Ground hunting with decoy

[bmicek]

Is anyone else hunting whitetails from the ground with something like a heads up decoy? I live in western Kansas and I’m always seeing mature bucks in the middle of fields. I can’t help but think a spot and stalk with a decoy would be a great way to get a chance at one of these bucks.

 

[tim tarras]

Not a heads up but I'm trying a doe decoy with an antler on it. I haven't had any luck when using it yet but I haven't used it alot either.

 

[RCL]

Heads Up decoy is the way to go.

 

[30338]

Last time I bowhunted Iowa, I put a decoy in a picked bean field and hid against a cedar 10 yards away. 2nd set of rattling I had a pissed off mature 8 point come nose to nose with the decoy. He caught me drawing but stopped to look back at 25 yards. Great time and I think you should try it.

 

[bmicek]

Rattling works great here in Kansas. So I know a decoy would get them worked up. And Heads Up decoys are made an hour from where I live.

 

[Dooger]

I have one for sale in the Classifieds if you’re interested. It would be great where you are. I’d glass them from afar, wait for them to bed and sneak in with it. There are good podcast regarding the tactic too.

 

[Dooger]

I’d use your glass from a long ways away (think 1-2 miles). I’ve been to your area and I know they’ll run for a long ways if you drive by and they’re in the middle of a section. Not sure if locals take crack at them every now and then or what, but they sure are spooky. Glass from sunup to about 9-10am. After that, take a little break and then glass little nooks and crannies like a depression with taller grass, in between a couple hay bails, a fence row with tall tumble weeds, etc. Those deer don’t bed in typical bedding areas around there.

Wish I could get on a bunch of private ground there...

 

[bmicek]

I’d use your glass from a long ways away (think 1-2 miles). I’ve been to your area and I know they’ll run for a long ways if you drive by and they’re in the middle of a section. Not sure if locals take crack at them every now and then or what, but they sure are spooky. Glass from sunup to about 9-10am. After that, take a little break and then glass little nooks and crannies like a depression with taller grass, in between a couple hay bails, a fence row with tall tumble weeds, etc. Those deer don’t bed in typical bedding areas around there.

Wish I could get on a bunch of private ground there...

That’s spot on what I planned to do. Picked up some nice 15x binos recently so I’m changing my hunting strategy to this area. And as a reply to you having a decoy you’re selling, I actually live about 40 mins from where they are made so tomorrow I’m gonna make the trip to pick one up. I do appreciate it though.

Would be nice to get on a few thousand acres of private. I have noticed more out of state hunters hunting the WIHA the same method I plan to hunt so they must be having some level of success.

 

[Dooger]

Not sure what unit you’re in, but the WIHA where I was didn’t hold deer. It was grazed or just garbage land. I’d go miles without seeing a deer. The most I saw at one time was five; mainly just saw a buck and a doe and they were on private. I tried to get access to no avail. That’s why I say you need as much access as possible in western KS. I’m talking whitetails, BTW. I did see MD in smaller groups though. To say the least, I’ll be seeking a better hunt with better access. I’m not kidding when I say you need miles of access. You could have access to a square mile and the deer are on a section two miles away.

Knock on doors or, during the off season, send letters to landowners who don’t live in the area. Wish I would have done that ahead of time. I got burned, so I’m a little sour if you didn’t notice.

 

[bmicek]

Not sure what unit you’re in, but the WIHA where I was didn’t hold deer. It was grazed or just garbage land. I’d go miles without seeing a deer. The most I saw at one time was five; mainly just saw a buck and a doe and they were on private. I tried to get access to no avail. That’s why I say you need as much access as possible in western KS. I’m talking whitetails, BTW. I did see MD in smaller groups though. To say the least, I’ll be seeking a better hunt with better access. I’m not kidding when I say you need miles of access. You could have access to a square mile and the deer are on a section two miles away.

Knock on doors or, during the off season, send letters to landowners who don’t live in the area. Wish I would have done that ahead of time. I got burned, so I’m a little sour if you didn’t notice.

I live in Unit 5. If I was a nonresident I wouldn’t pick Unit 5 to hunt as only about half of the unit has a fair amount of WIHA. I’m a crop consultant so my time on those roads is daily for several hours a day. I see most of the bigger deer in the grassy draws in fields and the weedy overgrown fields. And you find ANY small patch of trees in the unit, you can guarantee someone is hunting it. That’s my whole reason for switching to decoy hunting. Doesn’t seem as common.

 

[Dooger]

I was in a more western unit with very little WIHA and very few trees.

 

[coyotecreek]

I think that deer numbers in general are down quite a bit in the western part of the state. I have talked to a lot of guys around here who aren't seeing the deer numbers that we have seen in the past. 10-15 years ago deer numbers were really high, but they have been on a downward trend and it seems to be really low this year. It could just be that there are still a lot of crops that haven't been cut that are holding deer or that some of the CRP is 6' tall and they can hide well. Just my observation.

 

[Dooger]

There was a lot of uncut milo. One day I saw three bucks coming out of one field with a doe. The third one saw me and turned back around. Two steps later he disappeared.

I also saw two MD does in an uncut milo field. Glassed it and there was a nice MD buck laying two rows away.

Just one observation: but even where most fields were down to stubble, seemed like their weren’t many deer around. I’ll probably never return, but if I did, I’d have a lot of land locked up and keep 1-2 miles distance with really good glass.

 

[aaronmill13]

I've never really heard of anyone doing it in the east before (I'm in WV) so I thought maybe the deer would fall for it since they may never have encountered a decoy. I tried 2 sits with it, one with a buck and one with a doe decoy) and both times any deer in eye sight bolted once they saw the decoy. It was worth a shot, but I'm jealous of you guys in areas where decoying works. It looks like an absolute blast!

 

[tim tarras]

I came close to success last night with the Decoy above. I had a big 10 about 130 yards out that was following some does. I was able to grunt and snort wheeze to get his attention. He saw the decoy and started to head my way. He kept this up until about 70 yards, about where the small tree behind the antler is. He wanted to keep coming but there is about a 200ft long rock pile 4ft high. The effort to come around it was not as strong as following the does.

Even though no shot was taken, it was a big rush watching him come in and knowing that this can work. I'm now hooked on this.

 

[Codyk315]

Ultimate Predator Decoy is another option.