Sounds like your resort is an awesome place to watch deer. You are very lucky!!

Yea there racks are huge and normal but they are like big dogs so inbread!
I feed them every now and then and watch them for signs of the rut!

Yeah I understand totally! I tried it too with the same scenario you did and the deer gave no response. I've been very successful with scent lures in the "real" woods and yes I use it faithfully. Sometimes it works sometimes it dosen't. But i would almost garauntee if you get a buck downwind and he is not spooked. He will come and stick his nose right up to the scent. I've just seen it to many times!