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Turkeys are famously hard to get a good sight on while out in the wild. They’re quick, they’re mean, and thanks to their great ears and eyes extremely challenging to hunt. One of the most effective tools a turkey hunter can have, is the best turkey decoy for his situation. A decoy that can effectively trick a turkey out into the open where you can land the perfect shot which will bring home one of the tastiest dinners you could have.
What to Look For
In order to find the best turkey decoys there are a few things you should take into consideration. The research you could put into that topic could take hours so we compiled a quick little guide about what really matters when looking for the best turkey decoy. There are three main aspects that make or break a good decoy that is able to lure those tricky birds out of the bushes.
A Realistic Look
There’s a lot that goes into an effective decoy. The first and foremost thing is, of course, the look of the decoy. If it can’t pass as a bird with even the slightest glance then there’s really no point in even trying. Turkeys are smart and they have instincts, they know predators out there waiting for them and they know enough to know when they’re being tricked by one. Birds also have incredible eyesight. Since turkeys don’t really care about scents, their eyes are the only thing they rely on. So first things first, take a look at the decoy and decide if it can even fool you on sight. If it can’t then move along.
Movement
The next thing you’ll want to look at is its movement capabilities. The decoy will be stationary but it also needs to be able to react somewhat believably to its environment. This means that it needs to move when it’s touched, when the wind blows against it. And it needs to move believably. So test out the mobility of the decoy and look to see what the product description says about it.
Posing
The next thing you’ll want to look at is how capable the decoy is in multiple poses. You won’t be hunting turkeys in the same exact spot every time, so this decoy needs to be able to adapt to wherever you place it and look believable in any setting. So you want something that gives you a little more flexibility compared to a stationary, stuck-in-the-ground decoy. It doesn’t need to be in limitless positions, but the typical positions for a turkey, standing and nesting, are a must to attract other turkeys to it without arousing suspicion.
Are Cheap Turkey Decoys Worth A Try?
The short answer: Yes.
With most outdoor hunting gear you really get what you pay for. It’s the case for clothing, calls or guns and yes it’s also the case for decoys. You just have to be aware of what you pay for. Big companies spend an incredible big amount on marketing and that reflects in their product prices. So ask yourself: Do you want to pay for the advertisements or do you only want to pay for the quality that went into the product. Cheap turkey decoys are definitely worth a try, if you take all the factors listed above into consideration. The turkey decoys reviewed here all come with a great price/ performance ratio and we made sure to only list products that skip on all the fancy marketing talk and just do their job.
The 4 Best Turkey Decoys On The Market
In order to give you the chance to spend more time out hunting and less time in front of a screen, we did the research for you and present you our top 4 of the best turkey decoys on the market, together with their reviews. All of them offer a great price/ performance ratio and no matter which of them you choose, you can’t really go wrong here. All of them perform great when it comes to the three key facts discussed earlier and therefore perform well in all environments you might encounter turkey.
Miss Purr-Fect
- Believable movement of feathers in the wind
- Feather’s cover the entire body of the decoy for maximum camouflage
- Two leg pole allows for several pose options
- Inner wiring allows for natural manipulation of bird into several poses as well
If you want something realistic with as many poses as you could imagine, this is the decoy for you. Just looking at this decoy can tell you a lot about how it can trick birds. It’s got a highly believable feathering and overall design that works well just on its own. In addition to that it moves very believably in the wild when it encounters other animals or is knocked around a bit by the wind.
Add into this the decoy’s ability to be manipulated in a variety of ways. The two leg pole system allows for freedom to place the bird, virtually, however you want. It can be posed to stand, to be nesting, to be feeding, or any other natural pose you can think of. Further, the inner wiring allows for the neck and head to be moved around as well to compliment any body pose you place it in. Get creative here!
Beyond its uses out in the field, this decoy is incredibly portable and easy to quickly and quietly set up. Despite the realistic feather cuts, it’s highly durable against a lot of use and a lot of weathering out in the elements. It’s a decoy that will work well for you again and again and last you through several seasons of hunts and therefore definitely deserves to be on the list of the best turkey decoys.
