I bought a decoy from a buddy he swears they dont work so i took it out tonight and set him up about 20 yds away from my stand in the bean field. sat there about an hour in the drizzle and then about 115 yards away a doe moved into the field so i grunted 1 time she looked down at my decoy and then walked right to it so i shot her at 25 yds (1st deer after switching to the 2 blade rage wow) anyways my question do they really work or was this just dumb luck?
I assume you had the decoy set-up as a buck? I am going to be trying a decoy for the first time Wednesday night as well. Congrats!
My buddies has 2 decoys..a buck and a doe..he sets them both up on field edges or just in side opening wooded areas..he says he has had them work..and also scared deer away at times..i guess you take the good with the bad.
I wouldn't be w/in 100 yards of a decoy during gun season. I have used mine a few times bowhunting. So far it hasn't worked as well as I had hoped.
Have to agree here. Pretty dangerous using a decoy during rifle. I guess if you are far enough onto your land where you feel safe but it could still be dangerous. Lots of stupid hunters out there.
They work, but mostly during the rut. The bucks are then more likely to approach and/or challenge a decoy.
I'm thinking this Is pretty spot on. I haven't used them but my brother has a little. So far all of his reactions with them have been terrible. Deer sit there and snort at the decoy and act all goofy. A few years back a good buck (130 Incher) was walking down a trail he was set up on and when he saw the decoy the buck acted all weird and veered away off of the trail going around the decoy, he didn't like It I guess. My brother Is now done using them. I've also heard people having great luck with them too. Who knows I guess. I may even try one some time.
I decoyed in a doe with a doe decoy last year. The doe circled in the field trying to get downwind of the decoy, it drew her over from 100 yards away no lie. 30 yard shot and the summer sausage is almost gone. They won't work everytime but they will work. Human scent is absolutely crutial. Don't be afraid to try one if the timing is right. Buck decoys imo are probably better. I have had young does feed right in near my decoys and did not seem to mind much. I toss mine in the weeds when I am not using it to keep scent off of it rather than carrying it everywhere and scenting it up.
Solid point I presume on the gun hunting. I've only hunted private land with family. WAY back in the sticks. For me, it'd be safe. I can certainly see how it could be unsafe for some of you. Touche!
Sometimes a buck may not want to challenge a larger buck(decoy). I've heard that removing one antler can make the buck(decoy) seem inferior and vulnerable. Put some buck urine on em and poin them quartering to you so the real buck approaches head on (usually) giving you a quartering away/broadside shot.
This will be my 3rd year using decoys (if the crops ever come out). I was first turned onto them while hunting in the corner and on the edge of a large cut corn field. The inside of the corner was the neighbors property (I have permission to retrieve deer there, but not hang a stand. Most of the deer would use the inside of this corner to avoid going out into the field. I went and bought a decoy and set it out in front of me about 20 yards and it worked like magic. My second morning I had 5 different bucks respond to calling and march towards the decoy. Two 8 pointers duked it out in front of me, a fork tried to mount it, and a 6 point put on a grunting display for my doe decoy. At 11:00 a 140 class 10 pointer walked out and I sent an arrow right over his back. If I were to hunt this spot without a decoy, I could use a NW, W, or SW wind. However, with a decoy a SW wind is out. Any deer that comes in contact with it is going to try to circle downwind and catch a scent on it. Keeping it away from bare skin is a must, and spraying it down is as well. From late October and up until I see bucks chasing I will use a buck decoy. I place the decoy where I know a deer using the field or the woods can see it. I will then put the buck decoy slightly quartering towards me so any approaching buck takes to it head on giving me a quartering away shot. Once I start to witness bucks chasing, I take the antlers off the decoy and put out estrous bombs around the "doe". I have had the most success using this system, as any lonely buck usually comes to it. I set a doe decoy up slightly quartering away from me, with its tail about 90 degrees from its butt. This way a buck will approach from it's rear, and hopefully giving me a quartering away shot. There are 2 keys to decoying: 1) Wind (to go along with scent control). If a buck can smell a decoy before you get a shot then you have about 0.000001% chance of getting him. 2) Visibility-If a deer can't see it, then they aren't coming into it. I also NEVER use one inside the woods EVER. Deer seem to be very jittery when they come across one in wooded terrain, so I just stick to field edges. I have spooked some does with it, but I have also had 3 shooter bucks come into it also the last 2 years. I missed the 140 I mentioned earlier, I had a very old 10 point come in last year, but he took off after a doe that appeared at the same time, and I made a poor shot on an 8 point last year. It can make for some very exciting hunts when it pays off, but it can also be a risk if not done properly.
I've also had mixed reactions with using a decoy. First time I ever used one was last year and the first night with it I had a buck come all the way up to it and check it out. But I've also had bucks coming down field edges and not able to see the decoy until they're out in the open and spook when they see it. I don't know what to think. Lot of success stories with them though also. Just have to find the right buck with a bad attitude:D I've also read in places that if there's just a little simple movement like toilet paper pinned to where the tail is that the deer aren't nearly as nervous around them.
