Experience with Decoys

[RockyMountainHi]

What is everyone's experience with decoys?


I hate to lug them around allthe time and always debate about taking the time to set them up, but two of my kills would not have occurred without them, so for me, they were the difference on at least 2 occasions.  I have both the Montana Decoy and the Heads Up and it was the Heads Up on my bow that allowed me to get close enough to kill a spike while 13 cows watched me with no cover.

 

[doubledimond]

I am wanting to get a decoy.  Do you think the Heads Up is the best for the money.  I think it would have sealed the deal on a large bull last year that hung up.  What is your opinion?  Thanks

 

[buglelk]

RMHi,

I agree 100%....decoys usually got left behind since they were more hassle than they seemed to be worth. However, I love the Heads Up Decoy since I can strap it to my pack and grab it, ready to go, when I need it. Plus, being able to attach it to the front of the bow is great for those times you are hunting alone.

Decoys are a funny animal....sometimes they work like magic, other times they seem to have no effect...

http://www.elk101store.com/servlet/the-Elk-Decoys/Categories

 

[RockyMountainHi]

I am wanting to get a decoy.  Do you think the Heads Up is the best for the money.  I think it would have sealed the deal on a large bull last year that hung up.  What is your opinion?  Thanks

I'm with Corey that the Heads Up (get both the bow mount and the clamp for tree limbs) is the way to go.  You need to practice shooting with it on the bow as well (gets me some funny looks at the range).  Like I said, I have both Heads Up and Montana Decoy and the quality is present in both.  The Heads Up is easier to pack, easier to set up and lends itself better to my style of running and gunning.  However, the Montana Decoy pulled a 6 point from over 350 yards while he pushed a cow ahead of him.  Cow stopped 7 yards from decoy and about 15 yards from me and my buddy missed the bull at 25 yards.  His shot spooked the bull, but my calls and the decoy got him to stop at 25 yards from me, but it was a direct frontal shot that I passed on since he had me pegged at the base of the tree I was hiding in front of.  I have had them stop and stare at it and sometimes, completely ignore it, so it doesn't always draw them immediately into your set-up, but I haven't had it ever spook them away.

 

[MATT STRAW]

I have no experience with decoys but am planning on getting a heads up for next year. it seems to fit my style which is solo 90% of the time, partly from not having hunting partners in Colorado who archery hunt, or want to pack in, partly by choice. how often do you guys use the bow mount compared to tree mount. I like the versatility of having it on the bow in case you need to move

 

[COLOelkman]

My first experience with a Montana Decoy convinced me.  I arrived at a blind mid-morning (delayed by a herd of elk on the way) and set my bow and pack in the blind and went to set up the decoy about 20-30 yds away.  I was sitting on the ground behind the decoy pushing in the last stake and when I glanced up, a 5 pt bull had come out of the trees and was locked in at about 60 yds.  I thought I'd wait for him to look away so I could sneak back to my bow but he couldn't take his eyes off it and began to come in closer.  I had no choice but to lay on my back and try to slither back to my bow.  By the time I got back near my bow, he knew something was up and would look back and forth between the decoy and me and eventually he busted before I could get my hands on my bow.  So it was like instant elk!  I also had a small bear come right into the decoy this year and he was sure surprised.  My one "bad" experience this year with elk ......I had some bulls bugling and they were coming to my bugles.  My setup was not great as the decoy was between me and the elk.  When he got to the edge of the trees in the opening where I was, I could see that he saw the cow decoy but I think he was looking for where the bull was before he was going to come out in the open.  He decided not to come out without seeing what the competition was so I learned my lesson.
I now have 2 Montana Decoys and the one thing I do not like about them are the stakes are way too heavy (not sure if they now make a lighter pole).  I actually use two aluminum tent poles for one of them to save on weight and that is often the only one I carry due to bulk and weight.  I also connected a long string to the decoy this year to add some movement which looked really good.  I like the idea of the heads up decoy and would like to get one but there's a few other things I'm wanting first.  I have a buddy that doesn't bring the poles and has rigged it to hang from something which obviously limits where you can position it. 

 

[farmboy]

My partner and I closed the deal with 2 bulls this year using the heads up decoy.  In our opinion we wouldn't have got such close shots without it.

 

[RockyMountainHi]

I have no experience with decoys but am planning on getting a heads up for next year. it seems to fit my style which is solo 90% of the time, partly from not having hunting partners in Colorado who archery hunt, or want to pack in, partly by choice. how often do you guys use the bow mount compared to tree mount. I like the versatility of having it on the bow in case you need to move

I use the bow mount about 2/3 of the time and while the clamp set-up isn't ideal, it has a strong bite  and can be mounted on a limb.  Finding the "right" tree limb has been my challenge in some set-ups and that is where the Montana Decoy excels.  In a young pine tree, sometimes the decoy seems to get lost in the limbs and the clamp needs to go on a 1-2 inch limb.

 

[farmboy]

The heads up is great for the caller to use, especially in the thick stuff.  My partner's bull came in silent and hung up about 70 yds from me (only 35 or so from my partner) but was facing head on.  He saw the decoy and was totally fixed on it.  He was looking right past my partner who was set up in front of a willow bush.  The bull was very cautious but you could tell it was holding his attention.  As the bull moved slightly there was an instant where his view of the decoy was obstructed and I gently moved it so that it stuck out from behind the other side of the tree.  He saw that it changed directions and so did he.  He crossed my partner's face at about 20 yds and whack.  After the shot he wheeled around and began to run.  I switched the decoy's direction again and we both cow called.  He stopped and stared at it, blood running out the exit wound, and fell over.  I can't say that it wouldn't have happened the same way without the decoy present, but my gut says if we didn't use it on that set up then there would've been a head-on standoff and one can only hold at full draw so long. 

