Decoy stories

[Lefty]

Im still a bit fascinated about using decoys for elk.
Can you guys that use decoys tell us non uses: the haps and mishaps

[Swede]

As you allude to there are appropriate and inappropriate times to use decoys. When calling, it is good to show the elk a decoy, to convince him that he sees what was making the elk sounds he heard. I would discourage anyone from setting up a decoy at a tree stand or ground blind location where you are just waiting. For sure some elk are okay with another elk (decoy) in the area, but many elk turn and run when they see it. Since the elk are probably coming to where you set up, there is no advantage to the decoy. All you do is risk running one away that would have presented you a shot, if the decoy was not there and scared him off.

[elkmtngear]

We started using the Montana Decoys quite a few years before we came up with the idea for the SLIP System. I've had many decoy encounters over the years. I've seen bulls pace back and forth in confusion, and occasionally as Swede mentions, I've seen them "bug out" as well.

But on many occasions, I've seen them come in on a string. We hunt in a somewhat pressured Wilderness area, so when a bull hears a hunter, many times he will "hang up", or try to get a visual in the direction he knows the sound to be coming from.

The bull in this photo came from a long way off. We heard him answer an estrus cow call faintly...and a few seconds later more clearly, until it was obvious he was heading our way. Having already killed my bull, I took the role as caller/ decoy guy...and Cory moved out ahead of me to where we anticipated the bull to go. Thermals had just switched to coming uphill about 30 minutes before...so the winds were still "swirly".

The bull walked out 20 yards ahead of me, and stopped when he saw the decoy. Winds started to swirl, and he spun like he was getting ready to bug out. When I gave a soft cow call from behind the decoy, he visibly relaxed, laying his ears back, and immediately came around to circle me and try to get my wind. Cory double lunged him at 10 yards.

[elkmtngear]

Here's another great decoy story from one of our Customers, Justin Jenness:

Jeff,
So I thought that I would write a product review for the slip system that I got this year. I had an amazing encounter with a massive bull while bow hunting here in Montana. I was hunting with a friend of mine, when we spotted 3 bulls bedded down on the edge of a timber patch that was surrounded by open sage brush country. We quickly closed the distance, and we able to get inside 100 yards of these bulls, and I set up with the slip system while my partner moved ahead of me. I began to call, and a bull immediately started to bugle.
After sitting there for about 20 minutes my partner came back to me and said that he thought the elk had moved through the timber, so he decided that he would follow the elk while I hiked about 1/2 a mile to the top of the timber patch to see if the elk came out at a different place. Once I got to the top of the hill I could hear a bull bugleing just down in the timber, so I once again set up my slip system and began to cow call. We played cat and mouse for a little bit, and I finally found myself on a little ridge with a small ravine in between the bull and myself. The bull had moved out into the open sage brush, and I was set up on the edge of the timber.
Finally the bull came to his side of the coulee, and I ranged him at 80 yards. When the bull disapeered over the edge of the hill I moved the slip system out into the wide open and staked it in the ground, and I then ran down the coullee and made it half way up the other side when the bull came back to the ridge. The bull immediately locked onto the decoy, and was staring right over the top of me.
Now here comes the best part, and the worst part. I ranged the bull and he was 42 yards on the dot, and uphill from me. I drew my bow back, got a solid rest and let the arrow fly. To my disbelief the arrow sailed right over the top of the bulls back, he jumped a little bit and spun 180 degrees, never taking his eyes off the decoy. I once again ranged the bull and he was now 40 yards. I put my 40 yard pin dead center on his chest and let another arrow fly. Unbelievablely the arrow once again sailed right over the bulls back. I could not believe what was happening, and you might think I am lying but the bull just stood there and kept looking at the decoy. I again ranged the bull and he had not moved and was 40 yards on the money. This time I put my 40 yard pin on the bottom of his chest, got a solid rest and squeezed my release. The arrow flew true, and you would never believe it but I hit him right in the brisket. It was just before dark so my partner and I backed out and decided to come back in the morning.
After a sleepless night we went back and found some blood about 400 yards from where I shot the bull, and he bled only a little bit for about another 400 yards, and then the bleeding stopped. To my dismay we never found the bull, and I am sure that he is still alive and well. My partner guessed the bull at 350+ and I only knew that he was big. I shot my bow the next morning, and I hit the target dead on at 40 yards, so I am still trying to figure out where I went wrong.
The point of this story is that without the Elk Mountain Slip system, there is no chance in hell that I would have ever been able to sling 3 arrows at a herd bull. This system without a doubt works, and will keep bulls interested even if a hunter makes a mistake. Even though I don't have the massive bull on the ground, I still can not thank Elk Mountain Inc. enough for producing such a great product. Thanks.
Justin Jenness

