How do I use a decoy?

[nybuckboy]

Hey All
I bought a Montana buck decoy.For those of you who may not know this, the decoy is a life-like size decoy but it is flat, like a picture.

My question is how should I postion this decoy to my stand. Any tips would be appreciated. Should I use it now in the pre-rut or wait. Any scents I should use with it. Should I rattle, etc?

[Roskoe]

On the buck decoy, it is generally recommended to use in the pre-rut - and to set it up no more than 20 yards away facing the hunter. Bucks usually want to confront a rival buck face-to-face. The opposite is true with the doe decoy. Set it up facing away from the hunter, so the buck can circle around behind the doe. Also, the doe seems to work better during the rut.