AvianX Breeder Turkey Decoy
- Reflects look of a breeder hen in a receptive posture
- Two pole system allows for stability in posing
- Constructed from Dura-Rubber for maximum durability
This is another two-pole system decoy that allows for some freedom of posing, but not nearly as much as the Miss Purr-Fect. This decoy also sacrifices the feather-like looks for an outstanding durability. It lacks the realistic feather cuts and natural movement of the Miss Purr-Fect in order to achieve some real lasting durability out in the wild and in harsher climates. In order to get more poses out of this one you have to, unfortunately, buy decoys in that pose.
But this decoy certainly has its perks. Like mentioned, it’s highly durable and can be used in a lot more environments than the Miss Purr-Fect which, while durable, is going to wear down thanks to the realistic feathers. This model here can take on snow, rain, and rough terrain multiple times over and come back for more. It’s posing is also in a highly receptive one that’s proven to attract male turkeys. It doesn’t fall victim to spinning of other decoys, is highly mobile, and collapses for easy storage.
This decoy is an excellent way to try and balance your need for a realistic decoy with a durable one. And if you want one that you know will last you a long, long time then this might be the one for you.
Primos Gobstopper Jack + Hen Combo
- High definition paint for realistic look
- Multiple stakes to prevent spinning and shaking
- Mesh carry bag included for easy transport
- Lightweight and collapsible for storage and mobility
These decoys are, unfortunately, not pose-able in any real fashion besides the one they come in. They also lack the highly realistic feather cuts of the Miss Purr-Fect but they make up for it a bit with the high definition and highly detailed paint job on the outer shell. It’s not a perfect looking decoy, but it gets the job done and you do get a lot out of it.
They’re lightweight which makes them easy to transport on long trips. They’re also collapsible for storage in virtually any environment. It prides itself on being easy to use and easy to place to help you bag as many Toms as possibly during any hunting outing.
You also get two decoys here for the price of one that are usable depending on what kind of turkey you want to attract. It’s a pretty excellent deal if you’re looking at being price conscious and it gives you opportunity to try out several different spreads. If you want a cheap turkey decoy that’ll get the job done while not breaking the bank, then this combo pack might be the one for you.
Flextone Funky Chicken
- Non-intimidating and inviting decoy design
- Small size can spark fights between turkeys
- Lures all ages of Toms
- Triggers instinctive aggressive behavior
This decoy certainly stands out among the decoys on this list as being the one with the most interesting pose. This one doesn’t come with the ability to pose it any way besides how it comes. The pose, however, is really popular one designed to ensure some very brazen behavior from Toms. After all, the more distracted and out in the open they are, the easier they become to bag.
This pose triggers instinctively aggressive behavior on the part of Toms and has been known to lure out several birds which should give you the chance for plenty of shots to try and bag as many as you can before the jig is up. Its paint job is less detailed and lacks the realistic feathers of others, but it relies on its interesting pose to draw in hordes of Toms into your range.
The Funky Chicken is also lightweight, easy to place, and easy to transport. The material will help make sure it lasts through several seasons of hunting no matter in what weather you are going to use it.
Conclusion
You’ve got an array of decoys up above. There’s some that place all their chips on their ability to be believable, but it’s clear there’s more than one way to be believable to attract a Tom. You can utilize highly realistic feather cuts and movements to draw in leery turkeys. You can utilize several receptive poses that will attract Toms to the area. You can also utilize outright sparking some aggression in these turkeys with the placement and pose.
All of the decoys are of a comparable price so you’re not gambling too much. The only exception, of course, is getting the 2-for-1 deal out of the Gobstopper combo pack. If cheap turkey decoys are something you’re interested in, it might be worth it to sacrifice the perfect look for upgrading your spread with two more cheap decoys at once.
No two hunters or hunting styles are the same. In addition to that the behavior of turkeys also varies from state to state. If aggressive poses are what work for you, go for the Funky Chicken. Or if you need something highly durable that will last several years of hunting without the wear taking away from the decoy’s abilities to lure in unsuspecting birds, then spring for the AvianX and it’s highly durable design and make. If all decoys failed you so far and the birds in your area are especially suspicious the Miss Purr-Fect should be able to trick them. The turkeys are out there waiting for you, all you need is one good decoy to start bringing home bags and bags of game.
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