deer decoys

[midwesthunter]

I have a deer decoy that I haven't had a chance to use much. I was wondering if they are that effective in the early season. I'm planning on either shooting a doe or a nice buck. Would I want to set it up as a doe or buck? All the help you can give me would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Brent

[Guest]

My experience with deer decoy have varied some from the early season through the rut.I have used it 4-5 times in late September set-up on the edge of a alfalfa field as a buck and have had bucks walk up to within 10 feet of it and check it out,and shot the buck.I have used it as a doe and not had quite as good of luck with this set-up as a buck.During the rut I have used it as a doe and buck and have had much more luck with it as a doe.Last year I had it set up as a doe in a open field approx 50 yards out in the open with a sock stapled to the back end with doe in heat on the sock.I had numerous buck come from down wind within easy gun range and check it out.I left it stand up in the field overnight by mistake one night and the next morning I went out the decoy was laying on the ground with blood in the snow and the decoy had been speared by the real bucks horns.I have had better luck with it as a buck during the rut,but when I have used it in late September it has worked and a few times the real deer has been a little leary.I really feel it does not hurt to set it up as it does relax the deer and get them out in the field a little sooner so your last minute shot is not so late.

[wallter]

I think I'm sold on the idea of going and getting one. My question is what brand does everyone recommend (Renzo, Flambeau, Carry Lite, etc)???

[Guest]

I use a Flambeau.

[wallter]

Does it make any noise going through the woods?

[Guest]

just snorts at me once in a while

[Cooter]

I hear ya Wallter, the Flambeaus do work but they are noisy carrying in if its thick. How bout the Renzos or Montanas? I'm gonna post again.

[Johnny B]

There was a show on the OLN channel that had these guys talking about using decoys. They all swore that it was key to bringing deer into close range and they had the video to back it up. Pretty interesting stuff, but there were a few details that they emphasized:

The bucks will always approach a buck-decoy head-on, so place the decoy a little ways out in the field quartering your stand.

Bucks will approach doe decoys most often from the rear; I suppose this was to get a better whiff of things?

Don’t overdo it with the scent.

Use in conjunction with rattling and calling to get their attention.

Don’t leave your decoys out all the time.

Deer learn pretty quickly that the decoys are phony, so you can’t get away with using them all the time.

It looked like they were using the actual decoy models, the kind you see listed for about $300 (ouch). They are a little larger and more detailed than the cheaper models. I was thinking about getting the target / decoy that Fleet Farm sells for about $100

[fishin58]

I am thinking of using my target/decoy as a decoy its from fleet farm the delta riverbottom for 70 bucks get it i hope it works if not i will let ya know.

[wallter]

Well boys I made a run down to Cabela's and bought the last carry lite decoy. It looks just like a real deer size, antlers, height, and even down to the hair. I think it will be sweet. It also has the ability to be a buck or a doe and you can move the ears and tail in different directions. All for $150 includes a carrying bag. The only problem I see is hauling the thing in and out of the woods. Like I said it's as big as a deer and clanks when it hits a tree. Probably more good than bad but certainly this will only work for some hunters depending on where they are hunting.

[bigbucks]

I can't remember if mine's a Flambeau or a Delta, it's the kind you store the legs & stakes inside the body. I don't know maybe they're all like that. There's velcro stapled to the two pieces to hold it together & the staples don't want to stay in the best, but it works okay. I used it a few time last year, always as a doe I think. I had a few non reactions, from fawns, & it scared the dump out of a 2 1/2 year-old 8 pointer, so that he bolted straight out across a big field. It was pretty funny though. He came out on a trail between two of us & the decoy was in front of me. He apparently didn't see the decoy when he came out & then he angle toward the other stand. When he smelled my buddy, as we knew he would if he came out there he spooked my way to exit the field, which would have offered me a great shot, but as he came around he saw the decoy for the first time & you could just about hear him say Holy dump!!, where'd she come from? I'm outa here!

[rattlem'up]

i have a delta riverbottom target that i use as a decoy and it works great. last year on bow opener i set it up on the edge of a clearing right next to a corn field about 30 yards from my ground blind and i had an 8 point buck come right up to it of course it came head on with it since i had the horns on it but i whisled and it turned broadside for a nice 30 yard shot! shot a couple does with it too!

[catman71]

i have read all the posts and am thinking about trying a decoy for rifle season. BUT i hunt public land. i am WAY up north and walk in quite a ways, so i don't see many hunters, but is a deer decoy just asking for trouble? (specifically people shooting at it/me)

[toughguy]

Catman,

I hunt on public land in Aitkin County. Not as far up north as you by the sounds of it but I wouldn't use a deek. Safety would be the first and foremost reason not to on public land. Second I hike over a mile back to my stand and hauling a deek all that way would be more pain then what it would be worth in my opinion. Finally I don't know that it would be that much of an advantage to use a deek in rifle season. I'm not a bow hunter but I think they use the decoys to get the deer close enough to hit reliably with an arrow. If the deer can see the deek through the forest it should be close enough for you too see it and take it with your rifle. If you want help getting a deer to come in closer scents, grunts, rattles, and bleets would be far more effective and much much safer on public land.

[luckey]

My brother in law used one a couple years ago. We put it in a corner of a field in a low spot about 25 yards away from a tree stand. No one could approach from two directions. To be safe we put an orange tail on the deer. Two deer came out of the woods about 100 yards away. They looked at the decoy but didn't pay much attension. After he shot one deer the other trotted down the wood line and came right up to the decoy. He shot this doe also. We haven't used the decoy since but it was interesting.