Do-it-yourself moose decoy: types, production, sounds and application techniques

Recently, a jig called “Lesotka” has gained immense popularity. Even large manufacturers of fishing gear and bait from several countries have established its production. At the same time, few people know that we owe the appearance of the original Lesotka jig to the fishermen of the Soviet era. Well, the bait was brought to perfection by fisherman-designer Alexandru Datsenko, whose nickname “Lesotho” turned into its name.

Several circumstances pushed me to talk in detail about the Lesotka jig. The first and most important thing is the outstanding catchability of this reelless jig.

The second is the attempts of some fishing companies and private manufacturers to produce jigs under the name “Lesotok”, which have a very distant resemblance to the original. By speculating on a well-known name, the fisherman is actually being sold a low-grade product. In addition, the label with the name “Lesotka” is attached not only to jigs, but also to other winter baits – “Devils”, “Balda”, etc., creating a lot of confusion, especially for a novice fisherman. Therefore, I would like to warn my colleagues about products that have absolutely nothing to do with the Lesotka jig.

And thirdly, I know first-hand the history of the emergence and production of “Lesotok”, for I have a long-standing friendship with Alexander Datsenko. And, of course, I have my own extensive practice of fishing with this jig. In addition, according to my wishes, Datsenko made a number of varieties of his unique jigs and expanded their color variety (photo 1). And after the prototypes I ordered were tested on a pond and approved, Alexander gave them a start in life. So I will speak about “Lesotki” with knowledge of the matter.

Photo 1

Features of hunting elk with decoy

Elks make a lot of sounds during the rut - during the period when they begin mating games. At other times, the elk almost does not use its voice, so a special hunting technique has even been developed - “roaring” or “moaning”. This tactic got its name due to the peculiarities of sounds during the rut. The male's cry resembles a pestering roar. After the end of the rut, the most that can be heard from the animal is a snort. The roar of the elk can be downloaded as an audio file or listened to on video.

Hunting is carried out with a huntsman, a group of hunters, or less often alone. First, the location of the rut is identified based on the following characteristics:

broken branches, trees;
potholes, holes;
strong smell of urine;
fresh litter;
audible animal sounds.

You should choose a clear, quiet day, good weather without rain. Having heard the animal, the hunter begins to roar using a decoy, which is also called “waba”. If the elk does not respond to the sound signal, you can imitate the presence of an opponent - crunch branches, hit trees with a stick. During the rut, moose are not as careful as usual, so they quickly come to the sound of a decoy.

Important: the animal must be lured closer so that the shot is successful and you can aim well. One hunter hits, the second shoots. Experienced hunters determine the age of an animal by its voice; elk that are too young are usually not touched. If unsuccessful, change location or continue to wait.

Moose hunting dates

The period when hunting for adult males is permitted is limited to 01.09-30.09. Further, all age and sex groups are allowed to hunt from 01.10 to 15.01. For trophy hunting, the initial days of the rut are usually used - usually 10 days. It is at the beginning of the rut that the largest elk roars, whose antlers are a valuable trophy. Afterwards, the animals actively compete, fight, and the horns lose their beauty.

It is better to go hunting early in the morning, at dawn. During this period, the animal is most strongly attracted to the opposite sex; it searches for a female and roars. It is easier to track a wounded animal during the day, but at night it is difficult to do.

Bulls during the rut

It must be said that literature (I don’t mean scientific) and fine art have always paid much more attention to the red deer than to the elk. And this is true: a slender, handsome man in a challenging pose, with an elongated powerful neck, an elegant head, decorated with horns of extraordinary beauty thrown back, is much more suitable for the role of a model than a powerful one with a heavy hook-nosed head, horns of not always a certain shape, clumsy at first glance elk figure. Nevertheless, hunting for elk during the rut - “to roar”, or, as they also say, “to groan” - is unlikely to be inferior in emotionality to that of deer. Moreover, at this time an elk can pose a very real danger to the hunter.

Adult, sexually mature bulls strive to find a mate even before the start of the physiological rut, and until the end of the moose cow's estrus, they are together. Then a moment comes when she rejects the “advances” of her boyfriend, and he can go in search of a new girlfriend. Unlike red deer, bull elk do not create “harems,” and the presence of several females with one bull is unusual, although such facts have been noted.

