Can't keep deer and Coyotes out of my decoys

[prairiedog555]

This happened to me last year also.  I live in NE Kansas.  I set up with 4-5 decoys usually in an open cut bean field surrounded by dense woods.  I can see a long way off.  Just wear camo and sit leaning on a tree.  Deer come out of the woods a couple of hundred of yards away and see my decoys and make a b-line for them.  They walk up to them and sniff, nudge and lick them.  Yesterday two does not only got into my decoys but walked right up to me within 5 yds.  I couldn't believe it.  I kept thinking they would smell me , I was down wind too, and I had just peed about 5 min before.  She just stood there staring at me stamping her foot, then walked off.  Then when I got up to move they were about 200 yds away and when they saw me ran like hell. 
Coyotes do the same thing, see my decoys and stalk them, I have to yell so they won't jump on them.  I guess this is a lesson that if you stay still you can fool them.  Oh, and I think that one of the reasons I don't spook them is that I wear shaded shooting glasses, they cannot see my eyes. 
Next deer season I think I will put out a couple of turkey decoys by my stand, maybe they think that if turkeys are there it must be safe. 
Turkey hunting is a hoot.

[TribReady]

I was going to say "Pee around them" but that didn't seem to work.
I know one solution to the coyote problem..........   It'll blow your hunt for the time being, but atleast one won't be back.  Your hunt is pretty much ruined with a coyote around anyway, so no big deal.

Seems like some type of scent though would be the best for the deer.....just not pee

[quickdtoo]

I kept thinking they would smell me , I was down wind too, and I had just peed about 5 min before. 

If you were down wind, they aren't likely to smell ya. Since turkeys can't smell, I'd strategically place some dirty clothing in bushes/trees, on a stake of something around your setup so no matter where they are or what way the wind is, the deer/coyotes will get your wind and vamoose!!

Tim

[woodchukhntr]

What's the problem?  The deer should make the turkeys more comfortable about the set-up, and the coyotes should be shot on sight anyway, unless you have a season on them like we do in New York.

[buck460XVR]

I know one solution to the coyote problem..........   It'll blow your hunt for the time being, but atleast one won't be back.  Your hunt is pretty much ruined with a coyote around anyway, so no big deal.

 

 I have shot several coyotes over my Turkey decoys....Trib's correct, your setup is busted anyway till you get rid of the coyote and they will continue to come into any setup you have in the same area day after day. Shoot 'em and get it over with. I have shot Toms over the same decoy only a hour or so after shooting a coyote several times and have had several Toms spooked almost within shooting range cause the coyotes came in before I could get a shot. Gunshots seldom spook Turkeys for more than a few minutes anyway.....I and hunting partners have also shot  second Toms that were coming in while we shot at a first Tom.....even the gunshot from the same place of the hen calls didn't spook 'em.  Darn coyotes are one reason I don't tend to use my Turkey calls much till after the sun comes up and most of the dogs have gone to bed.

I too have experienced the same thing with deer being attracted to decoys over the years and have just assumed that one, since they  compete with turkeys for the same types of food, if they think they see a Turkey feeding they assume there must be a preferred food source there.....and secondly, seeing Turkeys feeding undisturbed gives them a sense that an area is safe. Many times when watching deer and turkeys feeding in the same area, I've noticed it is the turkeys that get alarmed first and the deer then react to the turkeys.....especially in open fields. I think the deer trust the turkeys eyes more than they do their own.

[chutesnreloads]

Agree with previous posts.Shoot 'em.I've had turkeys after season was over walking within ten yards of me while shooting from the bench.The shots don't bother 'em.The coyotes will

[flintlock]

Heck, if it's that much of a problem, leave the decoys at home...

I've killed as many without decoys as I have with...

[tn_junk]

I had seven coyotes come into my turkey decoy's last year. None close enough for a shotgun.

alan

[TribReady]

You should be hunting where we set up this morning.  We had ZERO coyotes or deer in our decoys....of course, no turkeys either

I mentioned this to a guy at work, he said he wears the same old pair of boots when setting up over decoys (not run/gun) He uses them around the house and garage and smell like the garage, fertilizer, oil, grease, whatever....he doesn't care what he smells like for turkey hunting.
Kind of comes back to my first thought that the solution to this problem involves some type of scent

[ro]

i have had the same thing happen to me while turkey hunting, last season i set up two decoys in a green field, i was set-up in the wood line, the hens flew down after day break into the field, then two toms came into the field to my left, i looked to my right there was five deer just eating grass, turkeys on my left deer on my right, all is good until one of the deer knocks down the decoys, when that happen the turkey when wild running away, end of a good hunt                                                     

[kevthebassman]

I've had coyotes come close to the decoys before, but they usually spook off when they notice something "not quite right" about the turks.

[plumberroy]

I have had deer come to a preditor call and a squirrel call . When a coyote come into sight I switch from what ever I was hunting to coyote hunting
Roy

[prairiedog555]

I really don't mind the deer, I get a kick out of being able to fool them.  the point I was trying to make to my fellow sportsmen on this forum is that if you stay still and use a decoy, whether it be turkey or deer you can get curious animals to get close.  I mean they spot decoy and come straight in from 2-3 hundred yds.  I have used turkey decoys to lure coyotes when I am hunting coyotes in the winter and now I think I will use a turkey decoy during deer season as well. 
And once again I believe it is not only the camo clothes I wear but the use of photo (dark ) glasses.  they get really close like withing 10 feet and stare at where they think my eyes are, It really makes my hunting experience memorable. 
that is also why I love turkey hunting so much, you really learn a lot about nature.  I get out a lot because I live in the country it is great.  Yesterday a little finch landed on my knee, I just love that kind of stuff. 
When I was younger it was all about how many and how big, now I appreciate the outdoors much more. 

[quickdtoo]

I dunno about the eyes part, I've had close encounters with many critters, several with elk, deer and turkeys, if you blink or move your eyes and they're close and looking at you, they'll spook just like any movement will spook them, but just seeing your eyes isn't enough to do it normally, not in my experience. I've been wearing full camo including face mask and gloves whether I'm big game or turkey hunting for many years, everything is covered except my eyes and I wear regular glasses, have for 50yrs since I was 10yrs old, no contacts.

Back in the 70s before I started with the camo, I had a close encounter with a small herd of 18 elk during deer season in late October, I was wearing a blaze camo coat and a red baseball cap, I heard these elk moving towards me, they're noisy when feeding, so I just stood still in front of a small tree or bush to break my outline, they fed right up to within just a few feet of me, the closest cow kept looking at me, but she'd go right back to eating. Finally, I got real nervous cuz there were so many around me and they'd get my wind any time, didn't want to get trampled if they spooked, so I just shrugged my shoulders, those closest didn't bolt right away, but if elk eyes could get any bigger, I'd be surprised, they had saucer sized eyes when I did that!! They stepped away waiting for the lead cow to get them moving, then they filed away in proper elk formation.

Tim