Turkey Decoy Modification

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String Music

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I'm not a huge fan of full-strut decoys (or decoys in general), but I do occasionally use them when hunting large fields. I modified a Primos Killer-B decoy by adding a curved tail fan and by adding a shoelace adjuster to the string.

The curved fan enables much more decoy movement compared to the standard flat fan. The curved fan allows the decoy to move no matter which direction the wind is blowing. Also, the curved fan allows the fan to be seen from any angle.

The coolest feature with the Killer-B is the ability to raise and lower the tail fan. The Killer-B is designed to enable the hunter to raise the tail fan by pulling a string to grab the attention of a gobbler. By putting a shoestring lock/adjuster on the string, the tail fan can be "locked" into several different positions from full-strut to half-strut to no fan at all.

I also switched out the head of the Killer-B with a jake decoy head. The head is more submission but still serves the purpose of mimicking a gobbler in full-strut.

I wrote a blog about it on my website I just started and included more pictures if you are interested: http://www.amcunninghamoutdoors.com

Here is one view of it:
AMC_4343_zps8ec9e644.jpg

AMC_4344_zps5395e709.jpg
 

Setterman

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I think I will just stick with my calls, knowledge of turkeys and use the terrain to call my birds in. I will leave the string activated decoys and gadgets for others to enjoy.

I can honestly say that the day I drag out a decoy or a decoy I have to pull strings to move it in order to kill a turkey is the day I hang it up.
 

allchokedup

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You did a real nice job on the Killer B. I like the idea of locking the tail lower and half strut. Looks real cool. The head looks cool too.
Later, choke
 

String Music

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Setterman said:
I think I will just stick with my calls, knowledge of turkeys and use the terrain to call my birds in. I will leave the string activated decoys and gadgets for others to enjoy.

I can honestly say that the day I drag out a decoy or a decoy I have to pull strings to move it in order to kill a turkey is the day I hang it up.

Finally, I can get some sleep at night now that I know your feelings towards decoys.
 

Setterman

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Your blog is fascinating, maybe I should hire you to manage one of my timber tracts so we have more turkeys and deer. I didn't know they taught habitat and wildlife management in law school. Learn something new every day.

This might be my favorite example of a person having a little success and becoming a Jedi overnight.

Enjoy the decoys , blinds and food plots; those of us who know how to hunt turkeys will be killing our with nothing but a call and a tree to lean against.

You wanted to take a shot at me and therefore I'm returning the favor.
 

Spurhunter

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Munford, TN
Setterman said:
You wanted to take a shot at me and therefore I'm returning the favor.

Took a shot at you? The man was minding his own business posting a pic of his decoy. You don't like decoys. EVERYBODY gets it. His post clearly stated it was about decoys. If you hate them so much why click the link?
 

String Music

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Setterman said:
Your blog is fascinating, maybe I should hire you to manage one of my timber tracts so we have more turkeys and deer. I didn't know they taught habitat and wildlife management in law school. Learn something new every day.

This might be my favorite example of a person having a little success and becoming a Jedi overnight.

Enjoy the decoys , blinds and food plots; those of us who know how to hunt turkeys will be killing our with nothing but a call and a tree to lean against.

You wanted to take a shot at me and therefore I'm returning the favor.

Is this a serious comment? I wanted to take a shot at you? You have to go to "wildlife" school to learn how to manage a property? I'm a Jedi?

Those who use a turkey call and nothing else are the only ones who know how to hunt? People who hunt private land aren't "true" hunters like yourself?

I don't claim to be an expert. The information I give is based on what I've learned and my experiences with our property.
 

Southern Sportsman

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Setter,

Everybody understands your opinion about decoys. I happen to agree with a lot of your methods. I like hunting without decoys. I will, however, use them occasionally and i dont judge anyone who uses them. To each his own, as they say.

But you are getting a little too defensive about this. If it makes you proud to kill turkeys without decoys, then great. But there is no need to downgrade someone over a deak.
 

Setterman

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Btw this has nothing to do with decoys everyone is free to hunt how they wish.

Mr Cunningham thought he would be the big man a few months ago and my responses are more about that than anything regarding decoys.

And to Mr. Cunningham you have a lot to learn when it comes to habitat management and turkey hunting. That's all I'm going to say. You might want to get a few more years behind you before offering up your "services"
 

String Music

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Setterman said:
Btw this has nothing to do with decoys everyone is free to hunt how they wish.

