Looking for any advice / experiences from those who have used decoys when archery elk hunting.

Thanks,
CT

We use one every year with one set of guide / hunter teams, they are convinced it's a must - they use the Montana Decoy cow elk butt, or the cow frontal shot.

I have a great video of three bowhunters laying behind the MDC full body sideview cow elk decoy with a bull we called in - he's within 10 yards for 20-30 seconds, and trying figure why the cow elk has 6 legs...

We'll end up calling this same bull back in to us four more times over several hours before I get an arrow in him.

IMHO - they work for some situations, as they do provide something familiar for the animal to focus on, especially when he / she is coming to a call or sound that they can associate with what looks right.

I've tried the bow mounted cow decoy, it's not for me, but there's a great story in this forum with a good sized bull arrowed while using it.

My buddy has a pair of camouflage pants with an arrow hole through the lower calf. He wasn’t hit. Some one saw his decoy at dusk and shot at it . The arrow went thru the decoy and into his blind. Be carful how you position the decoy.

I have used them. While I was successful getting a bull, I wasn’t using the decoy at that set.

I would keep mine in my pack, but only used it every now and then. All depended on the set, location, wind, sun location, etc.

In a sentence, I would keep it in your bag of tricks, but don’t rely on it. Same goes for camouflage, cover scent, and the like. All will help, but nothing beats watching the wind, staying still, and simple hunting skill.

If your thought is to deploy it at the end near a large opening in the trees and think a bull will come to your call and decoy, it’s most likely not gonna work.

I’ve had good luck using two Montana decoys during archery and muzzleloading. We’re on private but be careful if hunting on public with them.

I've used Miss September before and it has held a bulls attention long enough to get an arrow in him