Strutter Decoy

[warshard]

I've used a strutter for the last two seasons with mixed results, but basically cool results: opening day last year, I worked what seemed to be a dominate bird--when he came up to the ridge and saw the strutter, he ran and putted for what sounded like over a hundred yards--a couple of days later, I took my first bird of the season who was just looking at the strutter decoy in a dumbfounded manner just within shooting range--this year, I plan to mount a jake fan on the decoy and test it--which brings me to my question: Would like to know the forum's opinion of what set ups work best--is there a major difference in using a strutter in the early part of the season or later during the second gobbling period when the hens stay away longer during the day--all opinions will be appreciated--

Regards to all--

Warshard

Edited March 10, 2011 by warshard

[huntnfish]

I have had mixed results with any type of setup I have used. I have had toms run in at a jake decoy and I have had them run away. The same with a tom decoy. I have had jakes attack a tom decoy and I have had just hens as decoys and nothing would come out of the woods when they saw them. I always go to woods with decoys but sometimes the results are not what I planned or not what owkred the week before.

[The Kid]

I've ya great success with using a flock compared to using just a strutter and a hen, Last year my hunting buddies went 4 for 4 with Bmoble

[need2hunt]

Where I hunt in Missouri I have had poor results (make that NO results other than scaring away birds) with regular decoys and great results with strutting tom or strutting jake sets.

I don't think there is a big difference in the time of the season for using strutter decoys. My theory is that most of the birds already know the other birds in their area and know who they can whoop up on and who they need to run from. When they see a strutter decoy, it ends up being a new bird in their area and they don't like that very well, especially if he has a few hens with him. At that point my experience has been that if they are a dominant bird that they are going to try to run him off, if their a satellite bird or a whooped up bird they will come in slower and give the strutter a little room while they try to pick up a little action.

I'm sure sooner or later I will see a tom run from my strutter set-up but I haven't seen it yet.

[dbHunterNY]

What do other hunters in your area use?? I've had good luck with a flock of feeding hens. everyone here seems to use upright hens. doesn't seem natural and everybody is using them. no one that i know of uses strutting decoys so i'd think they would work well here. early in the season i'd use a couple tom decoys, but later in the season i'd prolly stick to a jake with a couple feeding hens.

Edited March 10, 2011 by dbHunterNY

[Ethan Givan]

I started using a strutting tom decoy for the first time last year, the inflatable type. Opening morning of season I had 3 gobblers leave their hens and run right to my strutter decoy looking for a fight and I killed one of the birds. Then a few days later I used it again and had a gobbler again leave his hens and strut to within 5 yards of my decoy, but he never attempted to fight it. After strutting in circles for a couple minutes the gobbler turned and went back to his hens. I guess he wanted my decoy to start the fight.

I bought a Pretty Boy and Girl set a few weeks ago and Im really excited to try them out. I have had alot of success while only using hen decoys, but the response you get when using strutting tom decoys is much more exciting.

[Chester]

I did use a strutter decoy but had nothing but bad luck with it. I only now use a single hen and have had good results with it.

[Flintlock1776]

Got pics?