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- Timing Is Everything. I’m a firm believer in using a decoy from late October through the end of November in most of the Midwest states. The moment I start seeing rutting activity, I get the decoy out and have had luck with it all the way though mid-December while hunting in Nebraska.
- Buck vs. Doe Decoy. When choosing a decoy you’ll have to decide if you want to use a buck or doe. I’ve always preferred using a buck for the simple reason that bucks seem more apt to leave a doe to fight than to get another doe in my experience.
- Remove Human Odor. Of all the tips when using a decoy, this is by far the most important. If you leave any human odor on your decoy the deer will avoid it, both bucks and does.
- Use Scents to Seal Deal. I’m a big fan of trying to fool as many of a buck’s senses as possible. I like to use rattling, grunts and a snort wheeze to make them believe a fight is getting ready to break out.
Nov 17, 2023 · Decoys work best when set up in areas of high deer travel. Before and after the rut, set them along major trails, near bedding areas or at the edges of fields where deer feed. During the rut, set them near scrape or rub lines, but use caution near bedding areas to avoid polluting the area with your scent, sight and sound.
- This Is When You Should and Shouldn't Utilize Decoys to Attract Deer.
- Safety first.
- Deer Decoys Work When The Deer Are Wary of Your Calls.
- When Bucks Are Cruising in Pre Rut.
- After The Rut Has passed.
- In Open Country
- Scenarios Where Decoys Won't work.
- In Early season.
- When Hunting Pressure Is High.
- For Late-Season Bucks.
Using decoysis a popular way of hunting for many species like waterfowl and predators. But it's far less popular for whitetail deer. Deer hunting enthusiasts and enthusiasts of other big game just don't take advantage of decoying like they should. If you are interested in giving decoys a try this year, there are some things you should know. We will...
Before we go any further, we need to talk safety with decoys briefly. While many experts agree that decoys are effective all year-round, depending on your state and hunting ground, it may not be safe to use a decoy. For instance, we don't recommend using a large whitetail buck decoy on public land during firearms season. Someone may mistake your ex...
Almost every hunterhas experienced this first scenario. You've got some attractant deer scents out in a rut or an early season pre rut situation. You do a game call sequence of either grunting, rattling or both. Sure enough, it catches the attention of a mature buck that has been on your trail cameras all season. But the deer is old and cautious. B...
If you're seeing a lot of bucks just moseying through the area past your stand or ground blind just out of range before the rut, it's likely these deer have no real plan on where they're going. They're on the prowl. Sure, it may be weeks or even a month before the does start coming into heat, but they're amped up right now and that's not going to s...
Doe decoys alone can also be effective for post rut scenarios. At this point, you'll want to be slightly less aggressive than you were during the rut. Sure, a buck and doe decoy setup can work wonders during the height of the rut, but for the post season, you'll be trying to portray a lonely doe that somehow missed being bred. We'd recommend agains...
Let's say you're bowhunting somewhere like Kansas or Iowa where wooded areas are few and far between, or where the bucks are cruising large agricultural areas. It can be hard to find a suitable place for a treestand. Often, you have no choice but to use a ground blind. However, if a big buck cruises into your area and spots a new ground blind, he m...
While decoys work well in some scenarios, in others they may do more harm than good. These are the situations where you should probably avoid them or try another method to bring the deer in for a shot.
We're talking the earliest part of the season here. That may be a super-early season in late August or early September for some of you. At this time of year, the deer aren't really in that rutting mindsetyet. So, if you're out there with a buck and doe setup complete with calls, you're likely going to frighten away more deer than you attract. You m...
I live here in Michigan and our firearms deer seasonis just brutal. Roughly half a million hunters flood the woods every Nov. 15 and the pressure from that date on forces most bucks into a nocturnal state many don't leave until the late season or even after the seasons end after the new year. In a situation like this, the deer are already on edge a...
When I'm talking late season, I'm talking far beyond all the post-rut scenarios I talked about earlier. Here in Michigan that would be very late December. (Our season ends January 1.) For some states like Texas, that may be the middle part of January or even February. Why is decoying less effective at these times? Well, it's simple. At this point i...
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- Be Smart About Scent Control. Controlling your scent is the No. 1 rule of decoying deer. It's imperative to wear both rubber gloves and rubber boots when setting up the decoy.
- Stink it Up. On the topic of scent, smells aren't all bad—as long as they're the right ones. Remember, the buck is going to come in downwind, and he's going to expect to smell your rival deer.
- Call Him In. Calling can be a great supplement to add realism to your decoy. You already have both sight and smell, and a little noise can help, too. Adding vocalizations might just be enough to draw that buck in when, without it, he would have been reluctant.
- Create a Line of Sight. Vanderpool says visibility is crucial for decoying deer, and the only way to ensure a buck sees your decoy is to make sure that you put it in an open spot.
Jan 21, 2024 · A: Absolutely. Adding subtle movements to your decoy, like a twitching tail, can greatly enhance realism. Similarly, using sounds like grunt calls or rattling antlers can attract curious deer and add authenticity to your setup. With these advanced strategies and a deeper understanding of deer behavior, you’re now equipped to take your decoy ...
Sep 26, 2022 · The best deer decoys won’t work every time, but they can fool a rutting buck every now and then. If you decide to add decoys to your tactics this fall, be sure it’s legal in your area and you’re not hiding behind a decoy during gun season. Methodology
People also ask
Do deer eat decoys?
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Do Buck decoys Spook deer?
Buck decoy usage rules during the rut, but as breeding peaks, a doe may be just as attractive. And sometimes you just don't know where a deer will show up, and a decoy can be the lure to pull a buck 50 or 100 yards closer. I've found this to be an effective use in open timber, wetland funnels, and even in standing crops.
