What have you guys had success with? I'm running a quiver critter in the woods and stuffed chicken when i hunt farms.
Only issues I have running a decoy is the yotes come running full bore at it and are hard to stop.
I have used the jack in the box since they came out and I have noticed just the oppisite in pa. most of the times they stop and take a look at it for a while before they ever think about coming in. if anything I have noticed it gives me extra time to get on em. I know the greys sure do like em. pretty funny when they keep comin up and bopin it with their nose.
Out of all the decoys I have had through the years. The whirling woodpecker is my all time favorite. When I use my Minaska Big Country I use the built in decoy.
My experiences are more on the line of Ben's they usually pause when they see it. After that they may run on in but not always.
Rich your probably the best decoy money can't buy. You coyote ugly sob :laf:
I really want one of those minaska side winders. I like the way it wiggles and stuff and I can run it from my bandit or it can run solo.
If the old saying is true, "eastern hunters call in way more than they see" then maybe a little movement would make them come in for a closer look.
then again, maybe not.
I don't use decoys and probably won't in the future either. I hunt some fairly open country, and usually have about a 1/4 to half mile of a walk into the stand. I don't have anything against decoys, but it is just one more thing to haul into the field and out. I set up to where I have at least 200 yards or more in front of me of open space that I can see them coming. I get closter phobic sitting in a timber while calling. I've called in that thick stuff before, and they always come from the direction I don't expect em. Maybe a decoy would help in the timber for me, maybe not. :confused: I'd much rather call them out of the timber though into the wide open. :biggrin:
Brian
I have a foxpro JIB and it's a nice decoy but I don't use it much. I've found that I usually have enough gear to carry and the decoy is just to much to fool with. The few times I did use it the foxes, threw on the brakes to check it out though.
bootmud
I use the decoy alot. It sure makes em stop for a look and that's all I want them to do. I carry mine in a backpack all hooked up and ready to go. All I do is take it out and turn the Foxpro on and the decoy on. After the first set I leave the decoy on on and turn the Foxpro off when I load it up into the backpack. It makes it easy and quiet. Next set I just turn on the Foxpro and start calling.
I have thought about trying the woodpecker decoy. How long will the batteries last?
I've looked at them, but it seemed like they needed to make a better way of attaching it.
I've been using that whirling woodpecker. I have had several large birds of prey actually attack it and more than a few crows go bezerk around it. I am still waiting for a coyote or bobcat to respond.
On one occasion a hawk was lit up in a tree right next to the woodpecker as several crows were flying and raising cane up above. Out of nowhere comes another hawk at full speed down through the skyline, into the trees like a bullett. In less than a half a second he had slammed the whiriling woodpecker and vanished. He never broke his flight path. I finished the stand but when I retreived the woodpecker from the ground he had no wing. Only the spinning wire was left. The hawk had snatched the wing right off of it. I had to rig a turkey feather onto that wire.
....and I've also been through a bunch of batteries. I need a four legged fur bearer to come in to the decoy soon before I decide to put it on ebay. I guess I just need to hang in there.
JB
I've used decoys often over the years, but not any of those battery operated thingy's. A simple feather or fluff on a string tied to a convienient branch moving with the wind always worked just fine for me.
QuoteI have thought about trying the woodpecker decoy. How long will the batteries last?
Standard AA battery only last me one stand. I use the rechargeable batteries they last 2 to 3 stands. I have lots of them so I always have some charged ones with me. If you bought the 4 rechargeable battery pack with charger they would last you for years.
QuoteI have thought about trying the woodpecker decoy. How long will the batteries last?
I've only had mine for a couple of weeks, but it seems like, depending on the temp, one or two stands at best. I just bought some rechargables.
Pat
Seems like you guys are really having good results with your decoys. I might have to give the JIB a bit more action next year.
Does anyone have luck using the JIB at night using the little LED light? Does it spook the critters at all?
