If you've never hunted a rut with decoys before, you may be surprised at how effective it is. If you hunt from a stand during the rut or pre-rut season and use your grunt call, you'll get a deer's attention - but not for long. The deer will stop and look around, but when it doesn't see or smell another deer, it won't come any closer. This is where a decoy works wonderfully - the deer gets the visual encouragement to come closer after hearing the grunt call.
You should only use decoys during archery season, however, especially on public land - you may bring the deer closer to you, but you may also bring fire some somebody else who isn;t a very good shot. Decoys work best when you hunt the rut - you just have to decide whether to use a doe or a buck. You'll need deer scent to make your decoy complete, and always wear rubber gloves when handling it. Keep your decoy in a non-scented plastic bag when not in use. When applying scent to the decoy, it is best to pin a cotton ball dabbed with scent to the tail of the decoy. A piece of white plastic about five inches long by one inch across, stuck to the tail of your decoy, will make the "tail" move, attracting real deer's attention.
As obvious as it may sound, place your decoys where you have a clear shot - they're most effective when placed out in the open where they can be easily seen by deer passing through the area. Never leave your decoy set up when you're not using it, though. Deer aren't entirely stupid - they'll figure it out if you don't take it down. And always transport it completely concealed in its plastic bag - don't make yourself a target for one of those "it's moving - shoot it!" style hunters.
Once you start using decoys when hunting a rut, you may want to go further. You can use one, two, or even three decoys. Many hunters use one doe and one buck, with the buck right behind the doe as if he is following her. Adding tarsal gland buck scent and doe in estrus scents, it's a situation that few buck deer will be able to resist. Mixing your scented decoys with grunt calls helps bring in deer that may not have spotted the decoy right away. Hunting a rut with a decoy is a fun way to give yourself an edge when out to bag a deer.