Last week we discussed on these pages the use of decoys for waterfowl. Must be I a hit a nerve or two, between the holiday weekend get togethers, handful of emails and social media messages, the question has been broached about deer decoys.

Let me make a few things clear. Using deer decoys is best done when every person on the property knows you are using them. For obvious reasons, safety is very important. This is why, personally, no matter where I am hunting, I only use deer decoys during the archery season. All remember safety first.

Next, nothing is a given. Just because you put a decoy doesn’t mean that every deer in a five-mile radius comes running. Nothing can be further from the truth. Deer by their nature are curious critters, but they’re not stupid.

Placement — whether how far out or which direction the decoy is facing — is important. Which to use — a doe or buck decoy — is also important. If you use a buck, how large should the buck be?

Questions? There are many, so let’s see if we can answer these and maybe touch on a few more.

Personally, I have hunted with just about every decoy for decades now, often with success and just as many times without. There are many keys to hunting decoys, no matter if it’s turkey, ducks, geese or deer.

We have a small building on our property that is filled to the brim with said decoys. I’m still learning each season about little things when using decoys. One of the first things I tell folks about hunting with decoys is they are tools and they should be used as pieces of your hunting puzzle. What decoys aren’t is a sure-fire way to fill your tags. When used properly, they will increase your odds on seeing game and getting them close enough for a humane kill.

When hunting with deer decoys, the single most important key that must be at the top of your mind at all times, is safety. On more than one occasion I have had hunters come into the decoys. Years ago, we were hunting a huge freshly cut field with several dozens of goose decoys set out. The setup could be seen from the road, but you had to really look for them. On two separate occasions, we had hunters stalk our decoy spread to the point we stopped hunting that field. Some would say, “How could this happen?” Well, I don’t know, but it did. Fortunately, we saw what was going on and stopped the stalk, but it was a little unnevering at the time.

When hunting with deer decoy, rifle shots can be made from a long distance so safety has got to be the key. Here are a couple of suggestions when hunting with deer decoys. Know the land you are hunting and who is hunting on the same land you are. Try and keep the decoy so it can’t be spotted from the road or access points. This is why, personally, I use deer decoys during archery season.

Over the past several years, the decoys industry has really stepped up its game. From the texture of deer decoys to moving parts, the industry has made these tools so life-like it can be difficult to tell the difference at a distance, which is what they are designed for.

During archery hunting, keep the decoys scent free. I prefer not to place scent on the decoy itself. but do spend time to spray it down with a scent eliminator after I set it up. Even though I wear rubber gloves when touching my deer decoys, I still spray it down.

Keep the rear end of the decoy facing you and the ambush point and keep the decoy about halfway out of your effective archery range. If you are good out to 35 yards, keep the decoy at 15 yards. Remember, the idea of the decoy is to bring the deer into your effective range.

Over the years I have watched everything from fawns to mature does to spikes to monsters all come into a decoy and they generally come in first and smell the butt of the decoy first. If set up properly, this should give you a nice broadside shot. The look and style of your decoy should fit into the area you are hunting. There is no reason to put a monster 12-point decoy out if your scouting is showing 8-pointers. The larger decoy will do nothing more than spook every deer that sees it on to the next property. Keep your decoy smaller or average size as the deer in the area.

There are many companies that make good quality deer decoys. When looking for a decoy, especially a deer decoy, I want something that is lifelike. Also make sure your decoy is easy to carry into your hunting area. Lightweight, lifelike and ease of transportation in a decoy and you have my money.

Primos has a decoy called Scar. He is a full-bodied buck decoy that has a good track record of attracting other bucks. The Scar is a quality material. It is designed and tested for the toughest environments and situations.

Its realistic design lures the deer to your hunting spot. No matter what type of hunter you are, this decoy will fit all types of hunting styles.

Movement of your decoy is one of the crucial features for your success in deer hunting. With the Scar, the slightest breeze will move the tail and head naturally. The antlers on this decoy are removable so that you can use them as a doe decoy during the rut. Besides, it is very easy to carry with all parts fitting into the body cavity.

There is a doe decoy that I have used for a few years now with great success. It’s made by Rinehart — yes, the same folks that build deer targets. The one thing about the Rinehart is how light the decoy is. As it is lightweight, a little bit of wind gives it some natural ability to draw the attention of deer from a distance. With its unique design and lifelike movement, this decoy proves to be an appealing appearance to big game and predators alike.

The award-winning sculpture design stimulates even the weariest animal’s curiosity. This decoy features exclusive Rinehart quiet foam, a compact easy carry design, and lifelike movements.

The body parts can be easily detached for easy storage. Due to its rubber coating design, it is very easy to carry and set up. It also offers a removable antler to change from a buck to doe.

The Rinehart Targets doe decoy I use is light and easy to carry. To pack it up, it includes a carrying bag with shoulder strap. Comparing the quality, weight and other features, this is one of the lightest decoys available in the hunting marketplace, which brings me a concern. It’s almost too lightweight on windy days, especially during the latter part of the archery season in our part of Whitetail Country.

We touched on scent when using a deer decoy and how to eliminate it, but how about placing scent on the decoy itself? This has been our experience — don’t put any scent on the decoy.

Let me explain myself. If you place scent on a decoy that you have been using for a couple seasons, the old scent that was on it since last season was there. Case in point: When I first started using deer decoys, I would put scent on the rear hind quarter of the decoy. After the first season of use, I stored the decoy in a large plastic bag to keep scent off it Yes, you guessed it, when I opened that decoy bag the following fall to use the decoy smelled something terrible.

In my naivete, I was using both a variety of doe and buck scent on the decoy. I threw that decoy out and later on I would place the scent under the decoys, with a nice scent trail going right to the decoy. This setup has worked wonders for me over the past several years.

As long as we keep our decoys scent free, by the time the deer figures out what is going on, you should have had an opportunity for a good clean kill shot.

Hunting over deer decoys is a lot of fun and will bring your hunting this fall to another level. Remember, usee a decoy with safety in mind at all times.