A strategically placed decoy or, better yet, decoys can turn the tide on a stubborn gobbler that doesn't want to commit.

If you didn't know it already, turkey decoys work. They pull gobblers closer, they lure call-shy birds out into the open, and they take a tom's attention away from a hunter's hen yelps. Simply put, they can make the often difficult task of luring a wary gobbler into shotgun range a whole lot easier.

Although modern turkey decoys have been around for two decades or more, many hunters are just now realizing how effective these tools can be. They don't always work, but decoys can give even the most skilled spring gobbler hunter an added edge that might mean the difference between a long, frustrating season and bragging rights back at the office.

"I never hunt without at least three decoys, and I'll even use as many as five or six if I think the hunting will be tough and the gobblers aren't interested in coming into a pair of hens and a jake. Some guys laugh when I tell them how many decoys I use sometimes, but the results speak for themselves," says Chuck Tiranno, a turkey hunting guide and member of the Knight & Hale Ultimate Hunting Team.

Nothing is ever foolproof, he admits, especially when it comes to spring gobbler hunting, and a decoy won't take the place of basic woodsmanship, good calling and a little common sense. Tiranno knows that something can--and often does--go wrong in the spring turkey woods. He also knows that decoys don't always work, even when things go as they are supposed to.

In situations where decoys are used in open areas, it's often best to station them on an edge where vegetation provides a backdrop. It's a setup that tends to look more realistic.

The 54-year-old Shelby, New York, resident was guiding a friend on New York's opening day under nearly perfect weather conditions. He was using a small flock of decoys, including four hens and two jakes.

"The gobblers were henned up real good on opening day that year," Tiranno says. "We had this group of hens and one big gobbler come near, but he just stood there 70 yards away and gobbled his head off without coming in. He wanted our hens to come to him."

Here's a classic example of what not to do. The hunter here would be in the line of fire should someone sneak in from this direction. Also, even though an approaching tom's attention will be focused on the spread, he gets a good view of the hunter as well.

Centralia, Missouri guide and fellow Knight & Hale pro staffer Chris Parrish has been using turkey decoys for about 20 years. He's used them on hunts for the four major North American subspecies and in 16 different states.

"They work on turkeys everywhere," says Parrish. "I'd say they work best on Merriam's--mostly because those birds tend to get the least hunting pressure. The only time I won't use decoys is if I've been hunting the same bird and he's already busted me when I had a decoy spread out and he saw them."

THE EARLY DAYS
During the early days of modern turkey decoys, hunters typically used one replica, a hen, and that was often enough to fool even the wisest old tom. The first decoys were made either from bulky Styrofoam or clunky hard plastic. Both styles were difficult to tote through the woods, noisy to set up and not necessarily the most realistic-looking creatures in the forest. Still, they worked.

Decoy manufacturers soon caught up with the rapidly changing world of spring gobbler hunting, and now hunters have a world of choices that simply weren't available 10 years ago. Lifelike decoys in both hen and gobbler configurations--along with bodies that are collapsible or inflatable and thus easy to carry--give hunters every reason to tote a few of these every time they plunge into the spring woods. And the key is just that: a few decoys, not just one.

Expert hunters such as Tiranno and Parrish have had enough experience to know that the best setup is a spread, and both hunters typically use three fakes. With a single hen decoy, Tirrano says, a gobbler that spots it on the way in may hang up and wait for her to come to him. With a spread, though--two hens and a jake, typically--a gobbler can be forced into action.

"The idea is to make that gobbler angry. When he comes in and sees a jake standing next to a couple of hens, the first thing he wants to do is go over and kick that young bird out of his territory and away from those hens so he can be the one to breed them," says Tiranno. "When I'm guiding, I tell my hunters to focus their attention on that jake decoy. That's where the gobbler is going to go every time."

He places his decoys in such a manner that the jake is slightly closer to the shooter than the hens. In many cases, he'll actually set the young male decoy in the opposite direction of the gobbler he wants to call in. That way, the gobbler will have to walk past the shooter, offering a closer shot.

SAFETY FIRST Although hunting accidents are statistically rare, spring gobbler season has the highest incidence of hunters shooting other hunters. Unfortunately, too many hunters fire at the first sight or sound of a turkey--even if it happens to be hen yelps coming from your mouth or hands--or they shoot at the sight of a standing bird. That's why both Chris Parrish and Chuck Tiranno set up their decoys in what Parrish describes as a defensive layout. He always considers the possibility that another hunter might sneak in to his setup. "I never line up the decoys with my position. I try to guess where another hunter might come from, and I position my decoys so that I won't be in somebody else's line of fire if someone should walk up and shoot on sight," says Parrish. Neither hunter uses decoys on public land or on private property that has high hunting pressure.

