[tanasi]

They are a crapshoot. In woods they tend to spook deer. In an open field, it can draw in a deer from a long distance out of curiosity. I don't use mine during the rut in the woods anymore. I'll use early season to distract deer when I'm hunting out of a ground blind.

Exactly, decoys are no different than other hunting "technic/strategy", call it what you will. It's used to try and increase the odds in the hunters favor. Either when you read the conditions as just right to apply them, or not. Or in an to attempt to change up the way things are going where a negative result is not going to change to outcome much anyway (a what have you got to loose situation).

Not any different than rattling. Does rattling work? Sure it does, been proven many times. I've been successful at it myself. Does work every time? Of course not. At times it can do more harm than good in terms of odds at success.
I carry my rattling antlers with me from the first day of bow season in Sept until the last day of gun season in Dec. But I may not end up not using them but two or three times at the most the entire season.

It can be comparable to turkey hunting. When the bird is working your way like you want, the best strategy is set still and do absolutely nothing. If not, then you might try a different strategy, one based on how you read the current situation in relation to your personal experiences.

 

[tanasi]

Thanks Tom, that's the info I was looking for.
Animal behavior is fascinating. Various animals of the same species, and gender have their own individual traits. We can't predict what one will do based on what another has done.

That is very true. We can't even predict with 100% certainty what the very same animal will do this time as opposed to what it did the last time we encountered it..

 

[Moon]

Kind of like people. 😊
I’ve had 2 doe decoys in the farmhouse for years and never used them. Too lazy I guess.

 

[One eyed archer]

This boy was so focused on the decoy I had below me he never even noticed my buddy in the blind 3 feet away from him! 🤣

 

[Iron Duke]

This boy was so focused on the decoy I had below me he never even noticed my buddy in the blind 3 feet away from him! 🤣

Or maybe ... he was just a young & dumb deer walking the field edge.

 

[tanasi]

Or maybe ... he was just a young & dumb deer walking the field edge.

That works for me!!

 

[Moon]

I prefer old and smart ones……………like me🥴😆

 

[tanasi]

I prefer old and smart ones……………like me🥴😆 View attachment 225832

I prefer to kill by 8am and be home by 10, but it don't always work out that way!!

 

[One eyed archer]

Or maybe ... he was just a young & dumb deer walking the field edge.

He was young and dumb but definitely coming to the decoy unless they walk around stiff legged, bristled up with their head down just for a leisurely stroll. 😅. He was feeding on turnips, I grunted once at him, he saw the decoy and came in on a rope. Decoys work for me man, don't know what else to tell ya lol.

 

[Iron Duke]

I prefer old and smart ones……………like me🥴😆 View attachment 225832

I used to be smart ... now I'm just aleck.

 

[Moon]

Hope I don't get Alecky🥴😆.

 

[wis-redneck]

I used to be smart ... now I'm just aleck.

I can relate to that.

 

[wis-redneck]

Years ago, when I was learning to be the worlds smartest and most successful deer hunter, I tried at the time of the rising decoy tactic, using one for one season. It was a heavy pain in the butt to carry into the woods and set up. Tried it all season with both a doe and buck set up . It scared more deer then it attracted with curiosity. I sold it the next year.
I never did learn to be the smartest hunter, but have been more successful by just keeping it simple and learning how to hunt.
Deer are like turkeys and women, if you ever figure them out and understand them, you have nothing left.

 

[rt2bowhunter]

Any recommendations on what one to get brand wise.

 

[One eyed archer]

Any recommendations on what one to get brand wise.

Mine is a carry-lite. They don't make it anymore. I've had it over 20 years and have been limping it along. It's been thru a lot lol. Had a spike buck mount it once when it had doe estrus on it. Broke both back legs off and they are screw nailed together like Frankenstein now. That poor buck didn't know what happened. 🤣

 

[Iron Duke]

Mine is a carry-lite. They don't make it anymore. I've had it over 20 years and have been limping it along. It's been thru a lot lol. Had a spike buck mount it once when it had doe estrus on it. Broke both back legs off and they are screw nailed together like Frankenstein now. That poor buck didn't know what happened. 🤣

I hear ... the Japanese are making anatomically correct silicone anthropomorphic female deer decoys now. They'll deliver them in a plain brown box. 😂

 

[Moon]

Only Duke could come up with that😆

 

[Blaster]

Here is my take on the subject.

I'm a public land hunter and hunt nearly 100% of the time from a tree stand. Public land deer are skittish too put it politely.

It's one if those things that if done on private owned or leased land would work in the right situations. But on public it's a complete and utter waste of time. Just like rattling, grunt tubes and bleat cans are a waist of time on public from up in the the tree.

 

[Go-ahead-doubledown]

@ Blaster
I think you are absolutely correct . Can't see a scenario where these would be of any value on public land. I also think they serve no purpose in the woods.
On private open fields however, they draw attention.
I have a carry lite that can be set up as a doe, or by adding the antlers, a buck.
I'm fortunate to have a 60 acre field with a narrow funnel. We'll see what happens.

 

[llbts1]

I use a what I think is called Scar decoy. I've had very good luck bringing in bucks with this decoy. The first time I had him out, a buck hit him so hard it broke the metal base Scar sits on. I had to weld it back. It sounded like a rifle shot when he hit it. Now with that being said, in my opinion, the old timers(trophy's) don't fall for the decoys much. Younger guys, the ones without much future seem to fall for it. They are a lot of fun to watch posturing around that decoy.
Just my opinion.