As the sun began to set over the mountaintop meadow we could hear the bull bugle back to us from a thick mess of timber and oak brush. It was so dry, stalking was out of the question and calling had little effect over the stubborn bull. We knew he was there but he never came out into the meadow until dark, this did us no good. We needed something to entice him into the open, some sort of secret elk weapon he hadn’t seen before. I looked at my hunter and said, “It’s time to bust out Kiki!” I had never got such a puzzled look in my life. You see Kiki is the name of my Cow Elk Montana Decoy; she is the temptress of all elk temptresses. Sometimes calls alone just aren’t enough, sometimes a bull needs to see what he’s working with.
The next day we setup in the same location but this time we put Kiki out in the middle of the meadow. As the sun started to drop in the sky I began my calling sequence just like the days before. Without warning there the bull was, out of the timber and heading straight for the decoy. When he got about 20 yards away from her he immediately stopped and just stared her down. Before the bull could figure out what was going on it was over. Another wary bull had fallen victim to my seductive decoy.
Over the years I have tricked numerous elk into range with the help of my Montana Decoys. The three situations I most often employ the decoy are when hunting a meadow, hunting a waterhole, and calling in cover. The following tips are what I do to create success with the help of an elk decoy.
Bringing them out into the open:
Oftentimes we as hunters find high country parks with more elk sign then we know what to do with, but rarely see elk feeding in them, or when we do see elk out in the open they are too far away to get a shot off. I don’t know how many times I have setup only to have the elk come out on the other side of the meadow. Most bulls, especially in areas with high pressure, may come to the edges of these parks before dark but often won’t step out into the open during day light.
When setting up to hunt a meadow I first go to the downwind side, using an elk cover sent to mask my smell (where permitted by law). Although one decoy will work, for large meadows I use multiple decoys, making it look like a group of cows. This is beneficial because when using multiple decoys you can angle them differently to catch the bull’s eye wherever he comes out at. The next step is to setup where you will be hidden but still have a shot. Don’t be afraid to create a blind if there is nowhere else to hide. Positioning yourself for the shot is imperative to your success when using a decoy.
Once setup I start calling about an hour or more after I have been there. If you think you entered quietly or it is close to sun down you may not have to wait this long. I call sparingly just to let the bulls know there are cows in the area. I stick with cow calling and make it sound like there is more than one different cow (try three or four different cow calls). If you are hunting with a partner it is best if they go back into the timber behind you and bugle. This imitates a bull trying to communicate with the cows in the meadow. Oftentimes the bull may stay in the timber and go to the bugle; this means that both hunters can have an equal chance at success.
When hunting decoys in the open remember to keep alert. Seventy percent of the elk I get to come out into a meadow come strait to the decoys without making a sound. This is because the bull can see the cows so he doesn’t have to call to locate them. Satellite bulls are notorious for coming into the decoys silent, especially if you have a buddy bugling in the timber behind you. When a satellite bull knows that he can’t win cows by fighting he will come in to sneak one of the cow decoys away from the bugling bull (your buddy) in the timber. Targeting this kind of elk behavior can help you become successful on bulls that ordinarily won’t present a shot when using calls only.
You can check out a video I made, where I use the decoys to draw a bull across a fence and out into an open meadow in New Mexico. The footage is on the second page of our video section at www.montanaoutwest.com, titled Montana Decoy. http://www.montanaoutwest.com/video_placeholder.html
Stand over water:
Oftentimes the decoys can make a great confidence booster to wary elk coming in to a waterhole to wallow or drink. I setup the decoy across the water from the trail that I think the elk is most likely to come down. If possible place the decoy downwind of where the bull is expected to come from. I like to place a tree stand above the water, or a ground blind between the trail I think the bull will come in on and the decoy. The reason I want the decoy downwind is that many times the bull will try to circle around in order to catch the decoy’s scent. By placing yourself between the decoy and where you believe the bull will come from you increase your chance for a shot.
Using a decoy over water is particularly effective at helping direct elk to the wallow you are sitting on when there are several wallows in the same area. By using light cow calling in conjunction with the decoy you are able to entice the bull to your location. Elk are social by nature and feel more comfortable when they see other elk. The visual sight of the decoy sends a message to other elk that the area is safe from danger, making them more likely to commit to your setup.
Calling them in:
When calling with two people I have the hunter sneak in as close as possible to the bugling bull then setup the decoy while the caller stays back. The hunter should then position himself between the bull and the decoy so he has a broadside shot when the bull comes in headfirst to the decoy. The caller should remain about a hundred yards back to help draw the bull into a line of sight from the decoy. When setup like this the hunter at the decoy should use some light cow calling to help coax the bull his direction and make the bull aware that there is some distance between the bugling bull and the cows. If a call shy bull hears bugling and then sees a cow in between him and the other bull his instincts may be to round up that cow and heard it off. By using a decoy the hunter can be given a chance at a bull that won’t come into a bugle alone.
