Josh Honeycutt says decoying doesn’t have to be hard as long as you tailor your spread to the current behavior of local turkeys.

Decoying is a delicate art. You can’t just stake a decoy and let ‘er rip. Are turkeys avoiding your setups? If so, one of these five reasons might be why.

Your decoys aren’t visible

Gobblers often won’t commit to something they can’t see. Decoys should be as visible as possible. Visible decoys are effective decoys. There should be a clear line of sight between decoys and gobblers’ expected entry points, free of tall grass and heavy vegetation. Turkeys know tall grass to be ambush areas for preditors.

Rolling hills, creek banks, benches, saddles and other geographical features can also impact visibility. The key is to set up within range of the geographical landmark, such as a hilltop, on the opposite side the bird is on.

If the bird is alone, place the decoy halfway between you and the crest of the hill. Use soft calling to lure the bird over the horizon. Lonely birds are generally easy to call to vantage points such as these. Their inclination to see what is on the other side often gets the best of them. If the bird has company, stake them right at the crest of the hill in hopes of drawing them in.

Decoy placement is off

Placement can mean the difference between a hung-up bird at 60 yards and a hung-up bird at camp. The distance between you and your decoys will always be different. A good rule of thumb when bowhunting is 10 to 15 yards. When shotgunning, keep them at about 15 to 20 yards. Staking decoys too far out not only makes for a longer shot; it also gives birds the opportunity to hang up out of range. But, keep in mind, you don’t want to sit right on the decoys for obvious safety reasons, either. Keep a happy medium.

How decoys are physically positioned matters, too. Strutter and jake decoys need to be turned at a 30-to-45-degree angle. Most dominant birds will approach decoys head-on. Facing decoys in your relative direction takes the attention off you once the bird is in range. This can give you that split second needed to raise your gun or draw your bow. If the bird is strutting, wait until his tail fan blocks his view of you. If your decoys are positioned correctly, it will when he confronts the deke.

Hen decoys should be placed differently. Boss hens run the show. More times than not, they are the danger detectors. Therefore, hen decoys should be turned at a 45-to-90-degree angle. You don’t want hen decoys looking at you. This will direct turkeys’ eyes toward you as well. Also, use the decoys to “steer” gobblers in the direction you want them to go by pointing the hens in that direction.

Calls don’t match the dekes

This is something often overlooked by even the most experienced of hunters. Use calls that match your decoy spread. If it’s wide open, and you don’t have a jake or a tom decoy, don’t gobble. If using a feeding hen, supplement with clucks and purrs. If using a jake decoy, throw in a few jake yelps. You get the idea.

They don’t sell the part

Decoys need to be realistic. In today’s world, there is no reason for them not to be. Store those foam decoys you bought on a whim 20 seasons ago. You can get good decoys on a budget these days. Quality dekes will lead to more successful hunts. It isn’t just the amount of detail in the decoy, either. It’s the paint that is used, posture in the decoy, etc. Higher-end decoys take these things into account where lower-end decoys will not.

The timing is off

Timing is crucial for effective decoying. Your decoy spread should match the breeding cycle. The phases in the breeding cycle are: first peak gobbling, suppressed gobbling and second peak gobbling. The first phase is when birds are still grouped up and breeding is minimal. Suppressed gobbling is when hens are most receptive to toms. The second peak gobbling spikes as hens begin to nest and become less receptive to toms again.

Early in the season, during the first peak gobbling phase, is the best time to be aggressive. Birds are fired up and ready to breed. This is the time to use strutter decoys and other aggressive-style decoy spreads.

As the season progresses, during the suppressed gobbling phase, throw some love in your decoy spread. Birds are less vocal now. Breeding has ensued. Implement a breeding jake and hen. This could be just what it takes to bring that longbeard charging in.

Once the late season arrives, during the second peak gobbling phase, birds are bruised and battered. But they’re still willing to breed. Hold off on strutter decoys and other aggressive decoys. Instead, use a single or pair of hens. Gobblers will be much more likely to approach your spread if it lacks a male presence. This is especially effective against subordinate gobblers.

Toms are gobbling. Gobblers are strutting. Strutters are breeding. The season is upon us. The dekes can be kryptonite for longbeards. But they can also be self-destructive for you. Know your trade. Hone your craft. Decoying doesn’t have to be hard.

For more spring turkey hunting insight, check out the spring issues of MidWest Outdoors. Subscribe on our website.