I agree with SH on this one. I helped drag a buck the other day, about a 3-1/2-4yr old. And he wasn't in rut yet. His glands were somewhat dark n musky, but not like in a week r two!!! His neck wasn't swollen either.
I kills me how the "SuperMarts" start putting these items out on the store shelves in Sept already and guys go buy it and take it straight to the woods and cant figure out why they are not seeing anything!!
When my dad still had his store before retiring, he always kept the tarsal glands from the younger bucks. I still have about 100 in the freezer and begin to use them now and have killed more big bucks over them than the doe estrous scent that I get directly from my buddies deer herd that I help him collect from.

I use only drag rags as opposed to scent drippers. I find that they are more effective and can work for I can circle my stand, hang it to the upper wind side and put the deer where I expect to get my best shot from. I also begin to drop the rag about 100yds out and freshn it up about every 50yds. I add a good little amount of drops, step on with my boots a bit and keep going to my stand. I make my drag rags with the scent wicks and about 4-5ft of white carpenters cord. I soak the wicks when I get to where I am going, hang and then get in my stand. I put them about 25-30yds from the stand about 5ft high to cover more distance.