Some Thoughts on Deer Decoys

I have always found a decoy to be a pain. It is big, bulky and, most worrisome to me, incredibly noisy to cart through the woods, banging on limbs and raking brush. On top of that, I’m not sold on how one works. Set out a fake deer and real deer will see it, all right. Some of them will blow and haul ass the other way.

I have had curious bucks approach a decoy and come into easy gun range, so I know they can work. Trouble was, I was always hunting with a bow on those days. BTW, It is probably not smart to use a decoy in gun season for obvious reasons, although I can’t imagine a good, responsible hunter shooting a plastic deer out from under you. But stupid people do stupid things, and there stupid people in the world. If you set a decoy in gun season, do so at your own risk.

Story: One day out on the Milk River last November when the bucks were getting their rut on, Luke Strommen worried me to death to try a new-fangled decoy he and a buddy had just bought. “Look, it’s got a movable tail and everything,” Luke crowed, waging the appendage. (My buddy lives in rural NE Montana; it does not take much to get him excited :) “OK,” I relented, but I’m not carrying the damn thing.” Luke laughed and happily toted the incredibly loud, hollow-plastic deer into some timber. He stuck a pair of small, fake antlers on his head (deer’s, not Luke’s), hid in the grass 20 yards away and began rattling and grunting. I was the shooter, and so set up 30 yards upwind to his left.

Damned if a 140-class buck didn’t see the thing and come sneaking in! But alas, like all the bucks I’d tried to decoy before him, he hung up about 40 yards behind the fake, froze, stared, stamped his foot and, finally, busted out of there like his hide was afire. But I was closer than ever this time, having  drawn an arrow and let it down once. Funny, bummer, Luke was so hidden and into the calling that he never saw the buck or knew what was going on, so I ended up having all the fun, not him.

BTW, I have never had a rut-crazed buck run in and fight/demolish a decoy like some of the stories you hear. I don’t doubt that it happens on occasion, but not very much.

Having said all that, and still a decoy skeptic, I am going to try a new one that caught my eye, a lightweight, easy-to-pack doe (think inflatable). I think it would be kick-ass to kill a good buck over a decoy for a TV show on Versus, and I am going to try and make it happen this fall. More on that new decoy I'll use tomorrow. For now, anybody got a decoy story, good or bad?

Comments

[Luke Strommen]

I darn near worked, didn't it! ha! Maybe you'll kill one on film using a decoy this fall....man if someone can build a decoy that is not noisey and still light, it would be a hit! Man, I thought you were going to kill that buck as I watched you at full draw forever...then I would have at least gotten to see him!!!

[JJ]

Luke, been finding any more sheds, haven't heard from you in a while???

[Chad]

I have been cheated out of 2 really big bucks (170 plus non-typical, and a 150" 10pt.) by using a decoy while bowhunting over the last 5 years.

Both of these bucks were going to pass by me on their own and once they spotted the decoy, they froze up just out of range. Both bucks stared at the decoy for a very long time until they realized that it wasn't going to move and figured out that it wasn't real. And yes, the decoy was as human scent free as possible and deer scent was placed around it. I have had many young bucks walk right up to this decoy and even try to mount it, but the real mature bucks seem to figure it out. I have tried pinning a tail on it ever since, but have yet to have a mature buck come into range to see what would happen. There is definitely a difference in trying to fool a mature buck.

[jstreet]

I've had mixed results as well with decoys.

Sometimes they seem to work pretty well, other times...... it's stomp, stomp, blow, gone!

Jim

[Dean Weimer]

Have I got a decoy story? Hanback, I assume you've seen this, but others probably haven't. Not trying to hijack your blog here.

Personally, I think lots of folks are making mistakes with decoys. This article kind of tells it like it is. I've had many successes using decoys. Just remember that big bucks will almost always circle downwind of the imposter.

And, like Mike says, they can kind of be a pain in the tail, but well worth it after you sucker your first buck with one.

http://www.northamericanwhitetail.com/huntingtactics/NAW_0907_04/index.html

[Dean Weimer]

I'll also add that I think some folks are using decoys at the wrong time as well. And, some of it has to do with the attitude of the buck in question. Dominant bucks are, in my opinion, the easiest ones to bring in. But, you have to excercise caution. You get a jacked up buck who is sky high on testosterone, the first part of November and present a decoy in his core area, use real deer urines to make it even more realistic, and watch out!!!

[BIGKAHUNA]

Looks like ole Deano's gonna make a decoy believer out of you with that one Mike! Good article, good story Dean. Ive seen more than a couple of videos of a buck destroying a decoy, and ive seen a reasonable amount of deer taken by decoy over the years. Im a firm believer that they work. Hey Luke ,when I come out this year im gonna bring one of my live motion, head bobbin ,feeding, fake Christmas deer. I just gotta quiet down the motor some and we'll try that. LOL

[Big Daddy]

2 bow seasons ago I was sitting in a fence row 300 yds from a rural dirt road on my own private ground. I had a full body decoy like the one Mike described above set up 15 yds from a "Comando" doe decoy which is a foldable hard plactic 2 sided deek...I was ratteling and trying to get the boss buck I had watched all summer to think a subordinate buck had is Saturday night gal all lined up for himself.
An old pickup came down the road and stopped. Shortly a rifle barrel poked out the passengers window and KABOOM! my buck decoy flipped over. The truck sped off. I stayed in the tree and 1/2 hr later a different pickup came driving down into my field...I assume to fetch the "dead buck". I had a $300 sony CVR in my pack and recorded the entire thing sans the actual rifle shot at the buck. But when they got within 50 yds of the doe decoy they shot it as well...that I got on tape...also had both their faces and lisence plate on tape...an them tearing up the field as they realized what they'd just done.
Called the local WCO whom I know well, he came out looked at the film and suggested I give it to police...whom didn't wish to do anything other than move on trespass charges and damage to my timothy field. They both felt charges forattempting to poach the deer would be tossed due to entrapment....GO Figure!!!
Though it did put an end to the night time shooting in my area for the past 2 years!!!

[Flatlander]

i have had great luck with decoys, usually take 5-7 deer a year, 1-2bucks the rest does, i have never had a buck decoy work, but have killed 50%+ of my deer over a doe decoy. Does come to investigate and Bucks come to see what he has smelled (code blue doe estrus).........puts a nice buck in front of me most every year.........some nice P&Y and some whoppers......it works for me. I prefer the Renzo decoys, light, quiet, and photo realistic!!! cheap too