Reaction to DSD Jake compared to other Jake decoys?

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

Early in Virgnias season I had a pair of two year olds come in right off the limb. The gobbled their heads off on the limb and on their way in up until they saw the decoy. At that point they went quiet and strutted at 45 yards and then proceeded to work around to get another look at the decoy from the distance. From the birds approach they were facing the decoy head on. When they worked around and got the side profile of the decoy and realized it was a jake. They flipped the switch and it was game on. Ran in and beat the tar out of the decoy.

From now on I am going to do my best to set the jake up so his side profile is showing when the bird approachs. Granted this is easier said than done considering a turkey has a tendency to be a turkey and come from any direction he so chooses no matter how convinced you are that he is coming in from right in front of you.

  Never face the Jake decoy toward the anticipated direction of approach.

Gobblers are more comfortable confronting/ attacking from behind and consequently I always position the Jake facing myself or the shooter.

[dirt road ninja]

This year I had more than one bout of bad luck with my dekes and they were not DSD's. After two jakes got nervous around two of my hen dekes I bought a DSD, but it was after my season closed. I plan to add a DSD jake and another hen before next spring. In the past I've had them fight my jake decoy and knock over hen dekes, but this year not so much. Only had one bird casually strut up close to one, but my buddy shot it before we could see if the tom was going to attack it (glad he did). I don't think he would have anyway, maybe he would have just pushed it over, but he didn't seem like he was in the fighting mood.

[hardluckstrutter]

  Never face the Jake decoy toward the anticipated direction of approach.

Gobblers are more comfortable confronting/ attacking from behind and consequently I always position the Jake facing myself or the shooter.
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Thanks Bandit!

[lightsoutcalls]

One of my favorite hunts in KS with DSD decoys was where a group of 3 jakes came into our setup.  They payed no attention to the hen decoys, but went straight to the jake decoy.   These jakes had about 4" beards and were feeling their oats.  One jake raised his chest up onto the jake decoy and waltzed him 360 degrees around on the stake.  He approached from the front, so I don't think he was trying to mount him, just showing dominance. 

[Borat]

From now on I am going to do my best to set the jake up so his side profile is showing when the bird approachs. Granted this is easier said than done considering a turkey has a tendency to be a turkey and come from any direction he so chooses no matter how convinced you are that he is coming in from right in front of you.

  Never face the Jake decoy toward the anticipated direction of approach.

Gobblers are more comfortable confronting/ attacking from behind and consequently I always position the Jake facing myself or the shooter.

[DeWayne Knight]

I have a full strut decoy that has real wings and a jake fan about half fanned out on it.  I use it when hunting from a blind when I have youth hunters or rookies.  I always face the decoy towards the blind, as in my experience, a dominant gobbler will face the "challenger".  If the gobbler is looking away from the blind and at the decoy, it really helps out with the kids getting the gun shouldered and aimed without getting busted.

[gophert]

I've owned a DSD Hen decoy for 4 years now and I love it.  I wanted the DSD Jake decoy but just couldn't pull the trigger on it due to the price.   I've had a Carry-Lite Pretty Boy Junior Semi-Strutter decoy for a few years now and have used it in conjunction with the DSD Hen decoy.  This year I decided to re-paint the head of the Carry-Lite Jake with more red on the neck, similar to the DSD Jake paint scheme. And I must say, it would be hard to tell my Carry-Lite from the DSD Jake at more than 10 yards.   Using the same duo after the paint job and in the same location on 2 consecutive days, I had two 3 year old longbeards come in silently and knock the jake decoy completely off of its stake.   When Wing Supply put them on sale earlier this year, I purchased 2 more of them.   They too will be getting the same paint job!

I too have found that the Carry-Lite Jake Jr looks very similar to the DSD, but REQUIRES a head touch up.  Bass Pro sales them for $34.99 but they are usually sold out.  I think the DSD hen decoys are the best thing since sliced bread and I will have one for next season.  Both my hens are UGLY and have never really pulled a gobbler in.  They just provide company to the Jake Jr.  I hunted with my 11 yr old daughter just about every hunt this year and the decoys are a must with her.  

