Jimmy Williams/Outdoor columnist
Coverage on the wild turkey continues today as we bring you more from a close contact and reliable source of information on turkeys ... my big brother Harry and his special “girl” known affectionately as “Jezebel, Sweet Jezebel.” Special thanks go to him for his assistance with this article.
Over the last 30 years or so, the popularity of turkey hunting has grown by leaps and bounds throughout our nation as well as in many foreign countries.
This is due to several factors which are all centered around various wild turkey restocking programs in select areas of the country, the introduction of wild turkeys to other parts of the world, and a tremendous amount of promotion and advertising of the sport. With all this attention being directed toward the wild turkey, hunters have witnessed a vast array of new products which are intended to help them in their pursuit of the elusive and wary big birds.
Among the most popular tactics being used in spring gobbler hunting (as well as other times of the year where legal) is the use of decoys which has really been popularized in recent years.
Today, there are many types of decoys available to hunters but this was not the case prior to the late ‘70s or early ‘80s.
At that time, the increase in turkey hunting was just beginning to make some headway as a popular sport and hunters were beginning to be targeted by specialty product companies who were anxious to sell their promotional items such as hen decoys which is the main topic for this particular article.
The creation and development of modern manufacturing techniques has enabled various companies to produce all sorts of turkey decoys and make them readily available to hunters who are anxious to place them near ground blinds or setup sites in hopes of attracting a big gobbler and enticing him to come close enough for a good head shot.
This hunting tactic works very well and in many cases it has been the deciding factor for many hunters who call birds to their location. A gobbler might respond to calls, come from several hundred yards away, and then get hung up at 45 to 50 yards away. This has frustrated many turkey hunters on more than one occasion ... myself included.
All the excitement of a hunt can suddenly go down the drain when you watch your trophy head off in another direction simply because you were unable to get him in just a little closer in order for you to take that all important shot. This is when a decoy can be so important and it could be just the ticket that you need in order to bag a nice gobbler.
During the spring mating season, gobblers and hens are much more vocal as they call to each other but Mother Nature made the rules that normally decide who does what during the mating season. They may be calling to each other and often times both will head toward each other but the gobbler usually will stop somewhere along the line and let the hens close the distance and meet up with him at a spot that he selects.
Hunters attempt to alter this process by making various hen sounds in hopes that a responding gobbler will come to them and get close enough for a shot.
As many hunters know, decoys are used in numerous types of hunting. Ducks, geese, crows, doves, etc., all respond to favorably decoys as long as they do not suspect foul play.
Most birds and animals are somewhat difficult to fool, and the wild turkey is no exception. In fact, turkeys are smarter than most critters. In addition to keen eyesight and exceptional hearing, they seem to possess a form of ESP when aids them in detecting danger. Decoys sometimes cause them to lose focus on safety and self-preservation. This is what hunters are relying on when they stick decoys out there in front of them.
To tell the story about the development of turkey decoys would be a lengthy article. What many people are unaware of is the fact that a few local hunters right here in the Roanoke Valley were pioneers in the actual development of turkey decoys and their efforts helped to lay the groundwork for the various products that are available today.
After many years of experimenting with various materials, shapes, and colors, my brothers A.J. and Harry Williams, along with the late Rupert T. Hardy, finally came up with the “real McCoy” of turkey decoys.
In time, an official patent was obtained under the name Hardy's Wild Turkey Hen Decoy which is still in effect today. This end product, known to them as “Jezebel”, is a durable yet lightweight imitation of a hen turkey that can easily be carried along on a hunt and set in place quickly when needed.
As previously stated, the purpose of a decoy is to capture the attention of a gobbler and get him to move in close enough for a hunter to make a good shot.
Once a gobbler is located by a hunter, “Sweet Thing” is set in place and the waiting begins. A really excited gobbler might come in rather quickly while others sometimes take upwards of two hours or more to get within gun range. In my experience in using decoys when hunting wild turkeys, I've seen all sorts of things happen and I could write a small book on them.
Photographs and movie films have been made of gobblers as they would strut and display themselves to these decoys. Sometimes a gobbler would actually make bodily contact with a decoy in an affectionate manner and the decoy would be knocked off its wooden pedestal. Needless to say, that's really fooling a gobbler!
Many gobblers have been taken with the aid of a decoy but not all of them are so easily fooled that they miss seeing a hunter as positions himself for a shot.
Even though a gobbler may be concentrating on a decoy, he still keeps a sharp eye focused on what is going on nearby. But even if one spots you and manages to escape, it's still a beautiful sight to witness one when he comes strolling in expecting to line up a date for Saturday night!
These decoys are all made locally and each one requires about 10 hours to complete. No other designer uses the same materials or methods of hand-painting, color applications, and attention to details.
According to my brother Harry, they have sold decoys to hunters in all parts of the country and numerous letters have been received from satisfied customers attesting to their effectiveness on gobblers. Several magazine articles have been done on these decoys and the Daily Herald ran an article on them in April of 1980.
If you hunt turkeys, one of these decoys could possibly give you the edge needed for bagging a trophy gobbler.
I hope the subscribers and readers of the Herald have enjoyed the articles on the wild turkey as much as I have enjoyed writing them. A special thanks goes to all those people who took time to talk with me and to John Moeur for the great photos.
