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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

dove magnet
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

dove magnet
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!

dove magnet
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.

RELATED: How to Make the Five Toughest Shots in the Dove Field