What number of occasions have you ever been in a treestand, seen a shooter buck within the distance and thought, “man, I hope that deer comes my means?” If the reply isn’t, you’re a dang liar. All of us have been in that situation. And in case you are a brand new deer hunter, you quickly will likely be. The buck you’ve been watching on path cams for months steps out of the timber with a gaggle of does and there’s no approach to carry him into bow vary. Or, hell, a booner you might have by no means set eyes on all of the sudden reveals up within the area and stays out in the course of the reduce corn, feeding, after which disappears into the woods perpetually.
What for those who may have extra management of conditions like these? Heck, have a combating probability? With a buck decoy, you’ll be able to. It’s only a matter of know-how and when to make use of one (don’t apply it to public land or throughout rifle season). Josh Tatum, a Kansas hunter and cameraman, and Michael Hunsucker of Heartland Bowhunter have been using decoys for years with success. Whether or not you might be capturing cull bucks or focusing on a monster whitetail, the following tips can carry extra deer into your stand.
The Proper Strategy to Set a Decoy
Tatum has been looking the Flint Hills of Kansas his entire life. It’s a distinctive mixture of wide-open areas, timber stands and river bottoms. You possibly can have sufficient open nation to observe a deer stroll a mile at some point and be sitting in an oak tree the following within the thickest thicket. A deer decoy can work in each situations.
“One among my finest setups is to set a treestand the place a buck can’t get behind me,” Tatum mentioned. “I’ll set the decoy dealing with me about 20 yards away with the wind blowing in my face.”
In a perfect situation, Tatum will hit the buck with a snort-wheeze name (no grunts except it’s early within the season). It lets the buck know “hey, there may be one other stud deer round right here and you might be infringing on my territory.” The secret’s to make the decoy seen, so your goal deer sees it and needs to brawl. And if it doesn’t work the primary few tries, don’t surrender. Typically a buck isn’t going to love the decoy, however when one does, the expertise will likely be like no different hunt you might have ever had.
“Outdated bucks are good,” Tatum mentioned. “In case you name at them and so they can’t see one other buck, they know one thing is up. I’ve used a decoy, known as to a buck and watched him come all the best way to me from 800 yards, bristled up and stiff-legged.”
Try this video from The Looking Public of Matt (Tatum’s brother) and his spouse Sheila Tatum capturing a Kansas buck that’s locked in to a decoy.
Looking the Proper Time of 12 months is Important
In Southeast Kansas, one of the best time to make use of a decoy is from Halloween to the center of November. That time-frame goes to be completely different relying on the place you hunt, however consider it this manner: If bucks are in search of a combat (i.e. excessive testosterone), that’s when a decoy goes to be only.
Additionally, some hunters will draw back from utilizing a decoy as soon as they see bucks begin locking on to does, considering they’re content material and never concerned about a confrontation. That may be a mistake, based on Tatum.
“While you see a buck bedding down with does and one other buck comes round, what does the dominant buck do? He runs off that younger deer,” Tatum says.
The key to creating a decoy work on this occasion is getting inside a buck’s “bubble.” A decoy gained’t work for those who’re a half-mile away from an enormous buck with does, however for those who can sneak into 100 yards, it’s recreation on.
“And also you don’t must be within the tallest tree to kill an enormous deer,” Tatum says. “They’re so targeted on that decoy, you will be 5 ft off the bottom and kill a mature buck, so a decoy offers you extra choices when there isn’t a lot cowl.”
Decoys will Kill Administration Bucks
Many hunters that already use a decoy assume they should make it look much less dominant so the decoy doesn’t scare off a shooter buck. Nothing may very well be farther from the reality. Positive, in case you are focusing on does to fill the freezer filled with venison, a decoy isn’t any bueno. It’s been confirmed, does largely don’t like sideling as much as a plastic buck. However immature deer don’t appear to thoughts them. Curious, they’re simply as prone to inquire.
“It’s simply not true,” Tatum mentioned of youthful deer being scared off by a buck decoy. “I’ve seen guys take one of many antlers off to make it right into a spike, however I don’t assume it issues. There have been spikes and forks which have come straight into the decoy whereas I’ve been looking,”
Begin Outdoors and Work Your Method In
When Hunsucker is looking a brand new property, it’s a possibility to make use of a decoy, given the fitting time of yr. Motive being, is he’s undecided how deer are touring within the space and doesn’t need to stroll into the center of the woods and blow out massive bucks. So, he works from the surface in.
“After I first begin looking a spot I’m not acquainted with, I’ll keep on the surface and put a decoy out, so simply in case an enormous buck walks by, I can name at him and he can see that decoy,” Hunsucker mentioned. “Try to arrange on a fenceline or a drop off (a ditch or gulley) behind you in order that buck can’t circle downwind.”
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He will get {that a} decoy is heavy and typically a ache to get into sure areas, but when bucks are skirting you, a decoy is a brilliant approach to get their consideration. And there’s nothing that claims you’ll be able to’t drive the decoy in on an electrical buggy or truck, or a minimum of get it nearer to the stand so that you don’t must stroll all of it the best way in. There are a bevy of various deer carts on the market too you might use to wheel the decoy in.
“I can keep in mind after we first obtained began filming hunts and used a decoy for the primary time,” Hunsucker mentioned. “Shawn (Luchtel) was within the stand and the decoy introduced this youthful eight-point throughout a area all bristled up; it was an adrenaline rush. He whispered ‘ought to I shoot this deer?’ and I mentioned, ‘heck yeah, smoke him.’ That’s what looking is all about: capturing what makes you cheerful and what will get you excited. It was certainly one of our favourite hunts we had ever skilled.”
Judging Deer that Fall For Your Decoy
One of many difficulties it’s possible you’ll encounter is judging the scale of a deer coming to a decoy. When a buck makes a beeline in your decoy, he’s going to “puff or bristle” up and that may make him look larger bodied than he truly is. In case you are desirous to shoot a buck of a sure age, it is advisable to take that under consideration.
“I used to be in Iowa and this buck got here into the decoy all bristled up and was in all probability a 150-inch deer,” Hunsucker mentioned. “His physique regarded large, but it surely was simply onerous to say with him bristled up. He was so riled, he blew up the decoy, after which when he settled down, you might see that he was in all probability only a three-year-old.”
Hunsucker at all times locations the decoy dealing with and quartering to him. Bucks will nearly at all times come to the entrance of the decoy, and that provides you a greater probability to take a broadside or quartering away shot on the deer.
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He additionally makes use of scent elimination spray (however not attractants) on his decoy, or if he has shot a deer already that season, the scent from tarsal glands (discovered on the hind legs of deer) can be utilized.
“I don’t know for those who turkey hunt a lot, but it surely’s the identical idea,” Hunsucker mentioned. “Identical to you’d face a turkey decoy away from approaching gobblers, I like to do this with the buck decoy too. They’re mad as a result of that decoy is turned away and so they need to be seen, so they arrive proper to the entrance of it.”