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Friday, October 16th, 2026

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Are jake decoys all they’re cracked up to be? Let’s talk about it

Here are the two decoys the author at least carries on most hunts: a breeding-posture hen (foreground) and a jake that is always placed squatting on the ground, in order to appear less intimidating to an approaching gobbler. (Photos by Mark Strand)

Let’s talk about that full-strut jake decoy you lug around the turkey woods.
When it works… holy hannah the video footage you get of gobblers spoiling for a fight! They come in at a trot with beards flying and the dust-up starts. You want to talk about a 20-pound bird throwing its weight around and what that looks like? You have all day to raise your gun or draw your bow and make the shot. It works. Sometimes.

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