The feather attached to the tail moves with the slightest breeze – it is very effective on calm days.

Also, the decoy will move side-to-side when there is a bit more wind. I like putting my decoy on an old aluminum arrow shaft. that seems to give it the most room to move around in a breeze.

Mark Healy

I have personal success to report, but I’ll get to that in a minute…

I just talked to my brother and he reports that the very first time the decoy was used he had two coyotes charge right up to the decoy – staring right at it. The coyotes came in from different directions, including one from downwind, and both coyotes ended up under 10 feet from the decoy. He had his young son with him at the time and neither coyote was taken.

Keep in mind, my brother is a newbie greenhorn caller and his son (11yrs old) was likely overwhelmed with the situation.

Since that time he’s called in two more coyotes that he knows saw the decoy, but the coyotes also saw him and his calling buddy too. He’s called other coyotes, but is reluctant to say the decoy had anything to do with them coming in.

Now then…

I have called 2 coyotes and a handful of gray fox that responded positively to the decoy.

One of the coyotes came in on the upper lip of a deep canyon and was looking down at the caller and the budget bird decoy in the bottom (about 150-200 feet downhill). The coyote stood above for about a minute or so, and then found a horrible path down a decomposed granite funnel and came down into the canyon. He was high-steppin’, head straight out, all the way up to the decoy, keeping an eye on it as he approached. I was looking for a cougar and never moved a muscle, other than to turn the volume down. He eventually left after a full inspection of the inedible plastic bird & turkey feather. This coyote was convinced he was gonna get lunch up to about 10 or 12 steps from the decoy. Had I been inclined to shoot him, he would have been an easy target.

I also had a coyote emerge from a tangled brushy canyon bottom and trot up to the decoy. Again, it was about 10 – 12 yards from the decoy and looking hard at the decoy. This coyote eventually lost interest and left at a trot.

I usually hunt in thick, rocky stuff and I’d imagine birds make up a good part of the coyotes diet in these areas.

Since I am usually in the thick brush & boulder canyons, I call bucket-loads of gray fox. They readily come over to the decoy and have an intense manner of inspecting it. They don’t jump on it, but they look at it from 10 yards away, change positions, and look again. If I keep changing sounds they keep looking. They just don’t seem to know whether or not sealing the deal and grabbing the bird is a good idea or not.

I have not had the good fortune to see a bobcat or lion approach this decoy yet. Although, I have successfully used nothing more than a turkey fan feather to get a bobcat’s attention and get him in to the caller in the past, thus I’ll bet the bird/turkey feather combo will work just fine for them.

So to answer your question – yes, we have both experinced good responses from predators with it.

I appreciate the question,

Mark Healy

I live in the meridian/boise area and hunt coyotes as well. Has he had any success with this?