Deer Scents? Theories?

[MnMoose]

 
Alright...I go to the local sporting good stores and stare and the deer scent kiosk and walls with a mindless boggle with a billion questions running through my head.
So guys everybody has their opinions on what works or their fav brand.
I'm going to deer camp this wknd to do some more scouting.  
I haven't seen much sign of any larger bucks in the area.  I popped two does during the early hunt now that its settled down again guys what should I be doing to lure that bug buck.  Now prior to me hunting in this particular area it has remained untouched for a long time maybe five years.  Talk to me guys.  I am dog tired of reading Magazines and I want local input.  

[dakids]

I use Tink's doe in heat,  Dead down wind scent eliminator.

 Go to google earth and get a satelite picture of the area were you are hunting.  Look for funnels.  There is a good chance that there will be a few trails that will converge in this area.  Bucks will be on there feet and will be looking for a girl friend.  They will try to stay in the thicker cover during the daytime but will still be moving. 

[Grute Man]

I'll change what I use depending on the rut.  If the does aren't really ready for breeding, then pure estrus may not be what you want to use.  There are some that smell like licorish (sp?).  That's the smell of a plant called anis.  Deer love it; its like candy to them.  I believe Trails End has that but Im not sure which # it is.

I've also had good luck with the Wild Life Research scent wafers/leaves.  I had the estrus ones out last year and did get a buck with one.  He was walking up to it sticking his nose out so Yeah I think he was there for that.  Just don't touch them with your bare hands     You'll smell it for a month of Sundays.  For some reason, that smell gives me the worst headache.

[MnMoose]

Alright good info...Now from previous scouting and research and good ol google earth I am set up in a id say 10 yr old clearing with popples and I am in a bottle neck.  in the corner I am surrounded by cedars and behind that a swamp.  the deer do trail into my area.  now should I be doing anything this wknd when I check it out any scents to get em curious make some scrapes?  what? or just leave it?
Another question...Gander sells these blocks theyre called sportsman blocks..they have all kinds of supplements in those.  would this be considered baiting if I bought and threw it in the vicinity of my stand?

[HD]

AAAHHHH ...Grute? Buddy?   Your not suppose to be whiffing that stuff.....it's for the deer?
              

[Grute Man]

Well it didn't say that on the instructions.   

As for the mineral blocks...they could be considered bait.  I think it depends on the ingredients.  I'd try going a differnet rout.  Maybe just the scents.

I've put blocks out in one spot a couple of times a year but they're long gone before the season starts.

[Cody Gruchow]

i hear ya grute, that stuff gives me an awful headache also. im about 20 yards off a mock scrape and dripper and i tell ya when the winds blowing just right it comes right to my nose and i feel like 

[22lex]

No kidding about the scents. Smells like garbage on your fingers for days.

[Cody Gruchow]

i take the cap off the tinks and throw it like a grenade

[22lex]

I spilled that crap on my pants one time because the cap was loose during an evening hunt.

All I could think of walking out in the dark was, what are the chances that a buck's going to be walking down the trail the same time I am, and I don't want to be like that moron who got the crap beat out of him by that deer on tv.

[Cody Gruchow]

or he may think your his woman in which case id rather take the beating

[22lex]

What kind of beating are you talking about????....Geez Cody get your mind out of the gutter, I was talking about hooves and stuff...not what you are thinking about!!! Gross...

[Cody Gruchow]

  now you got me all mixed up

[Grute Man]

Hmmm a buck beating or being a buck's b!@$#.  I think I'll stick with the scent wafers so it can't spill on me. 

[22lex]

Hmmm a buck beating or being a buck's b!@$#.  I think I'll stick with the scent wafers so it can't spill on me. 

 

You know in all honesty I have never had much luck with scents. I don't like putting them out there in front of me 'cause I'm too leery I will leave my own scent out when I'm doing it (dragline, dripper). I usually use them as cover scent on my downwind side most of the time.

[Cody Gruchow]

haha yea i know grute decisions decisions either way you lose  but i experiment a bit each year with different ones and trails end 307 i think it is, thats the one thats gotten the best results

[Grute Man]

Does that 307 smell like black lickorish?  If so, that's the stuff I used last year with good results.

