Some hunters use decoys and have bad experiences with them; others experience great success. Miller and Bowman have both had great success. Below are a few of their tips and strategies so buck hunters everywhere can turn decoys into one of their go-to tools in hopes of tagging a buck.

"Many hunters love rattling in deer. This method of calling is often non-productive without a decoy because a buck will sneak into a setup looking to see another buck and they don't see anything. Having a decoy present when rattling forces the buck to focus on something as he approaches instead of just hearing rattling, grunting and bleating," Miller explained. Using a decoy and rattling in a buck will only work if the hunter is scent-free. According to Bowman, many hunters make their mistakes here. "If a hunter is going to be successful with a deer decoy, the hunter and the decoy must remain scent-free at all times. When handling the decoy, hunters need to wear scent-free gloves or spray the decoy with a scent-eliminating spray after he has the decoy setup. If a deer approaches a decoy and smells human odor, it will spook immediately," Bowman added.

Bowman makes sure he is as scent free as possible by wearing a carbon suit. He also hunts the wind as much as possible. If a deer is working his way towards a decoy and gets a whiff of a person first, the game is over long before you get a shot. I make sure I am always scent free," Bowman explained.

In addition to being scent free, Miller and Bowman believe decoy placement is very important. If you hunt in a thick swamp where your only shot is ten yards away, you probably won't have as much success with a decoy as someone who is hunting open country. A decoy will work almost anywhere but obviously the more visible the decoy, the better chance a buck has of seeing it.

"Whenever I hunt with a decoy, I like to hunt on the edge of the field. Deer need to be able to see the decoy in order for a decoy to work. I like hunting fields that are large and wide open. Deer that are traveling through the field or on the edge of the field can see the decoy from a long distance away," Bowman added.

Bowman enjoys using decoys because they often work great at tricking large bucks to come within bow range. "Big bucks don't get big and old by being dumb. Most of the time, they are very difficult to kill. I think one of the easiest times to harvest a big buck is in the rut when I am using a decoy. A lot of small bucks will approach a decoy but usually if a dominant buck sees a buck decoy, he will come over and investigate," Bowman said.

Bowman is largely a bowhunter and believes decoys are the perfect bowhunting tool, as long as the decoy is set up close by and set up facing the right direction. "Some hunters have a tendency to set decoys up too far from their stand location or in the wrong place. Decoys should be set up well within a bowhunters' effective killing zone so if a buck hangs up ten yards from the decoy, the hunter can still take a shot," Bowman noted.

Most of us would probably place a decoy facing right or left of our stand location. Bowman believes having the decoy facing the treestand is best. "Almost every buck that approaches my decoy wants to square off with it and kick the tar out of it. In most cases, a buck circles around a decoy's face head-on and tries to intimidate it before deciding to fight it. As the buck approaches the decoy to square off, he usually gives me a quartering shot and a broadside shot if I am patient. If the decoy is facing left or right of my stand or straight away, I won't have a good short opportunity," Bowman said.

If you are hunting in an area that isn't known for holding big bucks, you may feel like you need to leave the fake horns at home because you may spook a smaller buck from coming in, but Bowman disagrees. "When I set up a buck decoy, every single deer that sees it typically comes over and checks it out. Sometimes the does approach it and kick it over. Small bucks come up to the decoy and play around with it. Big bucks typically try to kill the decoy. When I set out a doe decoy, some deer approach the decoy; others don't. I always see more action when hunting over a buck decoy," Bowman stated.

One of the best ways to increase the amount of attention a deer decoy gets is to make it appear more realistic. Many decoy companies now offer decoys with tails that have a place to attach a string. Simply tug on the string to make the decoys' tail move. A simple twitch of the tail often puts an approaching deer at ease. Some companies now have decoys with moving heads.

One of the simplest ways to make a decoy appear more real is to spray a good dose of deer urine on it. "I always take a scent pad dipped in deer urine and hang it around the tail," Bowman added. Another option is creating a scent trail. Many hunters spray lure all over the woods as they approach their stands to get bucks to follow the scent to the end of the trail. Some hunters use a scent drag or put a scent pad on the bottom of their boots. Having the scent trail lead to the decoy is a great way to get a buck to keep his attention on the decoy as he approaches your setup and not on you drawing your bow.

Miller loves using a snort wheeze call when he uses a decoy to create more realism. "The snort wheeze call hasn't been overused like grunt tubes and bleat cans. In fact, very few hunters use them. When used in conjunction with a decoy, a snort wheeze call works great. If I see a buck and he isn't paying attention to the decoy or simply doesn't see the decoy, a loud snort wheeze will get him to come check me out. If it's a large buck that sees the decoy, the hair will stand up on his back and he will come in for a fight," Miller said. If you're not very confident in your calling abilities, using an electronic call is another option. Many companies now offer wireless electronic calls. A speaker can be placed under the decoy and the remote can be in your stand. This allows the sound to always come from the deer.

A deer decoy can be used almost anytime during the hunting season, but obviously the best time to use one is during the rut. "I think there is a time and place for every style of deer call as well as a time and place for decoys to be used. Hunters should use a decoy largely during the pre-rut and rut phase when bucks' hormones are raging. If a hunter only has a couple places to hunt and he uses a decoy a lot before the pre-rut, he may educate deer. A decoy works best during the pre- rut and rut. Of course if a buck is chasing a doe and he sees a decoy, he probably won't pay any attention to it. They aren't a cure-all, but they can be a great tool," Miller explained.

There are several companies are making decoys right now and choosing the right one can be difficult. Before purchasing a decoy, do a lot of research, check out hunting forums, and see what other hunters are saying about the decoys they use. There are 3D decoys that pack up inside themselves for easy transport and 2D models that are extremely lightweight and fold up easily. Both styles have their advantages. The 3D models are more realistic looking from every angle but they are plastic. The 2D models are often a photo of a real deer impregnated onto cloth or plastic. They can also look very lifelike. Despite the brand you choose, make sure it is one that you will feel comfortable transporting. If you purchase one that is big, bulky, and hard to move around, it will spend its' life in a basement because it's too cumbersome to transport and hunters quickly quit using things that are inconvenient to use.

Decoys aren't a silver bullet, but when they are used correctly and kept scent free, they can be a great hunting tool. According to Bowman, it is a lot of fun watching deer approach them. "I have seen so many different reactions to decoys over the years. I've seen bucks beat the heck out of them and watched does go crazy as they approached a decoy. It makes for a great show and decoys have helped me put a lot of trophies on the wall - many of them well over Pope & Young," Bowman noted.

• 8 point, 120 class antlers included


• New twist locking leg system yields unsurpassed stability, durability, and ease of assembly


• Limbs, head, and antlers all fit into body cavity for ease of transport


• Comfortable shoulder strap attached between chest and hind quarters enables knocked down deer to be carried into the woods


• Rear leg designed to accept readily available scent pads using Flambeau's scent management system


• Front leg designed to accept electronic Invisi-Series game calls which will drive bucks crazy! Imagine the possibilities

• Limbs, head, and ears break down quickly and can be stored inside the body cavity for easy transport


• Secure plug provided for the head hole so that parts don't fall out during transport


• Secure leg attachment system features a large diameter screw cap to lock down each leg from inside the body


• Features two separate sets of ears to change the attitude of the decoy. One set simulates an alert doe and one set is set back to simulate a submissive doe


• Rear leg designed to accept readily available scent pads using Flambeau's scent management system


• Front leg designed to accept MD-519 Invisi-Growl™ Electronic Deer Call