I’ve written about hunting with deer decoys a few times on this website, and I continue to believe it’s the most effective — and fun — method to lure rutting bucks within bow range. I own several deer decoys, bucks and does, and use them a lot. While my favorite time to hunt over a decoy is late October through November, I’ve learned they continue to work well into December — think secondary rut. In fact, the buck I killed in South Dakota last deer season was lured into 10 yards with a doe decoy (below).
Just recently I learned that DSD — Dave Smith Decoys — is launching another deer decoy. The company has a well-deserved cult following because it manufactures some of the finest goose, turkey and deer decoys on the planet. In my opinion, a DSD decoy is as close to carrying a taxidermy stuffer as you can get. Period.
The new offering from DSD is its Bedded Doe decoy (top photo). Check out the YouTube video below from Selfilmed; fast-forward to the 2-minute mark to see the new decoy. Visitors to the recent NWTF Show were able to see the Bedded Doe in person; look for it to be offered soon on the DSD website.
DSD revealed its first whitetail decoy, the Posturing Buck, at least a decade ago, and then announced its Standing Doe decoy in 2023. Both of those decoys look alive, and this new Bedded Doe is a smart addition to the lineup.
MSRP for the Bedded Doe will be $549.99, which is the same as the Standing Doe option. The new Bedded Doe weighs less than I would have guessed; it's only 13 pounds, meaning it'll be fairly easy to carry to your ambush location.
I can see many scenarios where the Bedded Doe could help a bowhunter punch his buck tag. During early season, the Bedded Doe could be placed on a clover field; she’ll look like she’s been feeding for a while and then bedded to chew her cud. Of course, during the rut, she’ll draw attention by herself, or when used in combination with the DSD Posturing Buck.
One tip when hunting over a deer decoy: Even in relatively open woods, cruising bucks sometimes don’t see a stationary decoy. A high percentage of the time I must make a deer vocalization — I normally use my voice to mimic a buck grunt — to get a buck’s attention. After a buck spots the buck or doe decoy, then I’m quiet. During the rut, I’ll also add doe-in-heat scent to a doe decoy to help paint the entire picture. Deadly!
Check out the video below; I think you’ll agree that sculptor Dave Smith once again has hit it out of the park. (Viewing tip: Fast-forward to the 2:00 mark to get right to the decoy info.)
