Turkey decoys lure deer

[Brushpile]

While turkey hunting this morning I had four does come to my mobile turkey decoys. Each time the deer got right up on my blind, scented me and ran off. The deer ran off four times, and four times I gave a few pucks, made the decoys move, and the curious deer returned. That makes me think that a mobile turkey decoy gives deer false confidence that over rides their fear instinct, and can fool deer into thinking that the blind is a safe place.

 

[farmhunter]

good thought. One area I hunt has so many turkeys coming to roost in the evenings - its like a class on turkey/deer interaction. It happens to be in a staging area for the deer before they enter an overgrown orchard - and eventually the soybean/clover plots up top. #1 its a confusing place and the deer are on edge. At first I thought - good the deer will be preoccupied - but later I realized that - no the deer were on edge they didn't trust what they were hearing for sure - so they were extra aware of their other senses and the reactions from the turkeys. With all those eyes - some turkeys are always suspicious and the deer noticed that. Later on - it became apparent that really only younger deer staged here with the turkeys. There were exceptions - but those older bucks around flocks of turkeys were on red alert - not easy to hunt.

Your situation is different - plays on the curiosity of the deer- but bet that they will be on alert coming in - not calm and unaware like I think works to the hunter's advantage.

 

[Jeff H]

It's so interesting to watch the relationship between deer and turkey and how they differ from place to place. I'm in Ozark, not that far from you and have found just the opposite reaction from deer. My deer (and those I hunt at a different farm 10 miles from my place) is that deer have a very adversarial relationship with turkey. I've witnessed it enough times that I now use turkey decoys to very successfully "push" deer from one end of a field to another..my end. I've often wondered what makes some deer ok with turkey while others can't tolerate them.

 

[MK111]

Interesting concept. We have so many turkeys here in SW Ohio that there will be couple different flocks of 20-40 bird at a time in my food plots. May try a decoy to relax the deer to enter the food plots out of the neighbor's woods.

 

[Brushpile]

Some waterfowl hunters use confidence decoys, like Blue Herons. Is it possible that deer are confident they're safe near very wary turkeys? My decoys are mobile, and I add some calling to create a realistic look.

 

[swat1018]

Mine seem to bring the coyotes! The hunting has been tough in NEMO. I never heard a bird on the roost yesterday or today. I can't figure it out, I know it's a late spring. Any mushrooms over your way?

 

[Brushpile]

Mine seem to bring the coyotes! The hunting has been tough in NEMO. I never heard a bird on the roost yesterday or today. I can't figure it out, I know it's a late spring. Any mushrooms over your way?

Turkey gobble best on Bluebird days. These cold fronts turn them off. I saw mushrooms near Oklahoma City last week, so they should be popping up soon.

 

[Tap]

While turkey hunting this morning I had four does come to my mobile turkey decoys. Each time the deer got right up on my blind, scented me and ran off. The deer ran off four times, and four times I gave a few pucks, made the decoys move, and the curious deer returned. That makes me think that a mobile turkey decoy gives deer false confidence that over rides their fear instinct, and can fool deer into thinking that the blind is a safe place.

There was an article by Marty McMahon in Professional Bowhunter magazine (I think it was that magazine and author) that talked about confidence decoys. The author was actually using turkey decoys while bowhunting for deer and said deer busting him in trees went down substantially.

 

[KDdid]

Years ago while hunting Southern Ohio, a local friend turned me on to having a diaphragm call in my mouth at all times. Whenever I’d bust a deer on the way in or out, I’d let fly with a few yelps-crazy but it works! I had numerous deer drop their flags, look around, and slowly wander off.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Mennoniteman]

Turkey gobble best on Bluebird days. These cold fronts turn them off. I saw mushrooms near Oklahoma City last week, so they should be popping up soon.

What's your definition of a bluebird day? I thought it was a clear cold sunny day after a snowstorm.

 

[Brushpile]

What's your definition of a bluebird day? I thought it was a clear cold sunny day after a snowstorm.

I'm certainly not a turkey hunting expert, but Turkeys seem to gobble on those nice Spring days when song birds are singing.

 

[Elkaddict]

I’ve routinely watched deer feed into the middle of a flock of turkeys. I’m convinced they’ve learned how effective their eyesight is and how quickly they alert to something approaching. Always a good time watching the interactions.