[Stealthy_Bowman]

I have one sitting in my shed and haven't used it since I bought it 15 years ago or so.

Do any of you use one and have you had luck with it, not just with scrub bucks, but have you ever had a bruiser come in to one?

I'm thinking of hunting a spot that I have with a giant field in it and thought a decoy might be a good idea for the area.

 

[Dave2122]

I use a Montana Decoy which is a flat 3-D cloath model. Before I used a decoy, I had Bucks come into my scent only to think it was a few does that were near my stand bedded down. After seeing that I purchased the decoy and it seems to draw them over under the right conditions. Once up close (sniffing) they realize it isnt what they thought it was and become very cautious. I have only had small bucks (non=shooters) interact with it so I cant tell you what a Mature Buck would do but I venture to guess they would most likely behave the same as the small bucks do. I think it is a good tool under the right circumstances.

 

[GunnyFern]

I use rubber gloves when handling one, keep it in a bag, and then I place a doe urine buck bomb right under it, last year I shot a small buck that bedded right next to it, and a 6 pointer trying his best to get some LOL.
when handling decoys SCENT FREE takes on a new meaning or its BYE BYE....[sad]

 

[jrhunt]

I killed a 7 pointer last year that came charging in to a decoy. He circled down wind and I had a 23 yard shot.This is him

 

[jerseyhunter]

Replace the tail with a real one and give it a slight squirt of scent, it will sway and give a little life to it.

 

[Stealthy_Bowman]

Thanks for the info, I'm still on the fence about it, but may end up giving it a try this week.

 

[El Jefe]

Here is a good tip. Take the decoy outdoors and give it a good washing with Arm and Hammer unscented liquid laundry detergent. If its one that you can brake down to pieces like the one I have, I do each piece individually, and I wear rubber gloves. Let them dry outdoors and them place them in a unscented garbage bag. I then take mine to my hunting area and put the thing together. I hide it next to an old piece of farm machinery and when I come back in a couple of days I attach the real deer tail to the rear end of the decoy. I use a piece of straight hanger wire to give the tail the form of a doe in heat. I then spray a mixture of all the different doe in heat junk they sell. A word of caution. Make sure decoy is place so when the buck checks it out he will be coming in from the rear end of the decoy, so set it up so you can get a broad side shot.
Good Luck Tony

 

[mpemt24]

The first time I hunted the property I got permission to hunt someone had a decoy set up and I almost shot it. I was walking along a thicket and saw a deer. It ended up being a decoy. I noticed the feet didn't seem right. Someone had taken a full mounted deer and placed her in the woods as a decoy.