Use of Decoys for Elk and Deer...

in 'em · 06-01-2006, 12:20 PM

...I'm assuming this is legal in Oregon, correct?
I've never used them, but have thought about it. I archery hunt in Western Oregon, so would consider them for Elk and Blacktails.
Do they work? Help? Is it "cheating"? Just curious if many use them and your thoughts on using them.
Thanks in advance.

Ni! · 06-01-2006, 12:29 PM

As long as they don't use battery powered motion, they're OK. I've got a Montana decoy that I've used a little bit for elk. The only time I had an elk come in and see the decoy, it spooked him. I'm not sure why, since it looks very realistic to me. It could have been the sun shining through it, since it was backlit.

He was coming in hard until he saw the deke, and then he put on the brakes and eventually moseyed off.

I've heard of others having success with decoys though, and it makes a lot of sense that they would work. Maybe I'll need to try it again.

Ni!

ehunter · 06-01-2006, 12:43 PM

We use a elk decoy and have had some luck although we missed.. :depressed:. We started using them about 2 years ago we have had a number of bulls hang up and we thought maybe we could get them in a little closer and calmer. Like all things in hunting the right situation the right elk at the right time it will work. Our problem is things seem to happen fast and we don't always get it set up in time. We have used it as shield and we crawled holding it out in front us to about 50 yards from a 5 point once that wasn;t bad as we started out about 100 yards from him in a wide open clear cut with no cover. He was out of our range but it did work. (picture a Indian in a wolf skin crawling up on Buff.

) Where we hunt we have some huge open cuts we are hoping to bring the bulls in closer where there is no cover. We had a bull almost literly step on us one after noon. We set the decoy up on wood line and fell asleep as the 6 point walked past my partner who was a sleeping he woke up as the bull was making a bee line to the decoy and he was 12 feet from him when he woke up. I think it will work in the right situation. We have 2 decoys we will use this year.

good luck

earlybird007 · 06-01-2006, 12:45 PM

I often wondered about the sense of standing behind an antelope decoy.....I wouldnt do that myself.

Too many long range shooters for my taste.

lentz · 06-01-2006, 02:05 PM

I've read a few articles about guys that will use them for cover when there is not much of it around. I personally know a few guys that use them but most of the time things happen way to fast and they don't get them set up in time. Must be a personal preference thing. I'm sure that if you used one and it worked then you would probably keep using it.

Duckwheat · 06-01-2006, 08:16 PM

Wow! I will let you carry it and sit by it. Some of the stupid stuff I have seen hunting, I would not want any part of it.

I use to use the horse and walk behind it, Like Jeremiah Johnson in the movie. Just make sure you have the horse tied short to a stout tree. Trust me a stout tree.

Duckwheat

cougfan · 06-02-2006, 07:50 AM

I had a friend set one up under a tree stand and someone came in and shot it. So I'm not so sure about carrying it around unless your in an area with very minimal pressure.

ehunter · 06-02-2006, 08:20 AM

Lets get this straight you guys had archery hunters shooting at a decoy???

First off you never set up behind a decoy but a archery hunter that can't tell a decoy from a real elk

That is one reason they should require bowhunters saftey. So guys can tell what a decoy looks like vs a real elk

I think it is a good tool and I will continue to use one...

PS we have 2 decoys one is foam and had no head and the other is a Montana decoy with a cow looking over her shoulder with no vitals showing.. :whazzup: She is also very round....and sets on sticks..

cougfan · 06-02-2006, 08:44 AM

That is correct. He set the decoy up on the ground 25 yards away from a tree stand and some moron comes up, takes a quick look, draws and shoots it. The part of the story I didn't mention is that this was in a heavily hunted unit in Washington where you wouldn't carry around a decoy unless you had a death wish. If I remember right it was a Montana Cow decoy.

ehunter · 06-02-2006, 09:01 AM

Wow!! I am sorry to hear that. I bet the guy who set up the decoy was shocked. Well I guess that goes to show that you must be prepared for any thing. :grin:

The cool thing about the montana decoy is that is a spring loaded pop up and it packs down farily small but your right I would not want to be carry it around fully set up.

switchback00 · 06-02-2006, 12:56 PM

Was it larry d. jones that shot your friends decoy?

cougfan · 06-02-2006, 03:04 PM

No, isn't larry d from Oregon?

Amahnee · 06-03-2006, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Was it larry d. jones that shot your friends decoy?

That's rude.

switchback00 · 06-03-2006, 12:19 PM

......but true though!

in 'em · 06-06-2006, 11:41 AM

well, did he hit it or miss it? seems to me if he hit it, he should have tagged it and took it home! fair chase!

and if he missed it, well, he's just a plain idiot for shootin' at a decoy!

switchback00 · 06-06-2006, 12:24 PM

oh he hit it alright!

cougfan · 06-06-2006, 12:46 PM

Yeah he hit it. Right in the lung. He scurried away pretty fast when my buddy asked him what the hell he was doing. Didn't even look for his bloodied arrow...

bajadan2000 · 06-06-2006, 02:21 PM

Tried an elk decoy for a couple of seasons off and on, 15 years ago. It was made on a mesh material with thick shag like yarn for contrast that looked very real. It was only 2 dimensional and rolled up nice and was safe for transport.
Never had an elk even get close to take a look. Started to think the extra scent was spooking the elk away. Took it down and had elk came in.

It went into the garbage.

ehunter · 06-06-2006, 03:44 PM

I think the perfect set is for a elk that is looking for a elk and is hanging up. I think the decoy will work enough to get him close enough to a shooter to get a decent calm shot. Of course in elk hunting it seems almost every hunt and elk is different in the past we have had elk especialy in easter oregon stop and look at 75 to 100 yards. I think it will work but it is not the catch all to bring in every elk. It is another tool in the bag.

GL2 · 06-06-2006, 10:31 PM

I"d say the best bet is to use it to try to bring in a Elk or Deer that is checking out a call you made. Set up the decoy down wind of the game or where you thnk the game is. Then hopefully the game will come into the decoy instead, of moving down wind of where they heard the call.
Some bulls will circle down wind of a cow call if they don't see a cow. If thier eyes don"t see what the ears hear then they get downwind to get a whiff. When they get downwind of you it's gameover.
I guess that's what seperates the dead ones from the live ones. It's sucks to hear them moving in dead up wind, & put the brakes on. Then hear them circle you. At that point, you can try a stalk to cut them off, or try to fall back and keep down wind. Low odds anyway you play it at that point. Or course I bow hunt so I need close.
Thats what the decoy is for in my book, keep them moving in up wind.
Fun though!

in 'em · 06-08-2006, 03:03 PM

Quote:

I think it will work but it is not the catch all to bring in every elk. It is another tool in the bag.

That quote pretty well sums it up...thanks to all...I think I'll try one out when the right set up presents itself. Good luck!

ehunter · 06-09-2006, 08:23 AM

Good luck let us know how or if it works this year..