Anyone else have experiences with them... good or bad? (No vendors please ElkMtnGear)

 

I haven't had much experience with decoys, so this is just speculation, but I think that if you are hunting a watering hole, you already have an attractant there (the water) and have a good idea of where the elk are going to go. I wouldn't try to compound it with the decoy. If you are just setting up on a random "elky" looking meadow, I would use the decoy to draw them to a specific spot that they otherwise might not come to. Like I said, though, I usually don't hunt with a decoy.

 

Agree. 1st thing I was thinking.

 

Not the elk but same experience with the Montana antelope decoys and water holes. I think the decoy's have their place but sitting at a water hole where the animals can study them isn't it.

 

My friends and I have had the Montana Decoys seal the deal for us on for occasions. They distracted bulls at the right time, allowing us to draw and make the shot.

 

Using decoys on water is a bad idea IMHO (and I am in the business). Animals tend to come in very cautiously to water...and a younger bull will oftentimes bug out if he thinks there are other elk around (especially if he's had his ass whupped a few times).

I think the best way to decoy is to "flash" it in a dynamic situation, or in a calling encounter where the bull wants visual confirmation (running and gunning). It can be effective in a wide open setup, but that can go either way. Personally if I'm ambushing a meadow's edge...I'll tuck the decoy back in the timber a little ways...just so they can get a partial view of it.

Just my 2 cents (I know you singled me out, but I do have a little experience using decoys):wink:

 

To the op
Vendor or not.....this is sound advice. Your hissy fit at him was entertaining though.

 

Yeah I agree with all of you about using decoys at water holes. Elk are cautious about approaching water holes sometimes, and other times I have had them trot right in as if they didn't have a care in the world, and just wanted to get a drink and get wet.

So I was using them thinking that they would tend to make wary elk less worried about approaching water. That apparently does not work so well.

elkmtngear:
As you know I already have one of your umbrellas with 2 different elk patterns. The decoy umbrella has to be carried around along with all the other crap I carry around, and will be hiking easily 3 miles each hunt, often creeping through thickets and brush. Most of this is just locating bulls, and a small percentage of it is actual stalking or calling. The umbrella is pretty good sized, and if you tried to hook it to a pack, I'd probably just lose it. If I held it in my hand, how then would I shoot my bow? I suppose I could find a way to attach it securely to my pack some how, but then when I was hiking around locating (throwing out a bugle here and there) and got an answer a few hundred yards away, and the elk comes running (which happened twice this year), I'm certainly not going to be screwing around with the umbrella. I'm going to be getting my bow ready, and getting set up.

Now if I'm working a bull that has his cows, and doesn't want to come in, or is being cagey and circling, I could see a possible use for the umbrella, or a Montana (which is easier to carry, and looks more realistic I suppose), but I haven't been able to convince myself that it is worth it lugging the umbrella around on the chance that I would be able to actually use it.

And so it sits in the back up the pickup cab, in case one of my hunting friends cares to try it, but so far I haven't had any takers.

 

Yeah I agree with all of you about using decoys at water holes. Elk are cautious about approaching water holes sometimes, and other times I have had them trot right in as if they didn't have a care in the world, and just wanted to get a drink and get wet.

So I was using them thinking that they would tend to make wary elk less worried about approaching water. That apparently does not work so well.

elkmtngear:
As you know I already have one of your umbrella with 2 different elk patterns. The decoy umbrella has to be carried around along with all the other crap I carry around, and will be hiking easily 3 miles each hunt, often creeping through thickets and brush. Most of this is just locating bulls, and a small percentage of it is actual stalking or calling. The umbrella is pretty good sized, and if you tried to hook it to a pack, I'd probably just lose it. If I held it in my hand, how then would I shoot my bow? I suppose I could find a way to attach it securely to my pack some how, but then when I was hiking around locating (throwing out a bugle here and there) and got an answer a few hundred yards away, and the elk comes running (which happened twice this year), I'm certainly not going to be screwing around with the umbrella. I'm going to be getting my bow ready, and getting set up.

Now if I'm working a bull that has his cows, and doesn't want to come in, or is being cagey and circling, I could see a possible use for the umbrella, or a Montana (which is easier to carry, and looks more realistic I suppose), but I haven't been able to convince myself that it is worth it lugging the umbrella around on the chance that I would be able to actually use it.