Thanks, bootmud
curt I use it at night on full moon nights that I hunt just like daytime anyhow. so I never use the light. other then that I believe that you hunt with your shooter right beside you right? if ya got the light in their eyes they can't see it no matter anyhow. on the full moon nights I set up for fox just like day time and wait till they are within range to hit em with the scope mounted light so they can see the decoy just fine.
Ben,
Good point, never really thought that they wouldn't be able to see the decoy with the light on em. :doh2:
I just haven't used the decoys much, there's enough dagone stuff to carry.
bootmud
QuoteI just haven't used the decoys much, there's enough dagone stuff to carry
I hunted with a guy once who had the jack in the box, and it did seem like too much to carry if you had to walk very far.
I just got a Mojo Critter last week. Haven't had a chance to use it yet, but it's fairly light and has some good movement. Was planning on getting out this weekend, but were getting another storm :argh:
i would rather have a decoy then not. it keeps the movement away from the hunter
I tot my jib and foxpro in a backpack. That backpack of mine is like a puppy to me. If I go someplace and don't grab it the darn thing whines in the corner. I made a home made topper for it out of some old faux fur and the action is pretty good. I have had a number of animals come in and stare but no coyotes yet. One owl flew in and landed on a branch no more than 10 feet from the decoy. It just sat there and stared, not moving for 15 minutes. He flew away without diving at it but it was fun watching the owl from my stand. By the way, I was about 12 feet :huh:from the owl, so we were kind-of up close and personal. :iroll:
Dont ya just love that ~bordy?
If your like me ya cant help but wonder how many yotes did the same thing but we never seen them because we was busy watching the hawks and owls :innocentwhistle: :laf:
You know Jim, you are probably right. I do pay attention to actually "coyote hunting" when I am out but those little things sometimes seem to keep our attention more. That little lady bug crawling across the log, the red squirrel that doesn't know where he hid the acorn, and the list goes on and on. Maybe that is what I spend so much time in the woods for!
But I can hear some of the responses now :rolleye: :rolleye: :rolleye: :rolleye: :shck: :shck:
I have a few decoys, with a few homemade models. I have more owls and ravens come in to check out the decoys than predators, but they definitely help keep things more "controlled" when something commits. With the Lynx, they lock in and I could probably get up and do jumping jacks without spooking them. :laf:
I haven't tried some of the new Coyote form decoys, but I'd bet they'd do wonders if a wolf was in the area.
I've used a quiver critter a few times but not enough to be fair about its effectiveness. It seems like it ought to work but I haven't given it a fair chance yet.
Semp
Snow
Calling in a lynx must be quite a rush. What type of sounds do you use? And what kind of success ratio could a guy expect. They must be few and far between. Any pictures?
Thanks
Greenside,
Lynx are pretty exciting, but they're probably like hunting Bobcats, just with lots of snow. The success ratio is directly related to the Lynx cycle and the area you're in. If you can get into an area that isn't trapped much and has good sign, I'd venture to guess that a guy could do pretty good. I know a guy who killed around 60 of them one season, but it was out in the boondox and they were at the high in their cycle. There is a really short season for them here in the unit I hunt and I seem to have a knack for calling them right after the season closes. I had a beautiful double come in last year as I was sitting high above a mixed clearing with low bush surrounded by a tall stand of White Spruce. It was just awesome to watch the two of them come in from totally different directions. They're sneaky and will use whatever cover they can to get as close as possible to the sound. Don't expect those guys to cross a big open field during the daylight hours. Find lots of snowshoe hares and look for fresh tracks and start calling, it'll pay off.
I have the mojo critter. For me it was the "perfect" decoy. I was looking for something more than a vibrating rabbit and this was it. For $35 it was hard to beat. It's not all that big either so the weight is not really an issue. On the mojo website there are two different videos of the critter in action that really helped me make my decision.
(http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj179/rrvil/DSC05100.jpg)