Hello,
I think many bucks were holed up with does last week, when many were in heat. Now, I believe, most does have been bred and the bucks are out wondering, some even searching for does in small tag-team buck groups.
Does in family units really mean nothing to a wondering, rut crazed buck, I think. Though a doe there is probably not in heat. They will still get checked out by bucks combing the area. In fall, these family units only break up temporarily -- for a few days -- when one of the does comes into heat. Then, they normally regroup until late winter and early spring dispersal.
Decoys do work! I've got a Montana decoy and it has pulled in several bucks for me. And like limbchicken says, when they come in, they are keyed to the decoy, giving you a nice buffer zone for any movments you need make to get off a good shot. A decoy could pull in a big buck for you right now, no doubt.
However, I would be very careful and analyze each particular area and situation before placing one! I have found that approximately 25% of does will spook at a decoy because they know every member of the region's deer herd and you're decoy ain't a member -- and they know it! Some does will stomp and snort at your decoy! Other does will come right in and investigate or feed near it, others will tolerate it in the same general area but may be nervous about it. Keep in mind, that a doe in heat usually wants to be by itself -- therefore if one is heading toward your stand, and sees the decoy, she may head another way, taking any and all bucks in tow with her!
I would be very careful about using a decoy around a field that lots of does feed in (last year a doe decoy raised alarm to a lead doe around a feeding area my buddy was hunting in -- of course a 140 inch buck was part of that doe group. They would have all walked in if it wasn't for the decoy alarming the matriarch doe!) And if you are hunting a good funnel area, a decoy shouldn't be necessary. A decoy can and will work -- no question -- but one should be aware of their pitfalls as well. They COULD cost you a giant buck just as easily as they could produce one for you! So be careful and cautious when using one -- I always spray a scent reducer spray of some sort on them after I set them up and I use rubber gloves to keep scent off.
I don't use any scent at all in my deer hunting any more. I've seen them spook trophy bucks and that is all I need to see! Often, though, big bucks just ignore them, I think. Sometimes they spook. They will work sometimes for some people. But I just don't trust them. I don't like walking around my stand to put them out. Deer must be downwind to smell them and I don't want downwind deer testing and scent analyzing the air for nothing! Or maybe the reason I don't use them is because I'm just too cheap!
Good luck hunting.....hey muddy blew up your buck photo on my computer and, hey, you look familiar! I'll try to catch you at Scheels some time to see what's up. Good luck during the smokepole season. I'll try to post a snapshot I have here as soon as I get it scanned in and figure out how.