"Turkey Tips 2" by M-O Prostaff writer Kent Thomas

Tip for Spring Time Turkeys: Adding Sound to your Decoy


Anytime I use a single hen decoy in my spring time hunts, I attach what I have come to call as the “Widow-Maker” to her decoy stake. The widow-maker is a simple push-button box call that I affix to the decoy stake and run a string from the plunger in the call box back to my hide-out. When I want my hen decoy to sing, I gently pull the string and the yelping sounds or purrs that are produced, come directly from underneath the hen herself. This pulling also adds a bit of movement to the decoy, which is NEVER bad.

How to Rig the Widow-Maker System:

I use a Knight & Hale Ultimate Push/Pull Box Call.
Tie as tight a loop as you can around the box with camouflage cord.
From this loop, attach another piece of cord with a slip-knot on the end
of it. (This is the end that you will affix to the decoy stake)
You should now have the box itself connected to the decoy stake.
Be sure that you connect the box to the stake so that the push/pull
plunger faces AWAY from the stake. This is very important because you will be attaching string to the plunger that you will have to pull to activate the call.You will next need to attach a small (8-12”) piece of cord to the plunger that causes the call to make its noises.

Attaching the cord to the plunger:
Make a small slip-knot in the cord, slip it over the plunger and push it back as far as you can towards the box. Pull it as tight as you can. Back this with a regular knot or two. Now, tightly wrap the cord, working towards the end of the plunger (the end that will be facing you). Leave about a ¼” and take a skinny piece of camo duct tape and wrap the tape over the knots and the wrap as tightly as you can.Attach 50 lb. fishing line to the tag end of the cord and you now have your Widow-maker system ready to go. I buy large spools of fishing line, leave it on the spool and use it to reel in and reel out the desired amount of line that I will need to activate the call.Use this the next time that you head afield and GET READY !! Good Huntin

Kent Thomas