Doe Decoy

[xatxay]

I have some new ground to hunt this season. I think it is set up well to try a doe decoy. I have never tried one. Anyone ever have any luck using one? Any suggestions or tips?

 

[Mike Belt]

I've used a deke several times over the years. I'd love to set one up as a doe and have a buck try to breed it but it hasn't happened yet. I have better luck setting them up as a buck. They work 2 ways if they work at all. Either bucks will come in to check out the new kid on the block or the deke will stop them wherever they are when they spot it potentially offering you a shot. I haven't had an all out attack yet but lots of posturing. My 3D targets in the back yard aren't as fortunate. Every year the bucks tear them apart.

 

[Headhunter]

In my experience, a doe decoy attracts does and a buck decoy attracts bucks, for whatever that is worth.

 

[Mike Belt]

In my opinion a doe decoy spooks does. I've never had a doe come in but have had them blow out of the country several times.

 

[Headhunter]

I have killed several mature does with a doe decoy. They hate it, meaning their bow up like a mad dog and will be so tore up about a strange doe being around that I believe I could have done jumping jacks in the treestand and they would have never noticed me. First time I ever used a decoy, used as a doe, I was still climbing tree, only about 10' up. Heard something and looked and a group of deer was coming, no headgear, and I was mad because my bow was on the ground and the direction they were coming I wasn't sure they would see the decoy before me. They did see the decoy and the biggest doe in the bunch went ballistic. Her neck hair raised up, ears laid back and she was intent. Decoy was only 15 yards from the tree. I pulled my bow up, knocked an arrow and after watching the momma doe do her best to intimidate the decoy for several minutes, I shot her. She went about 50 yards and fell over. It has happened several times. I have rarely seen deer spook from a decoy as much as they don't pay any attention to it at times.

Took my brother to a large bean field one year to try bowhunting it, lots of deer using it. The season before, in 11 evenings, we killed close to 30 does out of it late in the season. I told him I was going to put the decoy on the edge and we could climb a tree either side of it. About an hour before dark, a bunch of deer came out. One large doe did spook from the decoy. She would stand about 100 yards out and blow at the decoy then she would run to several hundred yards out and blow, then came back to about 100 yards and blow. She did this til dark. I was pissed, just wanted to kill a doe. My brother is laughing and thinking the whole evening was done, I did to. This deer was tore up. Right at dark, I just happened to look behind the decoy and there is a group of does walking right to the decoy, where my brother would have been. I get ready and the lead doe, big one, walked up to the decoy and put her nose right to the tail (I don't put scent on the decoy ever) and I shot her, the whole time the other doe is still blowing like the end of time is coming. When I walk up to my brother he is still laughing and giving me a hard time about the decoy screwing up the evening. Should have seen the look on his face when I told him I shot one with its nose to the tail of the decoy. She didn't go far and was a nice mature doe.

I would be sure and put it in an open area. From my experience, the more open the better.

 

[Mike Belt]

I guess that just goes to show that you may get different reactions in different parts of the country. I have yet to use a doe deke that when the does saw it they didn't run away. They may stand and stare or even blow at it but they are out of here.

Headhunter...What kind of deke are you using and you have better luck with it mornings or evenings? I tried a couple of those tail wagers but they didn't last long and made a clicking sound.

 

[Matador]

All I have ever used is a doe decoy. They have been responsble for me taking several bucks. I have had bucks come to them, but the main thing I don't think I have ever had a buck that didn't stop and look. I use them mostly through the pre-rut to the rut time frame which is the month of Nov. (About 3 weeks). Not all bucks come to it. Some just stop and stare and move on. Very few does come to it but most stop and stare.

 

[Headhunter]

I guess that just goes to show that you may get different reactions in different parts of the country. I have yet to use a doe deke that when the does saw it they didn't run away. They may stand and stare or even blow at it but they are out of here.

Headhunter...What kind of deke are you using and you have better luck with it mornings or evenings? I tried a couple of those tail wagers but they didn't last long and made a clicking sound.

Flambeau with tail wagger. No clicking noise with mine. I believe it is a non alkaline battery, don't remember.

Time of day doesn't matter, main thing is the deer seeing it, amazing how when I put one out and I believe a deer can see it easily for sure but they will manage to come out where they don't see it. about half of the time for me, when they do see it, they just look at it and seem to be "oh another deer" and keep on doing whatever. When a doe gets upset at it though and tries to intimidate the decoy, it is entertaining.

 

[Mike Belt]

If the deer don't or can't see the deke there's not much point in using one.

A couple of years back we set a deke up inside a stand of pines he hunted where he was seeing a bunch of deer but couldn't get a shot at them. We ran a cable between trees and hooked the deke up to it so that it could be moved along between those trees with a pull cord run up into his stand. We thought that movement might trigger the deer to come in closer. He had a couple of bucks posture around it but it didn't net the results we'd hoped for. I still think it'd work but we abandoned that idea.

 

[dgolden]

I used at doe decoy one time and killed a good buck. I had does and a small 4 point walk all around it for 30-45 minutes. The does were mad and kept stomping their feet at it. Right at dark and good 7 point came out of the woods and walked right up behind it.
Unfortunately, I have not hunted with one since because the decoy was stolen out of my truck the next day.