School me on deer decoys

[Nomad]

Ok a friend moving out of state ,gave me a large buck decoy ,I’m intrigued, but have little idea as in there use . From the little reading I’ve done , many say use them in the rut . But here’s the thing in early bow, I watch nice bucks at first light walk the yellow line into the thick stuff , I have stands at the two red X’s . My thought is to put the decoy at the black dot ,to draw them off the yellow line to me . 
 

Would that work in October? Which way should they face to have them pass by me ? I’m thinking of being in the red x on the East side .

Thank you .

[Jeremy K]

Put it 40 yards in front of you .

[G-Man]

PesonallyI'd move stand to 20 yards from yellow line.....having said that

Ive seen more huck spook from a buck decoy so I removed antlers,

Have had luck with doe decoys out in field and it's all dependant on wind direction.  Upwind 40 yards from you, and attach a white rag or tissue paper to ass. For movement. I like it 1/4ing away as doe will approach head on and bucks will circle down wind and from.rear. 

Do not put scent on decoy. I use an wick on an. Old arrow under it about 18 in off ground. When done for day remove and seal up.scent dispenser and I stash decoy under a tarp or bush by stand.  

Taco got his big 10 with bow using this method in a hurricane force wind while bowhunting in snow. At my place . Buck wouldnt leave and kept.coming back in till it offered him a shot in a shooting lane.

Have had much more success with doe decoy over a buck decoy

[Nomad]

38 minutes ago, G-Man said:

PesonallyI'd move stand to 20 yards from yellow line.....having said that

Oh I’ve tried that . There’s next to no usable trees along that edge , and from the crops ( beans this year )  , into thicket, there’s very tall weeds for like ten yards . If I could use a stand it would be a hard front quartering  shot at them in the beans , once they hit the “ weeds” and the thicket there’s few if any shot openings . Ah if I used the decoy there I may get a broadside shot as they circle it in the beans .... I’ll have to scout for one usable tree there next week .

[LET EM GROW]

It should work in October when the rut nears and bucks are showing dominance.. I've Never Had good luck at luring in mature bucks.. If it were me, Id find a better setup near your yellow line if your sure they travel that path routinely .. Make sure wind is in your favor and you can enter and exit without being detected.. OR you wait for the absolute perfect day to go in and slam dunk one.. not worry about disturbing the area afterwards..   

If no tres are available, Id try a ground blind setup either a natural build or brushed in ground blind.. 

If you do use the decoy point the bucks nose in the direction you anticipate a shot.. as if a buck nears for a fight or stare down, it should do so in front of the decoy somewhere..

[nybuckboy]

I’d try to use a tree as close as possible to the entry of The thick area. Try using this the second half of the month October. Don’t go in earlier than this.   Use some doe pee with just a touch of estrus (like a drop or two) when you have a north wind. Set up the wick out in front of your stand about 30 yds but past you a bit so he has to walk past you. Get in extra early. No decoy. 

Edited July 31, 2020 by nybuckboy

[grampy]

A brushed in ground or hub blind, set up just inside the thick stuff, with a wind advantage, would make for a close shot, to where the deer want to go on their own. I always find that letting the deer go where THEY want to go, is better than trying to DRAW them to a spot, you WANT them to go.

We never had much success with decoys, and did give them a fair try a few years ago. And doe decoys did seem to work a bit better than buck decoys. As the buck decoys always seemed to spook deer. And if they didn't spook, the deer just ignored the decoy completely. I know using decoys works great for other hunters in other places. But not so much for us on our hunting land. But it was worth a try!

[Nomad]

Thanks for the advise and thoughts ,guys . It’s generally far to thick at the  edge or just inside for any kind of shot . The transition area crops to thicket may provide a shot opportunity. I don’t go inside the thicket if I can help it, especially from that side as the wind is generally blowing in to it .

They walk that yellow line as its a drainage ,and is perhaps a foot to a foot and a half lower then the ground around it .

Ive hunted there well over 30 years , once the beans are cut they still,pick through the field for beans but no longer do the big bucks cross it . When it’s corn well you can’t see ‘. Em 

NYbuckboy, that’s an interesting idea .

My style is I just hunt, no special soaps or detergents, scentblocker clothes , I shower at night with Irish Spring to save time in the morning lol , don’t use scents . I do carry a grunt tube and a few times a rattle bag .

[G-Man]

Dig a pit blind , pop up brushed in on edge set it now, tripod with blind... lots of options.. we tend to be visual if you can over come the not seeing part short close range shots become the norm. 

  it's best to be in a spot where you might get deer you see ,than to see  deer that you might get. 

[Jeremy K]

If it's as thick as you say then just cut a spot for you to sit in the brush and wear some leafy camo. 

[BizCT]

If it's as thick as you say then just cut a spot for you to sit in the brush and wear some leafy camo. 

 

Plus 1. Thick is great. Get in there with a little chair with just enough room to draw your bow. Pic is for reference but you can get a tiny 3 leg chair in there I bet.

 

 

 

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[Nomad]

3 hours ago, G-Man said:

Dig a pit blind , pop up brushed in on edge set it now, tripod with blind... lots of options.. we tend to be visual if you can over come the not seeing part short close range shots become the norm. 

  it's best to be in a spot where you might get deer you see ,than to see  deer that you might get. 

pit blind is intriguing, but I’m far to lazy for that , I don’t even want to lug the plastic deer out there  ! I do next to no “ work “ on the land , don’t even scout . My kill shots now  are all under 20 yards ,and 10 is normal for me , up close is the only way I bow hunt .

I may try to set up in the hedgerow where they enter the field ,have a broadside shot as they cross it . Give that one or two try’s, then just hop in my normal stands .

[dbHunterNY]

I actually dont like the idea of going in that tight to the yellow line. From what I remember picking it out with the treestand placement post a while back, it looked like a swale. Getting in that tight with a swale and edge like that might have shifty winds that have you busted before the buck comes from cover. If it was high spot/knoll the wind might be more predictable. I think give it a try in the inside corner. Just make sure its visible from the down in the swale. Also as said buck decoys from front 180 degrees. 2nd week in October I'd put it out. Use doe bleats and tending grunts. Use sprayed down rubber boots or waders to only leave rubber scent but run a scent drag with doe estrus and buck urine. Tarsal from a buddies younger buck even better.

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[dbHunterNY]

You could always rattle too. More boxes you check for sight, sound, and smell the better. Otherwise dont put out anything to tip the things off. Just be subtle enough to pull them in but keep them guessing.

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