Here is a pic of the Carry-Lite Jake Jr after a head touch up.  

Video of hunt:  http://youtu.be/zXmARliJQXE

[1tiogabowhunter]

I have hunted turkeys for about 37 years and this the first year that I really used decoys.  I was self filming my hunts and wanted the birds to stick around a bit.  I used the DSD jake and hen combo and the DSD strutting gobbler and hen combo.   In each case the results were amazing.   The gobblers acted so stupid that it almost seemed unfair.  Please keep in mind that in a few of the cases the birds were on public land and extremely pressured.  My biggest concern was safety.  I did have one bad experiance where I had used the decoys and missed the gobbler with my bow athe day before and tried the same set up the next day "like a fool" and that bird flew off the minute he saw the gobbler. 

I preffered the jake - hen combo because it was less to carry.

Check out the video if you have a chance.  Click on thomas turqua episode 1

http://bitmoreoutdoors.com/

[NYbassman]

:Although there are several reasons to buy the DSDs rather than the other brands, I will mention another that I have yet to see on this thread. That is the fact that at least 3 companies,those being dakota decoy, carry lite, and h.s. strut, have attempted to copy the DSD jake.look at the posture of the DSD, which was the first to come out, and then look how identical the others are. Kind of funny how decoys have been made for years and years without that posture being seen, and then within two years of DSD releasing it we have at least 3 companies making shoddy look-alikes employing the people of CHINA. Which of those companies do you want to support?

[trackerbucky]

Any chance of getting a more detailed picture of the head painting?  I'd like to try that myself.  I had a two year old fly down off the limb and land 60 yards from my decoys.  He started toward them but stopped short and started to go into strut several times but stopped each time.  I'm pretty sure the white head on the feather flex intimidated him.  The decoy was facing me with its back toward the gobbler so I'm sure all he could see was the head.

Thanks in advance for any close up of the head touch up.

[busta biggun]

:Although there are several reasons to buy the DSDs rather than the other brands, I will mention another that I have yet to see on this thread. That is the fact that at least 3 companies,those being dakota decoy, carry lite, and h.s. strut, have attempted to copy the DSD jake.look at the posture of the DSD, which was the first to come out, and then look how identical the others are. Kind of funny how decoys have been made for years and years without that posture being seen, and then within two years of DSD releasing it we have at least 3 companies making shoddy look-alikes employing the people of CHINA. Which of those companies do you want to support?

My sentiments exactly! Personally I don't understand why anybody would buy any of these knockoffs just on the principle. I just think stealing DSD designs is reason enough to boycott these other companies. I would rather hunt with no decoy or a plastic bag rather than rewarding these thieves in order to save  a few bucks. Sorry, I just don't understand the question as to which one to buy. It seems clear to me. And fyi I did mention this in one of the other numerous "which decoy should I buy" threads.

[busta biggun]

@Bad Grizzly: I already stated twhat I would do if I couldn't afford a DSD, I would use a black plastic bag first (I am exaggerating to a point). To be clear I would use the featherflex decoys before I would reward a company for stealing somebody elses design. That is just me., Everybody is entitled to their views. I would never pay all that extra money for Nitro shells, but if somebody wants to do so I have no problem, because Nitro has done their own research and puts our high dollar shells that are their own design. I just think that DSD decoys are revolutionary. These bottom feeders that try to take advantage of DSD designs should be punished, not applauded.

[SKFOOTER]

Just a heads up, Wing Supply has the Carrylite Pretty Boy Jr. Jake decoy on sale again for $19.95 and they have just under 200 in stock. 

[Old Gobbler]

I am partial to the DSD strutter -   

I have had best results with it right on top of a hen laying on the ground , this tends to invoke a violent reaction out of the local gobblers

[jblackburn]

I have a primos jake mobile and it works well.  The first time I used it in MO, two gobblers beat the crap out of it and broke the fake fan than came with it.  I bought the primos fan holder and now use it with the real feathers and I have really good luck with it early in the season.