girl or boy?

Question

i am thinking about using a decoy for deer hunting. would it be better if i use a doe or a buck? what would be a safer choice to attract both species or what would be better to get any deer to come closer?

i've been hunting for about 3 years now and have seen shows using buck decoys and doe decoys, but they don't tell you why. i've been hunting for a brief part of my life so far and i just wondered what decoy would i be better off to start with since i hunt public land 98% of the time.

Answer 1

Most people I have heard use a doe decoy, I think the doe scents work well without the decoy. I have seen it work. On the other hand, a few years back my daughter shot a 5-point early one morning. We field dressed it and drug it back to the truck. That afternoon I saw the "Bull of the Woods" following the trail where we had drug the buck that morning. He followed it all the way to the truck where my daughter was taking a nap. She woke in time to see that giant rack starring at her from about 15 yds away!!

Answer 2

Bound's hubby here:

If you are hunting public land, I would NOT use a decoy of either sex!

First, in the process of setting up the decoy, you will be spreading your scent, which will actually repel most deer. Second, while you are setting up your deer decoy, some other hunter may see the decoy and not you, and shoot toward you ... not the best feeling in the world. Just think, that decoy will draw a shot toward you as fast as pulling out a white handkerchief and trying to blow your nose ... someone will see that white hanky and think it is a whitetail "waiving goodbye" and try to catch a shot at it!

Save the decoys for when you can leave it up and shoot from a secure stand on private land!

Good luck!

Answer 3

The first thing you should do is ignore the hunting shows, and check your local game laws. In my area at least it is ILLEGAL to use decoys for deer hunting. In most areas it's also illegal to call deer, although many allow you to have someone else call for you. In any case, the best bet is to find an area that has already shown good deer traffic, and find a suitable vantage point without any baiting, decoys, or calling. The deer tend to be a little more relaxed if nothing has changed and there are no strangely behaving (stone still) animals around.

Answer 4

get the buck .if you dont see any deer to take you can watch as outher hunter freek out and take a shot at your fake deer it is funny to watch some hunter when they think they have just found there buck just to watch them wonder what in the heck i hit the thing and it ant moving hahaha it is a blast .you well have a shot up deco but what fun.

Answer 5

decoy-doe with a hormone scent. You want the meat of a buck! You want the RACK right?!
Are you a new hunter? Dude, that's a serious sport for a newby, its ain't easy at all.