King Strut Challenges Dominance
Every turkey is a trophy, but sometimes you want to take the dominant big daddy of an area just to say that you did. This often requires a change of tactics, especially if he's hanging out with hens.
Wild turkeys are ruled by the breeding cycle during spring. Male birds fight for dominance to breed hens. Usually, this creates one or two dominant birds controlling the majority of the hens with satellite gobblers holding on the fringes trying to sneak a hen away from the group or finding one alone. Often these are the birds that hunters end up staring at over a shotgun's sights.
Dominant gobblers are often more difficult to call into gun range because they already have hens. They have no reason to try and find that lone hen calling so seductively (you) to him from just over the hill. A dominant gobbler expects that hen to find him. One way to entice that ole dominant gobbler into range is by challenging his dominance with a strutting decoy, such as the Flambeau King Strut, and a couple of hen decoys.
This set up brings out a mature gobbler's natural instinct to run this usurper out of the area, but it can also scare away gobblers who are less dominant, so be sure to know your birds before trying these tips from NWTF Wild Turkey Bourbon Calling Contest Rare Breed Champion of Champions winner and Knight & Hale prostaffer Kerry Terrell.
- Know your local flock. Full-strut decoys will attract the attention of the most dominant bird in the area. If the dominant bird is henned up and not coming to the decoy, subordinate birds (satellite gobblers and jakes) may be too intimidated to come into gun range.
- If your decoy is scaring off potential gobblers, insert a jake fan, preferably a real fan, for added attraction. A strutting jake poses a much less intimidating threat to mature gobblers and will often provoke a response.
- Place the decoy in an open field or in a highly visible spot along a lane or intersection of trails. Strutting is meant to be viewed by others, so find a place where turkeys can observe your decoy.
- Create a conflict scenario when using a full-strut decoy early in the morning. Terrell often places the full-strut decoy in an easy-to-see spot and combines a hen fly-down cackle and excited calling to mimic a hen flying down and running to the strutting gobbler. The local gobbler will often come to investigate, see the strutting decoy, and move in to confront the usurper.
|
King Strut Flambeau's new full strut turkey decoy incorporates life-like head detail duplicating a real turkey in lightweight, portable foam with a photo-realistic tail fan and a synthetic beard. The King Strut features a two-piece foldable metal tip stake providing easy insertion into tough terrain and allowing the decoy to move in the wind. It's also designed to work with Flambeau's Green Tail Holder, which allows a fresh or dried tail fan to be mounted to the decoy, and comes with hardware to mount cured wings and a real beard for the ultimate in realism. |
Rules for Safe Use
Decoys are excellent turkey hunting tools, but today's decoys are extremely realistic, so be sure to follow the NWTF's Decoy Safety rules, especially when using Flambeau's King Strut Turkey decoy, which can easily catch the attention of other turkey hunters.
- Never transport decoys uncovered. Many of the new decoys fold up for easy storage in turkey vests.
- Always set up against a tree that is taller than your head and wider than your shoulders.
- Establish a clear line of vision for at least 100 yards and then set up the decoys 20 yards from your position on the line.
- If you see another hunter, call out in a loud, clear voice to alert them to your position.
- Always check carefully that no one is stalking your decoys before leaving your position.
