The visual aspect also holds true for doe decoys, though I strongly suspect that the "surprise" factor could be either greatly diminished or completely removed under certain circumstances. For instance, it stands to reason that a doe decoy placed on the edge of a likely doe bedding area in the woods could be a strong draw to bucks right before, during and after the rut. Unfortunately, though, the odds of having one or more real does blowing and stomping at the decoy are also extremely high. Therefore, I like to use decoys almost exclusively in fields, young clearcuts, meadows and other open areas.

The author says that in areas where the cover is minimal, brushing in the blind too much might draw more attention to it. (Bottom right:) Where thick cover is available, however, placing the blind under some overhanging branches can make it disappear.

Here, the surprise factor is removed and the visual draw can be maximized.

BUCK OR DOE DECOY?
Another consideration for hunters is whether to use a buck or doe decoy. Personally, I suggest using them together from about two weeks before the rut and continuing on until well after the rut. What message does a bedded doe with a buck standing over her send to other prowling bucks? Obviously, she's in estrus and he's guarding his prize. That's often a temptation that bucks simply can't resist. The results can be positively incredible.

During the earlier weeks of the season, going with a straight buck decoy is my choice.

The reasoning is twofold. First, this is the time of year that bucks are staking out their position in the buck hierarchy. Because of that, bucks have a hard time resisting coming over to "introduce" themselves to the new guy in the neighborhood.

Does are the X factor with buck decoys. If a doe gets too close to a decoy, even an ultra-realistic decoy like the Robo-Coy, she might well go on a snorting and stomping rampage. Granted, this occurs far less frequently with the extremely lifelike decoys, but it still happens. Fortunately, does usually aren't too inclined to want to hang out with bucks during the earlier weeks of the season, because some of the ignorant young bucks simply don't know any better than to chase them around and generally harass them. Because of this, does have a much higher tendency to steer clear of a buck decoy early in the season.

In my opinion, using a buck decoy early in the season is the slam-dunk route to take because the decoy tends to attract other bucks while being ignored by most does.

HOW LARGE A RACK?
Speaking of buck decoys, I believe that the standard rack sizes that come with the majority of decoys are too small. An analogy I like to use in seminars to get this point across is to ask people in the audience to picture themselves taking their significant other out to dinner. If the man of the house excuses himself to use the restroom and returns to find an 8th grader "hitting" on his significant other, he probably will be more amused than anything else. On the other hand, an attractive young man in his 20s may present more of a threat and make him take the situation a little more seriously.

Though it's always dangerous to apply human reasoning to a buck's reactions, I believe something very similar occurs when a buck spots a decoy. Most 150-inch bucks aren't going to take an 80-incher very seriously, but a 130-incher will likely get his attention.

My philosophy behind how big a rack to use is based on subtracting 10 to 20 inches from my general minimum standard. In most cases, that's around the 140-inch mark or higher.

Therefore, my 130-inch-racked Robo-Coy is big enough to get a bigger buck's attention, but not so big as to overly intimidate my target.

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