Deer Decoy??? Thinking about trying one this fall.

[Gunlawyer]

I am thinking about trying a deer decoy out this fall and a quick Google search indicates they are legal to use here in Maryland. I like that there is the potential to watch a buck behave aggressively up close and personal. Anyone use one before?

This is the one I am considering as it looks the most realistic of the various options:

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunt...owse.cmd?N=1100084&WTz_l=Unknown;cat104213880

Any suggestions?

If I do get a decoy, I will check back in later in the season and advise how it went one way or the other.

 

[outrider58]

That one's a bit pricey but realistic looking as hell. Only thing I'd worry about is he's kinda big as in mature looking. I like a younger looking decoy and I usually pull one of the antlers off(who don't like easy pickins?). If you have some big bruisers running around your place, he might be just the thing to keep all the dinks from harassing your dec.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

BassPro has an inflatable decoy deer called "Miss November". I laugh about it every time I think about it or see it in the store. The only thing miss-ing on the box are bucks say: I'd hit that.

 

[Melnic]

private hunting land I presume?

 

[Inigoes]

 

[Gunlawyer]

private hunting land I presume?

Yep, I just play on the tiny 5 acre parcel out the back door.

 

[Archeryrob]

Just buy some corn.

 

[Sewer Rat]

Just buy some corn.

This

 

[Gunlawyer]

Just buy some corn.

Your heart is in the right place but...

In fact I have a Boss Buck 350# feeder in the woods out back spewing corn daily to supplement the forage.

As we all know however, you very very rarely find mature bucks chowing down on corn in daylight along with the does, yearlings, and babies. Especially in a high pressure area like what we have in Frederick County. Unless it is the rut and bucks are following does of course. Saw that once in TX.

Corn is a great way to watch small/young/uneducated deer but these are not the deer I am interested in shooting. Don't need corn to drop those kinds of deer.

In any case, I decided to order that decoy. Will take some pics when it arrives and will update what happens later in the season. I expect mid november to mid December especially should be some serious fun with that decoy. Will advise.

 

[outrider58]

Your heart is in the right place but...

In fact I have a Boss Buck 350# feeder in the woods out back spewing corn daily to supplement the forage.

As we all know however, you very very rarely find mature bucks chowing down on corn in daylight along with the does, yearlings, and babies. Especially in a high pressure area like what we have in Frederick County. Unless it is the rut and bucks are following does of course. Saw that once in TX.

Corn is a great way to watch small/young/uneducated deer but these are not the deer I am interested in shooting. Don't need corn to drop those kinds of deer.

In any case, I decided to order that decoy. Will take some pics when it arrives and will update what happens later in the season. I expect mid november to mid December especially should be some serious fun with that decoy. Will advise.

Can't wait!

 

[Striper69]

That one's a bit pricey but realistic looking as hell. Only thing I'd worry about is he's kinda big as in mature looking. I like a younger looking decoy and I usually pull one of the antlers off(who don't like easy pickins?). If you have some big bruisers running around your place, he might be just the thing to keep all the dinks from harassing your dec.

There was a guy on tv last night doing just that.

 

[Gunlawyer]

That one's a bit pricey but realistic looking as hell. Only thing I'd worry about is he's kinda big as in mature looking. I like a younger looking decoy and I usually pull one of the antlers off(who don't like easy pickins?). If you have some big bruisers running around your place, he might be just the thing to keep all the dinks from harassing your dec.

That is good advice and something to think about. For now though I think I will leave his antlers as they are in the hopes that he scares away everything but the BIG boys.

We have a metric ton of small bucks around my place. Spikes and forks and 6s and small 8s simply everywhere, a decent amount of nice "shooter" racks (stuff like the decoy), and then there are a few real beasts. There is no QDM out here. Just lots and lots of little parcels of private land where the deer get pounded each season, from spikes on up. Not much use in passing on stuff hoping to see it bigger next fall. I just won't work out here with all the small pieces of land and the wandering herds. Lots of folks out here subscribe to the "buck or doe, down they go" or "if its brown, it goes down" theory of being selective. Which is not selective at all. Anyway, a bit off topic...

At this point I am interested pretty much only in the bigger stuff as I have stacks and stacks of antlered "average/usual" deer skulls so I am hoping that the decoy will scare away everything except stuff that will make my heart really pound hard when it walks in to smash the decoy. We will see. Ordered some of those long PVC trapper gloves to handle the thing with.

 

[outrider58]

That is good advice and something to think about. For now though I think I will leave his antlers as they are in the hopes that he scares away everything but the BIG boys.

We have a metric ton of small bucks around my place. Spikes and forks and 6s and small 8s simply everywhere, a decent amount of nice "shooter" racks (stuff like the decoy), and then there are a few real beasts. There is no QDM out here. Just lots and lots of little parcels of private land where the deer get pounded each season, from spikes on up. Not much use in passing on stuff hoping to see it bigger next fall. I just won't work out here with all the small pieces of land and the wandering herds. Lots of folks out here subscribe to the "buck or doe, down they go" or "if its brown, it goes down" theory of being selective. Which is not selective at all. Anyway, a bit off topic...

At this point I am interested pretty much only in the bigger stuff as I have stacks and stacks of antlered "average/usual" deer skulls so I am hoping that the decoy will scare away everything except stuff that will make my heart really pound hard when it walks in to smash the decoy. We will see. Ordered some of those long PVC trapper gloves to handle the thing with.

Sounds like a good plan. Good luck this season.

 

[MigraineMan]

Would you paint a realistic decoy blaze orange to avoid undocumented hunters taking a plink while you are in process of transporting said decoy? or does it break down into a pack for portage?

 

[outrider58]

Would you paint a realistic decoy blaze orange to avoid undocumented hunters taking a plink while you are in process of transporting said decoy? or does it break down into a pack for portage?

Mine came with a blaze orange nylon tote.

 

[itsslow98]

Your heart is in the right place but...

In fact I have a Boss Buck 350# feeder in the woods out back spewing corn daily to supplement the forage.

As we all know however, you very very rarely find mature bucks chowing down on corn in daylight along with the does, yearlings, and babies. Especially in a high pressure area like what we have in Frederick County. Unless it is the rut and bucks are following does of course. Saw that once in TX.

Corn is a great way to watch small/young/uneducated deer but these are not the deer I am interested in shooting. Don't need corn to drop those kinds of deer.

In any case, I decided to order that decoy. Will take some pics when it arrives and will update what happens later in the season. I expect mid november to mid December especially should be some serious fun with that decoy. Will advise.

That's the point in the rut. Where there are does there will be bucks around. Nothing beats a live decoy. Buy some corn....wait for does to come...then wait for the buck to walk by looking for a lady friend.

 

[outrider58]

Either a buck decoy or a live doe but not both. You don't want live does around when you decoy. They will ruin the set. They get weirded out by them and the last thing you want while trying to decoy a mature buck is a weirded out doe on the scene. Trust me. I've seen it happen more than once.