Here are two scenarios. Tell me which is more plausible.

No. 1: I’m in a tree in Kansas during mid-November, and a young buck decoy is 25 yards away. A big 8-pointer cruises through, and I get his attention with a grunt tube. He sees the decoy from 100 yards and immediately turns and comes to it. He swings around to go nose to nose with the decoy, but before he can start the fight, he begins running out of air, courtesy of a well-placed Thunderhead.

No. 2: I’m in a tree in Kansas during mid-November, and four does come into a small food plot, where they see the decoy. Instantly, the girls are on red alert, stiff-legged and terrified by the sight of the new kid on the block. They immediately turn tail and race back into the tree line.

OK, they’re both plausible. Deer decoys. Sometimes I love ’em, sometimes I hate ’em.

There’s little question that during the right conditions, decoys can help you kill mature bucks. It’s also true that, sometimes, a decoy will scare the pants off some deer — maybe all of them. I’ve used decoys enough to understand that when I set one out, it’s a roll of the dice. I’ve also learned that there’s a right and wrong way to use them, just as there’s a right and wrong time.

Here are some tips to help get the most out of deer decoys this season.

Know the Local Deer

You should understand something about your local deer herd before using decoys. It seems decoys are most effective when buck-to-doe ratios are not skewed heavily in favor of does. The more bucks, the better.

There are also some areas where I have tied decoying with poor results, but others where it seems to work. For example, I seem to have better luck with decoys when heavy rut activity is compressed into two or three weeks. Areas where the rut lasts a long time — the Deep South, for example — do not seem to be ideal for aggressive decoying. But again, you must try it to see if it works in your area.

Setting It Up

There’s no doubt that proper decoy placement is critical to getting deer where you need them for a good bow shot. Typically, when a buck approaches another buck aggressively, he does so head on. Place your buck decoy angling or facing directly toward your stand, 15 to 20 yards away. That will give the buck enough room to approach a bit to one side or directly between the decoy and the stand, with his attention focused away from you.

A buck decoy will generally only attract other bucks close. If you’re hunting an area with lots of does, think twice about using a buck decoy, because it might terrify the local matriarchal does. Conversely, a doe decoy can attract does, fawns and bucks. During the pre- and peak-rut periods, most bucks that see a lone doe decoy, or doe and fawn decoy, might come in for a closer look.

I prefer to place decoys at the edge of an open field or clearing that provides maximum visibility. A buck will often approach the decoy along the edge of the field or woods and then circle into the woods to approach it head-on. Try to keep the wind in your favor from the most likely route of approach, and set up so a buck approaching the decoy downwind will still give you a shot. In addition to a buck decoy, set a doe and fawn decoy closer to the stand at the edge of the woods. A full-bodied buck in the open and a couple of decoys at the edge of the woods is a deadly combo.

Also, try to keep your decoys positioned where an approaching deer will not be looking over the decoy directly at your setup.

Realism

All game animals are more readily attracted to a decoy that shows some motion. I’ve tried several tactics to give my deer decoys the appearance of movement, including hanging toilet paper, fluffy white cloth or strips cut from a white garbage bag on the ears and tail of my full-bodied decoys.

Nowadays, of course, manufacturers offer decoys with built-in motion. Some of it is imparted simply, with parts that flap and sway in the breeze. Others have electronic motors that let the tail and neck move on command from a handheld control. These are not legal in all states, so check local regulations before using one. Some decoys even have heads and tails that can be moved with a string pulled by the hunter. However you do it, adding motion adds realism, which translates into more effectiveness.

Odor Control

Deer will not tolerate a decoy that smells like a human, no matter how real it looks. Always wear rubber gloves when handling your decoy. When hunting season starts, clean your decoys, and spray them with a liquid odor neutralizer.

