Scents

[HD]

I know this topic has been brought up before, but there are many new members that bow hunt that have joined.

So, to keep the blood pumping.....I figured we could talk about scents and how we use them.

What is the best cover up scent?
Do you even use one?
Do you use attractants when you hunt?
Do you spend the money on the serial numbered high buck brands?
Have you tried several different types?
Do you even believe they work?
Do you use any type of scent killer on your clothes?



I myself, believe that scents work.
But I also believe that if you use the wrong one at the wrong time of year...you could end up spooking deer.
And bad scent spooks deer as well, old stuff can go bad....don't use it!
When I first started deer hunting, we had a lot of fox in the area. I used fox pee on my pant legs for a cover up scent. It worked very well, it even brought a few fox in for me to pick off. But, once all the foxes were pretty much eliminated from the area, the scent didn't work very well. In fact it ended up spooking deer.
I myself, don't use the high end products, and I have tried them. They work great, but
I have been involved in a lot of testing over the years and have found that the mid range products work just as well.
I prefer to use "Tinks" it works for me, and the price is reasonable.

I have to thank Don for reminding me of this subject! 
I know he uses them alot while trying to photo deer.


Hunter

[Don Stenseth]

I have used Tinks with success also. Another real good product is Whitcombs. They are in Princton Mn I believe so you are also buying local.

[22lex]

I use Whitcomb's estrus, and hunter specialties scent killer. I've never had great luck with estrus scent lures, for me it's always been about rattling/doe sounds/soft grunting.

Main thing is trying to remember you are always going to give off scent no matter what you do. Don't hunt stands that don't provide a good wind for you! Set yourself up early by finding that prevailing wind and go with what works best, and definately don't be afraid to be mobile with your stands based on the wind.

[Cody Gruchow]

scent killer 99% and code blue standing estrus, dont use the code blue to much cost to dang much

[HD]

I have used Tinks with success also. Another real good product is Whitcombs. They are in Princton Mn I believe so you are also buying local.

Don, do you know about how much per bottle the Whitcombs is? I never bought it before.

[Don Stenseth]

I used their 100% Buck urine with great success. $11.95 fro a 2 oz. bottle. Do a search for whitcombs scent and look at their website for prices on other products. I have no affilliation with them. Just have had their product work for me and they are local.

[HD]

I figured you wern't in affilliation with um, I was just wondering how comparable in price they were to tinks.

In what type of application do you use the Buck urine?
Like, how do you use it?
In a wick dispenser?

[Don Stenseth]

I tie a white rag about 4 feet off of the ground and saturate it with scent. I figure that any breeze will catch it that way and carry the scent more than if it is on the ground..I have had Doe's and Fawns walk up and sniff it and it does not alarm them at all. I have had numerous Bucks walk up and sniff it for minutes at a time. Nothing is a guarantee but I have seen it work enough times to believe it works.

[HD]

Have you noticed it working better at certain times of the year?

I use those tink wick dispensers, they seem to bring um in pretty good to. If you (like you said) put it about 4 feet off of the ground.

[JohnWester]

ok, since no one is answering my other thread...

when do you start to use scents and which ones when?

will anyone be using one this weekend for bow opener?

Don, do you use scents now for your pictures?

[Don Stenseth]

I use scent from mid October untill the Bucks start dropping antlers. Also, I like to use a lot of it. I have seen deer pee befor and it is way more than one ounce. LOL In this photo you can see my scent rag in the pine tree.

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[Spinach]

What is the best cover up scent? Depends on the area I am hunting, I'll use apple cover when hunting near the orchard or fox urine when in the woods, I dont always use cover scent though.

Do you even use one? Very rare, but once in a while

Do you use attractants when you hunt? Almost always, depending on the time of year I alternate from estrus to tarsal glands

Do you spend the money on the serial numbered high buck brands? Never, tried the expensive Code Blue and some others with the same results as the less expensive scents.

Have you tried several different types? Many different types, now I stick to trails end or tarsal glands.

Do you even believe they work? Yes, if used correct and at the right stage of the rut.

Do you use any type of scent killer on your clothes? I use the cheap scent killer spray all of the time, I tried the expensive stuff and it stained my clothes.

