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Decoy?

alh09

Member
This is my first year with a decoy. I purchased the Primos Scar, he has been de-scenting in my grove for 3 weeks now. I have not been out hunting since last weekend, and I believe the early stages of rut are hitting around here. I hunt very open areas (as you can see below) the thought I have with the decoy is counting on my doe herd to lure in cruising bucks and then the decoy to get them in close looking for a fight so I can seal the deal.

Please advise when the best time to use this tactic may be as far as rut stages, and also if having the decoy out when there is no rutting going on will adversely affect my area.

Also, When and why to use it as a doe or buck.

Thanks,
Austin



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Have you been running any trail camera's on that creek to see if bucks are cruising up and down that thing? Is that were you expect the bucks to be coming from? Looks like wide open space around that timber. Doesn't look like you have a ton of options for stands.. If you have a ground blind maybe that horseshoe opening behind your current stand location would also work well if they are cruising that creek up to the timber section.
 
Expect to have every doe in the county snort, stomp, blow, and cause general chaos when they see the decoy.
 
Does hate decoys. So do half of the bucks. The other half, watch out, it can be fun.
 
I am speaking from a very very biased perspective. I humped a decoy in only one time in my hunting career and the same 2 does snorted, stomped, blew, and caused general disarray before they ran off... then they came back 3 other times and did the same thing before I finally ran out of shooting light.

I will likely never use a decoy again.
 
I humped a decoy in only one time in my hunting career

That sentence just sounded wrong to me the first time I read it :drink1:

Sorry muddy, couldn't resist :D I too have used decoys with mixed results at best. Have one in the garage that seldom gets let out...

NWBuck
 
That sentence just sounded wrong to me the first time I read it :drink1:

Sorry muddy, couldn't resist :D I too have used decoys with mixed results at best. Have one in the garage that seldom gets let out...

NWBuck

Yeah, I bet I looked like a monkey humping a football just getting the darn thing into the timber and then setting it up. :drink1:
 
I've heard using them inside the timber will get a negative reaction most of the time. I hear they are most effective sitting out in an opening or field edge.
 
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Just used one this morning at this spot(that is my decoy). Had a broken rack 8 ( have video of it). Had does going by all day with no issue. Then at 9:50am grunted to a nice 8 that was cruising that came to 40yrds that I gave a pass.(no video was debating shooting) He ended up circling down wind at 50yrds and busting me.

This is my first year of actually trying to decoy.

Mobile Cooter using IW
 
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I've killed 3 mature bucks over a buck decoy...all out in the open or on field edges with the wind blowing from the decoy to me. Can be very effective if used right IMO.
 
I've had it happen too many times where I see a shooter buck at 50-100yds away, I grunt, rattle, snortwheeze, bleat, etc.. and they come only so far and then turn around and leave because they don't see what they think they should. And I say to myself, if only I had my decoy out they would've come right in. With that I'm using a decoy on every sit to see what happens. This is what happened last Saturday morning so so far so good!
 

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Deerslayer, that's awesome footage.. I always thought using a decoy would be good exercise cuz you have to get in and out of the tree each time that happens.
 
sometimes they work

I have had does lay down next to my Montana does but it was just before the rut. seems like after the rut they shy away and cause some problems i have not had any problems with the bucks not wanting to come in close to check them out last 7 were off the decoys.
 
used one for the first time tonight. not very easy to move around and kind of loud. not only does hate them, had a button buck raise hell when he saw it. would've been nice to have at least one buck tonight come by. finally getting the corn combined today. have to try again in morn should be better!(fingers crossed)
 
I have a coyote call app that I use during turkey season when deer start getting nervous about the decoys. I'm sure it will work just as good this time of year.

Mobile Cooter using IW
 
I have had great success with a decoy. I think if the does are throwing a fit buy it it maybe a little to earlier for the decoy. Usually the does see my buck decoy and avoid it by all means possible because they are tired of being harassed by bucks anyways. There has been way more regrets that I didn't have my decoy than having my decoy.

I am breaking mine out for the first time tonight. I will be using it in the timber to help draw them in when I grunt at them. I just use an old 3-d target most of the time.
 
Cooter said:
I have a coyote call app that I use during turkey season when deer start getting nervous about the decoys. I'm sure it will work just as good this time of year.

Mobile Cooter using IW

Whats the name of the app?
 
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