Bag ‘o tricks vs NO tricks
 

OK, let’s get the fact that people have been killing deer for many years before we started bottling piss and inventing grunt calls, etc.

I have no doubt that people grunt and rattle and lure bucks in. I personally have never used a grunt call with any success, nor a rattle bag. I believe that a 9-pointer I killed two years ago heard me blow into a doe can and came charging over the hill. I believe that a spike I killed last year may have followed a estrous drag rag. But, I will say that every time I have ever dug into my bag ‘o tricks w/o success, I always have an overwhelming feeling that the reason I didn’t see deer was because I spooked them with whatever I was trying to do, whether it was using any variety of deer pee, a grunt call, a can call, a rattle bag…whatever. I then determine that next time I won’t use anything. But then I always end up succumbing to the temptation to use some pee or bleat the can, etc (can’t bring myself to leave them behind).

What do you think? Do you think we overload deer senses by using this stuff? Or do you think we have gained a significant advantage by using it?

The last two years I've stopped using scent lures and calls. The reason I've stopped is that I seems to see more deer when I wasn't using them than when I was. So, I carry one of those doe bleat can calls, and that's all. I only use that when I see a deer. The can works great to stop a deer.
I think the people that know how to use them properly have a lot of luck using them. I think a lot of people over do it. My own reason for stopping is that I enjoy just relaxing in the woods and seeing what comes by. Hunting was becoming too much like work when I was hanging scents around and planning how I was gonna call.
-Jake

I think your right. I do feel the same. The last two weeks I have grunted and rattled set doe pee lines with nothing. Last night I just sat there and had a doe bring a nice 8pt by my stand. I'm starting to think being scent free and hunting current sign is the key. If I hunt a stand 4 times and see nothing i find the most current sign and move.

Deer are soooo in touch with where they live I think rattling grunting and setting out scents that aren't from the area can hurt you. So it's fun to grunt and rattle sometimes, and you may luck out, but more times then none I think you can hurt yourself.

I use a grunt call to stop moving deer so I can get a shot. I have tried it to attract deer but have never had success; maybe because I am doing it wrong. Same thing with rattling. I have never had that work either.

But doesn't just about any sound stop a moving deer? Like the "meh" sound that so many TV bowhunters make before letting the arrow fly? I have heard of people just saying "hey deer" just before the shot.

Of course, on Saturday I tried using the "meh" sound on a doe that came in from behind and was moving rather quickly, and it didn't work! But I think she knew something wasn't right and had already decided that she was getting out of the area.

I do the mouth meh if a deer comes in. It works just as good, you're right. I stopped a buck with that last thursday for a shot.
-Jake

I mostly agree with what you said. I used to use the scent loc clothes, use a doe in heat drag line (using the "hot" lure that year), rattled, grunted, bleated, set mock scrape lines, and tried the latest sure thing, off the wall tactic I read about in the bowhunting magazines. I still use scent killer spray and the fresh earth scent wafers but have gotten away from grunting so much and don't use hardly any scents anymore. I will use the grunt call when I get into my stand and that is about it for calling. Sometimes I will use some trails end placed on the trail where I want them to stop for a shot.

You have to remember there's a huge $$$$ market for that stuff. There's money to be made! Look at all these TV shows. Over half the time is spent selling you this stuff and they show them using it but I never see any deer react to it.

I carry that stuff just in case if things are slow to play with but don't expect much. I did rattle in a doe last year! She came running right up to my blind. No bucks though.

And I won't pay extra for the "joeshmoe" camo pattern or the "scentlok" (which to me is BS) either. I've hunted for almost 50 years long before that stuff came on the market and the biggest deer I ever got was the first year I hunted.

We have scent eliminator spray and a the original can call. We hardly ever use the spray and the only time we use the can is to stop a deer that is moving. And that is the extent of my bag of tricks, but don't even get me started on all the predator stuff we have accumulated.

No tricks here.....
 

I had a gruntcall and lost it years ago.....never called anything, so I haven't replaced it.

I've had the same half-full bottle of doe urine for 5 years, lol.
I did have a buck follow a scent-line I made one time....and I got him, but haven't used it much since.

I think the best tricks are to hunt with the wind, be quiet and be still.....I don't manage my own scent AT ALL. I think that deer can pretty much smell ANYTHING human no matter how hard we try to fool them. Ever use mink oil on your boots? How about the Rem-Oil on your rifle?

In fact, I do about everything WRONG, scentwise!!!!!
I smoked over a pack of cigs on the stand last weekend.
I bought some sliced hard salami for sandwiches.....they reeked, but were delicious!.

I shoot a VERY common Marlin 336 in 30-30.....with a Bushnell 4x sportview.....

I got my deer (med size 5pt buck 150 or so pounds) on Saturday (opener) morning. I'm grilling tenderloins as I type......

Life is GOOD!!!!