Insanely realistic, the Dave Smith Decoy strutter is one that could fool any bird. Now throw in the white face, and you have a recipe for filling your tags.
Dave Smith Decoys (DSD) has come out with a strutter decoy that is so incredibly realistic that if you fell asleep hunting and woke back up, your heart might skip a beat and you might shoot your investment.
The detail put into each piece of product makes the Dave Smith Decoy one of the most sought after in the industry. Their incredible coloring and feather detail in the strutter series makes them look like they are a real tom in full strut, and I’m serious when I say they’re better than any other decoy maker out there.
Now you can add an interesting feature, the White Face, and you have a decoy that is really onto something. Think of all the big toms you have called in over the years. Do you remember any really white faced birds? There’s a reason for that, and there’s in-the-field research to back it up.
The White Face Strutter is the brain child of Matt Winters (Kansas Premier Outfitters). He approached DSD, after studying bird behavior for years, about doing a custom white headed strutter decoy. He noticed that often, right before breeding, non-dominant toms head color would change to white.
Dominant toms would sprint in and chase the white headed tom off.
DSD agreed to at least do a couple for product testing and they couldn’t believe the results. In the first year of hunting over this decoy, Matt shot 72 toms with his clients. After two years of product testing, DSD was excited and could not wait to add the White Face Strutter in their decoy line.
Let that sink in…72 gobblers in two years with one decoy. That is proof in the pudding if I ever heard it.
Some believe the white face is a sign of aggression, while Winters and crew believe it is a sign of love. One common denominator that everyone agrees on is that the White Face Strutter gets the toms in close and works remarkably well for getting longboards on the ground. Let’s be honest, isn’t that the only thing that matters anyway?
So now that you understand the white face element of the decoy, we can break down why Dave Smith Decoys Strutter series is such a great choice for turkey hunters.
Realism
You will not find another decoy manufacturer that can keep up with the realism of DSD. The strutter series has a body shape that recreates the posture and size of a real gobbler like no other company. Black flocking is placed on the back of the decoy to imitate as real of a strutting posture possible.
The strutter series has cuts within the wings that allow you to place real wings into those slots. The decoy also doesn’t come with a beard or tail fan. It is necessary to provide those by yourself with the actual real thing.
This may seem like a hassle, but it is one of those things that helps create that extraordinary look we have all come accustomed to in the DSD Strutter line. I’ll quit rambling on and just let you check out the photos and realism for yourself. Just take heed:, there are a lot of pictures, but it is the best way to represent all the angles and the significance of these ridiculously realistic decoys.
If you like turkey hunting, I know you won’t mind anyway.
Get the picture? These strutter decoys are nuts! Hopefully all the different angles were able to showcase the detail and realism. I truly mean it when I say you have to see it to believe. There were a few times while hunting with the White Face Strutter that just made me shake my head. When I was walking across field to pick it up, I would chuckle to myself because it literally looked so real.
DSD has hit it out of the ballpark in this category.
Durability and Size
Using the company’s ACE Technology, the DSD decoy body is all one piece. That’s an advantage because there are no extra components to break off. It is not collapsible and is a very sturdy and tough product. It’s made of a material that you can tell is built to last.
DSD Strutters are definitely bigger than most other decoys, weighing in at 12 pounds. It honestly doesn’t seem that heavy, but it might not be the best option if you are into crawling and reaping for turkeys.
While it can be done, and the realism would probably increase your results, the dimensions alone would make it hard to handle while on the ground with one hand on a firearm and one on a decoy. The average about 23 x 18 x 19 inches in full strut.
The paint seems to be unscratchable and the body is built to take on shotgun blasts and arrows. As long as you don’t lose your steel stake, there should be no issues ever having quality and set up issues.
The stake slides into the decoy’s body, as it does on all DSD decoys. That makes it easy to transport and keep your stake and decoy together. The body is balanced and sturdy enough that you can actually set the tom up without using the stake if you are forced to set up quickly.
To help the Strutters last and protect the durability duration of the product, DSD provides you with nice carry bags that help you transport and care for the decoys from storage to your vehicle to the field.
Setup and Installment
As you could see in all of the photos, one of the neatest parts about the DSD Strutter and most important part of the Strutter series is that you use real wings, fans, and beards to bring this decoy to life.
The DSD Strutter has a small slot in the breast that you can place a real beard of any length in. Just simply slide it into the slot and then make sure the beard contours along with the body instead of protruding straight out from the chest.
I went ahead and electric taped the end of my beard so that it would snugly fit and hold in the slot. As for the wings and tail fan on the decoy, make sure to find videos or instructions to help you preserve those with borax or drying salt after a harvest.
Once they are dried and ready, you will use some washers and nuts that come with your order to secure them to the decoy’s body. Find which feathers they need to fit between to put them in the most realistic spots, and the secure the screw nut to hold them firmly in place.
You can just use the smaller washers that DSD provides if you know you won’t be moving the decoy much and there isn’t much wind, but I felt much more secure when using the nut to tighten.
The Ultimate Package
Now, you’re probably wondering about the price. The White Faced Strutter from Dave Smith Decoys retails at $199.99. Many may shy away from that price, but like most else you buy, you will get what you pay for.
Let’s say you take turkey hunting seriously, and you will use this decoy the next 20 years. Lord willing, you will average two birds a year. That breaks down to less than $5 a bird. That is a price I am willing to pay for some great times, high success rates, and some fried turkey nuggets.
The White Face Strutters from DSD are a perfect blend of extraordinary realism, field tested and hunt proven durability, and factual science that can help you put long beards on the ground for years to come. Photos really can’t do these decoys justice.
Check out DSD decoys next chance you get, and if you want to have birds finishing to your decoys like you have never seen before, you’ll find out for yourself just how awesome the White Face Strutter from Dave Smith Decoys really is.
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