constant action with the decoy this evening

[longbow joe]

[/URL] lost yesterday because of the rain this is the 3rd buck the decoy brought in today n there gettin bigger got an hour n a half left looks like a good nite. Looks like the ruts crankin up. Good luck everyone be safe. Lbj

[TheBig1]

That's great to hear Joe. Good luck Brother.

[xcaliber]

Good Luck, promising news there!

[j.krug]

Looks like it's working pretty good. You are a patient one...I'd a pulled the trigger on that one in a heartbeat!

[longbow joe]

Yea im getting patient in my old age. My state only gives one buck tag so im pretty fussy ill ride this thing into winter bow if i have to. I got doe meat im good.nothings worse than sitting home with a small rack when its peak times lol. In this modern age i got cameras n hes got older bigger friends to wait for. Im getting to the point were i would rather stick a big coyote than a ten pointer anyway

[Drew]

I picked up a Montana decoy last night at Gander Mtn and will be trying it today in a couple of hours. Very curious as to how this works out. I may even stay at ground level just to be closer to the action.

[xcaliber]

Hope you have good luck Drew.

[amythntr]

I picked up a Montana decoy last night at Gander Mtn and will be trying it today in a couple of hours. Very curious as to how this works out. I may even stay at ground level just to be closer to the action.

...i'd be curious what you think about it Drew...does not seem to get that favorable reviews...complaints as to the materials used, improper sewing, material does not stay tight and it broke after the third time using were just a few...be interested in thoughts coming from an engineer!

Anthony

[longbow joe]

Oh .......its far from perfect workmanship but it beats draggin a big plastic buck a couple hundred yards.by the time the great horned wonder comes in to see the inspecter #7 sticker & made in china sticker its got a spitfire max givin him some venalation. Lolololololol

[xcaliber]

Oh .......its far from perfect workmanship but it beats draggin a big plastic buck a couple hundred yards.by the time the great horned wonder comes in to see the inspecter #7 sticker & made in china sticker its got a spitfire max givin him some venalation. Lolololololol

Yep, they are "Disposable" sort of. The one warning i give is this. There are small sewn in sleeves for the rods to go thru. They are a Biach to find in the dark with a small flash light, so practice! Setup is quick, and carrying them is a snap! Two decoys over your shoulder, priceless!
[URL=http://s1339.photobucket.com/user/xcali ... i.jpg.html]

[Pickwick]

Looks fun!!

[Hester0305]

Good Luck Joe I hope you get one of those big one's your looking for

[rein1]

I have a flambeau decoy you can use as a doe or buck, I have tried it several times the past 3 yrs or so but never had a deer check it out . Last night behind my house I set it up as a doe hoping to attract something . Even the deer I see every night wouldn't come up they all stayed way back in the field .. I know some people have great luck myself not yet at least

[Drew]

Ok so I picked up one of these last night as I mentioned. It's called the Estrous Betty by Moontana Decoys. Got to admit I was pretty dubious about dropping $90 for it but they were out of the $70 one (which is still a lot of cash especially when you see what it is). So basically this is a fiberglass spring frame with a photorealistic doe screen printed onto it. So 2D, not a 3D decoy. But, the colors look good. The one I have is larger than the $70 version and it's in a "peeing" pose.
So I took it out and it took me maybe 5-6min to assembly...and that's without having done it before. I tied by drag line and wick to the tail with some Golden Estrous on it and I was set.

Long story short, just about sundown my buddy hunting across the field txts me that a deer is heading toward me. Sure enough a buck is bee-lining straight toward me and the decoy across 400yds of mown hayfield. I hit the estrous doe can call and the buck starts trotting. Now I had this decoy 34yds upwind of me figuring the buck would swing around downwind of it between us and give me a nice 20yd shot. Buck got within 5yds and all was fine until he walked in front of it and being 2D it disappeared on him (edge on). He didn't like that one bit, he wheeled and bolted 10yds and started snorting then moved on further into the tree-line and proceeded to snort at me as I hit that bleat can. He ended up working his way around my location never coming back on the field but he stayed in the area for quite a while circling around.

All in all I couldn't believe it, it was pretty impressive actually. It did it's job, brought a buck in and gave me time to get my sights on him and I could have taken the shot easily. He was a good 2.5-3.5yr old 8pt that is going to be a great deer in a year or two (tall rack but narrow rack).

Craftsmanship is a little suspect, and for $90 I would expect a bit better but it worked without a doubt. I plan on opening it up and leaving it outside in my shrubs to descent it and get some of the wrinkles out. And as mentioned it would be hard to do this in the dark as the rod guides are small. The stakes are bungeed so they snap open which is nice and they seem durable enough. I do worry about losing one as you walk in and out though. There are three poles to keep it's shape and stand it up and they are black so it pays to secure them in your pack somehow.

OveralI I believe for the next 2-3wks it will work pretty well but I'm hesitant to use it too much or 2x at the same location. Random locations seem best because the bucks will figure it out given enough time. But as I said, it brought him in and kept his attention off me. I had no problem bringing my bow up, and using one hand to check him out with binocs without getting busted. Bucks will only be getting dumber over the next few wks so I can totally see them falling for this again.

For the money if I get 2-3 seasons out of it it's worth it. IF I bag a large buck because of it it's worth it. Just seeing deer being deer during the rut up close is worth it to me. And we probably spend more on scent killer in the course of 2-3 seasons

You know I just had a thought. Even if the seems rip or you loose the legs this thing is a perfect start to better decoy. You could easily cut out a doe form from Masonite or 1/4" plywood and stretch this fabric over it to give you a more rigid decoy without wrinkles. Hmmmm, I see some potential modifications in the future. I just can't leave things alone

[xcaliber]

I wish i could have seen you when that buck actually responded to the decoy!
Good times Drew!