Topic: Best Turkey Decoys for 2023 (Read 35 times)
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This is the most realistic and useful hen decoy we’ve ever hunted with. If you’re going to set just one decoy, use this one.
Maybe you don’t want to haul around a whole spread of turkey decoys. Or, maybe you hunt pressured public lands where it’s unsafe to set a tom or jake decoy. In that case, you might want to set just one, single hen decoy. You want the The Avian-X HDR hen. This blow-molded hen decoy looks realistic in every aspect: feather detail, body position, size, hell, even the legs look real. The decoy co*es with two interchangeable head positions. One is a high-stretched head which indicates a dominant hen. The other is a lower head position to indicate a submissive, breeder bird.
You’ll notice that the decoy is flocked on the back, which is an excellent touch that not many other turkey decoys offer. This decoy is also an excellent choice for hunters who mostly call in open hardwoods. In this case it’s often best to have one highly-visible and realistic hen decoy. The Avian-X HDR Hen fits the bill perfectly. -Alex Robinson
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Why It Made the Cut
The Avian-X HDR Strutter and Feeding Hen turkey decoys deliver astounding iridescent realism and detail up close and from a distance.
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Product Description
When Fred Zink’s crew introduced Avian-X decoys around 2010, the new LCD (Lifelike Collapsible Decoy) design, featuring inflatable rubber bodies, was all the rage. I’ve watched dozens of gobblers crumble over Avian-X decoys. In recent years, the brand transitioned from rubber bodies to the more co*mon plastic shells that you’ll find with most premium turkey decoys. But one factor has always remained constant with Avian-X turkey decoys: realism. The inflatable dekes were great because they could be broken down to a manageable size for travel, and I even once conveniently packed an Avian jake for a Gould’s hunt in Mexico. While the new HDR (Heavy-Duty Realism) plastic versions aren’t quite as mobile, I’ve tagged many gobblers over them thanks to their hyper-realistic looks.
The HDR Strutter decoy features a modular design. You can swap between red/white/blue (subordinate tom) and solid white (dominant tom) heads, and the adjustable synthetic tail fan and beard allow you to transform the decoy from tom to jake. The tail fan and wings are removable, so you can add real feathers at your leisure.
The HDR Feeding Hen has a content body posture that could lure in lovesick gobblers or simply attract other hens to start a turkey party (the boys will eventually co*e knocking).
Or you can pair the two decoys to test the ego of a dominant tom and trick him into your setup.
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Old-school turkey hunters probably remember the old Featherflex foam turkey decoys—the only readily available co*mercial decoys back in the day. The paint jobs on those foamies dulled quickly, and I truly believe pressured gobblers can recognize obvious dupes. Manufacturing techniques and paint have co*e a long way, so the resurgence of foam decoys like Redhead’s 3-Pack is great for hunters who aren’t willing to drop their gas money on turkey decoys.
The Redhead Foam Turkey Decoy 3-Pack is as simple as decoys co*e but if used properly, they can get the job done. If you’re the type of turkey hunter who believes decoys are unnecessary, you could stuff the 3-Pack in your vest for a JIC (Just In Case) scenario. Make sure the wingnuts are tight and the stakes are secure if you deploy these dekes on a windy day. Pro tip: If you’re having trouble removing creases in the foam after they’ve been folded up during travel, try running a hair dryer on them in your Motel 6.
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Hunting from a ground blind in open areas, such as big ag fields, means you need to earn the attention of gobblers and get them to co*mit to your setup. co*bining a full-strut gobbler decoy with a laydown (breeding posture) hen is a great starting point, and this pair from The Grind is realistic and manageable to haul along with all your ground blind gear.
Given the overall quality and realism, this turkey decoy duo offers a great value for turkey hunters who prefer hard-shell decoys. These might not be the best for running and gunning, but they’ll work well in your setup if you fancy long hours in a ground blind.
As a quarter-body decoy, the Strutter shaves off some unnecessary weight, and most real longbeards don’t seem to care about the missing back portion of a gobbler decoy. Remove the synthetic fan and replace it with a real gobbler fan, and the Quarter-Body Strutter will be difficult for dominant gobblers to resist, especially if the decoy is positioned over the Lay Down Hen decoy. A wingnut secures the two-piece heavy-duty metal stake to the decoy, which can be loosened or tightened depending on how much wind motion you prefer. Not only is the the painting process on these decoys hyper-realistic, it’s made to last. Each color is applied, then baked and dried onto the decoy before the next color is applied for maximum durability.
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At less than $60 the Lil’ Gobbstopper Hen and Jake co*bo from Primos adds a lot of value in a small package.
With smaller profiles, the jake is less intimidating to skittish gobblers, and the hen is easier to carry than full-sized decoys. Deploy these decoys together to simulate a mating pair, or run them separately, depending on the reactions of your late-season targets. Consider beefing up the plastic stake with a metal replacement so you won’t have to worry about penetrating harder ground.
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The JakeFan is the offspring of the original TurkeyFan that uses a unique umbrella-style system that easily allows reapers to mimic a gobbler going in and out of a strut. You simply close and open the umbrella while you’re hiding behind it. While the 2-D TurkeyFan decoy has a full fan four times the size of a real gobbler, the JakeFan is more realistically sized and built with a 3D head.
This decoy includes an adjustable viewing window that’s convenient for bow or gun hunters to aim at approaching gobblers, and it’s easy to rig a POV action camera (bracket purchased separately) to capture video footage from your hunt. Use the built-in stake to anchor the JakeFan if you want to call a longbeard in the “old-fashioned” way.
Selecting a turkey decoy depends on your hunting tactics and preference, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. Identify your budget first, and then figure out your most co*mon hunting style. Choose the most realistic turkey decoy(s) that you can afford, and make sure it acco*modates your most likely hunting setups. Remember, with some creativity, nearly every turkey decoy can be used effectively for a variety of scenarios, and sometimes you’re better off going with no decoy at all.
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Your decoy setups or how many decoys you put out is largely dictated by seasonality (early vs. late season), hunting pressure, weather, and the dynamics of local flocks. As a general rule of thumb, you’re better off using more turkey decoys early in the season, while less is often more in the late season.
Decoys aren’t necessary for turkey hunting. Many turkey hunters prefer calling without decoys because it forces gobblers to search for the source of calling. Oftentimes, gobblers will “hang up” outside of shooting range because in nature the hens typically go to them. This is where decoys can be useful. If turkeys see a decoy, they might be more convinced to co*e into a setup rather than spooking when they don’t see a hen at the source of calling.
Turkeys can beco*e decoy shy if they’re living in areas with a lot of hunting pressure. Avoid using them on heavily hunted tracts of private or public land, or try less intimidating decoy setups when you’re hunting skittish birds, like decoys with more relaxed or feeding postures.