Some hunters like to use scent products with decoys, but others do not. I use a small scent bomb with the appropriate scent, whether it’s doe estrus with doe decoys or a territorial buck scent with a buck decoy. Scents add a touch of realism — but don’t overuse them. This is definitely a case of less is more. Rather than put the scent directly on the decoy, it’s better to place a small scent bomb on the ground between the decoy’s rear legs.

Don’t leave your decoys in position overnight. When I leave mine in the woods, I carry them away from the stand and stash them in a blowdown, brush pile or small depression. If it’s cold enough for frost, cover the decoys with brush, an old sheet or burlap sack. I tried plastic tarps, but they’re too noisy. A decoy glistening with frost in the morning will spook deer.

What Time of Day, Season Are Best?

My late friend Gary Clancy knew as much about deer decoying as anybody, and he experienced his best luck early in the day.

“Decoying is usually best in mornings as bucks return to bedding areas after an unsuccessful night of seeking does,” he told me once. “Bucks often willingly approach a doe decoy and often aggressively approach a buck decoy then. However, in the evenings, placing decoys in the corner of a field will sometimes draw in does, which can draw in bucks — assuming the doe decoy doesn’t terrify the local does,” he added.

Without a doubt, decoying is best during the pre-rut and rut. Although I generally believe in the silent approach to whitetail hunting, I do a complete 180 when I use decoys. Depending on conditions, I do a lot of calling and even some rattling. The purpose is to attract a buck close enough to see the decoys. When my calling gets their attention and brings bucks closer, I count on the decoys to do the rest of the heavy lifting.

When it happens, don’t rush the shot. One of the advantages of using a decoy is that deer will parade around and give you plenty of time to make a good shot.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. When a big buck is bristled up, staying calm is not easy. Attach your release, and get ready, but don’t dawdle. I once had a buck doing the dance around my decoy and then, without warning, he viciously attacked it, knocking it to the ground. When that happened, he was so startled he blasted off to the woods, never to be seen again.

Four Killer Setups

Decoys work best when set up in areas of high deer travel. Before and after the rut, set them along major trails, near bedding areas or at the edges of fields where deer feed. During the rut, set them near scrape or rub lines, but use caution near bedding areas to avoid polluting the area with your scent, sight and sound. Here are four killer setups for using decoys during the pre-rut and rut periods:

1. Corner them: When hunting a field, check the corners first. Bucks like to cut corners when searching for does. Also, even if bucks are cruising back in the timber off the edge of the field — which they often do — a corner gives you twice the odds of a buck passing near your decoy. Corners are also favorite entry and exit points for deer using a field.

2. Make your point: A lot of prime deer country consists of creek and river bottoms. There are usually gullies built by rain runoff that create a series of points jutting into the fields. You’ll often find that deer crossing the field usually cross from one point to another, often using the two points that jut farthest into the field. By doing that, deer reduce the amount of time they are exposed. The cool thing about those points is that no matter what direction the wind is from, one point will be huntable. If there are no huntable trees, a ground blind can work. Try to set it up so you can maximize visibility.

3. Use intersections: The place where two logging roads cross can be an excellent spot for a decoy setup. Big-woods deer use logging roads as travel lanes, and bucks frequently scrape along the edges of the roads. I like to find scrapes and rubs along the edges that indicate a rut travel corridor. You must be able to see at least a football field or two down at least two of the four roads leading from the intersection, so that cruising deer can see the decoy far enough away that it won’t startle them.

4. Multiples: Many hunters are discovering that a gaggle of decoys can be better than just one. In fact, I think a lone decoy during the pre-rut is more apt to spook deer than two or more. The most I have ever used? Five — a medium buck, a bedded doe, a standing doe and two fawns. Because of the number of decoys, that was really an evening-only deal best used on a field edge. You must get to the stand early enough to set the decoys up an hour or more before you expect deer to arrive. And it’s important to set the decoys where approaching deer can see them as far away as possible.

Conclusion

Give these killer decoy strategies a try this season. Fakes just might help you kill the biggest buck of your life.

— Bob Robb is a veteran whitetail bowhunter and professional outdoor writer and editor.