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Decoying deer

So I’m curious as to the reactions you have seen calling, rattling or decoying deer- talking rut but if its something different please note.

The Sitka blacktails, muleys, Whitetails and Coues I’ve seen pretty much come straight in to rattling and calling. They do not circle and scent check like elk sometimes do.

I’ve only used a decoy for deer sparingly…and same thing…they either ignore it..or come straight in.

Your experience?

My experience is that I’ll always setup for the wind to be in my favor for an animal to approach my calling from the direction I’m figuring they’d come in from. Decoy use, same, setup so wind is in my favor so when they investigate the decoy it presents me a shot without being winded.

Calling to WT they come right to the sound from what I’ve seen. Sometimes I will make sure they get upwind of me before I grunt at them to ensure they stay that way. This year I did just that.

Decoys, all the big bucks I’ve killed over decoys or not killed have swung wide. It’s gotten to the point when setting a decoy I want to be straight downwind of it, and if possible, have brush something behind me to keep them from swinging too far down wind and picking me. Young bucks don’t care. I’m they come.

My brother uses a decoy in Iowa with good success. I've used his decoy in Iowa and had both bucks and does come to it.

In Ohio however, I have had zero luck. My decoy freaks every doe out that comes across it (posted as buck). I've only had 1 buck, a nice 8-point, that has encountered it, he saw it coming out of the woods into a little food plot, stopped at 20 yards, started posturing and pawing the ground and then took the hell off like a bat out of hell. I was so distraught over that, I haven't used the decoy since.

Yes, I sprayed the decoy with anti-scent stuff and yes it was upwind of me. I'm not sure if I just have a bad decoy or bad decoy juju.

Good advice above. I'm guessing there are upwards of 50 threads here, on decoying, you could also search.

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