Decoy???

[Flatlander]

I will be hunting speed goats with my muzzleloader this Sept and was wondering if anyone has had any success with decoys. My hunt has a pretty limited number of tags and I don't anticipate a lot of pressure during the hunt. It's been 13 years since I hunted antelope and that hunt was archery 19a when there were two hunts with 120 tags each. Those goats were as skittish as Unit 6A elk.

 

There are quite a few cows in this unit and I have been considering using the moo cow Montana decoy. Do the 3D decoys work better than something 2D like Montana decoys? With my rig I think I will be pretty comfortable if I can get one within 300 yds.

 

Any and all suggestions welcome.

[Coach]

I've seen some decoys draw them in, and others chase them off - I think it all depends on how aggressive the bucks are. Personally, the first time I draw a speed goat tag, I want to do the "be-the-decoy" route, just because it looks like a ton of fun, and I have seen bucks come in really hard to them. There is an older plastic fold-in-half decoy I've seen used, sorry don't remember the name, but it scared the heck out of anything my buddy approached with it - just too dark and shiny.

 

On a lighter note, the same buddy made a cow "outfit" that took two people to operate. It was him and his dad. The idea was that antelope were used to cows, so they made this elaborate, two-person black cow decoy. Now imagine a couple guys with a few too many beers trying to keep in step while the guy in the back is squirting his hydration bladder all over and the guy in front is trying hold his bow and keep from laughing and it looks like one of those Chinese dragon outfits zig-zagging across the prairie. The goats actually got so curious by the debacle the came in to investigate, but they never got a shot off because they were laughing too hard at each other and one-upping the other's jokes.

 

No meat from that adventure, but memories and campfire stories to last a lifetime.

[elpepe25]

I've had zero luck with decoys in Az and NM.

[camoremi]

I've seen some decoys draw them in, and others chase them off - I think it all depends on how aggressive the bucks are. Personally, the first time I draw a speed goat tag, I want to do the "be-the-decoy" route, just because it looks like a ton of fun, and I have seen bucks come in really hard to them. There is an older plastic fold-in-half decoy I've seen used, sorry don't remember the name, but it scared the heck out of anything my buddy approached with it - just too dark and shiny.

 

On a lighter note, the same buddy made a cow "outfit" that took two people to operate. It was him and his dad. The idea was that antelope were used to cows, so they made this elaborate, two-person black cow decoy. Now imagine a couple guys with a few too many beers trying to keep in step while the guy in the back is squirting his hydration bladder all over and the guy in front is trying hold his bow and keep from laughing and it looks like one of those Chinese dragon outfits zig-zagging across the prairie. The goats actually got so curious by the debacle the came in to investigate, but they never got a shot off because they were laughing too hard at each other and one-upping

No meat from that adventure, but memories and campfire stories to last a lifetime.

 

 

 

That's pretty funny. I'm also pretty curious about the. Be the decoy

[bonecollector]

We used a heads up decoy on my antelope hunt and he came in on a string not once but twice.

 

[camoremi]

Awesome bonecollector

[HuntHarder]

I have had mixed results in 19a. More negative than positive. If you are able to get close enough, the big benefit of a decoy is Antelope are very curious, and even if they know it looks weird, they will still usually at least stare long enough to be able to get a shot off. I have had them charge in, and I have had them stare, and then run like no other.

[BMart]

I had my first antelope tag last year, an archery tag. I used the Be the Decoy on about 7 stalks, not once did they come to me. About half of them took off running and the other half just stood and stared at me out of bow range. I was trying to get inside of 150 then pop my head out with the goad hat on and get them to charge in but they never did. Tried the cow once too but that scared the crap out of them too. I probably could have killed that buck if I would have left the cow behind because the junipers were pretty thick where I was. I got to 100 before they even saw me lugging the cow decoy around.

[creed]

I'd watch out being in close proximity to a decoy during any kind of firearms hunt. Some moron is likely to start shooting at it.

[justanotherpunk]

"I'd watch out being in close proximity to a decoy during any kind of firearms hunt. Some moron is likely to start shooting at it."

 

or a moron with archery equipment. I've seen just as many poor choices made by archers!

 

 

 

As for your question about decoys Flatlander. I've had the privilege of having and helping out on the 6 different AZ hunts. I/We have had mixed results. Had great success using a decoy by slipping into an area they were using heavily and setting it up before first light and then sitting a short way away under a juniper. This has worked more than once for us. Also had them see the decoy from what seems like a ridiculous distance and run hard the other way.

 

The type of decoy itself hasn't seemed to matter much. Have seen basically the same results with different ones.

 

They are certainly curious but also somewhat unpredictable. That's what mades them so much fun to hunt.

[SirRoyal]

Decoy's work! On your hunt a Kevlar decoy

Is a must!