BuddyBo

I don't remember anyone posting anything about Xbower using any kind of attractants in bow season. What about the salt licks, regular and flavored like persimmon salt licks? Deer cocain is popular here in NC. Mineral licks as well. What do you use if anything? I personally just use shelled corn in bow season and nothing in gun season. I may experiment this year if suggestions are good. I had a temendious gun season last year but I need a good kill with my crossbow this year so I'm open to experimentation now. LOL.

Hotburn76

I have used scents like the doe in heat stuff in the past but never had a moment when I thought "dam it worked and I know it was the scent" I had a few times when maybe the scent helped but never hard evidence, plus I have always been paranoid about getting it on me only to be raped on the way out in the dark! As far as salt and suchI have been putting mineral licks down for about five years now. I used to put salt and mineral licks downside by sidebut the salt melts away real fast and the mineral has alot of salt in it so I only put down the mineral now. I have a area about four feet around that is all tore up and has a hole in the middle about a foot around and a foot deep. I do this mainly for rack development and deer health, it does not help me during hunting season. In the spring and summer the lick gets tore up and used every day. But I have only seen two deer in five years lick that block during hunting season. Also I dont waist my money on "deer licks" I go to the local ag supply and buy a forty pound block for five bucks.

Dnk

Buddy, I think The Squirrel is pretty much an expert on scents. Ask him.

smokepolehall

I have tried several pee lures and i am still unsure, if worth buying. I don't use any bait but put out salt and minerals for deer's health. Use couple small food plots and they work good.

moxie1884

Buddy, I've used all kinds. Two years ago I had deer that just walked by Tink's #69, never giving it a wiff. Only once have I had a deer respond to any lure and it was Tink's #69. about 10 years ago.

kevin1

I've used a wide variety of scents with mixed results . Overall I've found the smell of persimmons to be the best all around food scented lure , and little else . Pee type lures have been hit or miss , the synthetics have by and large proven disappointing . Probably the best lure that I've ever used has been the grunt call , I've brought in more deer with that than anything else . I think it's the curiosity factor that does it , deer are very curious animals . Last year an 8 pointer came running in to my spot while I was grunting , he came in from upwind so there was no chance that he smelled the pee lure I had out front .

BuddyBo

That's great guys. But I wasn't asking about pee scents or Tink's 69 and the like. I was just wondering about attractants like salt lick, mineral licks and fruit smells like persimmon and apple. One company offers bricks with flavorings of persimmon, yellow apple, (for which deer can see easily, the color yellow that is) huckleberry and even peanut butter. I'm sorry for not making it plain as to the info I was seeking. LOL.
I quit using pee lures long ago and use the grunt call regularly. Also, I think I'll have access to my friends tracking dog this year. Hope I won't need him though. But I sure coulda used him a ton last year. Thanks for the answers guys.
BBO

moxie1884

Buddy,,,, In that case, I've had mineral licks for the past fifteen years with great results. The only problem is that the two most sucessful products I used, both disappeared off the market, Rack Attack and VMASS. Since then I use a mix of Deer Cane power and loose salt with trace minerals. Two of the biggest I have in my hunting are holes 4 feet square and 18 to 20 inches deep by the end of August.

I basically dug up an area along a trail about 3 feet square and mixed 200 pounds of loose salt with trace minerals and 16 pounds of deer cane with the loose dirt. I refresh each mineral lick every spring as soon as I can get into them. I also use the same amount of loose salt with trace minerals but do not always all 16 pounds of Deer Cane. I some times will refresh a lick with 200 pounds od loose salt in the fall depending on how heavy it has been hit during the spring and summer months, so that it will be ready for the spring before I can get back to refresh it. I wlways hang a camera over it. I also take a pocture of it when I make it and just before and after I refresh it to see the changes and how much it has been used.

kevin1

The only time I've had salt attract deer was from Spring to early Summer , and they aren't legal to hunt then . By the time the season rolls in the salt is considered bait here and therefore illegal too . Having a salt or mineral lick benefits the local herd's health to a very small degree , but won't reliably bring them in at the proper time . I've heard of some guys , mostly southern based , who pour a cup of bleach into a foot deep hole and cover it and swear that a week or so later deer go nuts for it . I can't verify it , and my state would probably consider it bait since the animal would be consuming it .