And so it sits in the back up the pickup cab, in case one of my hunting friends cares to try it, but so far I haven't had any takers.

I walk with mine. Always. That's the way it's designed...to be used as a trekking pole. My bow hangs on a bowhook on my daypack, I can have it drawn in seconds. If I need to deploy the decoy, it's done in less than a second.

I run and gun like this through some of the nastiest crap you can imagine. Day in and day out.

Some people just can't hunt that way, and I understand that. Send me a PM and I will take the unit off your hands for a full refund.

 

I'm not asking for a refund. The thread subject is not about your umbrella, and you are trolling.

 

Dude, I gave an impartial (general) response to your question, and you countered by trashing me (which had nothing to do with my response BTW).

So I responded, I'm sorry you feel cheated or whatever by me, and I'm a Sponsor as well, so, yeah, not trolling. Just defending myself.

There are classier ways to handle a purchase you feel bad about. I would have easily made it right for you if you had just contacted me.

 

Dude...
I specifically asked you and vendors to stay out of it. You ignored the request, for the obvious reason that your opinion is biased, and in the process of you ignoring the simple request, you managed to state the some can't handle the cool run and gun method you use. Pretty danged arrogant, and you have managed to trash my thread which was never about your product in the first place.

And because you did that, I have every right to tell you my honest opinion about your product, which others share.

If you can't handle the truth, you should have stayed out of it like I initially requested. Trolling is against the rules here.

 

Wow. Kind of a jerk off response. The guy wasnt trying to sell anything. He replied as a 'hunter'. You asked for advice, he offered his opinion. When YOU brought up hos product, and voiced your displeasure with it, he offered to make it right. Most consider that good customer service. I guess there will always be jerks out there that are never happy tho.
Happy hunting

 

Please tell me how this response is in any way biased?

"Using decoys on water is a bad idea IMHO (and I am in the business). Animals tend to come in very cautiously to water...and a younger bull will oftentimes bug out if he thinks there are other elk around (especially if he's had his ass whupped a few times).

I think the best way to decoy is to "flash" it in a dynamic situation, or in a calling encounter where the bull wants visual confirmation (running and gunning). It can be effective in a wide open setup, but that can go either way. Personally if I'm ambushing a meadow's edge...I'll tuck the decoy back in the timber a little ways...just so they can get a partial view of it".

Just my 2 cents (I know you singled me out, but I do have a little experience using decoys)

 

What do I need to to to get you to stay out of this thread... report you?

 

OK, I'm out. I had no intention of jacking your thread, I was sincerely trying to help you with my response, vendors are hunters too.

 

I personally would not use a decoy over water. I would and do use decoys for elk and would consider a decoy a tool to be used in certain situations, such as trying to pull a LONESOME bull past you if you are calling by yourself. There are other situations I am sure but over water that they are already coming to would not be one that would come to mind.

 

ive considered all of this before, and I think an elk decoy over water is the wrong way to go. elk move, and elk slowly coming in would surely notice a lack of movement of the decoy id think. but I also think in the right calling situation, in some cover, that a decoy could be just the ticket to bring one in close enough.

 

I have had really good success with my decoy. The trick is to set it up in a manner where you can get between the elk and the decoy, so they don't get too close to it. Though I realize they don't always come in the direction you want them to

 

Buddy of mine has had probably a 70/30 positive ratio on using his miss sept montana decoy. Has has several bulls run past him to get to the decoy only to stop and stare at it when 5 yards away. He had shot one of them. Had had some come in and then bolt too.
He had one bull come running in and actually stick his nose in the dekes bum and take a sniff of that estrus lure he put on on there. He then bumped it with his nose and the decoy moved. Buddy was trying not to laugh as this rag horn dink of a bull getting all hornied up on his decoy. Bull took a few steps back and stared at the decoy, then he noticed buddy standing about 15 yds off at full draw out in the open. Buddy passed on the shot, and let down, He said the bull just walked off like someone just took his prom queen date away. LOL

 

I used a heads up decoy last year allot. one mid day I was ninja-ing up on a herd Id been dogging all morning, I had about a 10 yard clearing to crawl across till my shot was clear. I was then pinned down by a spike bull on a hill 90 yards behind me with my target herd about 30 yards in front of me.
In plain view of that spike behind me barking, I pulled out my heads up from my pack, set it up, wagged it around a few times like it was feeding and all. The herd out in front of me saw the decoy and stated calming down, spike kept barking then finally jumped the fence and passed by me at at about 50 yards to get to the herd. Kept my stalk up with the herd for another hour or so as they moved down the drainage but could never get a clear shot of the elk thru the brush.
I can say this decoy use had a calming effect on the elk and helped in this situation.

