A Decoy Beat Down

by Devon Hendershot
Ohio 2009

After my daughter, Shalene's, bird on opening morning of Ohio's youth season, we headed back to the house for my wife, Kathie, and son, Devon. Our goal was to get the boy a bird. Together with Zink cameraman, CJ White, we packed blind, chairs, and all up and over the hills to a small flat near the top. Talking to the landowner pre-season, this was, we were told, THE spot.

Decoy in place, we sat for an hour or more with no response, and so with the heat wearing us all out, I decided to take short walk and try to strike a bird. One hundred yards from the top of the ridge, I get a gobble - but he's on the wrong side of the fence! Undaunted, I throw a barrage of excited yelps, cutts and cackles at the bird, who responds instantly. Quickly, I ran back to the blind, leapt through the window, and told Devon - "He's coming!"

Within seconds, the old tom appeared at 60 yards, and immediately began advancing on our full-strut decoy. Talk about a decoy beat-down - five and one-half minutes of non-stop gobbler violence on our fake! I must have told Devon - "SHOOT" - a dozen times, but each time, the longbeard would move or strut, and bust the shot. Finally, the boy had his chance, and he efficiently put an end to what was clearly a case of turkey decoy abuse.