"I'll put the two hens about 25 yards out and the jake maybe four or five yards closer. I want that gobbler right on top of the guy who is going to be shooting," says Tiranno. "It's also important to set up the jake in such a way that the gobbler will be looking at the jake and not the hunter. You don't want the jake to be in line with the shooter as the gobbler comes in. Even if he is focused on the decoy, he might be able to see you sitting behind the decoy spread."

Parrish also uses a set of three decoys, but early in the season, when the hens haven't committed to the gobblers, he'll often stick with a duo of hens.

"It's kind of like when the deer rut is just getting started and the does aren't ready to breed. The buck will see the does and come over to check if they are the least bit interested. Gobblers will do the same," he says. "They may not stick around if the hens aren't receptive, but at least they'll come in and check."

Later in the season, Parrish takes his decoy strategy to the next level, and he'll even piggy-back a jake on top of a hen to create the appearance of a younger bird breeding a hen. The Carry-Lite decoys he uses allow him to push a single stake through two birds. The pairing, he says, can incite a gobbler into walking straight in without the least amount of hesitation. Most of the time, however, he'll place a jake right next to a hen with a second hen close by.

"It's really a guessing game. For as long as I've been hunting these birds, one thing I've learned is that there is no perfect scenario or no ideal way to set the decoys. Really, I think many hunters give turkeys way too much credit, and I tell people to try different things and see what works and what doesn't," says Parrish.

"You really can't go wrong if you use two or three decoys. There is no perfect way to place them because live turkeys are always moving around," he continues. "If you want to carry only a single hen decoy, face her away from where you expect the gobbler to approach. That way, it will look like the hen is walking away, which might make him feel a little more panicked about the hen leaving. He might come closer."

Both men like to set their decoys in an area where the approaching gobbler can see them--but not in such a wide-open setting that any incoming tom can will have too good a look.

"If you stick them out in the middle of an open field, the gobbler can study them as he approaches. If the decoys are motionless, the gobbler might get nervous. I've seen that happen on plenty of occasions. Turkeys are always moving. Even if they are standing still, their heads are always moving," explains Parrish.

Instead of placing his decoys in the open, Parrish prefers to set up his fake birds along the edge of the field so they have a background behind them. He might even place one of the hens just inside the woods if the edge of the field isn't so thick that it would prevent an approaching tom from spotting it.

Tiranno likes to place his decoys along old logging roads, field edges and openings within thick woods, and he agrees with Parrish that it's not a good idea to place the decoys in the middle of a wide-open field.

"If that's your only choice, then try to add some movement. Use a decoy that swings in the breeze or tie a piece of string to it and give it some movement. That's usually all it takes to put a nervous gobbler's mind at ease," says Tiranno.

Parrish employs a length of 30-pound clear fishing line and attaches it to one of his decoys. If a gobbler hangs up and refuses to close the distance, Parrish will give the line a few tugs. That's often enough to convince the tom to take those last few critical steps.

Nothing is foolproof when it comes to any kind of hunting, not even a set of turkey decoys combined with the sweetest yelps and clucks you can offer. But since the odds are in the gobbler's favor, why wouldn't you carry a few decoys every time you slip through the woods?

DECOYS, GET YOUR DECOYS
BuckWing, 800/555-9908, www.buckwing.com. Collapsible decoys in hen, gobbler, flock (two hens and a gobbler), strutting jake and breeding pair. The Expander stake features eight metal arms with flexible plastic tips that spread out like umbrella arms to bring the decoy to full width. Wind generates movement within 45-degree angle.
Cabela's, 800/237-4444, www.cabelas.com. Collapsible turkey decoys made of lightweight polyethylene that roll up for storage. Available are hen, jake, hen/jake set and flock (two hens and a jake). Stakes included.
Carry Lite, 501/649-5720, www.carrylitedecoys.com. Easy Fold decoys--upright hen, feeding hen, jake and strutting tom--fold to fit into a jacket or vest pocket. Stakes are designed to permit free movement but not spin. Attached string allows hunter to add movement.
Outland Sports, 913/317-9600, www.outlandsports.com. Feather Flex inflatable decoys in hen, jake and flock (two hens and a jake). Move in the slightest breeze. Molded-rubber TruLife Signature series in strutting jake, jake and hen models. Tru Hen and Tru Jake decoys are foldable and lightweight. Also available from Feather Flex is the Live Action Stake for added movement and realism.
Sceery Outdoors, 800/327-4322. 2nd Generation Inflatable decoys in standing jake, standing hen, strutting tom and four-bird flock (resting hen, walking hen, feeding hen and standing jake). Controlled-movement stake gives the decoys a lifelike look.