[Cody Gruchow]

smells like i dunno never put my nose to it to smell it.

[mathews4ever]

trails end #307 smells like licorice. That smell sticks around forever.

[GirlGuide]

Okay, well you guys are going to LOVE this one!  Every year, my husband poors that sh*t all over his hunting clothes....yes, ALL OVER HIS HUNTING CLOTHES!!    I'm a total gagger, any bad smells, and I am a goner!  So I of course cannot stand this, it COMPLETELY groses me out!  The worse thing about it is, that in the morning when we ride out to our stands, I go on the back of the 4 wheeler with him!! And yes, it is the ride from HELL!!  I could ride by myself, but then my husband wouldn't have to go close to my stand anymore, and I guess I would rather have to smell his stanky arse, then have to go through the woods in pitch black by myself...THAT would freak me out..yes, I am a big chicken when it comes to that!  Although, we do ride the wheeler in together, we do split up, and I have about a 5 minute walk to my stand...and he has about a 20 minute walk to his.  After riding on the back with him though, I'm sure I don't even need any scent, because by then I probably already smell as bad as him! I've been pretty lucky so far, so maybe it does really work.  Last year, I watched a deer come right up to my little scent thingy (lol-no idea what they are called) that you hang in the tree.  I also used one of those buckbombs for the first time last year, the only thing I didn't like about that was, when I opened it up before I threw it, some of it got on my glove...  , it was like being on the back of the wheeler all over again!

~gg

[Spinach]

Scent wicks......  Thats what those thingys are called.

Better be careful applying scent to your clothing though, they dont recommend it for safety reasons. Some day a dominant buck may come check you out.

[MnMoose]

Well I guess I'll just go without any work for the wknd on the stand...and from all the replies I better wear rubber gloves??????

[HD]

Yep, I use those orange Tinks scent bottles with the pull out wick.
I use rubber gloves when I fill um, and I haven't had a problem with getting any on me when I set them out. I do wear rubber gloves when I take them down to refill or place in a different spot, because the wicks sometimes are hard to get back in the bottle.

I've used drag lines before, and have had them work, depends on what phase of the rut they are in. If they are really worked up, they will follow it.

Hunter

[The General]

I'm kind of wit lex.  I'm not sure how well the scents really work.  I put different ones out in hopes it takes their minds off my own scent.  Hunting with a bow you usually need all the help you can get. 

[Cody Gruchow]

well general your not suppose to fart on stand, and hope the cover scent makes it dissappear

[deadeye]

I'm trying those plastic scented leaves this year.  So far nothing has run from them and one buck did come and check it out. 

[thunderpout]

You can use the mineral licks (and hunt over em) if they are not flavored like corn, apples, acorns, etc.... I use em, the deer frequent them more in the summer, but I have seen deer at em in the fall also.... I havent used the scent on me since I was nearly jumped going to my stand at 4:30 am by a big buck (sounded huge anyways), he grunted and thrashed like 10 ft away, I had those foot pads on... now I just do the scent line deal, seen deer b-line to the wicks many times.  I use those pine scent wafers or will break off a bunch of pine bows and put em in a huge bag with my hunting clothes... works great, and cheaper than the clothes wash/scent  elimator stuff... pine cones work well too!

[MnMoose]

Thanks pout..So I have a whats left of one of the not so good blocks with all the candy in it and its pretty much gone, I put it out in late august, could I still get in trouble?

[T.R. Michels]

I've been using Wildlife Research Centers scents since 1989s, and I have at least a dozen photos of large racked bucks (over 15) checking the drippers I use at scrapes.

God bless,

T.R.

[thunderpout]

TR....  What do ye use in the drippers?  I always have scrapes on this same deer hiway between two of my stands, but I have been hesitant to do anything  that may screw things up... Trying the Golden Estrus stuff this year on my wicks.  I bought the stuff that they keep in the fridge, but I also have seen it just on the shelf in places.  Is that just because some stores dont want a fridge in their store?