Decoy school 101

[giles]

Someone school me on the use of decoys. Seems some people love them and most people have one in the shed.

We got offered a doe and buck decoy last weekend. It seems between the 3 of us, we didn't really know alot about how to use them. We understood basics and between all of us we made it work. We had a shooter in front and one behind.

Morning we had both antlers on the buck and it seemed to almost scare the immature bucks that came in.

Evening we dropped to a single antler and didn't have any bucks come in.

We talked about the difference between a standing doe and bedded doe. But really just didn't know. So when you have 3 high traffic TOOzers that don't know...you start a thread and ask.

TOO, do what you do and give me a clinic on using decoys. Thanks

Pic for attention. If you zoom in you can see the doe to the left and the buck is just to the right.

 

[Mike]

Open garbage can. Put decoy in garbage can. You are welcome.

I can only speak of 2D decoys.

 

[Hunter II]

I don’t know anything but I have tried using one maybe once a year over the last 20 years. I’ve had 5 bucks go by today and 2 checked it out.
I have had does stomp and snort at it. One time a button buck thought mommy had come back.

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[giles]

Now this is a thread! Keep it going, this is gonna be cool.

 

[giles]

I can also add that all the deer came right to this set up. Almost all the deer held up at about 50 yards from the decoys.

I had a good looking buck running across the field that I grunted to stop. He stopped, I grunted again and he ran right to the decoys and held up. Should I have called again?

 

[Outdoorsfellar]

Just like in the above pic, if using a doe decoy, keep it facing away from you.... upwind as well. When he comes in, he'll come in from the back, scent checking, where his focus will be on that fine ass & less chance of him catching you.

 

[giles]

Just like in the above pic, if using a doe decoy, keep it facing away from you.... upwind as well. When he comes in, he'll come in from the back, scent checking, where his focus will be on that fine ass & less chance of him catching you.

I was thinking that was a terrible shot angle in that pic.

 

[Outdoorsfellar]

Blame the buck. Decoy placement would be critical as well.

 

["J"]

Maybe put it further up wind from you so it’ll offer a better angle?

 

[BlueSpruceOutfitters]

I'll say all my info has been anecdotal and through research. The buck decoy always goes in front of me, about 15 yard and facing me. That what when it goes to come head on, I'll have a shot generally close. Ive had lots of small bucks come to it. Had 7 different ones on a good day. But I've never shot anything over it. I wait til Nov. 7-8 to put it out. It's good for me too cuz I'll rattle and grunt every 45 minutes or hour depending on the movement. Also put evercalm on it. Does it help? Maybe? Does it hurt? Maybe. Who knows. Lol

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[Hunter II]

I was thinking that was a terrible shot angle in that pic.

I only use the decoy when I am stuck in a box blind because of the rain.

That was a screen grab from the 12 minutes he was flirting with her.

Are you a lefty

Or a righty?

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[giles]

Outstanding!

 

[Mike]

Swing and a miss with trad gear

 

[Big_Holla]

This was absolutely PERFECT!

 

[giles]

This was absolutely PERFECT!

We watched that before the hunt. I'm more interested in what TOOzers have to say.

 

[giles]

A funny story that I have with my first decoy experience. Goes back to around 1995' and dad had to have one. I don't know if he thought I would carry it or what the deal was. He put the stupid thing together and I just laughed and kept telling him I wasn't carrying a deer during gun season. Thats just dumb in that day and age of NW Ohio.

He goes carrying this thing down an abandoned track just north of Genoa Ohio. Beating and banging the gun barrel off this hollow chuck of plastic. I'm laughing my ass off as he keeps stopping to pick up the parts that are falling off. I'm laughing hard enough that he's starting to get pissed off. And those of you that have met him, know that this doesn't come easy. So I tell him I'm gonna stay back and catch the deer as they try and double back.

Really I just couldn't stop laughing and I remember how bad my face hurt.

Anyways, he makes it another 100 yards or so and I watch him freeze! Thinking to myself, there ain't no F-N-WAY. He takes the gun and uses the decoy as a rest and shoots this 5 point buck. I was blown away. He had to of just startled that thing out of its bed and it had no clue what that noise was. Hell, sounded like a 2 year old with a drum set.

That decoy got passed around and I think my uncle has it now. I think that was the only deer ever taken with it. We call her Missy. This past weekend was my only other experience using a decoy since. Lol

 

[hickslawns]

They suck to carry in. This I can confirm. I used one last year a handful of times. Had mixed success. Small bucks seemed to be intrigued. Does seemed to dislike it. I think I have the Boss Buck and used both antlers. I had one monster that sat and watched it from a couple hundred yards. I grunted. I rattled. I snort wheezed. Not sure how much of it he heard. I do know he ended up working over a tree with a vengeance. He was NOT happy with the other buck being there but never came in.

 

[MoonLab]

I put this out 30 yards by my stand. Basket buck came in to scrape 10 yards from and and sees it, he was like “ oh shit, I’m out” so I don’t know what the deal was. It wasn’t like he bolted he was just like ah, I’m not liking it, I’m out kind of attitude.

 

[Big_Holla]

We watched that before the hunt. I'm more interested in what TOOzers have to say.

 

[xbowguy]

We watched that before the hunt. I'm more interested in what TOOzers have to say.

Got to respect that. Great Video but to many times they are geared towards sales.
I have a Boss Buck decoy (free) and its never been used. Thought about it for this evening.