Not many hunters use decoys during the first week or two of the bow season. So I guess you might say that I am the exception to the rule, because I rarely sit on stand during the early season without a decoy out in front of me.
The author says he rarely bowhunts in the early season without a decoy in front of him.
If I am looking to put an early season doe in the Clancy freezer, I use a doe decoy. As is the case with bucks, does know every other doe within their area, and when they see a doe they do not recognize, curiosity gets the best of them and they will usually come over to see who the stranger might be. That’s a bad mistake.
With three daughters who were brought up on venison and three grandsons who think that deer meat is the best meat of all (OK, maybe the pepperoni on their pizza ranks first), I am always looking to fill any antlerless tag available. Usually, I do not call when looking for a doe, but if a doe is going to pass me by without seeing the decoy, I will attempt to get her attention with a soft doe bleat. If that fails I will use a fawn bleat call, but that my friends, is fodder for a column of its own.
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Gary Clancy writes a twice-monthly column for sportsmansguide.com. Gary has hunted whitetail deer in 20 different states and provinces. He has harvested many record-book animals, and presented hunting seminars from Tennessee to Wisconsin. Gary also has authored or co-authored six hunting books, four on whitetail hunting.