I usually dont use any scents until the last week or so of October, just scent killer, no rattling or calling either until Octobers full moon.

[Don Stenseth]

Same pine tree, same rag, different Buck.

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[Cody Gruchow]

the best cover up i have used is scent killer, but i wont use a apple acorn or earth masking one, just us the regualar. been told its best to have no scent than any of the other scents, but to each his own i say.

i always use it every time, just not as heavily as the first time

i use different attractants each points of the rut. i dont use none in sept though

from october to the end of the season i do. i do mock scrapes and such

code blue i love it, it does work in my beleif. never had one come in for that purpose but had them stop and check it out in my shooting lanes

yes to a certain extent i do beleive they work

i just scent killer.

anybody got any thing to say about the new dead down wind cover scents?

[HD]

Mid Oct. is about the time I start using them too.

I use a lot of scent killer on my boots and pants.

Don, do you leave that rag out all the time, or do you take it down every evening when your done shooting?....Just curious...

[Mayfly]

I think if we can learn anything on MNO it is from Don Stenseth.....he has all the pictures to prove it!

Thanks for sharing, it is very valuable info. They SHOULD be paying you. I know what kind of scent I am using this year.

[Mayfly]

Don,

What scent is on the rag that is pictured?? Is that just Buck Pee?

Thanks.

[Don Stenseth]

This was the 100% Buck urine and I leave the rag out all the time and freshen it up every time I go out. Like I said, It does not work all of the time but it has worked enough for me to believe in it. It also helps that I am in an area that has a lot of deer. LOL

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[22lex]

Great pictures Don.

[dakids]

I store all of my hunting cloths in a large sealed tuperware container.  I also cut several pine branches and put them in there between each layer of cloths.  I also use the scent eliminator sprays (dead down wind ) on my boots, hands, and most importantly on my head and hair.

[HD]

That's a good point dakids....

I wash all my hunting clothes with the scent eliminator laundry soap before storeing them in a tuperware tote as well. But, I put the dirt smelling dryer sheets in the tote. They come with the kit of soaps and deoderants.
And to avoid contamination, I store the tote in one of my out buildings.

Hunter

[22lex]

I keep everything in tote that I put pine needles or branches into. I always spray myself down before getting into the stand, and if it's a long hike I won't wear my hat, or my top layer so I don't sweat too much before I get into the tree.

I found that wearinga scent eliminating mask seems to work the best to cover up my foul breath  ,and hair but have a hard time shooting with the mask in the way of where I anchor the string. When deer are showing up I usually bring the mask down to where I feel comfortable in order to shoot.

[HD]

but have a hard time shooting with the mask in the way of where I anchor the string. When deer are showing up I usually bring the mask down to where I feel comfortable in order to shoot.

It's nice to hear that I'm not the only one that has problems with mask's.
I like to wear them to reduce the bug factor, and the scent elimination, but they do get in the way. And have been busted moving my mask out of the way to shoot.

[deadeye]

Last Saturday I put on one of thoes see through nets.  I only wore it for a short time because I had a hard time seeing anything through it.  I guess I go by the law of averages.  If I'm in the right places and seeing enough deer, sooner or later one is bound to stumble by and not notice me.
So far in my limited bow expierence I've only been busted by scent one time and that doe circled me at about 8 yards until she blew out of there. 

[Fallenhorn]

I guess I have to agree with everyone out there in regards to scents. I have also had luck with scent drags too. I haven't had any trophy's follow any drag lines but I have had smaller eights follow it right up with their head down. Pretty neat to watch!

Can someone fill me in... from my experiences with using doe urine it seems like certain batches are more or less useful than others. I mean sometimes I believe a doe may be near estrous when the sample was taken and other times you may just be getting regular doe urine. Obviously when a doe reaches estrous the chemicals and proportions are different than those in normal doe urine throughout the season. Correct? I have heard that estrous only lasts for an hour or two (???) making it difficult to capture true estrous urine, couldn't a chemical company make an attractant that contains this mix of the same chemicals that are given off in urine during estrous? Is there something like that out there?

Maybe i'm way off in left field but if a scent like that could be made it would be more effective and also cheaper to produce due to the fact that you wouldn't have to house a deer population for 12 months a year.

Am I crazy???

Tony