# Decoys



## kenny b (Jan 26, 2006)

I haven't heard much about decoys on here. I'd like to know if they work or are they a waste of time. Dick's Sporting Goods has a realistic coyote one with what looks like a photo image on it, has anyone used this?
I was thinking of trying to find a stuffed cottontail rabbit to use. Any thoughts?
Kenny


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## Waterspaniel (Oct 10, 2005)

My buddy turned me onto a hot decoy idea. Its called a bumble ball it is a kid/dog toy. Its a ball with squarespikes all over it. the thing runs on batteries and jumps all over the place. He puts his in a **** skin cap. I have one ordered. I plan on gutting a stuffed animal, and using this thing inside. They make some nice commericial ones as well with goog motion. The bumble ball has to be on flat ground were its visible, like a picked field. Some of the commercial ones have a stand to get them above the grass. My buddy says the yotes fly to the thing! He puts rabbit scent around it, the dog training stuff. If you convince three senses, and take the eyes and nose off of you, it has to help!


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## jerry hunsley (Jan 20, 2006)

kenny b said:


> I haven't heard much about decoys on here. I'd like to know if they work or are they a waste of time. Dick's Sporting Goods has a realistic coyote one with what looks like a photo image on it, has anyone used this?
> I was thinking of trying to find a stuffed cottontail rabbit to use. Any thoughts?
> Kenny


 I was out yesterday with my partner in the afternoon. It was snowing lightly and perfect day. Just a little breeze. We got two yotes using my decoy dog. On the last set of the day two coyotes came in and we didn't see them. They dog smelled them and took off. Then about that time I saw them going away. About that time the Alpha male saw my dog and took right after it. Just over the hill I heard my dog make an ungodly sound. I knew what happen! He got bit on the foot. He came right back over the hill with the coyotes right on him. We should have got both of them but my partner missed. Where the decoy dog shines is on the coyotes that hang up just out of rifle range. When my dog goes out and the coyotes spot hime the chase is on. This is a great time to be using a dog, as the coyotes a pretty aggressive now. Happy hunting. We are going out this afternoon again.


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## nutt (Jan 17, 2006)

how do you train a dog to run back to you and not in the opposite direction?


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## kenny b (Jan 26, 2006)

Now that sound exciting......WOW!


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## jerry hunsley (Jan 20, 2006)

nutt said:


> how do you train a dog to run back to you and not in the opposite direction?


 The best way is to take your dog with someone who has one trained already. That may be hard to do though. It's best to start a pup out about 6 months or so. Get an old pc. of coyote and drag it around and encourage him to go after it. My dog was trained from another dog. When we first started taking him out he wouldn't have anything to do with a dead coyote. It just takes time and patience and a lot of praise to the dog. As far as coming back some guys use shock collars which I don't like. If you get a dog that runs way out you have to use a shock collar. You don't want him to run so far out that he gets in trouble because the coyotes will kill a dog. They seem to pick it up after time. The more you take them out the quicker they pick it up. I can't guarentee that they'll ever make a good dog. It's kind of hit and miss! It is very enjoyable and exciting when you do get a good dog. Some of the dogs used are Curs, Australian Shephards, Border Collies, Jag Hounds, and a lot of other breeds. I would suggest finding someone in your area that has a dog trained and talk to them. There are a lot of good videos out there and you can get some ideas from them that will help. Good Luck


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## nutt (Jan 17, 2006)

oh i see...it sounds like it takes alot of patience. but im not trying to train a dog, i was just interested on how you go about getting a dog to do that. My dog is a bullmastif (Turner and Hooch)...hes about 120lbs and he is a little clumsy. So i dont see using him to hunt a yote, he'd want to play with it...

:beer:


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## jerry hunsley (Jan 20, 2006)

nutt said:


> oh i see...it sounds like it takes alot of patience. but im not trying to train a dog, i was just interested on how you go about getting a dog to do that. My dog is a bullmastif (Turner and Hooch)...hes about 120lbs and he is a little clumsy. So i dont see using him to hunt a yote, he'd want to play with it... You know, I can tell you a story about using a big dog. My boy has a yellow lab rather on the large size, around 110 lbs. It was in Sept. and I took him out to just give him some excercise. I went out to the country and since I had my howler , I gave a howl. All of a sudden a young coyote came over the hill and took one look and he was gone. But, right after that I heard the dominant male howl and here he come. Tucker ,the big lab saw him and thought it was another dog and went out to meet the coyote. The coyote stood his ground. They both stood there for a minute and the coyote made one circle around the dog and bit him right in the , you know where. Tucker came right back to me and when I stood up the coyote would not leave. He just stood his ground and barked repeatedlly. I tried to get Tucker to go back out but no way!
> You need a dog about half the size of your dog. I think they just have an instinct to come back to there master. You definetly do not want a dog to aggressive. You risk a chance of the coyote taking him over the hill and being attacked and killed. Good luck!
> 
> :beer:


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## coyotekiller3006 (Jan 3, 2006)

do you guys think i could take a **** skin hat, stuffed rabbit, ect.... tied to some fishing line, run it from where im set up, set my call by it, then start calling and pull on the string to make it go up and down. do you think that would work as a decoy?


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## 1lessdog (Feb 4, 2004)

I used the bumble ball about 10 yrs ago.It works ok, if you dont make a depression in the snow for it to flop around in it will find a low area and they cant see it.I now use a fox decoy(I have a fox form from Van **** Taxidermy suppy) now that works.


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## Brad.T (Mar 29, 2004)

I have used the renzo's coyote decoy a little and will be putting it too more use this spring hopefully.

I will be taking part in training a decoy dog this spring of a friend of mine on some sheep country that is having problems it should be interesting to see how the dog handles his first few encounters.


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## ND Five O (Dec 30, 2003)

I own a great video called "Hunting Coyotes: _The Challenge_" and it shows these guys using dogs....mostly labs. It's amazing how the coyotes develop tunnel vision when they see the dog. The hunters don't even bother hiding their truck or using camo for that matter because the coyote is so fixated on the dogs. They do mention losing some dogs that got out too far and were brought down by a pack.

And I too just started using a decoy. I bought a predator heart at Cabella's last weekend and hope to get lots of use out of it. The only problems I've heard from people about decoys is how you have to expose yourself to set them up. The way I see it, I've been doin that for years w/my Foxpro (with remote) anyway and it doesn't seem to matter that much.

Good luck.


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## Jaybic (Sep 8, 2005)

Brad,

I got some of those Renzo decoys too. Have you had any luck using them at all? None for me so far but I am hoping to hear from anyone else on the matter.

jaybic


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## price403 (Jan 3, 2006)

I just read an article about decoy dogs in Trapper and Predator Caller magazine. It's pretty good. It explains everything about training the dog and about dog selection. As for regular decoys, I've had more luck with a cheap stuffed rabbit from Wally-World than with the more expensive commercial ones. It convinced a red tailed hawk once. I had to buy a new decoy. It dropped it somewhere in a patch of brush and I couldn't find it. It was pretty funny. :lol: I usually just put my decoy on a stump or on a fence post so it can be seen from a good distance. I've had a grey fox come up to a decoy while I was watching a coyote come in. He didn't hesitate to come to within 3 feet of the decoy. If I hadn't had a buddy with me the fox would have nabbed the bunny. Needless to say, it's hard for a fox to do anything after its brains have been scrambled by a bullet. I didn't get the coyote...


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