Well the weather didn’t cooperate yesterday so I’m stuck in town until things dry out a little more. So I thought it would be a good time to share my experiences with Montana Decoys Antelope Buck and Doe over the last month.

First off, I have to say they are overpriced (retail $109), easy to ruin, and totally useless with winds over 5mph. They are like little kites waiting to fly away. I got my decoys at Cabelas in Billings after one of their demonstrations. I took my pair of decoys home and popped the buck open instantly tearing a seam on the back leg. So I go to fold it up and I bent the steel connector that holds the steel ring together inside. Now I have a big hole in the back end of the buck decoy. I spent the next couple hours fixing the dang thing and still didn’t get things 100%.

Next was a trial by fire spot and stalk archery antelope hunt. These antelope have not been hunted on this ranch very hard. First buck I saw as a definite shooter with nice length with lots of mass (not quite record book but big). He was very rutty. I got to about 150 yards using the terrain and popped to buck decoy out to help get a little closer. Crawling behind the decoy, I approached to 100 yards. The buck saw it gave a wheeze and left the scene at mach 1. I have no idea what happened the wind was in the right direction, I did everything they suggested and the rutting dominant buck took off.

Next I tried setting up a small ambush with both decoys. I waited while watching a few antelope feed toward a water hole with hopes of attracting one a little closer. Same thing, once they saw the decoys; they gave a wheeze and left nothing but dust.

These same two scenarios have played out multiple times on 3 separate ranches with different antelope.

Based on the last 4 weeks of hunting, during the rut and not, I can say that I have wasted my $100. The only time I can say I had one speck of luck with them was with a combination of the buck decoy and a white flag. A stupid 2 year old buck came to about 50 yards.

I hear people have had success using the antelope decoys. Please share your experiences. I really want to know if you have had luck.

If you had problems with the decoy out of the package you should have taken it back. The decoys are flimsy as who wants to be dragging a heavy decoy around the prairie. The decoy either works or it doesn't. I have had bucks charge in and also had them run off. Sort of like elk. Sometimes they will just gather up there harem and take off and other times they come in looking to run the buck off. Don't get discouraged, keep trying.

I have two friends who've used them with some success. Never used them myself due to concerns about wind and the price.

I would have thought that they'd lower the price one they stopped making them in Montana and sent production to China. If I'm wrong on the China production thing someone please correct me.

Nope, you're right, they are made in China, and that kinda smacks us Montana boys in the face. I also think they are overpriced, but I have found them effective.

I used a antelope buck decoy and an elk cow III decoy over an archery weekend. I didn't see where an antelope would be so smart as to tell the difference between a cow elk (which do roam around eastern Montana with some regularity here of late) and an even more expensive moo cow. It seemed to work.

I lured in 5 bucks over the weekend with the two decoys anywhere from 43 to 78 yards. I don't feel comfortable beyond about 35 yards so I passed on flinging arrows. Eventually the bucks lost interest or became suspicious and wandered off. I was very early in the rut and hotter than a pepper.

Wind can be a problem with this Chinese box kites for sure. Funny though, I found out that sitting in front of that cow elk as long as I was still it blocked the wind and those 'lopes came in anyway. Hmmmmm.

It's funny how $5 worth of material turns into $100. I noticed they were made in China.

I tried them again this weekend on a new ranch that has seen little hunting pressure. The buck spooked every antelope that saw it. I even put it up out in the dark in a field and watched from the house all day...nothing. The doe butt decoy didn't attract or spook anything.

I have considered the cow (both moo and elk) but they are too expensive to "try".