How to Make Your Own Turkey Decoy

Turkey hunting is an exciting and challenging sport. One way to increase your chances of tagging a big tom is to use decoys. Decoys can draw in wary gobblers and convince them to come within shooting range. While you can purchase turkey decoys from sporting goods stores, it can be rewarding to make your own. Read on to learn how to craft ultra-realistic turkey decoys that will fool even the savviest old tom.

Why Make Your Own Turkey Decoy?

There are a few key benefits to making DIY turkey decoys:

• Cost savings – Purchased decoys can be expensive, with high-end options costing over $100 each Making your own allows you to save money.

• Customization – When you build a decoy yourself, you can customize it to match the turkeys in your hunting area. You can choose realistic colors, shapes, and postures.

• Durability – Commercial foam or inflatable decoys can tear or deflate. A homemade decoy made from wood or other rigid materials will stand up to repeated use.

• Pride – There’s a special satisfaction that comes from harvesting a turkey over a decoy you crafted with your own two hands.

Decoy Design Considerations

When designing your homemade turkey decoy, keep these factors in mind:

• Species – Hen or tom? Choose a gender that matches your hunting strategy. Toms work well for calling in lonely gobblers. Hens are less intimidating for pressured birds.

• Realism – Focus on lifelike colors, proportions, and postures. Avoid anything that looks obviously fake. Study photos and videos of live turkeys as references.

• Durability – Select weatherproof materials that can withstand moisture, sun exposure, and abuse from excited turkeys

• Portability – Keep weight and bulk manageable for carrying to your hunting site. Folding or collapsible decoys are ideal.

• Movement – Decoys that sway in the breeze or move via a pulling string can add realism But avoid anything motorized that could spook turkeys

Materials for DIY Turkey Decoys

You’ll need the following materials for most homemade turkey decoy projects:

• Body material – Plywood, rigid foam, plastic, hardened paper mache

• Feathers – Real turkey feathers, feather-patterned fabric, feather-textured paint

• Adhesives – Wood glue, multipurpose spray adhesive, epoxy

• Paint – Acrylic paint in appropriate colors

• Stakes – Wood, metal, plastic for inserting into the ground

• Hardware – Nuts, bolts, washers, wires, pulleys, if incorporating motion

Tip: Check craft stores for useful materials like foam, fabrics, paints, and adhesives. Recycle materials when possible – an old plywood board or plastic bucket can become your decoy’s body.

Steps for Making a DIY Turkey Decoy

While every homemade decoy will be unique, most follow a similar basic process:

Shape the Body

Cut out the desired decoy shape from plywood, foam, or other rigid material using a jigsaw or bandsaw. Hollow out the interior to reduce weight if desired. Seal and smooth the exterior with filler and sandpaper.

Add Feather Details

Glue, pin, or paint on feather patterns made from real turkey feathers, feather-printed fabrics, or textured paints. Carefully study feather placement on live birds.

Paint the Decoy

Use acrylic paints to add color and realism. Blend multiple paint colors to match the complex hues of actual turkeys. Add accents like the head color and barring on wings.

Insert Support Stake

Drill a hole in the bottom to insert a wooden dowel, metal rod, or plastic stake to secure the decoy in the ground.

Add Motion Elements

Optional: Insert wires, pulleys, or other hardware to make part of the decoy move. This added motion can help draw in warier birds.

Weatherproof the Decoy

Seal painted surfaces with polyurethane or spar varnish. Check that all materials are moisture and UV resistant.

Transport to the Field

Build a carrying case or stuff the collapsed decoy into a backpack. Bring stakes and motion hardware as needed.

Decoy Design Ideas and Inspiration

Looking for specific homemade turkey decoy designs to replicate or draw inspiration from? Here are a few clever ideas:

• Fan decoy – Use real or artificial feathers on a folding wooden framework. The fanning action entices toms.

• Full taxidermy mount – For the ultimate realism, use the tanned skin from a real harvested turkey stretched over a molded body form.

• Head and neck decoy – Just replicate the head and neck portion to keep the decoy lightweight and packable.

• Feeding hen decoy – Make a hen in a lifelike feeding pose with its head down pecking at the ground.

• Collapsible 3D decoy – Use panels of foam or plywood that fold flat for transport but snap together to create a 3D decoy in the field.

• Silhouette decoy – Cut a 2D profile silhouette from plywood or cardboard and paint to resemble a turkey. Lightweight and easy to store.

Expert Turkey Decoy Tips

To maximize success with your homemade turkey decoys, keep these pro tips in mind:

• Set up decoys in open areas near trees or brush where turkeys feel secure. Avoid setting up right next to thick cover.

• Make sure the stake securing your decoy is sturdy. Frustrated gobblers will attack and could dislodge a flimsy stake.

• Set up multiple decoys together in small flocks, positioning hens closer and dominant toms farther away.

• Add slight imperfections so decoys don’t look obviously man-made. Pluck a few feathers or make the colors slightly faded.

• Shift your decoys occasionally during the season to change up their look, especially if hunting the same birds.

• Be in position well before fly-down time so turkeys don’t see you set up the decoys.

Constructing your own turkey decoys is deeply satisfying and can give you an edge over pressured late-season birds. Follow the steps and tips outlined here to make realistic, durable and effective decoys. With a bit of creativity and effort, you can craft decoys that will fool those gobblers into giving you the shot you need. So get building and good luck this turkey season!