Until a few years ago, there was no way I would have packed a gawky deer decoy into the field with all of my other gear and equipment. Like many deer hunters, I just didn't feel decoys could have any significant impact on my overall hunting success. However, I quickly changed my mind after watching several hunting videos that showed fired-up bucks with swollen necks and bad tempers kicking the you-know-what out of foam-filled decoys. In truth, adding decoys to your setup can dramatically increase your chances of tagging a bruiser buck.

Widely known for his success in using decoys, North American Whitetail Television co-host Stan Potts shows off yet another bruiser buck taken with the help of a decoy. Stan shot the big 4x4 on Nov. 19, 2008, while hunting with Buckhorn Outfitters in Illinois.

When coupled with calling, a decoy provides a buck with a visual confirmation that what he heard was real. One or more decoys can also have a calming effect on a suspicious buck that is playing it safe and being too cautious to approach your setup. These are just a few of the advantages of hunting with decoys, but simply throwing up a fake just anywhere is not going to get the job done. Let's take a close look at the decoying secrets and setups the pros use to consistently tag giants all across the country.

DAVID BLANTON'S DECOYING MAGIC
David Blanton and the Realtree Team know how to crank things up during the fall and capture unbelievable hunts on video that usually feature monster bucks getting smoked!

When the cameras are rolling, David always has a few tricks up his sleeve for coaxing a long-tined giant right into a cleared shooting lane. A strategy David utilizes during late October until early November involves deadly decoying setups that will drive the big boys crazy. Pay close attention if you want to see a buck with intimidating headgear march stiff-legged in to your decoy setup this season.

According to David, pinpointing areas that offer high visibility can play a dramatic role in your overall success.

"I prefer to find a setup that will allow a buck to see my decoy from at least a few hundred yards away," David explains. "This allows me to cover a lot of ground, especially when bucks are cruising for does in open areas. Next, I want to allow the current deer behavior to dictate my decoy setup. For example, I usually start with a single buck decoy, but I will switch gears if the deer are acting skittish or spooky with this setup. Sometimes changing over to a two-decoy setup seems to relax deer that just aren't acting right around a single buck."

In the past, David has had a lot of success with a Flambeau Ready Doe decoy placed in a bedding position facing a small-buck decoy.

"This creates a scenario where it appears the doe is ready to breed, but she is just not interested in the smaller buck," David continues. "When a dominant buck passes by and assesses the situation, it's usually more than he can stand. The last thing a mature buck wants is some cocky young intruder trying to breed his does. I strongly feel this setup works better, because it simply looks real and it strikes a jealous nerve with the bucks that do most of the breeding."

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