?? ABOUT SCENTS & LURES

[ONLY8PTS]

THERE ARE QUITE A FEW PRODUCTS OUT THERE,AND TOO MANY TO TRY EVERY ONE OF THEM.HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EVER USED THEM AND WHAT WERE YOUR RESULTS? I WAS INTERESTED IN THE "BUCK BOMB". I SAW PICTURES OF THE RESULTS FROM THIS PRODUCT AND THEY WERE IMPRESSIVE.

[chris4570]

I've used a few different kinds with mixed results. But it's hard to say if it was the product brand, the type of scent or the timing of the scents that made them work for or against me.

[wabi]

I recently read an article in "Predator Xtreme" magazine about a method for coyote hunting. The author used a mixture of scents in a sprayer to fog the area he was calling from. He didn't specifically give his "formula" for the mixture, but it contained both prey & predator urines. His theory being that the overwhelming combination of so many odors more or less "short circuited" the coyote's brain from
Instead of getting a definate message offlee or attack from the scent it gets so many messages from the olfactory receptors to the brain at once that it is totally confused and often just hangs around trying to figure what's going on.

I've thought about trying something similar for deer. Perhaps a combination of deer urine from bucks, does, doe in heat, and maybe even a few non-threatening other animals like raccoon, red fox, etc.
Get in the stand or blind and spray it to let the wind carry it and saturate the area with scent.

[ONLY8PTS]

WABI, I ALSO THOUGHT ABOUT USING MORE THAN ONE SCENT.BUT I'M ON THE FENCE ABOUT USING A DOMINATE BUCK SCENT BECAUSE I'M NOT REALLY A TROPHY HUNTER AND I READ ONCE THAT IT COULD KEEP SOME OTHER DECENT SHOOTERS AWAY.

[wabi]

I was thinking of using some less expensive buck & doe scent(s), then mixing in some estrous doe scent (like "code blue" taken from one estrous doe and buying two or three different bottles), then perhaps some red fox and raccoon urine. If I really want to get creative I have mink musk and beaver castor in my trapping lures.
Heck, hunting right next to the creek where both critters live, who knows?
One thing for sure, the human scent might still be there, but it would be confusing. The big question (in my mind) is, would it just confuse the deer's "scent processing center" in it's brain, or would it repel the deer?
I may give it a test in some area other than where I normally hunt if I decide to try it.
I'm not thinking of using it to attract deer, more as a cover scent.

[Grizzly Adam]

I know the scent marketing companies don't want to hear this, but I'm honor bound to say so:

I don't use any scents or lures when deer-hunting ... nor do I use cover-scents.

I kill all the deer NC will allow me to without them, every year, if I want them.

There was a time when I used that stuff, but it was a long time ago.

Could I honestly say I ever saw anything that convinced me using them made a positive difference?

No.

You asked!

Of course, your mileage may vary.

[Ben S.]

I have to say I agree with Grizz.

[Hoss]

anything that is out of the ordinary smells in the deer woods would make them wary and suspicious thus your clueing them in...the only thing I have used or would even try again would be fresh doe estrus i get from a local deer farmer.....ofcourse there is always the gomer pyle deer who will come check out anything that stinks...they sometimes just gotta know i guess..but for the most part Grizz is right on..I use nothing hunt the wind ambush them thats the most basic and most effective for me..

[Mike P]

I may get windy here and please don't accuse me of hijacking this thread. I just can't help myself when I am passionate about a subject like this where I think my fellow whitetail brothers are being led down the primrose path in the quest for the almighty dollar.

It is my opinion that hunters that use attractant scents more often hurt their chances of seeing quality bucks then help the cause due to poor usage of the product. I also believe there is a ton of bad product sold to eager hunters. In a lot of ways hunters are like golfers in that they will buy anything to help lower their score. The shear number of golf gimmicks sold is staggering. And the scent market is just as loaded with gimmicks. And to add more confusion to the picture, not all scents work the same in all areas. And to add the cherry to the sundae, lets just throw the time of year in the equation for grins. It is no wonder that attractant scents are used ineffectively by most hunters.