Coverage on the wild turkey continues today as we bring you more from a close contact and reliable source of information on turkeys ... my big brother Harry and his special “girl” known affectionately as “Jezebel, Sweet Jezebel.” Special thanks go to him for his assistance with this article.
Over the last 30 years or so, the popularity of turkey hunting has grown by leaps and bounds throughout our nation as well as in many foreign countries.
This is due to several factors which are all centered around various wild turkey restocking programs in select areas of the country, the introduction of wild turkeys to other parts of the world, and a tremendous amount of promotion and advertising of the sport. With all this attention being directed toward the wild turkey, hunters have witnessed a vast array of new products which are intended to help them in their pursuit of the elusive and wary big birds.
Among the most popular tactics being used in spring gobbler hunting (as well as other times of the year where legal) is the use of decoys which has really been popularized in recent years.
Today, there are many types of decoys available to hunters but this was not the case prior to the late ‘70s or early ‘80s.
At that time, the increase in turkey hunting was just beginning to make some headway as a popular sport and hunters were beginning to be targeted by specialty product companies who were anxious to sell their promotional items such as hen decoys which is the main topic for this particular article.
The creation and development of modern manufacturing techniques has enabled various companies to produce all sorts of turkey decoys and make them readily available to hunters who are anxious to place them near ground blinds or setup sites in hopes of attracting a big gobbler and enticing him to come close enough for a good head shot.
This hunting tactic works very well and in many cases it has been the deciding factor for many hunters who call birds to their location. A gobbler might respond to calls, come from several hundred yards away, and then get hung up at 45 to 50 yards away. This has frustrated many turkey hunters on more than one occasion ... myself included.
All the excitement of a hunt can suddenly go down the drain when you watch your trophy head off in another direction simply because you were unable to get him in just a little closer in order for you to take that all important shot. This is when a decoy can be so important and it could be just the ticket that you need in order to bag a nice gobbler.
During the spring mating season, gobblers and hens are much more vocal as they call to each other but Mother Nature made the rules that normally decide who does what during the mating season. They may be calling to each other and often times both will head toward each other but the gobbler usually will stop somewhere along the line and let the hens close the distance and meet up with him at a spot that he selects.
Hunters attempt to alter this process by making various hen sounds in hopes that a responding gobbler will come to them and get close enough for a shot.
As many hunters know, decoys are used in numerous types of hunting. Ducks, geese, crows, doves, etc., all respond to favorably decoys as long as they do not suspect foul play.
Most birds and animals are somewhat difficult to fool, and the wild turkey is no exception. In fact, turkeys are smarter than most critters. In addition to keen eyesight and exceptional hearing, they seem to possess a form of ESP when aids them in detecting danger. Decoys sometimes cause them to lose focus on safety and self-preservation. This is what hunters are relying on when they stick decoys out there in front of them.
To tell the story about the development of turkey decoys would be a lengthy article. What many people are unaware of is the fact that a few local hunters right here in the Roanoke Valley were pioneers in the actual development of turkey decoys and their efforts helped to lay the groundwork for the various products that are available today.
After many years of experimenting with various materials, shapes, and colors, my brothers A.J. and Harry Williams, along with the late Rupert T. Hardy, finally came up with the “real McCoy” of turkey decoys.
In time, an official patent was obtained under the name Hardy's Wild Turkey Hen Decoy which is still in effect today. This end product, known to them as “Jezebel”, is a durable yet lightweight imitation of a hen turkey that can easily be carried along on a hunt and set in place quickly when needed.
As previously stated, the purpose of a decoy is to capture the attention of a gobbler and get him to move in close enough for a hunter to make a good shot.
Once a gobbler is located by a hunter, “Sweet Thing” is set in place and the waiting begins. A really excited gobbler might come in rather quickly while others sometimes take upwards of two hours or more to get within gun range. In my experience in using decoys when hunting wild turkeys, I've seen all sorts of things happen and I could write a small book on them.
Photographs and movie films have been made of gobblers as they would strut and display themselves to these decoys. Sometimes a gobbler would actually make bodily contact with a decoy in an affectionate manner and the decoy would be knocked off its wooden pedestal. Needless to say, that's really fooling a gobbler!
Many gobblers have been taken with the aid of a decoy but not all of them are so easily fooled that they miss seeing a hunter as positions himself for a shot.
Even though a gobbler may be concentrating on a decoy, he still keeps a sharp eye focused on what is going on nearby. But even if one spots you and manages to escape, it's still a beautiful sight to witness one when he comes strolling in expecting to line up a date for Saturday night!
These decoys are all made locally and each one requires about 10 hours to complete. No other designer uses the same materials or methods of hand-painting, color applications, and attention to details.
According to my brother Harry, they have sold decoys to hunters in all parts of the country and numerous letters have been received from satisfied customers attesting to their effectiveness on gobblers. Several magazine articles have been done on these decoys and the Daily Herald ran an article on them in April of 1980.
If you hunt turkeys, one of these decoys could possibly give you the edge needed for bagging a trophy gobbler.
I hope the subscribers and readers of the Herald have enjoyed the articles on the wild turkey as much as I have enjoyed writing them. A special thanks goes to all those people who took time to talk with me and to John Moeur for the great photos.