Scents and calls. (is it to early)
10-23-2007, 05:26 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 59
Scents and calls. (is it to early)
I am heading up north this weekend as was wondering if it is to early for rattling, grunting orestrous scents. Was wondering what everyone else thought and if anyone is having any success yet with them. I am going hunting in northern wisconsin in case it matters. Thanks in advance. Vindog
10-23-2007, 05:31 PM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Oct 1998
Location: Hughesville, PA USA
Posts: 18,322
RE: Scents and calls. (is it to early)
I've called in deer from the first day of PA's season to the last day of PA's season. Deer are very vocal animals and calls can work year around.
Scents, especially estrous scents I do not use. Too much room for error. If I see a buck, I can call a buck....not every time mind you but it does work. Scents, I've seen deer turn inside out after getting a wiff of that stuff, remember for a deer to smell scents it has to be downwind which also puts them downwind of YOU.
Scents, especially estrous scents I do not use. Too much room for error. If I see a buck, I can call a buck....not every time mind you but it does work. Scents, I've seen deer turn inside out after getting a wiff of that stuff, remember for a deer to smell scents it has to be downwind which also puts them downwind of YOU.
10-23-2007, 05:39 PM
#3
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Terre Haute, Indiana
Posts: 914
RE: Scents and calls. (is it to early)
The basket 8 point I passed on came in to a doe bleat. I saw him at about 50 yards walking away from me and got him to come back and give me a broadside at 15 just from 3 short bleats.
10-23-2007, 05:40 PM
#4
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location:
Posts: 23
RE: Scents and calls. (is it to early)
Rob brings up a good point. In fact, anytime you are attracting deer to your location, whether it be through calling or scents, scent prevention becomes all that much more important. For instance, this past Saturday I was using my rattling antlers and imitating a buck rubbing a tree and tickling them together. Sure enough, 10 minutes later a big mature 10 point came in down wind in heavy cover and I ended up not being able to get a shot before he caught a whiff of something he didn't like. Would I have seen that deer had I not used my horns?? Maybe, maybe not. But a mature buck will almost always, unless caught up in the moment, come in down wind and investigate before he commits. So, when you are calling it is important to set up in situations where it is more difficult for a deer to get down wind of you without passing through your area. Set up on boundaries and use the landscape to your advantage. And practice scent control like a mad man! best of luck.
10-23-2007, 06:02 PM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mont County, Pa
Posts: 7,368
RE: Scents and calls. (is it to early)
ORIGINAL: indianahunter83
The basket 8 point I passed on came in to a doe bleat. I saw him at about 50 yards walking away from me and got him to come back and give me a broadside at 15 just from 3 short bleats.
The basket 8 point I passed on came in to a doe bleat. I saw him at about 50 yards walking away from me and got him to come back and give me a broadside at 15 just from 3 short bleats.
10-23-2007, 06:10 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: pa.
Posts: 1,115
RE: Scents and calls. (is it to early)
In the past I have used scents with mixed results.
Calls are always in my arsenal. Use them sparingly and softly at first. Then every 30 minutes or so. Just to keep things from becoming to boring. I believe light rattling will work this time of the year.
Calls are always in my arsenal. Use them sparingly and softly at first. Then every 30 minutes or so. Just to keep things from becoming to boring. I believe light rattling will work this time of the year.
10-23-2007, 07:17 PM
#10
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 415
RE: Scents and calls. (is it to early)
I've used scents for twenty years. 18 years ago I found a company which I've been using since 1989. I won't hunt without it.
Does it work every time? No. Themost negative result I've witnessed is the animal paying little to no attention to it.
I will not use estrus scent before the middle of the pre-rut, but will from that point throughout the season. I prefer a pure non-estrus doe urine with interdigital (pedal) gland added. I formulate my own lure and have found for laying a scent line to the scent post the I.D. works wonders. I use this all year long as I keep mock scrapes going open 12 months.
The key to positive results using lure is using the "correct" lure for the "correct" timeframe you are hunting. It's not magic in the bottle, but, when handled and deployed correctly it does what a lure is designed to do. That would be to lure the animal in, in a calm state without alarm.
Handle the lure properly, don't contaminate the lure handling it without latex gloves, keep it clean approaching your stand site and especially while laying a scentline.
It takes a minimal amount of effort handling and deploying, and will pay dividends when the animal comes in on a string to the scentpost and sets up for the shot.
Find a reputable company that actually knows where the urine base comes from, preferably from their own herd and you'll be dealing with a better quality product than the companies who rely on buying bulk from several different exotic breeders who sell in bulk.
Do your homework before you commit to purchase. Ask questions. You'll know who's talkin' the talk and not walkin' the walk when it comes to lures.
You owe it to yourself to do it. Especially when you spend the time you do in the field. Nothing worse than an animal reacting negatively to the lure you're using and blow the set you've worked so hard for.
Like anything, know what you're using before you use it.
Does it work every time? No. Themost negative result I've witnessed is the animal paying little to no attention to it.
I will not use estrus scent before the middle of the pre-rut, but will from that point throughout the season. I prefer a pure non-estrus doe urine with interdigital (pedal) gland added. I formulate my own lure and have found for laying a scent line to the scent post the I.D. works wonders. I use this all year long as I keep mock scrapes going open 12 months.
The key to positive results using lure is using the "correct" lure for the "correct" timeframe you are hunting. It's not magic in the bottle, but, when handled and deployed correctly it does what a lure is designed to do. That would be to lure the animal in, in a calm state without alarm.
Handle the lure properly, don't contaminate the lure handling it without latex gloves, keep it clean approaching your stand site and especially while laying a scentline.
It takes a minimal amount of effort handling and deploying, and will pay dividends when the animal comes in on a string to the scentpost and sets up for the shot.
Find a reputable company that actually knows where the urine base comes from, preferably from their own herd and you'll be dealing with a better quality product than the companies who rely on buying bulk from several different exotic breeders who sell in bulk.
Do your homework before you commit to purchase. Ask questions. You'll know who's talkin' the talk and not walkin' the walk when it comes to lures.
You owe it to yourself to do it. Especially when you spend the time you do in the field. Nothing worse than an animal reacting negatively to the lure you're using and blow the set you've worked so hard for.
Like anything, know what you're using before you use it.