Game & Gun Gazette

Last spring was the first time I ever felt sorry for a turkey. It was the final day of the Maine season, and SSM’s Associate Publisher Terry Bombeke had offered to take me to some of his “secret” spots to try to fill my remaining tag. We were crossing a hilltop field when Terry hit his box call and was cut off by a pair of gobbles that came from  the woods 200 yards away.
    We quickly backtracked to the field edge, stuck a decoy in the ground, and set up just inside the treeline. And there we sat for the next 10 minutes, listening to two turkeys approach and then hang up just out of sight.
    Five more minutes of the silent treatment was more than the birds could take, and one mature tom eventually crested the rise in full strut. You could tell he was the veteran of many hunts as he slowly pirouetted, occasionally pausing to crane his neck and warily look in our direction. Then he spied the decoy . . . and it was all over. He folded his fan, threw caution to the wind, and came trotting down the hill like a smitten schoolboy. That poor guy went to the grill thinking he was going to have the morning of his life.
    The key to our success that day was the decoy we were using: the Avian-X LCD (Lifelike Collapsible Decoy) from Zink Calls. Other than a mounted bird, it is the most realistic decoy I have ever seen. The LCD is a full-body deke made from Dura-Rubber, and it features amazing detail throughout. The no-flake paint job is scary-real—the feathers even having that iridescent sheen that makes turkeys so pretty in the morning light.
    This is an inflatable decoy, but it has enough substance that it won’t spin wildly in the wind. With the air removed, it folds easily and fits in a vest.
    Which brings up the only downside: transportability. For hunters who prefer to “run and gun” and don’t feel like deflating and re-inflating a decoy between setups, the LCD can be awkward. It’s a bit bulky at full size and, together with its carrying bag and stake, weighs close to 3H pounds. This may not sound bad, but it can become cumbersome over the course of a long morning’s hike.
    The LCD is available in several body postures: Lookout, Feeder, Breeder and Jake Quarter Strut. Each decoy comes with a one-piece collapsible stake, an olive-drab drawstring bag, and a turkey hunting DVD that includes instructions. (There is also a video on the company’s Website.) Prices are $79.99 for each hen decoy and $99.99 for the jake.
    For more information, contact Zinc Calls, 877-534-2263 or 419-732-6171; www.zinkcalls.com.  —Ralph P. Stuart