Tips for Using Bow-Mounted Turkey Decoys

If you want to step away from the typical sit-in-place ground blind system this spring, then give bow-mounted turkey decoys a try.

Tips for Using Bow-Mounted Turkey Decoys

Heads Up Strutting Turkey Decoy

When it comes to springtime noisemakers, I’m a ground blind and decoy guy at heart. With that noted, I love the bow-mounted decoy route as well. Having a boisterous tom charge a cloth decoy mounted to your bow’s riser or stabilizer is about as exciting as it gets.

If you’re thinking the bow-mounted approach sounds appealing, then I recommend looking to either Ultimate Predator Gear’s Stalker Turkey Decoy or the Strutting Turkey Decoy from Heads Up Decoy.

The Stalker mounts to the bow’s riser via Velcro straps, and an oval cutout in the decoy’s middle allows for a clean sight picture and arrow clearance. The Heads Up uses a carbon rod and stabilizer bow mount. The rod fits into the cloth decoy and then slides into the adjustable bow mount. I’ve had solid success with both models.

The author (left) and his hunting buddy, Danny Farris, with mature tom fooled with a Stalker Turkey Decoy from Ultimate Predator Gear.
The author (left) and his hunting buddy, Danny Farris, with mature tom fooled with a Stalker Turkey Decoy from Ultimate Predator Gear.

When using a bow-mounted fake, it’s important to remember that you’re the decoy and you want to be seen. My favorite approach is to spot toms from a distance and close the gap to around 200 yards before showing the decoy. If a tom hangs up, a little bow movement is often all it takes to keep him coming.

Don’t be afraid to crawl toward a hung-up bird. Another great tip, because the decoys allow you to be so mobile, is to simply walk and call. Once you get a response, based on where the tom is and how hot he is, you can sit tight or close the distance.

I highly recommend wearing a black top, black face paint (or mask) and a black hat when using either decoy. Wearing black makes you look like part of the bird’s body.

Safety First

Be careful! These decoys are extremely realistic. On public land, I use them during bow-only seasons exclusively. When hunting public or private ground during open shotgun seasons, use extreme caution. Make sure you know if other hunters are in the area; it’s also a good idea to place blaze orange ribbon or cloth on the backside of the decoys. The Ultimate Predator Gear fake comes with blaze orange straps on its back.



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