The use of cover scents also can be a hit and miss proposition. A mature buck knows his core turf like you know the interior of your house. He knows when a smell is out of place. Smelling like pine sol while hunting a white oak grove doesn't cut it. The hunting marketplace, the same one that sells you these cover scents, also tells you that they don't work and try's to convince you that you need scent absorption clothing. The fact that it requires so much heat to reactivate their carbon based product that you would actually melt the camo material surrounding the carbon is of no consequence to them. They think your golfers. They know you will throw money at them if they show you enough catchy commercials and endorsements from so called "name" hunters. If the truth be known, Jackie Bushman has a better chance of improving your tennis backhand then he does of teaching you anything about hunting mature whitetail bucks. No offense Jackie, your a great TV presence and probably a heck of a nice guy. I am just using you to prove my point. (Like he reads this forum )

I have a surefire plan for you to see four times the amount of deer you normally see every year without spending one penny on scents or special clothing. It's not complicated. It's not hard to implement. And anyone can use this plan.

I call it the Mobil Operating Virtual Entrapment plan. But I like to use the short name better, MOVE. With this plan you never hunt the same stand or location more then three times. So that can be an evening, followed by a morning and subsequent evening. After those three hunts, you enact the plan. You MOVE.

If you follow the Mobil Operating Virtual Entrapment Plan I guarantee you that you will not need scents or specialized clothing and you will see more deer then you ever observed during those numerous hours sitting in your ladder stand day after day, month after month.

So save your money and spend it on a good lightweight climbing tree stand. It just makes more "scents".

[Normous]

MOVE MOVE MOVE
I love it. Great advice for all.

[Grizzly Adam]

No doubt about it.

Deer do get habituated to your presence if you always stay put, or always go to the very same place.

I usually just walk in and park in a place I've never been before. I've killed dozens and dozens of deer sitting on a bucket (and more recently, the Sportsman's BarcaLounger) ... first time in, deer down. Not always, of course. I have my share of goof-ups and dry-runs and skunkings, too ... but I've killed many, many deer without scents and lures, without fancy camo, without lots of gear, and without going more than a mile from my house.

I'd side with Mike P in this: If you want to see lots of deer, MOVE to a place you've never been to or haven't been to in a long time ... and then DON'T MOVE! Even if the wind isn't just right, make like a stone ... and you'll put some deer down. I promise.

Save some money and get mobile. You'll smell better, too!

[ONLY8PTS]

THERE ARE QUITE A FEW PRODUCTS OUT THERE,AND TOO MANY TO TRY EVERY ONE OF THEM.?HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EVER USED THEM AND WHAT WERE YOUR RESULTS I WAS INTERESTED IN THE "BUCK BOMB". I SAW PICTURES OF THE RESULTS FROM THIS PRODUCT AND THEY WERE IMPRESSIVE.

[navaman]

on the subject of camo i'd like to let you in on an observation i made one day. i was reading about the famous benoit brothers and their record amount of deer kills. along with the book there were photos of the boys and i noticed NONE of them were wearing camo. they had on at the time of the kill red plaid wool jackets and jeans. now i know as gun hunters they don't need to get as close as we do but what do you guys think?

[saxman]

I must admit I am a gadjet man.I love camo and scents and lures and all the little toys and bells and whistles but I also must admit I have killed but 1 deer in my life after 40 years of hunting,now,alot of things contribute to my staggering success rate but I just like playing with the toys.
I also have to say that the most at one time and the biggest bucks I have ever seen in my life was in the month of August in the Wiconsin Dells area.
I noticed a field across from the campground where I was staying and couldn't resist,that evening I snuck over with my camcorder in White shorts,white shirt,no shoes and stinking to high heaven and filmed at least eight large bucks. Go figure.

[A.W]

I read in September's issue of, I think, Ontario Hunting magazine that they're concerned that CWD may be spread by means hunters using deer urine.

I'll have another look to make sure which magazine I was reading.