Why does everyone have such a "Hard On" to make a taxidermied turkey decoy? I use the regular pop up decoys and can get a tom within 5-10 feet of it. Is there any benifit to making these? Seems like a lot of work and a lot more to worry about in the field. Just Askin'!
Joe T
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Joe,
I think they're well worth the effort. If you have everything prepped you can mount 3 a day. These are rough decoys, they look really good, but far from competition quality. I've hunted turkeys since 1972 and I've noticed they're getting smarter every year. And you can't tell me that you haven't had gobblers and hens spook from your pop-ups or foam/plastic hens! If you haven't then you're either hunting on a preserve or your own posted land. Birds are pressured a lot more these days and you need to keep changing the playing field, that's why I've switched to stuffed decoys. I'd never go back to plastic! I've never had a bird spook from my hens and it's been 5 hunting seasons now with one of them. They holdup extremely well, if you lose a feather or 2 now and then, so what, they have plenty. If they get wet just let them dry out. They WILL get their ass kicked by competing hens, but they're back in business with a little grooming... I really shouldn't be telling you this Joe, so stick with the pop-ups if they work for you....
Haha, that's funny:o)
A turkey has to be God's dumbest creature and because it's so dumb, hunters give it supernatural credits. They'll get up 4 hours before dawn, set on wet ground attracting spiders, chiggers, ticks and other dumb hunters to shoot a bird that's basically inedible. I wake at 7 in the morning,bathe, dress, eat breakfast, drive down to the Acme and within 10 minutes have a 16 pound oven stuffer that will melt in your mouth. And when I get a drumstick, I get a DRUMSTICK, not shards of bone. Go figure. LOL
Well maybe I'll give it a try if I get some tough gobblers. I second George on the "God's dumbest creature" comment. This year I shot a 22lb eastern w/10" beard 1" spurs in my first 2 hours of opening day. Then the next morning I took my cousin out there and and he shot a 28lb bird w/11 1/2" beard and 1 1/4" spurs 30 yards from where I was set up the day before.
I have been a turkey hunter for over 18 years. I love every min. of it. The getup before daylight, the sounds of the woods. The hear of a gobble or too in the distance, and the heart pounding excitement as you see this great bird in full strutt come into the call.
As for the their smarts. All I can say is that more people go home empty handed than with a bird. They get wise to the call, the get wise to places where they hear hens that will never come to them so all they do is give you a gobble.
You are right, I think I read somewhere as far as teaching them to do things they just cannot pick it up (tame birds). But one thing they are is quick to spot something that is not right, and they don't sit there wondering what it was either. So in a since this feature is appears to make them smart.
As far as hen decoys, they seem cool, and I have a few poeple asking about them. But I also am thinking it may be hard to cost them so people will buy them. If I figure right, get a tame hen (30.00 or so) the cost to mount one 90 (form, tanning supplies, head). So you have 110 right there. not counting time.
Unbelievable eye site is what makes them tough.
Wow George, I would rather eat a wild turkey any day. On the other hand Im a duck hunter and would rather eat tame ducks.
if you really have your heart set on a wild bird just buy cows.i live in the country and watch the farmer spread cow poo across the fields ......with in minutes theyll be there. ill go to the store for my bird thanks.
That would give me the oportunity to wear my new Columbia gear Mossy Cow-Crap Camo.