I don't disagree that what you say could be true, but one time walking out I came face to face with a giant buck --standing on the ground and he was looking right at me across a creek 60 yards out.
I held my rattling antlers on my head and continued to snort wheeze at him.

Clearly he knew it wasn't right. But he was freaking torn as to what he was going to do.

He wanted to run but he couldn't.

The idea for me with scents is to turn a buck my way or to get him to focus on something that isn't me while I shoot him.

I've always felt like there's a week or two that they aren't thinking so clearly and the scents might just help me.

I might be wrong I don't know. I've definitly had mixed results.

I use fresh tarsal glands from other's bucks through the middle part of the rut when I can - have had quite a few positive responses from it.

I can't prove anything I said. I base it on what I believe from past experiences. If I would have had good results in the begining I would probably always use them. And like I said before, my friend swears by it. He believes it was the reason he shot 2 big bucks. So who knows?

I have experimented with them in year's past. Most notably Tinks but used others as well. Even fell for the dispenser that only dispenses in daylight so they have to come byduring hunting hours,etc.,etc.(See, most of us have been suckers at least once in our life.)

While hunting a funnel between feeding and bedding one morning, I had a mature "shooter" buck come in and smell a Tink's bomb hanging in a tree, but it was too darkto shoot.

He didn't spook. He smelled it for a few seconds and then went on his merry way. I feel strongly that he was alreadytraveling through that funnel with or without the Tinks.

I have had numerous doe and young bucks come up and smell them and act indifferent towards them. Same thing though. I never felt or could substantiate that it "drew" any of them in, they were already travelling through the area I was hunting.

I don't use them anymore because 1) I didn't see any compelling results and 2) I don't want to fool around anymore than I have to in getting on stand.JMO

No scents, just another way to chase big bucks out of the area. Heavy antlers, the roar and fawn bleats are the only things I use.

That week when the big boys are on their feet cruising for hot scent the temptation for me is strong to use doe in heat.

I will say I've had young bucks sniff and they look like they smelled rotten diapers or something.

Of course they usually smell again.

I don't use a lot of scent. I've wondered if that was part of the issue. I keep it too long and it's no longer fresh and effective. If there is such a thing.

Interesting conversation for me. I appreciate the responses.

The only scents that I've actually seen decent bucks respond to..... consistently, is James Valley Scents. More specifically, the JVS Wall Hanger andJVS Lethal Weapon gels.Any mature deer thatgets a snout full of this stuff WILL respond. It's the only thing I'll even waste my time setting out these days. Everything else just seems to have far to inconsistent results for me to trust.

Another thought / experience on the Doe in Esterus scent.
Have you ever shot a Doe when she was in heat?
I noticed that it doesn't smell quite like Tink's (or others) now does it???!!!

Hence my earlier reply and how I came to the conclusion.

I do take the bladder from my Doe's and use this and have had good results, especially in new areas,
as I believe the other Deer want to know who the new kid in town is.

I use scents in limited applications

Back in the day I used to just sprinkle out plain Doe P just do have “deer smell” around.

Now, I will still use scent only in the rut time. Usually some type of doe estrous. I don’t use it thinking that it will bring bucks in from miles around, I use it to stop them where I want to shoot them. 3 of the last 4 bucks I shot were straight down wind of scent that I had out, it stopped them long enough for me to kill them.
Plus its entertaining to have a young buck come in to the scent and just go nuts smelling it. I thought one was literally going to eat the cotton wick.

And I never use the big name commercial scents. Always stuff from the small time bottlers.