Decoy question

[QCwtAddict]

For those that have experience archery hunting antelope. Would I be better off to get a cow decoy or a pronghorn decoy? 

[yotebuster]

Depends on if you are targeting a certain buck or just wanna go out and have fun and kill A buck.  If it’s an AZ tag then I would hope you’ll hold out for a big one as they are there.  In that case, a decoy is either gonna work or it’s not.  My experience is that about 1:10 situations with a decoy result in a shot.  8:10 result in them hauling butt the other way and the other 1:10 they just ignore it.  It may have to do with their attitude, the lighting, or the situation, but if you plan to target and kill the biggest buck in the unit with a decoy you’re gonna be disappointed.
 If it’s a Wyoming hunt where there’s likely no giant bucks and you’re just out for the experience, antelope decoys work great, and like I said, that 1:10 buck is gonna come flying in and it’s an experience unlike anything else, and you’ll have a very good chance of killing him.  
Cow decoys are hit and miss.  Probably a similar ratio to the antelope decoy but I feel like you can atleast keep trying them once you’ve blown it so that’s why I feel they’re better for targeting a specific buck.  It really helps if you’re in an area with a lot of cows.  The Prescott units are awesome for them, and those antelope are dumber by far then any other antelope I’ve hunted.  

[QCwtAddict]

5 minutes ago, yotebuster said:

Depends on if you are targeting a certain buck or just wanna go out and have fun and kill A buck.  If it’s an AZ tag then I would hope you’ll hold out for a big one as they are there.  In that case, a decoy is either gonna work or it’s not.  My experience is that about 1:10 situations with a decoy result in a shot.  8:10 result in them hauling butt the other way and the other 1:10 they just ignore it.  It may have to do with their attitude, the lighting, or the situation, but if you plan to target and kill the biggest buck in the unit with a decoy you’re gonna be disappointed.
 If it’s a Wyoming hunt where there’s likely no giant bucks and you’re just out for the experience, antelope decoys work great, and like I said, that 1:10 buck is gonna come flying in and it’s an experience unlike anything else, and you’ll have a very good chance of killing him.  
Cow decoys are hit and miss.  Probably a similar ratio to the antelope decoy but I feel like you can atleast keep trying them once you’ve blown it so that’s why I feel they’re better for targeting a specific buck.  It really helps if you’re in an area with a lot of cows.  The Prescott units are awesome for them, and those antelope are dumber by far then any other antelope I’ve hunted.  

It is AZ but not Prescott area. The quality and numbers in the unit I drew seem to be pretty down in the last few years so I'm gonna see what we can turn up scouting before I decide what I will hold out for. There are generally a lot of cattle in the area and that's why I am considering a cow decoy. I dont even know if I would use the decoy but I'd hate to get up there on the hunt and feel like I need one but not have one. 

[yotebuster]

Just now, QCwtAddict said:

It is AZ but not Prescott area. The quality and numbers in the unit I drew seem to be pretty down in the last few years so I'm gonna see what we can turn up scouting before I decide what I will hold out for. There are generally a lot of cattle in the area and that's why I am considering a cow decoy. I dont even know if I would use the decoy but I'd hate to get up there on the hunt and feel like I need one but not have one. 

I would get a cow decoy for sure.  The best way is to use a cedar or a wash to slide in on them.  I’ve killed 7 antelope with a bow none over water, and have yet to actually kill one from behind a decoy although I’ve decoyed some and tried plenty!  

[QCwtAddict]

57 minutes ago, yotebuster said:

I would get a cow decoy for sure.  The best way is to use a cedar or a wash to slide in on them.  I’ve killed 7 antelope with a bow none over water, and have yet to actually kill one from behind a decoy although I’ve decoyed some and tried plenty!  

I really don't want to sit water

[oz31p]

1 hour ago, QCwtAddict said:

I really don't want to sit water

I’m in the same boat. I have a 5B archery tag

[bigbuckfever]

Before you spend the money on a decoy you might want to try a napkin.  I heard antelope are real curious and they will come into a waving napkin.  I gave it a try one time and it worked to bring him closer.  I spotted a herd buck with about 20 does headed into a choke point that I knew led to a big clearing that was just shy of some RR tracks.  I knew I could circle around and come up to the side of where they were headed.  I was able to sneak up to about 80 yards keeping some spall patches of scrub brush in between us.  I knelt down and poked an arrow through a Taco Bell napkin and started waving it over top of the bush I was behind.  They all noticed it and the buck started walking my way.  There was another brush pile about 40 yards in front of me that I was hoping he would get to and if he went around it I might be able to get a shot.   He made it to the bush and I was starting to draw when the lead doe took off running.  he saw her and went after her while the rest of the herd stayed put.  When he brought her back to the group i started waving the napkin again.  He started coming my way again and when he just about got back to the bush that dang doe took off again.  He turned to get her once more.  This time I scurried over to the bush pile he ran from to cut the distance .  He got her back to the group and once again started coming my way.  Before i could draw that .itch took off again, this time the whole group went with her.  He stood there looking at me then he looked at them leaving and decided to follow them, leaving me there broken hearted.  I came so close but proved that the napkin worked.  That dang matriarch saved his bacon that day.  If they haven't seen this trick yet ,it might be worth a try.

[idgaf]

On 6/3/2021 at 10:31 AM, QCwtAddict said:

For those that have experience archery hunting antelope. Would I be better off to get a cow decoy or a pronghorn decoy? 

Depends on where you hunt. Alot of times they run the other way in a flat out run.  During my brother's hunt, I watched a guy with a antelope decoy scare them off, then a guy in a costume scare them off, then a guy in a painters suit scare them off.  In matter of 45 minutes. On my hunts these days I scoff at the guys with decoys. 

[Explorer]

4falls told me a cool story about sitting a blind and a coyote cruising though.  The buck started chasing the dog and the dog led the buck right into shooting range.  He said it was almost like the coyote knew he would get some food if he lured the buck into the kill zone.

[bigorange]

During my 19a hunt a few years ago I met a hunter wearing a “be the decoy hat” with a tan shirt. He ended up tagging out...sitting water and the buck was out of range. He waited until it walked behind the tank berm then left the blind with the hat on and slowly walked right past does into range of the buck. Sometimes decoys work and sometimes they don’t. 

[bigorange]

Similar coyote story I was sitting a tank and had a doe and fawns drinking. Coyote came right in to drink and didn’t pay attention to the antelope and they seemed to ignore him too. Took a shot at the coyote but arrow hit a strap on the blind and missed. 

[recurveman]

Go get a buck grunt call.   Just a normal eastern whitetail buck grunt call.  Louder the better.   When you hit the grunt call (if they are in the rut) they will run you over 75% of the time.     Works even better on the bucks that are with does because they feel like the buck is coming to cause trouble.   The other 25% of the time they run like heck the other direction.   If you also have a decoy it can get even more exciting!!!!!! 

Only figured this out one day because I was super crazy pissed at goats and tried every call (elk, rabbit, deer, coyote, quail, ect.) in my pack.   Just about got ran over with the deer grunt call.   who knew?

BTW - I believe that goats deserve to have a rifle pointed at them.    I will only hunt goats with a rifle moving forward and it will only be out of revenge!!!!!!  Though I did kill one with a bow.    Hence the revenge needed.