Flextone Thunder Chicken Decoy

[Uncle Nicky2]

Thanks for the suggestion Scott, sounds like a winner. I'm usually not a big fan of decoys, but always looking to find a way to outsmart gobblers.

Now I guess I have to kill an extra bird this spring to make a fan decoy. :D

Happy New Year to you Sir!!

[WillowRidgeCalls]

You can also make one, a huntin buddy made his out of 1/4" plywood and painted it brown with a black ring and used a magic marker to add the black bands on the tail feathers, or a fake fan from a full strut decoy that's been replaced by a real fan, even cardboard that a hunters kids colored, until you get another birds tail. It's the movement that draws their attention, not the realism.

[Gopherlongbeards]

It's the movement that draws their attention, not the realism.

Along these same lines, I noticed something interesting this fall season. A little bit of movement by me during calling sequences (bobbing my head around, or moving an arm back and forth) while partially screened from field turkeys by brush on a field edge seemed to spark their interest and draw them in much better than calling alone. Now I'm not talking about moving around out in the open here, but "something" moving around through the brush in an area where turkey sounds are coming from may be more convincing than sounds alone with no visual evidence? I continue to be surprised with just how much movement I can get away with when turkeys are in view some times.

[WillowRidgeCalls]

That's why when another hunter comes close to you, you don't wave your bare hand at them/ All they see is a brown blob and a white head moving, you always say something to them first. It's the same with turkeys, they catch a bit of movement and they aren't sure exactly what it was, so the curiosity gets them and they come closer for a look. That's why flagging works. Like if your sitting along a field edge in high grass, a turkey sees that fan raise and lower above the grass, they don't care if it's 4 feet up in the air all they catch is the movement, and by the time they get close enough to tell something isn't right, it to late, they're in range. So yeah it isn't hard to fool a turkey,because their curiosity get them into trouble, both spring and fall even without any calling. Movement in decoys is critical, if your decoy has a solid peg that doesn't let the decoy move it won't work as well as one that can spin a little, no matter how well it looks.
Yes Gopher, when I first started fall hunting, I hunted with an old gentleman that would only ware a black hat, and I asked him why he wasn't waring a camo hat? He said because a turkey can't see camo as well as they see black. What he'd do is take that hat and move it across infront of himself slowly and birds would catch that movement and with a couple of hen yelps in they'd come.

[charlie elk]

I respectfully disagree about turkeys having any curiosity what so ever. The lack of curiosity on their part is what sets them apart from other species. Turkeys will respond to what appears to be another turkey's movement but once they confirm there is no turkey they leave. For example if a hunter's eyes are not concealed and he blinks with the turkey nearby, the turkey will most likely quickly evacuate the area; the turkey has no interest in determining what those eyelashes are connected to.

I have mostly given up on decoys as they have spooked many more turkeys than they have lured in due to untimely movement of the decoy, sounds of grass or brush swishing on plastic, sunlight reflections. Perhaps I just suck at placing them. When I started hunting I tried decoys consistently and when I gave them up my success rate went way up.

I have a flock of decoys by many different manufacturers in the pole barn. Anyone want to buy them?

[grizzly]

i'm not a big fan of decoys either . when i haved use them i have found that a single hen decoy in the spring works the best for me when the toms are hanging up and just won't commit seeing a hen in an open spot where the calls are coming from will sometimes get them to come take a look. on the other hand i personerly have never had any luck with decoys in the fall it has always seem to me that any flock that comes out into the feilds do there best to avoid them but then i prefer to stillhunt turkeys in the fall any way....wayne

[stankyolgobbler]

Nick, didn't know that was you! Looking forward to it as well! The season is right around the corner, I'll keep you posted on scouting reports! Hope you've had a good holiday season!

[WillowRidgeCalls]

[quote="charlie elk"]I respectfully disagree about turkeys having any curiosity what so ever. The lack of curiosity on their part is what sets them apart from other species. Turkeys will respond to what appears to be another turkey's movement but once they confirm there is no turkey they leave. For example if a hunter's eyes are not concealed and he blinks with the turkey nearby, the turkey will most likely quickly evacuate the area; the turkey has no interest in determining what those eyelashes are connected to.quote]
What I'm refering to as far as curiosity, is that Ive had birds come in and look the area over and see nothing and leave. You give them a few minutes and start calling again, and back they come. Now they know nothing is there because they were just there, but they come back because they still hear something and haven't seen it? Call it what you want, but I call it curiosity, and I maybe wrong in doing so? I agree with you, their eye sight is unreal, they can pick the slightest movement up if they are close.

[charlie elk]

What I'm refering to as far as curiosity, is that Ive had birds come in and look the area over and see nothing and leave. You give them a few minutes and start calling again, and back they come. Now they know nothing is there because they were just there, but they come back because they still hear something and haven't seen it? Call it what you want, but I call it curiosity, and I maybe wrong in doing so? I agree with you, their eye sight is unreal, they can pick the slightest movement up if they are close.

Oh Boy, this might start a debate. ;) We probably think of curiosity differently.
Curiosity is inquisitive thinking leading to exploration and experimentation. I don't believe turkeys can "think" so they are incapable of being curious.
I agree turkeys will come back to a call location over and over again especially if they have not seen any danger. Give enough time they'll come back in even after seeing danger because they have no memory. Many hunters report that if they stay still and wait 15-20 minutes after their gunshot (miss) they have called the turkey back. Apparently turkeys can not tell the difference between thunder and gunfire. When they hear a boom they don't, as far as I have seen, come and see if it was thunder or gunfire as they have no curiosity about the noise.

[stankyolgobbler]

Just to branch off of this conversation even more....

Give enough time they'll come back in even after seeing danger because they have no memory.

Charlie you have to read "Illumination in the Flatwoods"! You may have heard of it but the author tells of his experiences with wild turkeys and through close study of their habits (raising a brood) notices memory in the birds when it comes to situations that may have spooked or harmed them! He puts major emphasis on this area throughout the book.

Also, turkeys do a great job of memorizing roosting and feeding areas.