HUNTING Author Randall Bonner with a Western Oregon gobbler he was “pretty proud of bringing in. It saw the decoys but got skeptical and turned away. I had the decoys placed so the birds would have to pass in front of me to get close to them, and I was able to close the distance with my shot as they got paranoid and began to backtrack.” (RANDALL BONNER)
Decoy Tactics That Tempt Toms With spring turkey season just around the corner in the Northwest, here’s how one hunter deploys fake hens and jakes to increase his odds of bagging gobblers. By Randall Bonner
T
he sound of a flock working towards your spread is the sort of adrenaline rush that makes
your own heartbeat the only thing that can drown out the thundering calls of a gobbler talking turkey and strutting his stuff. That “hurry up and wait” anxiety over being in the right place at
the right time, constantly questioning your decisions and patience, is what makes the mental game of cat and mouse with these critters such a fun challenge. While a good call can easily nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2022
Northwest Sportsman 147
