DETROIT FIRE

I've been trying to usedecoys and deer calls for the past two years, buy with almost no success.I hear they can work great used in tadem The only problem is the area I hunt is very over populated with does, The areais alsohunt is known as some of the bestbig buck country around, but all I ever see is small bucks some six pointers but mostly fours and spikes. So I'm wondering if the big boys have so many does that they don't even pay attention to the calling and the decoys I've put out. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

m.t.hands

Welcome detroit fire, i have rattled in texas and canada and had very good luck, very exciteing way to hunt, here in alabama our buck/doe ratio is so out of whack, that i have had very very limited success rattling, but a lot of times smaller bucks will come into investigate, and as soon as they think their gonna get their butts whipped their gone, the just don't hang around very long, maybe someone with more experience with the buck/doe ratio can explain it better, IMO there is not enough competition for the does when the ratio gets out of whack,,

also, i have readnot to do really agressive rattling, but here is what i found out onmy last trip to canada, the deer were not responding to the horns very good, well thur. of the week i was there i decided to really work the horns, i rattled as hard as i could for what seemed like 5 minutes (propably closer to 2 min.) and i thought my arms were going to falloff, as soon as i went to put the horns down big daddy shows up 60 yrds straight in front of me, steam blowing out of his nostrils, you could tell he had gotten there in a hurry, well he slowly walked to my left, just 10 feet from the clearing he needed to step into, for me to realize my bowhunting dream, well he shot his head straight up into the air, about the same time i felt a cold chill on my neck, i knew i was busted, by 10 stinkin feet, if i had used a gentle grunt when he first showed up i believe he would have walked straight to me, instead of circling me[:@], live and learn. best of luck.....but don't be afraid to really make some racket

PABowhntr

We had that problem in my neck of the woods a few years back. There were so many does that the bucks paid no attention to rattlin' antlers or to doe bleats. Since the ratio is now more even the bucks pay much more attention.

Have you considered a subordinate buck decoy instead of a doe decoy? That might pull some of the larger bucks in.

PYseeker

I agree with PABowhntr, you should start using a buck decoy. If there is alot of Does in the area and fewer bucks it is going to be hard to use calls or decoys but if a doe decoy isn't working then put some antlers on it and give that a shot. Or dont worry about killing a buck and do your part and cull some does this season!