Purely externally, a bull’s readiness for the rut can be determined by its horns. If they have already been cleared of the skin and fur and acquired a normal “bone” appearance, then his body has already begun or is about to begin producing sex hormones. However, the bull becomes fully ready for mating only when the moose cows come “in heat.” The secretion secreted by their genitals falls onto the soil with urine; the bull finds this place by smell and becomes excited. He breaks branches, sometimes the tops of young trees, rakes and beats the grass to the ground with his hooves, especially where the moose cow has urinated. Such places are called “points”, and they can be up to two meters in diameter. At the same time, physiological processes are activated in the body, making it ready for mating. Not only the behavior, but also the appearance of the male changes contrary to the usual. The eyes become bloodshot, the neck becomes thicker, and it seems that the entire front part of the body is increasing in size. It emits a sharp, specific smell that is difficult to describe, but the smell of a mighty beast is unmistakably discernible in it, and a feeling of danger involuntarily appears.

Throughout the entire rut, the bull gives voice. The sound it makes is not at all like the roar of a red deer. This is something between a grunt and an exhalation of relief with a voice. This sound is most accurately characterized by the name that our ancestors gave it - “moan”. It is much weaker in strength than the roar of a deer and is rarely heard from a distance of more than a kilometer, although the ability to hear it is greatly influenced by the terrain, density of plantings, and extraneous sounds (wind, sound of water, etc.). The greatest activity in vocalization is observed at dawn and in the evening closer to sunset; Hearing a moose during the day is a rarity.

For mating games, moose choose a variety of places. This is largely determined by the terrain and the nature of forest plantations. In the northern regions of the European part of Russia, they prefer to “moan” along dry manes and edges of moss swamps, in dense young growths of old clearings, along overgrown forest hayfields, as well as in the floodplains of forest streams and rivers. In the mountainous regions of Siberia and the Urals, where the permanent habitats of moose are limited to river floodplains and intermountain valleys, breeding areas gravitate towards river banks. The same can be said about the plateaus of Central Siberia and Transbaikalia. In places almost never visited by people, where there is no need to constantly hide in the thickets, elk are especially fond of the wide pebble beds of small rivers with forest islands, which in September literally exude the “rutting elk spirit,” making a person who suddenly finds himself there not for hunting reasons feel feeling very uncomfortable.

Types of decoys

The use of decoys is very popular. They are technical devices used to attract animals. A homemade decoy works just as well, greatly increasing the hunter’s chances. Experienced specialists can lure an animal even without a decoy, using the palm of their hand and their own voice to attract the elk.

Wind decoys

Typically, a wind decoy is used on elk and roe deer; it reproduces the cry of a male, emitted to attract females. There are also decoys that imitate the sounds of females and moose calves; they even sell sets or devices with different capabilities. More expensive devices additionally create the sounds of breaking branches.

Using semolina is not difficult. You need to blow into the mouthpiece, although you can use the device without a mouthpiece, placing your lips on the device. You can change the sounds by moving the holes, as indicated in the instructions - this will strengthen, weaken, lower or raise the sound. Some decoys have the function of being screwed to an amplifier (horn), which allows you to make louder sounds.

Electronic decoys

An electronic (electric) decoy is a more modern device. There is no need to blow into it; the necessary sounds are already recorded inside the device’s memory. Usually the recording includes a certain set: the voices of females, males, moose calves, a cry for help, sounds of fights, mating. The buttons are responsible for individual sounds, so using decoys is easy.

The equipment runs on batteries and rechargeable batteries, allowing you to adjust the volume over a wide range. Some devices may be able to download additional sounds. You can make a request on the Internet, find recordings in mp3 or other suitable format, download for free and use as needed.

Important: before hunting, you should carefully listen to all sounds. Low quality products may produce false voices that the animal will not listen to. Even in the store, professionals will distinguish a fake from a good product based on sound quality.

