How To Use Deer Decoys In The Rut

By John Dudley / Petersen’s Bowhunting

One of my most memorable hunting experiences happened on a November afternoon while using a whitetail decoy. I was hunting at a friend’s farm in Iowa and attempting to hunt a treestand along the edge of an alfalfa field. I had carried my archery gear, my camera and my decoy a long way into this spot my friend suggested, only to discover the old stand had all but fallen apart and was not safe to use.

I was furious, to say the least. This was a perfect November rut day and definitely not one you want to waste. I shook my head, bad mouthed my buddy, grabbed my decoy and stomped back across this wide-open field. While muttering a few choice words to myself, I looked back over my shoulder.

About 100 yards away, on the edge of the alfalfa, stood a huge buck where I was about to hunt. Go figure! I thought as I stopped to gaze at what would have been my biggest bow kill to date. While I was feeling sorry for myself, the buck stared at me, put his head down and started coming right to me! CONTINUE READING ARTICLE