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What about decoys!!!!!

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What about decoys!!!!!

Postby Lefty » 03 28, 2019 •  [Post 1]

Elk decoys! What your experience?
I shoot a few geese. Goose decoys are a big part of my waterfowl hunting. sometimes all that is needed is a field geese fly over and let goose decoys do the job.

Back to elk and decoys. I have used a Montana decoy. Has it ever helped kill and elk! No! I do believe it has kept a herd satisfied and comfortable with the noise we were making. Yes, I also believe a younger bull hung around once because of a decoy.
We also had a herd focus on the decoy and my calling and nearly run my daughter over .
A fellow I hunted around killed a huge 238 Mulie he walked up on with a Heads-up mulie on his bow , walked to 38 yards and made the shot in an open alfalfa field
I m not sold on their effectiveness and unless my daughter wins another decoy I likely wont be buying

The gal that took this bull below they fell in line behind the decoy and walked up on the bull for the shot.
Yeah lifes not fair :roll:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBw7v1nE-Ac
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Re: What about decoys!!!!!

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 03 28, 2019 •  [Post 2]

I know one of our members, Beendare, has used the larger (pack em in) style decoys with success... maybe he'll chime in on this thread if he swings by. I have used the Poison Arrow Gear decoys with success but unfortunately, the owner of PAG stopped manufacturing them a bit over a year ago. It's really too bad.... I'll have to just make mine last ;).
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Re: What about decoys!!!!!

Postby Swede » 03 28, 2019 •  [Post 3]

My experience has been mixed, but educational. If you are going to use a decoy for elk, don't catch elk by surprise with it. I have made that mistake enough now to say that is a bad idea. Don't expect for the elk to walk up close enough to see it and be placed at ease. They may turn and run. Call when you set up your decoy so that they are coming to the sound, and when they see the elk, it just confirms that is the elk they heard.
Some critters are not concerned about seeing a strange elk. Some just turn immediately away and leave the area. Others will walk back and forth out of bow range and look it over, but not come closer. I observed that after I had been calling. I had the decoy set so that it looked like the cow was feeding with its head into a big bush. I was out of sight to the side. The bull did not seem scared, but looked, paced back and forth and left. There was a 40 yard opening the bull would have had to cross to get to the decoy. Maybe that had something to do with his reluctance to approach.
Maybe Beendare can add something here.
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Re: What about decoys!!!!!

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 03 28, 2019 •  [Post 4]

I sent a ping to Beendare, hope he chimes in. He’s done a lot of research/hunts with elk decoys.
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Re: What about decoys!!!!!

Postby Lefty » 03 28, 2019 •  [Post 5]

Swede wrote:,,,,,,, but educational.
There was a
40 yard opening
,,,,,,,.
I set my decoy,; call from or behind the decoy, then move forward fast
My thinking is the decoy should be seen before the call location. And to see the decoy the elk will be close.

Same location a week apart stories. thick and thin cover some places or lanes you could see 80-90 yards. others 10 yards max. an elk came in from behind me and winded me. But wouldnt leave. the elk was close enough to see the decoy and me. Similar thing happened in the same area the next week. but my daughter saw antlers and flashes of hide that bull stomped around for 20 minutes. Even I could hear him. It lasted so long I thought it was a deer

40 yard opening
Most of our setups you cant see 40 yards except up
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Re: What about decoys!!!!!

Postby Swede » 03 29, 2019 •  [Post 6]

Where I was hunting it was semi-desert. An elk could see over 50 yards in all directions most of the time. There wee very few thick areas so hiding was just getting behind a bush or something that broke up your outline. Often when I set up the decoy in a cold calling situation, I did not know where the elk would come from. They might come from in front or behind. If I had a bull calling back, they rarely came in. Almost all of the time those that came in were silent. If I got an answer, I had to move to the bull. Setting up a decoy in sight of a bull is no good. In that area the elk all have at least a masters degree in fake elk calls. They know a Primos, a Carlton and a Berry call better than we do. On a rare day they will talk to you, usually from the safe side of a fence with "No Hunting" signs.
In other words, I am no cowboy when it comes t decoy use. I have a book on decoys use, and still stink at it.
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Re: What about decoys!!!!!

Postby ishy » 03 31, 2019 •  [Post 7]

Our group has had mixed results. About half seem to be curious and it has helped. The other half took one look and ran the other way. That was with the Montana cow standing looking (not sure the name). We really cut back how often it gets used lately. I have thought about that decoy, and when do you ever see a cow standing head up like that for any length of time-its only when they are nervous. Not quite the message I want to send. I do have a butt decoy now so hoping to get some more intel if it works better. I would imagine the butt or feeding with head down would both help not increase anxiety with incoming elk.
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Re: What about decoys!!!!!

Postby Fridaythe13th » 03 31, 2019 •  [Post 8]

I keep thinking I well add it to my arsenal. What does everyone use for a decoy. I'm hearing Montana decoy any others out there.
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Re: What about decoys!!!!!

Postby Swede » 03 31, 2019 •  [Post 9]

I have one of those neoprene roll up decoys. I guess it is a Montana, but forget really who peddled it. I also use home made burlap elk that is about the same thing only cheaper. I guess I could add use burlap elk decoys to the scrimp thread on the elk forum.
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