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 2: my decoys and act like they didn't care at all 313 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:07,600 Speaker 2: as they walked over the ridge and out of my life, 314 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:10,679 Speaker 2: only to have them filter back through an hour or 315 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:14,200 Speaker 2: two or even four hours later. I think deer and 316 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:17,240 Speaker 2: turkeys both do this. I think they have a good 317 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:21,680 Speaker 2: enough memory to remember that they saw something interesting, even 318 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:24,920 Speaker 2: if they didn't immediately engage in it. Think about how 319 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 2: often your dog will remember where an interesting gopher hole 320 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:31,240 Speaker 2: is or where they found a half eaten twinkie and 321 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:35,240 Speaker 2: a bush seven years ago. Patience is the final key 322 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:38,919 Speaker 2: to decoying turkeys right into your spread. I mean this 323 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:42,560 Speaker 2: even though it might suck to think about, and even 324 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 2: though it's easy to get up and go try to 325 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 2: chase gobbles if you hadn't had a bird commit in 326 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:50,800 Speaker 2: the last few minutes. But if you hunt pressured birds 327 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:54,760 Speaker 2: or don't have tons of acres to roam, waiting them 328 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:57,800 Speaker 2: out and letting realistic looking decoys do much of the 329 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 2: heavy lifting for you, it's often the best strategy. And remember, 330 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:05,480 Speaker 2: pay attention to all the birds that interact with your decoys. 331 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 2: The hens that swing through might not make a sound, 332 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:11,199 Speaker 2: or they might purr and cluck a little, or they 333 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:14,040 Speaker 2: might flat out start cutting and try to knock out 334 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:16,399 Speaker 2: one of your hen decoys. All of those types of 335 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 2: interactions should inform your calling strategy, which is what I'm 336 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:22,640 Speaker 2: going to talk about later this week when I drop 337 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:28,199 Speaker 2: another turkey centric episode. That's it for this show, but 338 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 2: not this week. Pay attention cause you're gonna be getting 339 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:35,680 Speaker 2: a lot of Foundations episodes this week, and as always, 340 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:37,760 Speaker 2: I want to thank you so much for your support 341 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:40,480 Speaker 2: everyone here at Meat Eater. We love you guys. We 342 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:43,199 Speaker 2: really appreciate you showing up for us. It means the 343 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:45,960 Speaker 2: world to us. Like I said in the intro, here, 344 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:49,000 Speaker 2: we got a big Turkey Week campaign going on. If 345 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:50,919 Speaker 2: you're looking for some deals on some stuff, or you 346 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 2: just want more Turkey content, head on over to the 347 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:56,800 Speaker 2: mediater dot com. You're gonna find all kinds of stuff 348 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 2: you like.