Using Decoys For Turkey Hunting Can Help, Or Hurt
Turkey hunting in Louisiana is going full tilt with another week to go until the season ends May 3. From posts I’m seeing on the Internet and from calls I’ve gotten, it seems to have been a pretty good season so far, with quite a few longbeard gobblers biting the dust since the season opened for the general public on April 3.
I’m guessing that many of the successful hunters attracted their gobblers by the use of decoys. From personal experience, I have found that, in most cases, a decoy helped bring the old boy within shotgun range.
Most hunters who use decoys rely on a fake hen to draw the attention of gobblers. Personally, I used foam hen decoys because of the ease in folding them up and putting them in your hunting vest. Sometimes, however, a hen decoy accompanied by a juvenile (jake) gobbler has been the ticket for attracting gobblers.
Several years ago, I had the privilege of being a guide on a youth hunt on what was then the Jackson Bienville Wildlife Management Area. The hunter I was hosting was a young per-teen lady, Sarah Hebert, daughter of now-retired wildlife biologist, Steve Hebert.
We arrived at the designated spot before daylight, Sarah, a photographer, and I. Out front of the blind prepared for us a hen and jake decoy were staked down.
As dawn turned to daylight, I mimicked the hoot of a barred owl to attract attention and got an immediate lusty gobble in response. Settling back, I used my slate call to sound like a hen turkey, hoping the gobbler’s interest would be triggered. The gobbler thundered his response and within minutes, he came running toward the decoys, hoping to chase the jake away and have the hen to himself. Sarah was right on target and downed her very first gobbler. This time, for sure, the decoys helped bring the gobbler in.
On another occasion, I was set up on a pipeline with a hen decoy out. I had a gobbler responding to my call and within minutes, I watched him step out onto the pipeline, but then he stopped. Something about seeing the fake hen, caused him concern and although he stood and gobbled at her for 10 minutes, he turned and walked away, apparently expecting the stationary hen to at least meet him halfway.
My friend, retired biologist Luke Lewis and a long-time turkey hunter introduced me to turkey hunting.
“I’ve been fortunate to take a hundred or so gobblers and I’d say 75 to 80 of them I got when using a decoy,” said Lewis. “A gobbler has a radar in his head. You can call to him from half a mile away and if he’s interested, he can home in on your location and knows exactly where the call is coming from. If he gets close enough to you, he’ll stop to gobble and strut, expecting the hen to come to him. If he doesn’t see a hen, he’ll probably lose interest and walk off. On the other hand, if he sees a decoy, he will often strut on into shotgun range,” he added.
Hunters today will sometimes sweeten the pot by putting out a flock of fake hens accompanied by a pretend jake. When a mature gobbler responds to your call, he will sometimes respond and strut on in to fight the jake, hoping to have the hen haram to himself. Other times, a young gobbler will be intimidated by the flock and not have the nerve to prove he’s the man for the job.
Use decoys or leave them in the truck; the choice is yours but more than likely, you’ll find a fake hen is usually better than no hen at all.
FISHING REPORT
CANEY LAKE – Bass are in a post-spawn mode and have moved to deeper water. Soft plastics and cranks baits are working best. Crappie have moved from the shallows to deeper tops and are hitting jigs and shiners. in around shallow brush to spawn with some already spawned and moving back out. Jigs Some big bream are being caught as they have moved to shallow beds to spawn. Crickets and worms are working on them. For information contact Caney Lake Landing at 259-6649, Hooks Marina at 249-2347, Terzia Tackle at 278-4498 or the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
BUSSEY BRAKE – Crappie have moved out and are around the brush hitting shiner or jigs. are Bass are best flipping the trees with soft plastics. The bream bite is going on in the shallows. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
OUACHITA RIVER –. No report on crappie or bream. Water level down because of lock and dam problems down stream. Fishing overall is slow. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE D’ARBONNE – Bass have moved out to secondary points and hitting square bills, spinners and soft plastics. Crappie have moved out to 10-12 foot water and hitting jigs and shiners. The bream are on the beds and biting crickets and small spinners. Lots of catfish are being caught on red wigglers and night crawlers just off the banks. For latest information, call Anderson Sport Center at 368-9669 or Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE CLAIBORNE – Crappie have moved away from shallow spawning areas and are in deeper water with jigs and shiners picking up some. Bass are shallow and are hitting crank baits, spinners and soft plastics around brush with some already spawned and moving out. Bream are on the shallow beds and hitting worms and crickets. For latest information, call Kel’s Cove at 927-2264 or Terzia Tackle at 278-4498.
LAKE YUCATAN – The water is falling and some crappie are beginning to show up and hitting jigs and shiners. Lots of catfish are being caught on a variety of baits. For info call Surplus City Landing at 318/467-2259.