Posted by CJ Davis on Sep 6, 2024

Best Placement Practices for Deer Decoys

Decoying whitetails in the South is always viewed with skepticism by a lot of hunters. No doubt lots of hunters and long seasons (particularly with firearms) can make deer anywhere extra spooky, but they are not immune to a good fake in the right set up. 

I believe based on my personal experience, as well as that of other trusted hunters, that a lot of decoy failure is due to poor planning and placement. The traditional view of walking out in green, setting up a decoy, and then climbing up a stand can and does work every year. But on the hard hunted leases I'm usually on, it's the exception and not the rule.

Changing your set up ideas can improve your success. For example, I like using decoys in big blocks of timber over fields. When the acorns are dropping from multiple trees, picking the right spot especially with a bow can be difficult. A decoy and playing the wind helps my chances. Unlike a lot of hunters, I place the decoy behind me or really close to my set up. Having prior knowledge of deer travel patterns in the area helps me keep the decoy downwind. I'm not really waiting on the deer to walk right up nose to nose or nose to tail with my decoy. I'm using my decoy to influence the deer's travel just enough to pull it into range. It's remarkably hard to keep a decoy totally scent-free from a deer nose. I've had more than one buck walk around a doe decoy, lose sight of it, keep walking, and find it again. As confusing as it can be to him, it's comical at the same time. 

I will also use trees to block the decoy from certain areas or to offset that it is 2D. Sometimes I just pin the decoy to a tree with a bright eye or a small bow hook. Do keep in mind that a deer within touching distance of a decoy can easily blow up with just a hint of lingering human scent. 

Like I mentioned, using a tree to block the decoy from certain viewpoints can be a tactic to offset the fact that it is 2D.

I've seen others talk about how a decoy distracts a deer and allows you to move into position or draw with ease. And yes, that does happen with some rutted-up bucks. However in most of my time decoying in the South, the deer approach carefully and on-alert trying to figure out where this new-to-the-herd deer fits in. This means I need to be extra careful when trying to make any moves.

And the old rule that bucks approach buck decoys to the front and doe decoys to the rear generally holds true. 

I'm usually bowhunting, but some gun hunters I know will stake a decoy out when hunting shooting lanes or the edges of thick cover just to stop a crossing deer for a better shot or a little more time. Be extra careful when gun hunting with a decoy and make certain you know if others are hunting the same property. Another good thing to remember is to wear plenty of blaze orange. An archery tactic on large ag fields when deer enter from multiple spots seemingly at random is to stake out a coyote decoy to push them towards a stand. It's not a deer decoy, but it does apply. 

Certainly, decoys work the best during the pre-rut and rut, just like grunt calls and rattle bags. However, late season hunting on food sources can be another good time to add a decoy. A second rut can cause interest or the decoy can serve as a confidence builder to pull skittish deer close enough for a shot. 

There are some times when I definitely do not want to use a decoy. One of the best times to leave the decoy behind is when I'm hunting a pinch point and feel very confident in where the deer will travel. A decoy and the extra disturbance of setting up can be too risky. A decoy is not a "fix everything" tool and shouldn't be used at every set up. 

A different tactic I've started using is to keep the decoy hidden until I need it. To accomplish that, we created our TipUp stand. It's a simple, packable stand that lets you keep the decoy flat on the ground and you simply stand it up via the pull rope when you want it visible. This can be important if you do not want other deer coming over and checking out your set up and possibly seeing or smelling something and raising the alarm. It requires some timing, but can be very effective in the right spot. 

Here you can see part of our TipUp stand, which allows you to put a decoy flat on the ground so that it is out of sight.

In my mind, a decoy is simply another tool that I can use to be more successful. Combined with realistic calling, it helps create a more believable set up to a deer. I'm grunted in deer that hung up out of range just like a gobbler. I always kick myself for not having a decoy out to complete the ruse. Modern decoys are lightweight, easily portable, and very realistic. Considering all the other things I spend money on trying to be successful, I feel like it makes sense to have one in my kit.