bigten05
*Supporting Member*
ive never used one have one in the storage unit. just never used it. we did however put one infront of my buddys blind bedded down in the edge of the corn field we thought it was hilarious him not so much.
Decoy Time
- Thread starter Mao
- Start date
I know what you mean about loud and cumbersome. I used to have a boss buck until it got stolen. I always keep it together because they are so loud and I hate making that much noise in the field. If I am leaving it over night I will just lay it on its side and throw a branch over it or tuck it in the brush. Less frustrating in my opinion.
Hopefully someone sees this tonight. I didn't want to start a new thread with this one open. Rut activity seems to have just started taking off in my area in the last couple days. I am seeing chasing. I am seeing seeking. I even saw intense chasing in the morning and watched the same buck casually following a doe into a thick area at last light on the same day.
Question is: What do you guys feel is the optimum time to use the decoy? I realize local buck to doe ratios affect things and there are variables for all of us. Seems there has been some decent traffic of smaller bucks on the property I am hunting tomorrow. I am keeping the low impact approach on this property because we are the only property around with corn standing. It will remain standing until gun season or after. Getting the bucks out of the corn has proven difficult. My plan was to hunt one of the edges on the downwind side of the property. I will be north of the corn on a fence row bordering a CRP type field roughly 100x300yds in size. Will putting a decoy in the CRP grasses freak them out? Will it bring them in? Is it a waste of time? Just curious as I have never had any success with one. The one I borrowed is on a hunting trip out of state right now. I can carry in my 3D target easily to this location though. Thoughts? Rattle blind or rattle with the decoy where they may or may not see it?
Question is: What do you guys feel is the optimum time to use the decoy? I realize local buck to doe ratios affect things and there are variables for all of us. Seems there has been some decent traffic of smaller bucks on the property I am hunting tomorrow. I am keeping the low impact approach on this property because we are the only property around with corn standing. It will remain standing until gun season or after. Getting the bucks out of the corn has proven difficult. My plan was to hunt one of the edges on the downwind side of the property. I will be north of the corn on a fence row bordering a CRP type field roughly 100x300yds in size. Will putting a decoy in the CRP grasses freak them out? Will it bring them in? Is it a waste of time? Just curious as I have never had any success with one. The one I borrowed is on a hunting trip out of state right now. I can carry in my 3D target easily to this location though. Thoughts? Rattle blind or rattle with the decoy where they may or may not see it?
I'm the last person to offer any advice Phil as I have never used a decoy but since you asked I'd use the decoy with rattling and grunting. I'm thinking if you rattle one in and they do see it they might get distracted from the source of the calling and go downwind of your deke instead of you. Make sure you have your deke scent proof of your scent and/or some tarsal or glandular scent on the deke. If its a buck use buck scent or doe use estrus scent. Also I'd make sure you have shots on the downwind side of the deke as well. So, if your on a field edge and the wind is blowing left to right or visa versa set it 40 yards to your upwind. If its blowing from you out to the field I'd set it close to the edge but off to one side or the other. If its blowing from the field straight into your face or cheek I would set it out 40-50 yards hoping they skirt the edge between you and the deke.
This is just how I would do it, IMO.
Good luck buddy!
This is just how I would do it, IMO.
Good luck buddy!
Not impossible, but would be VERY difficult for them to get downwind on this stand. I am on the east side of the field so the winds out of the west tomorrow allow me to place it in the field to my west no problem. To my east is basically a backyard which doesn't seem to see any deer. They go thru the guy's yard to the south but not where the stand is located. Hoping to pull them in from the north, south, or possibly west. If they come thru the mess in this backyard to get to me it would be a miracle. Hard to explain.
Next question would be: Try it in the morning or wait for an evening sit? Evening sit would be much quieter entry. I worry about blowing them out in the morning. The field west of this stand has been known to be used for bedding. The fence row I am sitting on has seen its share of scrapes and rubs over the years. Haven't walked down it this year. When I said low impact, I mean low low low. Not even stepping foot on the property until I climb in the stand. (And yes, I have permission on both properties. Stand is on the property line. Property owner east of us allows us to park and access our property from his.)
Next question would be: Try it in the morning or wait for an evening sit? Evening sit would be much quieter entry. I worry about blowing them out in the morning. The field west of this stand has been known to be used for bedding. The fence row I am sitting on has seen its share of scrapes and rubs over the years. Haven't walked down it this year. When I said low impact, I mean low low low. Not even stepping foot on the property until I climb in the stand. (And yes, I have permission on both properties. Stand is on the property line. Property owner east of us allows us to park and access our property from his.)
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Just wanted to add that any calling should be better with a visual aide. IMO, when deer hear something they expect to see something(I know I would...lol)
Jesse,Marcus(or his beard),Brock or others are much more experienced in this arena than I but I know whenever I've called a mature deer or any deer for that matter they come in and eventually get downwind. I'm thinking of they lock their eyeballs on your deke just make sure your 40-50 yards to the downwind of it.
Jesse,Marcus(or his beard),Brock or others are much more experienced in this arena than I but I know whenever I've called a mature deer or any deer for that matter they come in and eventually get downwind. I'm thinking of they lock their eyeballs on your deke just make sure your 40-50 yards to the downwind of it.
I'm with yah!!! I'm pulling out all the stops to try TOO get my daughter a deer and took my old deer target out to the ditch line yesturday evening to set up for sunday mornings hunt. I'm going to set it up when we get out there. Always wanted to try it but never have and with the corn down now anything walking around is going to see it. The deer i seen last sunday would have come for it i think because he was looking hard but didn't see anything so he went into the corn which is gone now. I'm excited to try it out and see what happens. I know a guy that used a cardboard cut out and he and his son each got there deer one day apart with it. I'm going to put the nose in the wind and put some 307 on the ass end. Everybody says they will come from behind it to check it out.
Nose to the wind would put the buck decoy facing away from me. My understanding has always been to face a buck decoy towards you as bucks often come face to face with another buck or come in from behind on a doe. Quartering to me was my intention.
Mines a doe because i lost the rack for it years ago. If i see tails heading away fast it wont be up for very long lol!!!
I used a doe deke once last year, it was the tinks miss November. Had 3 does snorting at it. Never used it again. I don't like decoys for that reason and to me they are just a pain in the ass to carry/setup. I like to get in and get settled with the most minimal disturbance possible.
Disturbances from noise might not be an issue. Winds are howling this morning. Might be all the more reason to put him out there today. Computer weather says 10mph. Sounds more like 15-20mph when I let the dogs out.
Any other thoughts? Was hoping MAO would see this since he has some experience with them. I am sure he will, but probably not in time. :smiley_beard:
Any other thoughts? Was hoping MAO would see this since he has some experience with them. I am sure he will, but probably not in time. :smiley_beard:
I'd go for it. I'd think a mature cruising buck could be pulled in with one. If he is on a doe, most likely he will ignore it. Yesterday my buddy turned down using my decoy on the field edge he hunted. He had a big shooter buck respond to grunting and came out in the field. The buck looked for the source of the grunts, didn't see anything, so he kept moving. My buddy wished he would of had the deke out. I don't think it can hurt anything. I'd also smack the horns hard and grunt every once in a while so deer are not startled when they step out and see the deke. Good luck!