Prepping for turkey hunting

[Outdoors Junkie]

I have a variety of turkey decoys. The style I find easiest to use are the foam ones that I can fold up and carry in my backpack. A few years ago when I was getting more and more of my kids out trying turkey hunting I purchased a few of the $10 foam style hens and jakes. I have never been very impressed with the hen color pattern. I thought I would try giving a couple of these hen decoys a cosmetic facelift. I stopped down at the local Ace and bought a couple cans of mis-tint quart cans of paint for $1.00 each. What do I have to lose?

The first picture is a before photo.
The second is the after alterations.
The third is a picture of the after in natural light.

I do have to say stepping back 15-20 yards, it looks better than they did before.

I took a black fine tip magic mark and drew in the wrinkle lines on the neck and head, I added a little pink color to the bottom of the neck where it transitions to brown, I colored in some white on the ends of the winds, and I also used the black magic marker on the tail. My season here in the Black Hills opens on April 27th. We'll see how these work.

[Outdoors Junkie]

I forgot to say we have Merriam's out here in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

[mike89]

good luck!!!   and they look good!!!!

[Steve-o]

Well done!  I've touch-up painted some of my decoys.  I used some metallic colors from Hobby Lobby that give a little extra sheen in spots.  I'm pleased with the results, but as always - the turks decide for themselves.  I really like the way you took a $10 deke and made it look like a million bucks.     The head makes all the difference in my opinion.

Perhaps dekes are more important when you hunt wide open fields where the birds can see for a country mile.

Sometimes, when I'm in the woods in SE MN, I have just as much success without dekes.  Toms know where the sounds comes from and they are sometimes apt to stick arounds a little longer looking for the source when there are no dekes to distract them.

[Pulleye16]

Looks awesome Junkie! I also prefer the foam style but you’re 100% correct, the color is pretty blah.


Someday, I’d love to get out there and get a Merriam.