Decoys can be extremely effective for dove hunting, but plastic mourners have always presented one huge problem: where to put them so they can be seen. Gray fakes against the grayish soil of a sunflower field all but disappear, rendering their drawing power almost, well, powerless. The answer to this is the dove pole. By placing your decoys atop a 20-foot post, you create an avian magnet few birds can resist.
Materials
• 3 feet of ¾-inch metal conduit
• Two 10-foot sections of ½-inch conduit
• ½-inch butt-end connector
• Cable ties
• 2- to 4-foot lengths of thin dead branches
• 4 to 6 lightweight (foam) dove decoys ($31 for 6; Flambeau Outdoors
)
Step 1: Drive the supporting stake
Make sure it’s sturdy. Robert L. Prince
Assemble at the hunting site. First, drive the ¾-inch conduit into the ground until sturdy. Next, join the 10-foot sections of conduit using the butt-end connector. Tighten securely and wrap joint with duct tape.
Step 2: Attach branches and decoys
Use cable ties to secure the branches to the pole. Robert L. Prince
With cable ties, fasten branches perpendicular to the pole 2 to 3 feet apart. Clip the decoys to branches at natural intervals. Slip the pole’s bottom into the ¾-inch conduit. Secure with duct tape if needed.
Step 3: Get ready, get set, shoot!
Adding mobile decoys makes for a more realistic setup. Robert L. Prince
The dove pole can be supplemented by spinning-wing decoys ($15; cabelas.com
) at ground level. Position the dove pole slightly downwind of your blind location or stand.
