Hi all. I'm just now getting back into bow hunting and shooting after a 10 year hiatus. I finally have a nice place to hunt that has some nice size bucks so my palms are sweating and I'm getting itchy to try different techniques. I only hunting with a bow one year before and never gave much thought to using attractent scents.

My question is, how much to use? I know it is potent stuff and a deer's sense of smell is incredibly acute, so do I use two pumps or three or more when using a drag rag or pads on my feet? Is it possible to use too much or too little?

I have read that some of you do not like to use scents and others do. I guess I'm gonna give it a try this year on one stand and none at all (except cover up scent) on another and see what happens.

Any thoughts would be welcomed. I have never harvested a deer with a bow before. I had a beautiful 10 yard shot at a large doe the other day, but the bucks are large in this area in Nebraska and the season is young, so I passed and am waiting for the rut and pre-rut to try the scents and see what I can pull in.

Thanks

I prefer to be scent free, if I use an attractor scent, I wait intil I'm in the tree then I have an old arrow that is poked thru a 35mm film canister stuffed with cotton soaked in scent, I use my bow to fling it out where I want it, no worry of human scent trail leading up to it to educate the deer.

Well I havent really keyed in on deer scents myself. I always try to stay scent free and use a cover scent like a earth wafer or scent eliminating spray with erath scent. I have tried the drag rag and have buddies that have had success with it. what I do is go to walmart and buy some surgical guaze thats free of any human oders i buy some of those baby diaper pins. and some nice line and make up a few rags with out touching them at all (use rubber gloves). when your done making them, get a couple small film vials and make sure there cleaned real good, and pour some estrous or whatever your gonna use into these vials and then put a rag in there and push down and let soak. when afield apply scent as you go to your stand. the buck is gonna go where the scents the strongest. when you reach stand hang the rag so that you can get a shot at it. and another tip take a lil cooler to keep the scent that your not using cold espically after you open it. You could also try some of those tinks scent bombs. im gonna try more with scents this year. I got a week of vacation right in the middle of the rut..... Good luck to ya

I've used doe estrus for 3 years now with good success. Main thing is you have to know when to use it. If you put it out too early it will only spook the deer (IMO). As the rut gets going it really works. I put plenty out because if a buck can't smell it he's not going to come check it out. I killed a 6 pointer in 1999 that came right up to where I put it out. Then in 2001 I killed another nice 6 pointer that came right up to it again. Both times they had the look of an 18 year old boy in a room full of cheerleaders. They had one thing on there mind and I was'nt it.

I use the film canisters too but put cotton balls in them and pour the scent in. I duct tape a piece of wire to them which I use to hang them on tree limbs. I use 4 or 5 canisters and hang them all around my stand.

Like the film canister and old arrow trick. I have never used luring scents myself but have just decided this is the season to try them out. Whats the best way to go. Doe scent to get his pecker up or buck scent to get him aggresive ??

BTB

Boris, I just read an article in Bow and Arrow magazine about laying scent trails and making scrapes, which is what got me excited about trying scents. Anyway, as for Doe in heat or Rutting Buck, the author of the article said that he puts Doe-in-heat on one foot pad and Buck-in-Rut on the other, with the thought that a Dominant buck will smell the doe and think that another buck is already chasing her so he takes off on the trail hoping to get to her before his rival. Sounds logical to a newbie like me, but I have no experience to go on.

-Brad

Edited by - by23856 on 09/25/2002 09:03:10

I always use cover up scents to try and stay scent free. As for deer scents I use tinks doe pee in early season, and I switch to Tinks #69 during the rut and pre rut. Always have had great succsess with these products.