ORIGINAL: annika3
One main thing you need to remember when using estrous scents.
Other does do not want to be around a doe in heat. That is why many times does will run or turn away and leave when youare usingestrous scent. They do not want to get in the middle of bucks chasing them when they are not in heat.
If you are hunting a setup during the peak of the rut where does come first you may want to use a general attactant (non-sexual lure like Trail Bait, Trails End 307 ect.) to bring does in which will hopefully bring in a buck.
If you are hunting a setup where you're hunting a funnel, saddle, or ridge where trying to catch a buck searching for does this is the time to use estrous urine.
I have just have crummy luck with it. I hunt in SW PA, and our buck/doe ratio is out of wack. It's getting better, but it's tough to hunt the rut and see a lone cruiser buck, especially an older buck. He has no problem getting chicks in my county. I killed my first buck in 1993 with 307, and since then, at least once a season, I've had a buck get nervous and sneak away, or a doe lead a buck away from my location because of scent I had out.
2 years ago, I had the buck in my avatar, and 2 more similarly sized bucks within 60 yards of my tree shoving each other all over the woods. 2 does were there also, and 2 1.5 year bucks. Well, the 3 bigger boys duked it out on and off for a few minutes, then broke off, 2 of them crossed my doe in heat trail, and immediately turned and trotted away in a nervous fashion. They didn't wind me,as I tested the wind immediately after they turned away with my powder. I was astonished. A week later, I hunted the same tree, and grunted in the buck inthe pic, no scent out,and busted him at 12 yards.
Last year, I had a beautiful 18" 8 with G2's as long as the one in the pic mentioned above, come straight at me at a nice slow pace. I had doe in heat gel smeared on a couple saplings arond my stand. He got about 5 feet from sapling, and I could him sniffing the air. Once again, I had perfect crosswind, he was 15 yards, straight away from me. Not a shot I'll take, ever. He sniffed around, did a complete 180, and stuck his tail up his butt, and snuck away in that famalier nervous trot.
What the hel is going wrong guys ? it's been killing me for years to figure this mystery out. I've taken 22 bucks with a bow in 3 states since my first one in '93. And only one fell to scent. I've tried them all. I have. Every one of them. NOthing positive to report in 15 season!