It is early November, and bucks are actively searching for receptive does. Now is the perfect time to set up a doe decoy. I have primarily hunted in Northwest Pennsylvania my entire life. While I’ve also hunted in Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and New York, I spend most of my time pursuing bucks in Pennsylvania. Initially, I never thought a doe decoy would be effective in Pennsylvania, so I never used one. That changed in 2021 when I decided to purchase a doe decoy and give it a try during the rut. Here is what happened…
Boudica the Doe Decoy
My mother-in-law always gets me Cabela’s gift cards for Christmas, and I usually save them to buy something special. During the summer of 2021, Smokey McNicholas, the owner of Smokey’s Deer Lures, called to discuss a new gland lure he was developing. He asked me if I had ever used a doe decoy, and I told him I hadn’t. I expressed my skepticism, mentioning that I didn’t think a doe decoy would work in Northwest Pennsylvania. Smokey encouraged me to get a doe decoy, suggesting I could test his new gland lure during that archery season. I agreed to purchase a decoy to assist him with his testing.
I researched online to find the best decoy and ended up choosing the Boss Babe from Flambeau. Once the decoy arrived, I assembled it and hoped that the combination of the decoy and gland lure would be effective. I decided to name my decoy Boudica, after one of my favorite historical female figures. I wanted this decoy to be both deceptive and tough!
Surprising Success
Smokey sent me his new gland lure, Interdigital Plus, which is a blend of doe interdigital scent and a small percentage of estrus. The idea is to make bucks think that a doe is entering estrus. On Friday, November 5th, I took a day off from school and headed to the woods early with Boudica, the decoy, and the gland lure. I set up Boudica between two active scrapes and applied the Interdigital Plus to cotton balls placed in her feet. After setting up the decoy, I walked back to the main trail and put the gland lure on my boots. Next, I walked directly to Boudica to create a scent trail, hoping a buck would come to investigate. I climbed into my stand and waited.
At around 9:30 a.m., I spotted antlers emerging from the thicket to my right. I pulled out my grunt tube and made a few low grunts. Suddenly, the buck burst out of the thicket and saw Boudica, my decoy. I quickly grabbed my Darton bow and waited to see how things would unfold. The buck made his way to the main trail, picked up the scent from the gland lure, and walked directly towards Boudica. Just before he could reach his target, I released a Black Eagle Rampage arrow, hitting him perfectly in the boiler room. The buck ran about 40 yards before collapsing. I couldn’t believe what had just happened! I was really impressed that the decoy and gland lure had worked so effectively.
Karma
During the summer of 2023, I began observing a beautiful 8-point buck that frequently visited my property. I hoped he would stay throughout the archery season, especially since he loved coming into my food plot. The week leading up to Halloween, I started receiving daylight videos of the buck, which I named Karma. He was coming to the food plot almost every morning, scent-checking for does. I knew it was the right time to get Boudica out and put her to work.
On the morning of October 24th, I took Boudica to my food plot and positioned her near my treestand. Once again, I used Smokey’s Interdigital Plus gland lure to make her smell irresistible. Around 9 a.m., I heard a deer walking behind my stand. I turned around to see if it was a buck and spotted Karma walking down the main trail towards the plot. The buck approached Boudica and presented me with a 20-yard shot. The shot was accurate, and I heard the buck fall shortly after the Black Eagle Arrow did its job.
Boudica at Work
During the first week of November 2024, I took Boudica with me to a farm where I hunt. Earlier that week, I had set up a new stand on top of a ridge where bucks tend to roam. I hoped Boudica would attract either Houdini or the Krazy 8 to come and visit her. Several bucks came to check her out, but one young buck clearly fell head over heels for Boudica. He attempted to mount her multiple times and even knocked her head off. That didn’t deter him; he kept trying to breed her. I couldn’t help but laugh as I watched the young buck struggle. I gave him an A for effort!
