Elk Decoys

[Moose-Talker]

Anyone out there used decoys for Elk, and if so what setup did you use.
I just bought a pair of the Montana expanding decoys one head on and one side view.
I am so looking forward to hunting this year.

[Moose-Talker]

Well the Montana Elk decoys I purchased seem to work especialy on a young Bull.
The first set up I tried was between my son and myself placing them about 30 meters away, after repeated trys in diferent spots just using cow talk a 2x2pt bull showed up on our last morning out and circled the set up passing between ourselves and the decoy's a couple of times, he'd get a real funny look on his face when the decoy disapeared from site as he circled He realy seemed to relate to the head on decoy {elk III} type best the closest he came was 5 meters from each decoy as if reluctant to invade the perseived elk cows personal space, after 8 to 10 min he smelled something wrong and moved of slowly repeatedly looking back as if expecting them to leave too.

The other set up I used was when I was by myself a few days later utilizing a tree stand with the decoys set up around the base of the tree I was in. I never had any bulls show up but a single cow elk came by andfed in the general area for about 20 min she never came any closer than 35 meters and chirped at them only twice after a bit she got bored and moved off Unfortunatly a pack of wolves which had been working the area got to about 200 meters away right when I had a bull calling and working his way toward my settup and started a howling chorus in response to his bugeling and mine. so that ended that .the wolves never came any closer either just kept howling away till well after dark perhaps they knew I was there as I came in to my stand from their direction.
A couple of bears allso came in to the setup about 55 meters away and as I did not have a bear tag I quit calling and they never came any closer, they repeatedly kept looking in the general direction that I had been calling from though as they moved away ripping logs apart and feeding on whatever they could find.It was a great trip if a realy wet one and I am looking forward to the 20th of sept when I head back out again.