A decoy can be very valuable for luring out a shy buck , and deadly when combined with a doe decoy especially if both are scented properly . Think like the resident buck , if you saw a doe or a potential rival on your turf wouldn' t you check it out ? And if you saw the rival trying to " nail your girlfriend" wouldn' t you come out to stop him ? I can' t count the number of times I' ve had a buck hang up , check out the area without me seeing him , then bolt when I moved . If you choose one get a model that also functions as a 3-D target to increase it' s versatility . If decoy prices hold you back at least get one that can be male or female via antler addition/subtraction . The deer silhouette or picture decoys are another option , and don' t generally cost much . They are pretty much disposable , and don' t stand up to weather well . I know a guy who bought one of those woods scene murals from Fingerhut then cut out the deer from it to use as decoys . All he did was glue them to 1/4" plywood and add ground stakes to the bottom edge . He even put hinges on for folding them for carry . There are lots of options if you want to try decoys .