Deer decoys?? Have you tried one? What kind??

[BLACKJACK]

Anybody tried a decoy in the past?? What kind?? Buck or doe?? Had any luck with it??

Bowhunter and other magazines always have an article or three about using decoys, sounds like fun, most advocate using two decoys, a buck and a doe, thought I'd ask what kind of luck others have had. I do have a flat one, slides together in three pieces, held up by a stake, so once the ground is frozen, its worthless, also kind of noisy to put up. Never have had luck with it.

Have looked at the Primos scarface decoy, doesn't stand up very well in the store, was wondering how it would stand up in the field??

Lets hear your experience with deer decoys!!!

[rcook72]

I have not had shooter come by my decoy yet. I only have had experiences with does and young bucks. Most times it had kept the does at bay from coming out in to the food plots for a few extra minutes trying to figure out if it was safe to come out it seems. I have watched a bunch of small bucks come out of the corner from one stand and as they make their turn to come down towards me they stop right in front of me. I have the decoy about 20-25 yds to my right and 5-7 out from the tree line. Usually the way they move as they come around the corner they notice the decoy and pause to try and figure out what's there. To me it seems like a perfect set up I just need a shooter to come out, turn the corner, pause and stare down the decoy like the young bucks do. Not much to ask right?

[deerminator]

I've used a carrylite buck decoy I haven't had much of a chance to use yet (once last year and no sightings). I plan to give it a real try later this month as I am holding off on my best spots until then. Does, does and more does. So why chase them out of there until the big guys show up? Plus there is corn everywhere around me and hopefully it comes down just around that time

Anywhoo, I have read a lot of good tips from Gary Clancy on the web and in Outdoor News. He's a Minnesota based hunter and says he has a lot of luck with decoys. He prefers buck decoys all the time because he says the does tend to leave them alone versus a doe decoy, which they will check out and start warning everything in sight once they figure it out.

Other tips I have read involve realism. A tail that blows in the wind, glass eyes and pinning toilet paper or plastic bag pieces to the ears to give movement.

I like my carrylite. It looks real enough, etc. but it is looking straight forward like so many on the market. And you're supposed to angle them toward your stand or blind. So it might give the buck reason to look toward you. If I were going to do it again, I might check into some that different companies are making now where it looks like the buck is feeding or more relaxed.

Good luck. I plan to use mine a lot this year if given the chance at the corner of several crop fields and woods.

[slimngrizzly]

Ive had a Carrylight for about 12 years. Its beat all to heck now. I love using the decoy during the prerut, I just wish it wasn't such a pain in the a$$ to carry out there. I use it as a buck and I always rattle. If you surprise a deer with a decoy, they don't seem to like it. But if you call, the bucks come in looking for something, and once they spot the decoy they focus on it and not on you! I set them up quartering towards me about 20 yards and usualy the buck will come in ears pinned back, lickin his nose and walk in front of the decoy.

Ive had them smash it and then spin away in disbelief cause it sounds like a bat hitting an empty garbage can. Then they stand there starring wondering whats going on.

Ive used it as a doe and had a big 150+ come 3 yards from the tree and tried to mount it and I missed him. Bad deal.... but neat encounter.

Decoys are awesome! Its just the transporting that sucks. If you just want to shoot a deer, I wouldn't bother with it, but if you want to call a big buck in, it can work and can make for a heck of a story!