I did not use decoys for most of my life. I have used them for a few years and now no longer use them.
Two facts:
The majority (as high as 85 %) of the young bucks (up to and including 1.5 years of age) are dispersed from their home territory. Most of this occurs at the 1.5 year mark pre rut and rut stages.
Big boys move outside their core area and travel many miles in search of hot does or hot does where their is less competition.
Results:
Those bucks staying on the home range know the does (neighbors).
Those bucks traveling due to the need for genetic dispersal as well as lower competiton (they need to get a little a_s also) don't know any does. These traveling bucks are the new kids on the block.
It is in this travelling buck category that I think gets the greatest success for using decoys works.
That my call from experience for what ever that is worth.
Ever used a decoy?
Moderator: Excalibur Marketing Dude
The second deer I killed with a vertical bow was with the aid of a 3-D target. I set it up about 20 steps in front of my stand. I was up about 20 feet and could just see the feet of a couple deer crossing through the woods about 100 yards away. It was fairly quiet in the woods so I grunted a couple times on a grunt call. Immediately the two deer turned and started feeding my direction.
It was two doe. A small one and a huge one. Both deer walked directly across from my right to left straight toward the target. When the big doe got about 10 steps from it (in range) I think she figured out something wasn't right. She turned to walk out past the target presenting a quartering away shot. I buried a 31" Easton 2413 in her lengthwise. It entered just in front of the left hind leg and stopped behind the right front shoulder. She went about 200 yards leaving little blood (High entrace, no exit) and plowed up.
I haven't used the decoy since, but my one time out with it was memorable. I'm more concerned about other hunters in the area when your hunting with a target. I'm not a big fan of turkey hunting for the same reason. Nothing like getting good and camo'd up and going to the woods to act like a target.
The once-a-year hunters scare me a bit to much to try it on public land. My one test was in a controlled environment.
DuckHunt
It was two doe. A small one and a huge one. Both deer walked directly across from my right to left straight toward the target. When the big doe got about 10 steps from it (in range) I think she figured out something wasn't right. She turned to walk out past the target presenting a quartering away shot. I buried a 31" Easton 2413 in her lengthwise. It entered just in front of the left hind leg and stopped behind the right front shoulder. She went about 200 yards leaving little blood (High entrace, no exit) and plowed up.
I haven't used the decoy since, but my one time out with it was memorable. I'm more concerned about other hunters in the area when your hunting with a target. I'm not a big fan of turkey hunting for the same reason. Nothing like getting good and camo'd up and going to the woods to act like a target.
The once-a-year hunters scare me a bit to much to try it on public land. My one test was in a controlled environment.DuckHunt