ELK Decoys: Heads Up or Montana Decoy?

[squeekieslayer]

Any opinions? Will mostly be hunting later season in the Breaks and it is some wide open country. Thought it may help.

Joe

 

[goodgrouper]

I've had a lot of fun with my Montana Decoy miss September. The poles are kind of heavy but they can be helpful. I sewed a little loop on the top so I can hang it also. It's big enough I can hide behind it. I got into a group of 5 cows last year and hid behind it and walked right in on them maybe 40 yards. Eventually the swirling wind got me and they bunched up and started barking at me, it seemed like they didn't want to leave without me. The group finally moved up the mountain and after about ten minutes later one came back down within 20 yards barking at me, super fun.

 

[groe]

Squeekie,

Thanks for your interest in Heads Up Decoy. I think you will be please with the functionality and effectiveness of Heads Up Decoy. Whatever you decide...good luck.

GR
Heads Up Decoy
www.headsupdecoy.com

 

[Gman]

I've been interested in these as well. Which one is the lightest for packing one back?

 

[Slim Jim]

I've been interested in these as well. Which one is the lightest for packing one back?

I'm with you gman. I want to take one with me in September when I go to Idaho

 

[Rocky]

Last year I had an elk walk closes enough to camp (the foot steps woke me up around 2 am) to check out miss September. Then he spooked and ran off only to come back from a different direction only to spook again. The decoy was set up about 5 yards away from our tents.

 

[groe]

Rocky...that's a cools story.

As far as Heads Up Decoy is concerned. Our entire decoy weighs less than a pound. It has semi rigid tubing so it responds well to your movement and maintains it's shape with just the handle in it. We encourage customers to assemble the decoy during hunting hours and clip it to your pack in an accessible location so it's ready in an instant. I usually carry mine by my side.

Without the support rods, I imagine the Montana decoy has very little weight, so it would be comparible in weight WITHOUT the stakes with our decoy. However, you will have the bulk and the fact that you will loose some of the shape on the decoy design.

Thanks for your consideration,
Garrett
Heads Up Decoy
www.headsupdecoy.com

 

[NWHunter]

I use the Montana decoy. Do yourself a favor and go the hardware store and buy a small squeeze clamp. Then you just clamp it to a limb or brush. Plus you can eliminate the legs that are a pain to deal with.

 

[wapitibob]

I use the Montana decoy. Do yourself a favor and go the hardware store and buy a small squeeze clamp. Then you just clamp it to a limb or brush. Plus you can eliminate the legs that are a pain to deal with.

+1

also, get both. You won't be walking behind the Heads Up but its ability to head fake when an Elk hangs up is nice. I use the Montana in a fixed calling position behind a Fir tree, the Heads Up as a "flasher".

 

[dotman]

Heads up all the way.

 

[squeekieslayer]

Just to revisit this subject.... I am still trying to pull the trigger and just wanted to say thank you to Groe. On a few other threads or other sites I have seen this type of question answered by a member that has ties or owns the company that makes the product in question. It is often times hard to handle the fanboy like barrage of posts that take over a thread by said poster. This often makes it awkward to have a conversation in which you can speak openly about other products.

Groe did not take this thread over or come on like a teenager at an after prom party, in fact in some ways he supported the Montana decoy. Class act.

I think I decided what decoy I am ordering

Joe

 

[ElkNut1]

Between the two mentioned & yes I've played with both styles I'd choose the Heads up in a heartbeat! I've had some amazing experiences with it, I'd give it the nod!

ElkNut1

 

[groe]

Thanks for the kind words Joe and to all that are using or are consider the H.U.D's.

Good luck this September!
GR
Heads Up Decoy

 

[KMD]

For those with the Heads Up decoy, how are you employing it?
In a solo hunt, are you using the optional bow mount, or flashing the deek by hand & setting it down when a shot opportunity is developing?

How bout two man, shooter/caller setups? Is it adviseable for the shooter to flash the deek, or bow-mount it when sounds are coming from his partner? Or is it preferable to keep the bull's focus solely on the caller and have him flash the Heads Up decoy?
Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

[squeekieslayer]

personally, I will likely never use the bow mount. I am sure it would work in some situations, but the last thing I want to do if a wary bull is coming in is draw his attention directly to me. If you are holding it and you get his attention, my guess is that next time he looks away it is going to the ground and I will have my bow in hand. I am mostly planning to hang it in a tree behind me though.

Joe

 

[les welch]

Sorry I missed this, just been busy. HUD is the only decoy I use now, whether I am hunting muley's, whitetails, turkey, antelope, or elk. Hands down (or should I say free...lol), this is the quickest, lightest, most functional realistic option available. The last two years have 100% sold me on HUD. Multiple turkeys at less then 5 yards...in the open. Even more amazing to me is a pair of archery killed, heavily hunted public land WI bucks that total over 350"....Heads Up Decoy is specifically responsible for upping my %'s.

 

[les welch]

View attachment 9708
Here is a Tom from this spring that my 10 year old killed...Amazing hunt.

 

[ktowncamo]

Haven't used the Heads Up yet (will be doing so this year) but I have really enjoyed the Montana Decoys and use them on set ups generally around water. Last years bull was taken with the miss september and the rump decoys in the background.

Good ideas on this thread from the clamp or sewing a loop. Thx to those that posted.

Not to hijack the thread but I'm going to be trying the Be The Decoy elk head just to see what happens.

 

[lintond]

For those with the Heads Up decoy, how are you employing it?
In a solo hunt, are you using the optional bow mount, or flashing the deek by hand & setting it down when a shot opportunity is developing?

How bout two man, shooter/caller setups? Is it adviseable for the shooter to flash the deek, or bow-mount it when sounds are coming from his partner? Or is it preferable to keep the bull's focus solely on the caller and have him flash the Heads Up decoy?
Thanks in advance for your advice!

Bringing this back to the top. I'm considering getting the HUP decoy to help with my solo hunts. I'm planning to hang it off a tree/bush behind me to help draw the bull past my location. How do you guys use it??

 

[Above Timber]

I applied for a hard to get CO tag for this season with enough points to play and am very interested in how you all use the decoys. I see myself spending the majority of the hunt solo. I have never used an elk decoy before.