Popular models from the list, highly rated by hunters:

Cass Creek (elk and deer). The device produces clear, high-quality sound. It allows you to create animal voices that vary in behavior. In an elk it is the call of a male, aggression, mooing, a fight, a female during mating, in a deer it is a moo, an inviting moo, a fight, a lost fawn, an aggressive male. The package does not include a speaker; it must be purchased separately.
Buck Expert. Reproduces various sounds of the elk family - bull, cow, calf. The decoy is lightweight, easy to wear and use. The sounds are very authentic.

Signs of elk rut

For all deer living in our country, the mating season occurs in the second half of the year. The rut of roe deer begins earlier than everyone else - from the end of July to the end of August; The musk deer are the last to “chase” - from late November to mid-December. The rutting time of elk and red deer, including maral and wapiti, roughly coincides; the first signs appear at the end of August, and everything ends by mid-October. The almost two-month extension of the rut applies to populations of these animals as a whole, because animals living in the southern parts of the range begin earlier, and in regions with a harsh climate - about two weeks later. For the middle zone (in the latitudinal dimension), the most active part of the rut occurs in mid-late September.

It must be said that literature (I don’t mean scientific) and fine art have always paid much more attention to the red deer than to the elk. And this is true: a slender, handsome man in a challenging pose, with an elongated powerful neck, an elegant head, decorated with horns of extraordinary beauty thrown back, is much more suitable for the role of a model than a powerful one with a heavy hook-nosed head, horns of not always a certain shape, clumsy at first glance elk figure. Nevertheless, hunting for it during the rut - “to roar”, or, as they also say, “to groan” - is unlikely to be inferior in emotionality to that of a deer. Moreover, at this time an elk can pose a very real danger to the hunter.

DIY decoy

You can make a decoy yourself. Production is possible from a can or birch bark. Method for creating semolina from birch bark:

Take a piece of birch bark 2 mm thick, smooth, without knots.
Cut the birch bark in a helical manner to form a spiral.
Straighten the tape, cut a strip (wide end - about 17 cm, narrow end - 10 cm).
Cut another piece 12 cm wide and make 3 rectangular holes on one side.
On the second side of the piece, make 3 triangles so that they fit exactly into the holes when folded.

The second tube after folding will need to be used as a cuff for the wide end of the decoy. The decoy itself needs to be folded with the white side inward, the protruding corners cut off, and a cuff placed on the wide end. Cover the entire structure with tape or tape. When blowing air, you can adjust the sound volume by moving the pipe apart and moving.

The decoy can also be made from a tin of coffee or baby formula, but the shape should be like a truncated cone (the diameter of the top is smaller than the diameter of the bottom). You also need to take a 60 cm long clothesline, electrical tape or a piece of leather. The diameter of the jar opening should be slightly smaller than the diameter of the bottom. The smaller the jar, the lower and louder the moose roar will be. A hole is made in the middle of the bottom according to the thickness of the cord, the latter is inserted into the hole, and a knot is tied on the outside. The top of the waba is wrapped with electrical tape or leather to make the sound more realistic. The inside of the jar is loose moss, it is applied before use.

Using such a device is easy. The cord is soaked in water, pinched with your fingers, passed from top to bottom, while holding the can by the base, without touching the walls. As a result, a sound resembling a moose is heard. It’s worth practicing at home so that you don’t misfire on the spot.

For more detailed instructions on how to make homemade decoy, watch the video:

Moose sounds

The roar of an elk resembles the sounds “ua”, “oo”, and in young animals - “oe”. In some moose it sounds like an okaniye, in older elk it sounds more dull.

Moose roar

The sounds of an animal when roaring are produced from the very depths of the larynx. Males publish them in the morning, as well as at sunset, sometimes all night. The sound is deep, reminiscent of a groan, and at the same time it seems to be vibrating, rattling.

Sound of a male

The roar of females and males varies greatly in timbre. The male calls briefly, moaning and grumbling. By the end of the rutting season, the sounds may change to a plaintive, whistling sound.

Sound of a moose

Moose cows, when calling males, make drawn-out sounds; the rest of the time during the rutting period they make weak, light cries. When covered by a male, the elk makes a short neigh. Hearing the male's voice, the female begins to snort in response.

