decoying?

Just looking for ideas. I got 3 blinds set up overlooking cut cornfields for the muzzle season. Was wanting to employ the decoy and wandering what to use doe or buck to hopefully lure some deer out. If nothing else if I use it I can always say I saw one deer on each set. That’s the way my gun season has been just like so many others, but hey they say there are so many deer all ya have to do is scout but it’s pretty hard to scout at night. Maybe the state will let us use spotlights as one of their new ways to manage this huge deer herd that they say we have. Man I can’t wait to have a hunting season last year round (NOT)but I’m sure that has been on their list of ideas. Maybe if we do that we can push all the deer to another state and we won’t have to worry about the deer herd then we can just watch the wolves prey on dogs and cats etc. Sorry my decoy ? got onto another subject.

I use a doe during and inbetween ruts Can’t say I have had great results, but it does keep it exciting, especially on your first few sits…. you kind of forget it’s there and then you see it and your heart skips for just a nano second…

This past weekend I seen a buck shot over two decoys the hunter had limited success with a lone buck decoy so added a doe decoy and has had great success. His setup was, buck decoy rubbing a tree in front of doe decoy(showing her he’s got what it takes). The buck he shot came in on a string (ears back) to get his doe back.
Awesome looking setup, to see it work was even better.

Using deer decoys after the post rut can work but also can be very frustrating. I’ve had poor results. Most bucks are not looking for a fight at this time, therefore a lone doe decoy with scent may work best. However, during the late season, I would recommend that you concentrate hunting over the food sources instead.

I have tried my lone doe decoy 3 times since MN gun season close and all 3 were negative. Twice the does came into the crp and bolted and once a 1.5 yr old buck stuck his head through the pines, noticed the decoy and tore out like he just saw a ghost. My decoys have since been stored under the pines. I have not tried the doe/buck combo. Just afraid to set them up again. The 2 weeks prior to gun season I was amazed all of my experiences this year were positive with a buck decoy. Lots of bucks, does and fawns came into range to check it out. Just no shooters (story of my life)The deers reactions never get old, when they’re positive of course.

One thing not mentioned is safety with using a decoy.

With everyone not seeing deer they might not be thinking straight when they see one (decoy)

I would be as nervous a cat in a rocking chair factory if I was hunting with a decoy, even smokepoles can shoot 200yds now days.

Great point. Never hurts to have a blaze orange bag or the like to carry a decoy in.

My decoy came with a blaze orange bag…. I have also seen where a decoy had a blaze orange neck warmer on it… to keep the roadies from cracking at it….

Also just a reminder here in MN the Muzzle Loader season is going on, so the usual Blaze Orange requirements are in effect for another week and a half or so. Check your state’s regulations on the blaze orange requirements.

if i buy a decoy, I’m going to paint a target on it. road hunters will be like, “damn you see that deer out there… looks like it has a target on it” hahahaha

I used one in SD the 1st weekend in Nov. It definitely had the positive affect I had hoped. The deer were focused on it, not me.