Mr Cunningham thought he would be the big man a few months ago and my responses are more about that than anything regarding decoys.

And to Mr. Cunningham you have a lot to learn when it comes to habitat management and turkey hunting. That's all I'm going to say. You might want to get a few more years behind you before offering up your "services"

How exactly did I act like a "big man" a few months ago? If you are referring to me challenging you in turkey hunting, I was only joking around with you. I apologize for hurting your large but fragile ego.

Setterman/Mr. Jordan- you do not know me, we have never met and we certainly have never hunted together. I never claimed to know everything about habitat management or turkey hunting. However, I find it incredibly puzzling how you could make the statement that I have "a lot to learn" when you know absolutely nothing about me.

If you want to take any more cheap shots at me, how about you do it in person.
 

Setterman

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We have met in person on multiple occasions. But that is neither here nor there

I don't have a problem with you, but I do take issue with advertising your services by using this forum. Why should you be able to advertise for free when others pay for the ability?

I have also commended you and your crew many times for your work on the place in white oak. However, in that part of the world you could do absolutely nothing for the next 20 years and experience the same success just based on location and the disturbance the habitat has experienced over the last 30 years or more.

And as far as your last sentence/threat as a studying law student you should know better than that.

Good luck this season
 

String Music

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I wasn't intending to advertise my services for free. If I could edit the original post I would take out any mention of my website. I do find it a little hard to believe that you care so deeply about tndeer advertising.

As a "wildlife" specialist, I'm surprised you made that comment about our property. That statement couldn't be further from the truth. Strip pits grow back in fescue and the timbered area gets choked out with non-desirable trees within 3 years. There is absolutely no way success would be the same if we did nothing for 20 years. Surely even you should know that.

My last sentence wasn't a threat nor was it in any way an infraction of the law. If you're going to be man enough to start baseless and pointless rumors, then don't be a coward and hide behind a computer.

I used to respect you because you are in the same as I am and seemed to know what you were talking about. I know you could care less, but I'm now part of the every-growing crowd of individuals who have absolutely no respect whatsoever for you.
 

Setterman

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Well you may be surprised, but I do care about the advertising stuff. Nothing would be more of pain to deal with than an endless hoard of self promoting advertisments disguised as topics. I don't advertise my business or even mention its existence. In addition, what makes you qualified to sell your services?

Funny, thing about your next paragraph is that it makes it painly blatantly obvious you have spent very little time anywhere else on similar tracts. If you had, you would understand how much desirable growth comes back in addition to the fescue and non desirable trees. Also, my comments were more focused at the actual wildlife rather than anything else. Rest assured there are plenty of quality deer and turkeys everywhere you find strip mined land where human access is limited.

Anyone that knows me knows that I will absolutely say what I think and there is nothing I have ever posted here I wouldn't say face to face with someone. You can take that to the bank.

I could care less whether you or anyone else respects me, hates me, or wants to be best friends. I have all the friends I need, and am not out to garner awe or respect through the means of an internet forum.
 

DaltonsDad

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Anderson County
String Music said:
Setterman said:
I think I will just stick with my calls, knowledge of turkeys and use the terrain to call my birds in. I will leave the string activated decoys and gadgets for others to enjoy.

I can honestly say that the day I drag out a decoy or a decoy I have to pull strings to move it in order to kill a turkey is the day I hang it up.

Finally, I can get some sleep at night now that I know your feelings towards decoys.

X 2!!! To each his own if you like using them then great, if not well thats fine also. They want work all the time but theres times you dont have to make a peep and they will come in on a string!
 

jlmustain

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Murfreesboro, TN
Great-looking modification!

As for the argument, isn't hard for any of us to assume that one way or another is a true or more hardcore hunting method since we all use our compound (or even recurve) bows and shotguns?

If you enjoy it, it's legal, and it's hunting, we're technically all on the same team.
 

BlountArrow

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SouthEast Tenn
Great looking decoy, String. Just make sure there ain't any "K-Mart hunters" nearby; you might lose that decoy to a shotgun blast. I don't use decoys very often myself, only because it doesn't seem I end up in situations where they would be all that visible on and in between the ridges around East TN, but I like it and could think of a couple setups where it would have been nice to have.

I would take my post a step further and stir the pot, but like you said, I don't want to be seen as yet another person on here who talks trash because he can hide behind his computer. :D
 
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