Contributors to this thread:
What kind of decoys are you guys using and liking? Boss buck looks great but bulky. Scarface looks heavy with the metal poles. Any luck at all with Montana decoys on whitetail?
Never used one, but I’m interested.
I stick some of those reindeer Christmas antler on my head. When I catch the attention of a wandering buck, I grunt a few times and promptly make a scrape. "60% of the time, it works, every time" ...but usually the buck hangs up just out of bow range with a puzzled look on his face before running toward the nearest cover.
Sito can help you guys, a lot. He seldom hunts without one.
Follow his hunts on here.
I’ve used several kinds. All have worked and all have failed.
I have one of those Renzo cutout decoys. Absolutely love it. By far the easiest way for me to get on a mature buck during bow season. I started decoying with a full body unit but hated dragging it around. Switch to the cutout job and had just as good or maybe better luck with it. The biggest drawback is if it's windy. They don't handle wind well.
wonder if the Montanta is as good as the Renzo since I can't find a Renzo any longer
I've never tried a silhouette for WT Travis, but obviously they work in certain situations. The Boss is bulky, but my biggest complaint is that it can be noisy when setting up/disassembling. Have also used a full body target as a deke before and it worked well. No experience with Scarface but my buddy's Mike & Mark have them so maybe they'll chime in.
I like that I can turn the ears down on my Flambeau and give him a more "confrontational" look. Best decoy out there, imo, is the DSD...I just don't want to have to rob a bank to pay for a decoy ;?)
how do the deer react to your HUD Kyle?
It's been mixed on the HUD for sure Travis. I try to stick it in a spot that makes him look like he's behind a tree/bush/blowdown, but I'm rarely satisfied with the "look". I think it's a great tool for s-n-s hunting, but I rarely do that for WT. The images Garrett uses for his decoys are real pictures so that is a big plus, and they're lightweight and easy to pack in.
In certain situations, and set-up's, they are deadly...but to be honest I still prefer a full body for WT.
Thanks for the honest info Kyle.
All joking aside, I never had much luck with mine. Only thing I got to come in was little bucks, and when they smelled it, they ran off. Mine has been laying in my barn for about 9 years. Thought about using it to catch road hunters on my bean field.
Sito introduced me to the decoy hunting. Like anything else, sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. Last year it worked to perfection to bag my buck. I think best application is in combo with calling to bring in a distant buck. If you are on a great funnel or trail, probably not needed. Although it could get a cruising buck to slow down for ya.
Interested bucks generally try to get downwind of the deek to check it out. So the trick is setting up so the buck comes between you and the decoy, focused on the decoy, allowing for a draw and shot. I have the Scarface and don't consider it heavy. Just a bit noisy to set up like the others. I sometimes set it up at the truck and carry in if the situation warrants a quieter entry. It gets a little bit of movement from the neck/head design in the wind. I added a little tail wagger kit to add a little more realism this year. Will post results if it ever cools off enough for a hunt.
