Deer Decoy Opinions

[tcmech]

I have never used a deer decoy but I am thinking about picking one up before season starts.

Does anyone here use one and what would you recommend?

Thanks, Craig

[mike3132]

I used a Recosky feeding doe decoy with no success. The 3 times I had it out it scared deer away. The last time was a real nice buck so I threw it away. I'm sure decoys work in the right situation but I seemed to never have found it. Mike

[ozark]

No experience with deer decoys but have had both good and bad luck with turkey decoys. Sometimes they race to the the decoys and sometimes they race the other way.

[herman]

I have used one for the last 5 years.What I do is set it up at 200 yds where most of the deer cross the power line,I don't think it calls any deer in but I enjoy the deers reactions to it.One time I had a fawn go up to it and nudge it,one time I had a doe to run up to it and run back 3 times before it left it alone.But most of the deer don't even pay it any intention they will feed right up to and around it.The deer are going to cross anyway so its just for my amusement.
Think it was 3 years ago I let a fellow sit my stand and he didn't say a word about shooting my decoy.The next year I decided to shoot my muzzleloader to see if it was still on and when I got to it there were 2 holes in it,I mentioned it to one of my brothers and he said JB the fellow I let hunt the year before shot it thinking it was a real deer.I thought it was funny no one had said a word about it to me but everyone else in camp knew it.I guess he thought it would make me mad but it didn't.,Wished I would have gotten to see his face when it didn't fall over.

[Buckrub]

I've almost pulled the trigger to buy one..........but I have thought I wanted a 'double duty' one. I could use it for practice on my crossbow and then put it in the field as a true decoy. Of course, those kind are heavier, so not sure how I'd get it out there.

Some of them say "Moves head in a breeze" and then goes on to say something about anchoring it down really good if it's windy. Well, it's always windy in November/December here, so i can see this thing not acting realistic or maybe even falling over all the time. That has given me pause.

Truthfully, our bucks here are pretty much loners. All that rattling and calling that you see in places where tons of bucks exist per doe, just don't work in South Arkansas. We have dozens of does for every buck, and he doesn't have to fight anyone to get one. So anything that resembles fighting is just a wasteful expenditure of energy for him, and he ignores it.

In September and into October, bachelor groups run together. Decoys MIGHT work then!!

After the pre-rut starts, I've almost never seen two bucks together, unless it was some goofy yearling. I've sure never seen two GOOD bucks together.

But.......our herd is NOT like anyone else's so maybe I shouldn't even comment.

I still think I want one. Which one has got me stumped though. I just would like to try it and see what happened.

[chuck41]

Buckrub, you have a pretty good analysis of what I see as well. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact we hunt only a few miles apart. ;D

[huntingmike]

I used a feather flex decoy many times in the early bow season with no results. I gave it to my friend and one evening he laid it down in a food plot. Another hunter spooked three does into the food plot when they saw the decoy they stopped running and began to feed and he shot one with a well placed arrow. That was the only time he had luck with it.

[wilmsmeyer]

I tend to give deer way more credit then they deserve. I try to imagine them thinking the way you or I would think. When I take a decoy into consideration, I imagine myself trying to be lured by a silloutte of Bartle and James holding a cold beverage.

Adding a fake to their area makes me think that if it doesn't work perfectly the first time, I may damage the spot and give them one other thing to be spooky about.

So, I prefer to lurk around and make as little impact as I can. Since I am not a deer, I don't even trust the scents on the market and I can't bring myself to pay $12 for something that might smell like coyote breathe instead of a hot does begging to be chased and mounted repeatedly.

Wait for the right wind....slip in and slip out...that's my way. Deer are smart....at least the ones I try to kill with my bow are.

[Rifleman]

I like to hunt like wilms, just get sneaky and lay an ambush. Or when I get my fire team together I like to do a hammer and anvil infantry move on them. The fire team method burns the spot for 2-3 days afterwards though, as the deer think it was Grants march through the south when the killing team moves through. I either don't want the deer to have a clue about us being there, or be very aware of 1/2 the group ,hehehe. Seeing as I am the old man of the crew now, I most generally get to watch the show.I really think deer or about as smart as a labrador retriever, and I like to think while I cannot smell or hear as well as a lab, I can certainly outsmart one. After all my dog does not whistle for me!

[12ptdroptine]

I have shot more than a handful of deer over my decoy. I like it so well that I bought another for backup when I am on fixed income and may not be able to afford it then ( it sounded good at the time) I set them both up this fall past like a jealousy setup the young buck sniffing the doe...LOL thing's happened so fast I blew it. But man what a show they put on. I wouldn't use one even on my own ground during gun season..To many variable's and idiot's To sneak in... Drop

[artjr338wm]

I attended a seminar given by Tom Storm who is a supposed to be a expert in and has decoyed countless bucks some quite large into bow range. I even bought his book on decoying Whitetail deer.

I decided to give decoying big whitetail bucks a try as I once had a spot that the bucks as often as not traveled a trail about 90yrds from my stand the other would be with in bow range.

I will admit I did not use his system as he described as I could not afford to buy both a doe and buck decoy, so I used only a doe decoy. Used the doe decoy 3x and 3x spooked all deer bucks and does that saw it.

I will concede the one occasion I may have caused the deer to spook as I placed my doe decoy in the thick woods I was hunting in so the approaching deer did not see my doe decoy until less than 50 yards from it.

The two other times I used it was as Mr Storm recommended out in a more open area and still it spooked every deer that saw it. It is quite possible that the fact nothing on my decoy moved may have help spook the deer, but my experience with decoying was basically a disaster.

I will admit that if would be willing to give decoying one more try under exact right conditions, and only during the peek of rut or pre rut.

Some advice I can offer is any decoy you use try to attach something for a tail that will move in the slightest breeze, and also something that will absorb and hold deer scent.

Make sure you position the decoy facing you quartering slightly away as you want the deer to come to your decoy and wind up between you and the decoy not the decoy between you and the buck. By facing the decoy to wards you the buck will have to walk around in front of the decoy to be seen by it, placing it hopefully in a good position for a bow shot.

Make sure you stake your decoy down or the wind will likely blow it over.

You should also place your decoy so as to maximize it chances to be seen by any passing bucks.

The size of the antlers you use on your decoy should be smaller than the size of buck you hope to take. According to Mr Storm you will attract more bucks with a smaller 100-125" set of antlers than a large set over 130". You want to attract bucks not scare them off.
Hope this was helpful.

[deercrook]

I got deer in the yard all the time so time to have some fun put decoy out deer did not come in . A older guy told me to put some droping on it so i did that and some dirt where they piss so rub it on the next night deer come in and stop about like they do and look around and smelled and all came in and walk up to it one older doe did the roll the ear back and just about that time she just came down on it well that was the end of my bow target had to fix it so now i do that to all of my blinds have good luck deer in other places come in real good for the other deer i done that for the past 20 or so years

[ozark]

No experience with decoys but have sit and watch live does feed and stand around for hours within my sight. So far I have not had a buck come to one. I believe that the body language of a doe informs a buck if she is a prospect. During the rut If a doe is in season a buck is usually with her or chasing her. So far I have not actually witnessed mating. I watch deer and other animals that are in my area. They will notify you by body language when something is passing through. They don't miss much. Once I watched a doe that was obviously aware that something was in the brush nearby. She pointed her ears, stomped her foot and gazed into the brush for several minutes before I spotted a stray house cat sitting on a log. Deer are very interesting animals.