 

Decoys on water isn't the best idea. I'd only use a decoy in a calling situation or to try to move a bull a bit closer to a pre determined area.

 

I've been able to get closer in the wide open prairie with the decoy than I ever did without. I feel they work, like others say they aren't needed over water for the fact that they want to already come into the water and then when they get close to an object that is just a lifeless chunk of fabric they will spook. Once up close it obviously won't look natural.

 

OK I ate a snickers. Didn't help. I did specifically say "no vendors please".

 

Yeah, might as well say no hunters as well because why help a guy unwilling to take advice.

 

Are you thread crapping? Where do you see I am not willing to take advice. I already said I agreed with most of what was said.
Give it a break and think about it.

 

I think you were out of line Elvis. elkmtngear handled it well.

 

My intent of the thread was for end user hunters to discuss to share opinions on the use of Montana elk decoys... and the consensus was that water holes not the best place to use them unless they are somewhat back out of the way... almost not even noticeable. Yeah I tend to agree with that after my own experience.

And then also, that they work in more dynamic settings with bulls. I suspect that is true.

I agree I was probably out of line in how harshly I dealt with ElkMtngear, but then what part of "no vendors please ElkMtnGear" in the second post was not clear?

And the reason I said that, is because I have seen him get on decoy threads to promote his product. I think it would be pretty obvious to most of you why I wouldn't want that, but don't mind spelling it out again for all.
1) You won't see him saying anything negative about his product... why? He wants to sell them obviously.
2) The subject started off with discussing Montana elk decoys, not ElkMtnGear's decoys which are different.
3) The subject also started off discussing the use of said decoys at water holes. ElkMtnGear said in post #12

"Using decoys on water is a bad idea IMHO (and I am in the business).

Really? Then explain this pic from their website. Hmm... should you... or shouldn't you... use them at water holes?

4) My intent was to have end users only to discuss, and not have someone come on to promote their own product, as I have seen ElkMtnGear do before, and is exactly why I singled him out in post #2.


And BTW, the MontanaElkDecoy website shows them being used at water holes as well, and have videos of them being sniffed, and even attempting to be "humped".
I suspect in some instances it's possible in the heavy rut, but usually in our state, the rut doesn't get that intense until the week after bow season (for elk).
So I tend to agree with most, that water holes not a good use. Dynamic situations better.

Hope y'all do well this year in your hunts.

And while I agree I was too harsh with him, the fact is that his simple ingore of my simple request has essentially ruined the intent of the thread.

Oh crap... why even try? I may as well unsubscribe, if the system will let me unsubscribe from a thread I started, and which was ruined.

ElkMtnGear, I apologize for bashing your product. I'm sure it's a good product in a dynamic situation as you stated. I may bring myself to trying it out like that. But I usually don't like hanging my bow from a pack of something, since I've have hade them come unhooked.

 

Well sir that is a moose and they live in marshy areas around lakes. I'm sure that is not technically a water hole. I understand how you wanted a an unbiased opinion. I do feel that ElkMtnGear did handle it in a tactful way. I didn't sense him trying to promote his product. All I can give for advice is that if it doesn't work for you, maybe explore different options.

 

If you look at the terrain beyond the water in the pic... that is not marshy ground. The guy has his decoy set up (as a hide-behind blind) in what is most likely the only water around a dry area. What difference does it make how big it is?

Yeah I do think he was honestly (and tactfully) trying to promote his product. If I was a vendor I might do the same. But the fact is, he watches for decoy threads, and you'll always see him promoting his products. Isn't that the definition of trolling... no matter how tactful he was about it?

And it's not so much that the products don't work, but it's how they are used. I did at least get that from this thread... so it wasn't a complete waste. But it was like a painful tooth extraction. If ElkMtnGear had simply honored my first simple request... there would have been no pain or issue. It was a pretty simple request... and quite clear.

Call me the bad guy if you like. But if he had honored it in the first place, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

 

Looks kinda like the Yukon to me. Glad you gained some insight from the questions that you were seeking.