This 34-second video is simply outstanding. It was posted on the Grant Woods Facebook page. I’ve written about my friend Dr. Grant Woods (wildlife biologist) before. He’s the engine behind the popular Growing Deer TV brand, and his online content about land management, whitetails and turkeys is top-notch.
In the video clip below, you’ll see the effectiveness of using a jake and hen decoy in a breeding scenario. Specifically, the hunter, Steph, is using a Cabela’s Pro Jake decoy positioned directly behind her Cabela’s Pro Feeder/Breeder Hen decoy. Of course, not every gobbler that sees a two-decoy breeding setup will respond with the same aggressiveness, but in my experience it works quite often.
One aspect to this setup that is a bit surprising to me is Steph has both the jake and hen decoys resting on the ground (no stakes). That’s the way to position the hen in a breeding scenario, but typically hunters will use the stake for the jake. I watched the video again to check whether this decision was based on high winds — you wouldn’t want the jake spinning around, you’d want it hovering behind the hen 100 percent of the time. In high winds, I’ll still use the stake on my jake and then push some sticks in the ground on either side of the jake’s tail to keep the decoy in the correct position (facing the hen).
I checked with Grant regarding the decoy setup, and he said, "That spot is too rocky to use stakes, which is true for most of my place, so we simply set the decoys on the ground. As long as toms see the decoys, they often respond. Smaller decoys, and those close to the ground, seem to not alert or intimidate toms as much as decoys that are elevated on a stake."
As you'll see, this setup worked perfectly, and Steph is rewarded with a spectacular show and a close-range opportunity. The icing on the cake is the gobbler drops in view of the camera after the shot. Amazing footage!
P.S. Be sure to click “enter fullscreen” and turn up the volume for best viewing.