Sounds of a roaring moose in the forest

When a male is looking for a female, he is very dangerous. In some cases, his roar resembles that of a bear and is quite scary. As the rut subsides, the sounds become more dull - mooing, croaking.

Visiting salt licks

One of the places where there is a high probability of tracking an elk is a salt lick. Salt is an excellent bait. With its help, these animals replenish the lack of minerals in the body, especially in the spring, and accumulate in the fall in preparation for winter nutrition. The easiest way is to create such a place yourself. To do this, make a large feeder into which rock or iodized salt is poured.

Gradually the moose get used to visiting this place. This is evidenced by their tracks on the ground and surrounding bushes and trees. Moose and salt licks come most often at sunset. First, he listens for about 15 minutes, standing in the thickets, and then goes to lick the salt.

Hunting in salt licks is carried out from a blind spot or storage shed. Place it higher on thick trees. This is due not only to the danger of the elk itself, but also to the possibility of other animals, such as a bear, visiting the salt lick.

How to lure and drive an elk

There are certain tactics for luring elk. They begin to use the waba after the sounds of the animal itself are heard. You can use the roar of an opponent, a cry for help, the sound of a female, observing the measure. If the screams are too frequent, the elk may suspect falsehood and not approach.

Typically, the technique for using semolina is as follows:

first they use the voice of a young female - ee-o-a-a-h, i-i-e-e-e-h, repeating the sound every 5 minutes, then after a minute, increasing the volume;
if there is no result, the male’s voice is heard - uu-oo-h with approximately the same frequency;
you can supplement the luring with “croaking” - oh-oh-oh;
if there is no answer, you should play the sound of branches breaking or beat the tree with a stick.

The lack of effect can be observed if dogs or other hunters have driven the elk out of their rutting zone, as well as in the presence of a young male who is afraid of rivals and several females. In this case, you need to change the area and repeat all the steps - then success is more likely.

Moose hunting is not particularly difficult if you follow certain rules and use the right tools to lure animals. The choice of decoys and wabs should be approached with special care, since the success of the entire business depends on these devices.

What is the advantage of the Lesotka jig?

From my point of view, the main advantage of the Lesotka jig over other similar winter baits is the uniqueness of its structure and shape. In fact, this is a relatively simple design that I find basic in creating more complex modifications. It seems to me to be a kind of collective image, associated with several living inhabitants of rivers and lakes - large bloodworms, small amphipods, maggots, ants, nymphs (photo 4), i.e. the main and most revered food for fish, which they eat all year round.

Photo 4

Due to the curved shape of its body, when falling, the jig does not fall strictly vertically, but like a winter vertical spinner at an angle. This often prompts fish (usually perches - photo 5) to attack it when diving. In addition, the bait is curved in such a way that the frontal part of the sharp hook and the sting are deflected by approximately 45° relative to the fore-end. Accordingly, the jig demonstrates high efficiency when hooking - the slightest movement is enough for it to cut through the fish’s mouth.

Photo 5

It is noteworthy that with all its external airiness, “Lesotka” has a significant mass, which allows you to effectively fish at depths above average and even fish in the current, which will be discussed below. However, this is not all. I will highlight one more important characteristic of “Lesotka”. Even beginners who have no practice at all can quickly master fishing with it, which cannot be said about many other “reelless” fishing gear. I have observed more than once that they seem to do everything unprepossessingly, but the fish bite, strengthening the confidence and desire in beginners to engage in winter fishing in the future. For “Lesotka” it is not so important whether the hand or elbow works, what is the frequency and speed of the drive. She catches more or less fish, but she always catches.

In general, the “Lesotka” can be called a kind of universal reelless jig, which effectively manifests itself on water bodies of all types when catching any fish. I don’t even need to list the species diversity of underwater inhabitants that I personally caught with it, I’ll only say about those that I rarely come across with other baits - these are crucian carp and tench, chubs and ide (photos 6 and 7). Therefore, it is not surprising that several fishermen I know who actively use “Lesotki” have completely abandoned other jigs and fish only with them. I don't know of a second such example.

Photo 6

Photo 7

Well, at the end of this subsection, I will note that the advantage of the bait in question is also its ease of manufacture, the step-by-step algorithm of which I will present to the attention of readers below.