 

[Jason Stafford]

My hunting partner and I have had great success using the Heads Up decoy the last couple of seasons.

 

[Les Welch]

HUD or bust  ...In seriousness though, wait I was that serious. I won't go hunting without Heads Up Decoy in tow, plain and simple. I know its heavy and all, at 9 oz, but I'm willing to sacrifice to bring it!  ;D

 

[soulsld]

This is the first year i used a decoy for deer hunting in illinois i got the montana doe decoy its similar to the heads up but full body. super light to carry and i had deer come within 2 feet to check it out 4 times. im going elk hunting this year and will buy a heads up for sure i was always skeptical but i love it during the rut and once we get snow it will really standout in a field

 

[Niemo.Mt]

The only experience I have with a decoy and elk is a little story I'll tell you!

A couple of years ago, a buddy of mine was having some crappy luck!  The rest of us in camp were tagged out!  He was bummed because he hadn't even had a chance!  We all started feeling bad so we did some scouting for him!  The best sign we couldall find ended up being in the strangest place.  We hunt some BLM that is leased to some cattle companies.  On one of two track roads running through this big pasture, was a little pond!  Selling him on it was difficult because it was a couple hundred feet off the road but he finally caved because of the waller and traffic signs that were there.  He set up his Montana decoy!  Everything was going good until about a half hour before dark!  Of course, here comes a truck down the road!  They see the decoy and do a four tire lock up!  Than, after realizing their misfortune, get pissed and yell and scream!  My buddy gets even more pissed because he can hear them laughing as they drive away!  In the end though, my buddy gets the last laugh!  Even while he can still hear the truck going down the road away from him, he can see movement in the timber in front of the blind!  7 cows and a huge seven point bull come straight at him!  The elk do a quick once over and notice the decoy!  It is more or less 80 yards away perpendicular with where his blind is.  By now, he is pretty worked up!  Long story short, he is so worked up when he pulls his bow back he hits the top of his double bull blind!  He is about to cry when he gets to his anchor when he notices something amazing.  The closest cow is right in front of him about twenty yards away.  The bull reacts to the noise and gives him a perfect broadside shot at 40.  What was amazing is that every elk, even though they were within 40 yards of him and his blind were looking at the decoy that was almost 80 yards away to his right!  He grabbed his composure and punched through the bull!!  The bull ran about 40 yards and got sick and fell over with in sight!!!  The bull ended up score 367! 

 

[Theelkhunter]

A friend of mine does not pack the stakes. He sowed a thin piece of rope into the decoys(montana) back. Instead of sticking it in the ground, he leans it against a bush or hangs it from a limb. He said its way easier to deploy.

 

[MTbowhunter1984]

I haven't had the chance to hunt with the heads up decoy but they look great.  I have spent a lot of time hunting with the Montana Decoy.  I have had great success with elk.  in 2011 I had a bull see them from 140 yds and sprinted into 80 yds before slowly getting downwind and busting.  A couple of hours later I had 5 cows at 15 yds, and a 6 pt. behind them at 20, but couldn't get a shot.  It kept them calm and they just fed by.  This year my hunt happened to quick to think about  a decoy, and the Elk III and Ms. Sept. pulled a cow on a string to my brother for a 38 yd shot.  She was weary coming in at first, but when I began to call she calmed down and came right in.  I have also had success with the others in the line as well from predator, to antelope, and deer. 

 

[GoatT]

I have used my Montana Decoy a few times and it has worked great.  It helped to get them focused on the decoy rather than me.  The good thing too is that if you are hunting solo (which I do alot) you can use it to get a better setup and maybe pull the bull to the side of you for a broadside shot.

 

[GameSlayer]

I have only had encounters with small bulls when I have used my Montana decoy, but it seems to really calm them down and pull them that extra bit into a setup. I agree if you hunt alone it can be like another hunting partner..

 

[MT_Nate]

A friend of mine does not pack the stakes. He sowed a thin piece of rope into the decoys(montana) back. Instead of sticking it in the ground, he leans it against a bush or hangs it from a limb. He said its way easier to deploy.

That's a great idea.  I'll have to do that.
I've used Montana Decoys for about 6 years with several encounters that would have never occurred without it.  The Heads Up decoy caught my attention due to the small size.  My only problem with a decoy showing an elk head is that the elk seems to know when the eyes of the elk head don't respond to their antics.  I use the Elk Butt MT decoy exclusively now, as it seems to piss off the bulls when a cow (with her head in the grass) doesn't respond to his antics.  I had a MT Decoy with the head for awhile, and the elk would hold up at a distance staring at the head (that was staring back) and expect response...but then they'd leave realizing the head and ears didn't move.

 

[Bullhunter]

I just went to Cabelas today and looked at the montana decoy and they just seem like something i would not want to carry around with me all day. But on the other hand the heads up decoy look like something that i would be happy to pack around and use to my advantage.

 

[COLOelkman]

Just bought the Heads Up decoy @ Cory's booth at the ISE show.  I'll still use the Montana Decoys when I'm not doing a lot of hiking but I sure could have used the Heads Up last year!