is a sentry a must when setting Up? I’ve not been setting up one and have been killing. Seems like it scares the birds when I put one up. Needs opinions
I always set one up unless there simply is nothing against which to prop it up (tree) or tie it to (sturdy fence post, etc.). It's the "Hey guys, everything's cool here" decoy. I use a "hotstick," on permanent "borrowed" status from a friend in the electrical field. It's about 35' tall and collapses nicely.
One winter photo (tree), one summer (tied to irrigation pipe).
Artillaryman i realy like the hotstick idea ! I need one of those. trying to set a sentry up high can be challenging at times. especially if you move to different areas frequently. I'm rigging up the old string over a limb trick at one of my spots that i can leave there & just hoist up a sentry when i need to, probably more in the 50 foot range up there. i suppose you could use that hot stick to place decoys in branches up high also.
The key to using this particular hotstick is that it had minor cracks on its surface which could cause debris and other substances to interfere with its non-conductivity. Thus it was no longer safe to use around high voltage and the company declared it unsafe. My friend had an extra that they used for training and apparently had enough of these condemned sticks that it was OK. I gather that they cost upwards of $400 new, back then. He gently threatened me (a big guy too...) that I was not to get myself killed or injured while using this device, or he'd finish the job. As a result, I never go close to any sort of power lines with it .
I simply duct-taped a standard Flambeau decoy to the top and "instant sentry." You might be able to find one of these if you know somebody in the electrical utilities field.
MI crow season begins on 1 FEB. Usually we're snowed in, with the county roads plowing (mounds of snow blocking access roads) making it difficult or impossible to reach our usual properties. But, there are a couple of open places.
Happy hunting.
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I’m wondering the same. How did you get them that high?
I'm guessing he bent that little sapling over, stuck the decoys on there and let it spring back up straight. I've done that a few times, decoy must fit tight on branch, if it doesn't, it catapults the decoy about 30 yards. Hahahaa, ask me how I know this to be true.
I’m wondering the same. How did you get them that high?
I'm guessing he bent that little sapling over, stuck the decoys on there and let it spring back up straight. I've done that a few times, decoy must fit tight on branch, if it doesn't, it catapults the decoy about 30 yards. Hahahaa, ask me how I know this to be true.
I don't know, it looks like it could be quite a ways up there. Hard to tell with the photo. Ted will have to fill us in. I think setting up the sentrys is the most difficult part of the hunt. I've had them fall & get to hanging upside down and such. I realy prefer to do it the evening before if possible since i usually get busted during the morning setup.
I’m wondering the same. How did you get them that high?
I'm guessing he bent that little sapling over, stuck the decoys on there and let it spring back up straight. I've done that a few times, decoy must fit tight on branch, if it doesn't, it catapults the decoy about 30 yards. Hahahaa, ask me how I know this to be true.
I don't know, it looks like it could be quite a ways up there. Hard to tell with the photo. Ted will have to fill us in. I think setting up the sentrys is the most difficult part of the hunt. I've had them fall & get to hanging upside down and such. I realy prefer to do it the evening before if possible since i usually get busted during the morning setup.
I cut a couple 15-20' saplings off at the ground, stick the decoys on the top and stand them back up in a fence row or woods edge. Then I just use a couple bungee cords to hold it tight against a fence post or another smaller/shorter tree.
You can see a sentry deke that I put up, my blind is in the right corner of photo.
-- Edited by Mainehunt on Friday 19th of January 2018 01:09:33 PM
I’m wondering the same. How did you get them that high?
I'm guessing he bent that little sapling over, stuck the decoys on there and let it spring back up straight. I've done that a few times, decoy must fit tight on branch, if it doesn't, it catapults the decoy about 30 yards. Hahahaa, ask me how I know this to be true.
I don't know, it looks like it could be quite a ways up there. Hard to tell with the photo. Ted will have to fill us in. I think setting up the sentrys is the most difficult part of the hunt. I've had them fall & get to hanging upside down and such. I realy prefer to do it the evening before if possible since i usually get busted during the morning setup.
I cut a couple 15-20' saplings off at the ground, stick the decoys on the top and stand them back up in a fence row or woods edge. Then I just use a couple bungee cords to hold it tight against a fence post or another smaller/shorter tree.
You can see a sentry deke that I put up, my blind is in the right corner of photo.
-- Edited by Mainehunt on Friday 19th of January 2018 01:09:33 PM
nice looking spot, what part of Maine do you hunt?
I’m wondering the same. How did you get them that high?
I'm guessing he bent that little sapling over, stuck the decoys on there and let it spring back up straight. I've done that a few times, decoy must fit tight on branch, if it doesn't, it catapults the decoy about 30 yards. Hahahaa, ask me how I know this to be true.
I don't know, it looks like it could be quite a ways up there. Hard to tell with the photo. Ted will have to fill us in. I think setting up the sentrys is the most difficult part of the hunt. I've had them fall & get to hanging upside down and such. I realy prefer to do it the evening before if possible since i usually get busted during the morning setup.
I cut a couple 15-20' saplings off at the ground, stick the decoys on the top and stand them back up in a fence row or woods edge. Then I just use a couple bungee cords to hold it tight against a fence post or another smaller/shorter tree.
You can see a sentry deke that I put up, my blind is in the right corner of photo.
-- Edited by Mainehunt on Friday 19th of January 2018 01:09:33 PM
nice looking spot, what part of Maine do you hunt?
I cut down a small sapling sat 15-20 feet long. Put my decoys on the upper braces, stand it up and tie to another small tree with a piece of baler twine
I cut down a small sapling sat 15-20 feet long. Put my decoys on the upper braces, stand it up and tie to another small tree with a piece of baler twine
I cut down a small sapling sat 15-20 feet long. Put my decoys on the upper braces, stand it up and tie to another small tree with a piece of baler twine
Ted
Great minds think alike...... ;)
Yes I see now we have similar thought patterns Actually I use very few deeks, Never more than a half dozen. I do however add dead ones to my spread by hanging them in lower branches if the shooting is slow
Ted
-- Edited by M12Shooter on Monday 5th of February 2018 12:54:23 AM
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One tip on the sentry setups shown in the above pictures... Suggest you orient the individual crows in different directions. Whether they are walking in groups on the ground or perched as sentrys in trees, you will be hard-pressed to find two crows oriented in the same direction.
They are smart and will do the "got your back" thing for their buddies.
Demi
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The man who thinks he can, and the man who thinks he can’t are both right.
I cut down a small sapling sat 15-20 feet long. Put my decoys on the upper braces, stand it up and tie to another small tree with a piece of baler twine
Ted
Great minds think alike...... ;)
Yes I see now we have similar thought patterns Actually I use very few deeks, Never more than a half dozen. I do however add dead ones to my spread by hanging them in lower branches if the shooting is slow
Ted
-- Edited by M12Shooter on Monday 5th of February 2018 12:54:23 AM
Same here, I like having some pruning snips in my hip pocket. During a lull in the action, I cut some maple sticks about 18" long. Cut them so they are sharp on both ends. One end up their hind end, the other in the ground/snow. Instant decoy that looks very much alive.
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