6 Ways to Use Hen Turkey Decoys That Old Farmers Swear By

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Understanding Tom Behavior for Decoy Placement

A tom turkey thinks with his eyes and his ego. He wants to approach a hen, display his dominance in a clear area, and expect her to be receptive. Your decoy placement is the first part of this conversation.

Never place your decoys so the tom has to walk through thick brush or past you to get to them. He wants a clear, open path. Think of it as his stage. He’ll often circle to get a full view, so ensure your setup is visible from multiple approach angles.

The direction your decoys face is also critical. A gobbler expects to walk up to a hen and have her see him. If your decoy is facing away, it can confuse him or make him hang up out of range, waiting for her to turn. Always position your hen decoys to face your shooting position; this forces the tom to come into your line of sight to get in front of her.

The Lone Feeder Hen: A Classic Gobbler Magnet

The simplest setup is often the most effective, especially early in the season when toms are still sorting out their pecking order. A single hen decoy with her head down in a feeding position sends a powerful message: "All is safe here." This pose is non-threatening and projects a sense of calm that a wary gobbler finds irresistible.

Place this lone feeder about 15 to 20 yards from your hiding spot, angled slightly. This distance is close enough for a clean shot but far enough to seem natural. The feeding pose tells an approaching tom that this hen is relaxed and preoccupied, making him more confident to close the distance without fear of being challenged or rejected. It’s the bread-and-butter setup for a reason.

The Submissive Breeder Pose for Peak Mating

When the breeding season hits its peak, you need to change your message. The submissive breeder hen decoy, positioned low to the ground as if ready to be mounted, is an undeniable invitation. This isn’t a subtle suggestion; it’s a demand for a tom’s immediate attention.

This setup is pure dynamite for a dominant, fired-up gobbler. He sees an opportunity he can’t pass up. The key is timing. Use this pose when you know toms are actively seeking and breeding hens. The tradeoff? A less aggressive or subordinate tom might see the scene and shy away, knowing he’ll get run off by a boss gobbler. It’s a high-risk, high-reward play that can pay off big.

Creating a Jealousy Scene with a Jake Decoy

Nothing fires up a dominant tom more than seeing a younger rival moving in on one of his hens. Pairing a hen decoy with a jake (a young male turkey) decoy creates a scene of imminent conflict that a boss gobbler cannot tolerate. He will often charge in to run off the intruder.

The placement here is everything. Position the jake decoy right behind the hen, almost touching her, as if he’s about to breed. The hen can be a feeder or a submissive breeder. This visual story of a subordinate bird getting bold is often too much for a longbeard to handle. Be warned, however: this setup will absolutely scare off real jakes and even some less-dominant two-year-old toms. Use it when you are targeting the king of the woods.

The Small Flock Setup to Project Calm and Safety

Turkeys are flock animals, and there is immense safety in numbers. Using two or three hen decoys can create a picture of a contented flock that puts incoming gobblers at ease, especially in open fields or pastures. A lone bird can look vulnerable or suspicious, but a small group looks natural.

Mix up the poses to tell a better story. Use one feeder, one alert or "lookout" hen, and maybe one walking. Spread them out a few feet from each other in a relaxed, non-linear pattern. This visual variety makes the scene far more believable from a distance. An approaching tom sees this and thinks he’s found a whole group of receptive hens, making him much more likely to commit and strut his way into range.

The Mid-Day Loafing Hen for Patient Hunters

The morning hunt doesn’t always work out. After the initial fly-down and breeding frenzy, gobblers often wander solo, looking for any hens they might have missed. During this mid-day lull, hens often find a shady spot to rest, dust themselves, and "loaf."

Placing a single hen decoy in a sitting or dusting pose near a field edge or under a shady oak can be a killer tactic for the patient hunter. This isn’t about aggressive calling; it’s about creating a realistic, relaxed scene. A cruising tom who spots a loafing hen sees an easy, quiet opportunity. It’s a low-energy setup for a part of the day when the birds themselves are conserving energy.

The Lost Hen: Combining Calling and Decoys

Sometimes, the best story to tell is one of vulnerability. A single hen decoy, perhaps with a more upright and alert head, can be used to represent a lost hen trying to find the flock. This visual needs to be paired with the right sounds to be effective.

Use calls that signal a lost or separated bird, like scattered yelps or the "kee-kee run" of a young turkey. The decoy gives the gobbler a visual confirmation of the sounds he’s hearing. He sees the "lost" bird and his instinct to gather and protect his harem kicks in. He’ll often come in silently, trying to find the source of the calls, so be ready.

Adding Subtle Motion for Ultimate Realism

A stationary decoy is good, but a decoy with a hint of life is better. A wise old tom that has been fooled before will often hang up just out of range, studying your setup for any sign of danger. The slightest movement can be the final trigger that convinces him to commit.

You don’t need expensive, battery-operated decoys. Many modern decoys come with stakes that allow for movement in a light breeze. If there’s no wind, a simple piece of fishing line tied to the decoy and run back to your blind allows you to impart a subtle twitch or turn with a gentle pull. That small, lifelike motion can be the difference between a gobbler walking away and a gobbler running in.

In the end, using turkey decoys is less about manufacturing a perfect scene and more about speaking the turkey’s language. By understanding what a gobbler expects to see, you can tailor your setup to tell a story he can’t resist. Match the right story to the right day, and you’ll find your success rate improves dramatically.