When the decoy is used in combination with calls and scents it adds a realistic element to the setup. The more senses you can trick the more likely you are to get a shot at a bull. By using cover scents, calls, and a decoy you will have a better chance of tricking the eyes, ears, and nose of your next bull. With many bulls across the West becoming call shy decoys can be that ace up your sleeve, the difference between bringing in that bull and going home empty.
©Remi Warren
The next day we setup in the same location but this time we put Kiki out in the middle of the meadow. As the sun started to drop in the sky I began my calling sequence just like the days before. Without warning there the bull was, out of the timber and heading straight for the decoy. When he got about 20 yards away from her he immediately stopped and just stared her down. Before the bull could figure out what was going on it was over. Another wary bull had fallen victim to my seductive decoy.
Over the years I have tricked numerous elk into range with the help of my Montana Decoys. The three situations I most often employ the decoy are when hunting a meadow, hunting a waterhole, and calling in cover. The following tips are what I do to create success with the help of an elk decoy.
Bringing them out into the open:
Oftentimes we as hunters find high country parks with more elk sign then we know what to do with, but rarely see elk feeding in them, or when we do see elk out in the open they are too far away to get a shot off. I don’t know how many times I have setup only to have the elk come out on the other side of the meadow. Most bulls, especially in areas with high pressure, may come to the edges of these parks before dark but often won’t step out into the open during day light.
When setting up to hunt a meadow I first go to the downwind side, using an elk cover sent to mask my smell (where permitted by law). Although one decoy will work, for large meadows I use multiple decoys, making it look like a group of cows. This is beneficial because when using multiple decoys you can angle them differently to catch the bull’s eye wherever he comes out at. The next step is to setup where you will be hidden but still have a shot. Don’t be afraid to create a blind if there is nowhere else to hide. Positioning yourself for the shot is imperative to your success when using a decoy.
Once setup I start calling about an hour or more after I have been there. If you think you entered quietly or it is close to sun down you may not have to wait this long. I call sparingly just to let the bulls know there are cows in the area. I stick with cow calling and make it sound like there is more than one different cow (try three or four different cow calls). If you are hunting with a partner it is best if they go back into the timber behind you and bugle. This imitates a bull trying to communicate with the cows in the meadow. Oftentimes the bull may stay in the timber and go to the bugle; this means that both hunters can have an equal chance at success.
When hunting decoys in the open remember to keep alert. Seventy percent of the elk I get to come out into a meadow come strait to the decoys without making a sound. This is because the bull can see the cows so he doesn’t have to call to locate them. Satellite bulls are notorious for coming into the decoys silent, especially if you have a buddy bugling in the timber behind you. When a satellite bull knows that he can’t win cows by fighting he will come in to sneak one of the cow decoys away from the bugling bull (your buddy) in the timber. Targeting this kind of elk behavior can help you become successful on bulls that ordinarily won’t present a shot when using calls only.
You can check out a video I made, where I use the decoys to draw a bull across a fence and out into an open meadow in New Mexico. The footage is on the second page of our video section at www.montanaoutwest.com, titled Montana Decoy. http://www.montanaoutwest.com/video_placeholder.html
Stand over water:
Oftentimes the decoys can make a great confidence booster to wary elk coming in to a waterhole to wallow or drink. I setup the decoy across the water from the trail that I think the elk is most likely to come down. If possible place the decoy downwind of where the bull is expected to come from. I like to place a tree stand above the water, or a ground blind between the trail I think the bull will come in on and the decoy. The reason I want the decoy downwind is that many times the bull will try to circle around in order to catch the decoy’s scent. By placing yourself between the decoy and where you believe the bull will come from you increase your chance for a shot.
Using a decoy over water is particularly effective at helping direct elk to the wallow you are sitting on when there are several wallows in the same area. By using light cow calling in conjunction with the decoy you are able to entice the bull to your location. Elk are social by nature and feel more comfortable when they see other elk. The visual sight of the decoy sends a message to other elk that the area is safe from danger, making them more likely to commit to your setup.
Calling them in:
When calling with two people I have the hunter sneak in as close as possible to the bugling bull then setup the decoy while the caller stays back. The hunter should then position himself between the bull and the decoy so he has a broadside shot when the bull comes in headfirst to the decoy. The caller should remain about a hundred yards back to help draw the bull into a line of sight from the decoy. When setup like this the hunter at the decoy should use some light cow calling to help coax the bull his direction and make the bull aware that there is some distance between the bugling bull and the cows. If a call shy bull hears bugling and then sees a cow in between him and the other bull his instincts may be to round up that cow and heard it off. By using a decoy the hunter can be given a chance at a bull that won’t come into a bugle alone.
When the decoy is used in combination with calls and scents it adds a realistic element to the setup. The more senses you can trick the more likely you are to get a shot at a bull. By using cover scents, calls, and a decoy you will have a better chance of tricking the eyes, ears, and nose of your next bull. With many bulls across the West becoming call shy decoys can be that ace up your sleeve, the difference between bringing in that bull and going home empty.
©Remi Warren
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