Montana or slip system?
Elk
For those of you who use a decoy what do you prefer? And Why?
Have you looked at the Poison Arrow decoys? It is on a shaft that snaps on your quiver so always ready to deploy in a flash. Plus unlike the Montana you don't have to spike it down or tie off to a tree. it moves with you. Pretty nice.
I use Montana, Slip System, Heads Up, and my own elk hat my wife made. All have their place. The thing about the Slip System is that it's big enough that you can walk behind it to move in and around the elk, and very good for a solo hunter. It's a great hiking staff until you need the decoy or blind deployed. You can shoot from behind it. And excellent for those afternoon downpours when you're in the woods.
Heads Up and the elk hat are great because you can move them around and mimic a feeding and alert cow. You can also move in and around with the Heads Up, but it doesn't give you the coverage of a Slip System. shoot trad so I can't use the bow mount but friends have had good luck shooting with it right on their compounds.
Montana is good in some situations, but best if there are two guys, one working the decoy and the other positioned as the shooter. Flashing a Montana butt can be very effective. I have a string on the top of mine so I can hang it from a tree branch as a static decoy and move a bit downwind to set up. But if there's a breeze you need to stake it, which takes time and isn't quite as portable as the other two.
They all are good tools.
I use my Montanas a lot. Typically solo I use only one and I have walked in close to herds successfully with it but you can't just walk, you have to meander.
If I'm calling for guys I sometimes use all 3 at once- deadly.
Like anything, these decoys have a learning curve. I hear guys saying they don't work and scratch my head. It could be they are moving or figit-ing. In high pressure areas, the elk- many times silent- will spot you a long ways off in the timber and just study the situation. If they see a hunter moving-busted- they won't come in.
I've been calling for rookie guys with my binos up and spotted elk through the timber staring- and they caught movement of my buddy and then take off, you have to be stealthy.Its funny though, once they are in close, they are sometimes hard to spook as they are convinced of the decoys safe zone. You never even see most of these elk without using binos as they are just a tiny sliver.
The Slip-System is about the best of all worlds....portable, big enough to decoy and still hide behind, spikes quickly into the ground and the camera/spotting scope mount is just another plus...and it is not just a one animal decoy...slip covers come for turkey, antelope, deer, and elk...and the Moo Cow slip cover can be used on them all !! There is really nothing not to like !!
Joe
I use clothes pins on paracord and tie my Montana between trees to where it's resting and the wind won't effect it much.
Heads up decoy is my pick for decoys
I used my Montana Decoy last year. I set it up on the edge of a logging road in a small meadow. I swore I heard a bark. No elk came into it. I haven't given up on it yet.