[elkmtngear]

When we designed the SLIP System, the orginal idea was just "bind/ walking stick" combination. Later, we realized we could make stretchable, photorealistic covers to change the face of the blind to include decoy patterns as well as camo, so the unit could be used for all types of hunting by just switching the covers. So, since our first love was archery elk hunting...naturally the first decoy covers we made was an elk decoy! Here is a pic of our first elk decoy designs (they look so funky compared to what we have now)



So, we took the decoy cover on the left with us to Colorado and put it on our Prototype umbrella/ walking stick that we made. We wanted to make sure they would work before we "sold the farm" and gave the Manufacturer the thumbs up.

A couple of days into our hunt found us on the timber's edge of a big open bench, and there were a group of cows and a couple spikes feeding near a strip of aspens in the back of the park. We could hear two bulls behind them going ballistic on eachother, but we knew we'd never be able to get to them without busting out that herd. So, we put up the elk decoy, and both of us walked behind it in a big circle around those elk (moving downwind of them). They would watch us for a minute, and just kept feeding (at 150 yards).

We got to the creek where the bulls were bugling across in the timber on the other side. It sounded like we were within 100 yards or so. Cory crawled ahead of me down toward the creek about 60 yards and set up next to a big spruce tree. I hit a cow call, and the nearest bull immediately screamed, and I could hear him crashing our way.

When he crossed the creek and cleared the timber, he was dripping black mud. I had the decoy on the open ridge angled down to him, and he spotted it right away. It looked like a bird dog on point. I gave a soft cow call, and once again saw him visibly relax and come to get my wind. Result was an 8 yard shot for Cory with a lung hit. Dear Lord I wish I would have videotaped it!

On that trip we successfully decoyed 5 different bulls into bow range. We drove over 100 miles to get cell reception to tell the Manufacturer that the SLIP System was a go!

[brun]

I've had a fair amount of experience with decoys, and like everything in elk hunting, sometimes it works great and other times it seems to spook them. I agree that when you are calling is the most appropriate time. If you have two guys let the caller be away from the shooter and also have the decoy. One thing I have had good success with is a slight movement of the ears on the full body model. I have seen this really calm both bulls and cows down on numerous occasions. Overall I think they are a valuable tool.

[elk.addict]

I killed my elk last year using a Montana Decoy. There was a large meadow that we had frequently found elk in. I've had a hard time calling elk across big openings in the past, and due to the landscape and wind, it would be hard for me to hunt these elk on the timbered side where they enter the feeding area.
So well before evening, we setup the decoy on 'our' side of the park. When the elk started filter into the meadow, my partner started cow calling. We had a number of responses from 1 bull, and when he saw the decoy he headed right towards it, with the wind perfectly in my favor. I was setup 40 yards in front of the decoy and made a 17 yard shot on him. Worked perfectly.

I've also had them spook elk too. The trick is to set it up in a manner where the bull can't get too close to it. Unfortunately, they don't always come in the direction you want them to

[N5J]

We hunt heavy hunted public lands and have been using decoys for the past 5 years with great success. We've experienced that once the elk (bulls and cows) see the decoy they will settle down a little and come in closer for a look. They're still on guard but not like if nothing was there. We've experienced several younger bulls commit once they see the cows at a wallow. They've always came in silent but they will come in for a closer look. We've had cows commit once they seen decoys on the hill side. Last year we had a big 6x6 and a smaller 5x5 commit to the decoy. The 6x6 circled downwind but the 5x5 ran straight towards the decoy and was shot at 20yards. Your setup is key. We've had bulls hang up in heavy cover because we didn't have the decoy in a place where it could be seen so they wouldn't commit. We found if you have one person (the caller) with the decoy about 20 to 30 yards in back of the shooter things work out better. The elk seem to hang out about 30 to 40 yards from the decoy till them feel more comfortable with the situation.

N5J