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- - deer scents (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/whitetail-deer-hunting/296075-deer-scents.html)

There's so many on the market, what do ya'll use?

By "scent" I presume you mean lure, probably of the urine variety. I'm increasingly shying away from urine based lures, and instead shifting to more curiosity or food based scents to attract does. More does = more bucks. Does emit the best and freshest possible attractant scent for bucks, it's something that the bottled stuff just can't match.

I hunt in the oaks early season so I usually like a little acorn scent. When the rut kicks my favorite scents come from James Valley and Tinks.

During the rut Tinks scent sticks have really worked for me.

I never use commercial products.
When one of us tag any deer, we use the urine from that animal, preferably a doe in season.
We also cover the hanging deer with our hunting jacket.

As does JimmyS, I collect urine from deer I kill. I do not make any attempt to separate doe from buck. the only precaution I take is to filter the urine through a "coffee filter" to remove any blood clots, dirt and/or debris. I use a "Ball" brand canning jar. I save what deer-pee I do not use from year to year, keeping any excess it in the freezer until I need some. I use the pee to make a drag-rag.

I also remove "wet" tarsal glands. I use these to make mock rubs. I keep any extras in the freezer and keep the one I am using as cold as practical, so as to reduce the deterioration. During rut, I will smear these along the way to my stand, starting usually 100 yards or so away. Then I hang the tarsal near where I am set-up, and where I can see it and not have it down wind of me. I have had several nice bucks come to investigate. Over these 35 or so years, but only 6-7 have been mature (4+ looking).

I have had a lot of deer come to investigate the scent from the drag. Most have been immature bucks or young does. Never once have I noticed a really mature doe do anymore than scent the line and move on. On one occasion I had a fine buck come in all bristled up, directly downwind and 90 degs. to the scent line. He was looking for something for sure. One time had a bob-cat trail the drag line directly to the base of my ladder. That cat even put it front paws on the first step and looked up. When it saw me, it was outta there ! That was neat !

I do not necessarily use the drag to attract deer, but rather to try to cover my trail. Done this since my grand dad showed me how-to, some 50 years ago. Not sure it works all that well, but why not ?

I do not use any commercial scents. Tried several. No noticeable response.

I stopped using commercial urine scents once I tried the fresh stuff from local guys. YOu can really smell the difference in fresh urine vs. store bought. I cant see why any buck would come in to that old stuff you buy from walmart that has been on the shelf for a year.

I got a good friend in southern Illinois that sells urine.Its been fun helping him get started these last few years. Deer are a lot more work than I ever thought they would be.

I prefer to use pine or oak scent. It depends onwhat kind of tree I am sitting in.

Their a waste of money IMO. Ive had those little scent bombs out in the past and had deer pass by them and never pay atention to them.

Ive tried a bunch of different type scents and the only store bought I can say I say work is code blue. I killed to bucks in a pile last year running in from down wind during the rut. I will keep using code blue if I cannot get the real thing. I have never liked tinks scents. The doe estrus smell like a bag of dime store black licorouch. ( im sure I misspelled that)