BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

[bitmasher]

Maybe I'm "old school", but when I hear decoy I think ducks and geese. That being said, I have been seeing more deer decoys for sale lately, usually in reference to whitetail hunting.

So who out there has used these deer decoys? Do they help attract deer or do they better serve for target practice???

[ This Message was edited by: bitmasher on 2002-10-02 22:23 ]

[ChesterGolf]

Where I live, if I ever tried to take a deer decoy to the field I'd be shot long before I ever got there. If I did get there the decoy would be shot on sight as well. Personally, I don't think deer decoys are needed for anything but archery practice.

[bitmasher]

Yeah that is a good point, I guess just carrying out the decoy to the designated spot in the full swing of the season is an occupational hazard. If it doesn't attract bucks, it is bound to attract near-sighted hunters!

Around here, every year you hear about so-and-so shooting a horse or a cow by accident. Sad but true...

[maineguide]

Here about the only thing that they use deer decoys for is to catch the pochers.
And they work great.

[Chuck]

I use a decoy, and they work too!
You drape a thin camo blind over it to take it in. Make SURE you put it at least 25 yards away. I usually hang an orange scent bottle on either side also, it keeps GOOD hunters from shooting anyhow LOL

I had a Doe and yearling approach, and the yearling ran RIGHT up to it, but the doe tried to get it to move. Of course it wouldn't, so she just stood and stomped at it, when I winged my arrow, it caught an unseen branch, and she took off!

BUT she did spend some time checking it out.

[ChesterGolf]

Using the camo or even an orange vest is a good idea to transport them. I think they would work for sure to get a deer in closer especially for bow hunting. If works for ducks, geese, turkeys, crows, etc. so it should work for deer.
Chuck, do you have a buck or a doe or is it one of the ones that have antlers that can be added?

[moderator]

I think decoys do work, although I can't speak from experience, I have read too much hunting info on using deer decoys for it all to be false.

What is amazing to me is that the decoys work at close range. Like Chuck said, the doe came right up to the decoy and didn't realize it was inanimate. This backs up similar stories I have heard about bucks even challenging decoys. Have also read about lion decoys even working.

A lot of animals, even when close up, can't seem to distinguish between plastic and real flesh/fur/feathers. Isn't that crazy??? :???:

Humans have little problem differiating between a manican and a real person at close range. Yet a mammal like a deer can't... strange...

[Chuck]

The reason some animals can't distinguish between real or inanimate, is because there eyesight isn't as well, and a lot of animals KNOW by instinct that it's easier to see a moving object, therefore they instinctively FREEZE (sometimes) when approached by an unwanted subject.

Yes my deer has removable antlers, and antlers should ONLY be used when you are trying to bag the BOSS of the neighborhood. Always use smaller antlers, because the curious deer that approaches won't be afraid to do it if it is a smaller deer. I tend to refrain from using the antlers, because I feel I might lose a chance at a nice deer, even if it isn't the biggest one in the area.

An older deer 2-3 years will actually be a bit shy to the decoy, as it is a little smarter. Like I was saying, this was proved by the yearling approaching the decoy, and the doe staying back trying to get a response from it.

Funny story, true? A guy told us in a forum last year that he had a buck come in and MOUNT his decoy, and when it fell over with him, he jumped up, and looked at the decoy oddly and walked away like he lost his best friend! That would have been hilarious!

I generally put a few drops of doe estrous urine on my decoy, but not too soon before rut season, this REALLY does spook deer, I had it happen. The deer came in, walked up, took a whiff of the old Tinks, and snorted all the way across the field!

Also, place your decoy facing away from the area of which you think the buck will enter. He tends to approach from the rear, and likes to come up on the doe from behind, like a sneak approach.

This is a few things I have read, or heard, and tend to feel that they are good ideas myself. Remember, YOU are the one who decides what you think will work, everybody else just gives you ideas! :wink:

[moderator]

Quote:
The reason some animals can't distinguish between real or inanimate, is because there eyesight isn't as well


Well I think it is probably more complicated than that. Most animals have sharper eyesight than humans. "Sharp" being the ability to pick out detail in a given image. However when it comes to self identification, it appears that most of this detail is not used by their visual cortex. I guess they must just have a "blurry" image of what they look like.

So, when compared to a human, animals probaly have better eye-balls feeding better image info to the brain, but the processing in the brain is more rudimentary. Either that or deer are just far-sighted... :smile:

I agree though, that the brain is better "wired" for picking up differences in an image (i.e. movement). I know I usually only pick something out when it moves than it does not.

That is pretty funny about the buck mounting the decoy. I guess sight isn't the only sense that they can't distinguish real from fake either? :wink:

[ This Message was edited by: moderator on 2002-10-10 12:30 ]

[nydeerhunter]

Do you think that putting a decoy out during the rut will better the chance of getting a buck?