Thoughts on deer scents/lures
 

Guys - if you don't mind i would like to know what your favorite deer scent/lure/attractant - whatever you want to call it is and why.
I've been hunting for over 45 years now and I have tried several different brands and types. And so far, I've narrowed it down to two specific lures. One is Tink's Buck Urine. I use this scent starting about the second week in November when the buck are actively cruising the woods. IMO they don't like other guys invading their territory and come to investigate. But my all time favorite scent/attractant has to be Tink's (again) Trail's End 307. I've had bucks come off tailing does to investigate this scent and I've seen bucks follow the scent from my drag rag. I've also seen them come across the scent trail from the drag rag and just stand there sniffing and curling their lip as if mesmerized by the scent. This scent I use all season long.

I do not use commercial deer scents as an attractant or as a cover scent. I have tried a few along the way. Code Blue, Tink's, Harman's, etc. as attractants. Coon Pee, Fox Pee, even Skunk scent as cover. However during these past 50+/- years hunting white tail deer I cannot for the life of me recommend any of this stuff.

I will say that I have had a few deer definitely show interest in the scent "bombs" I have made. Most simply ingnore them ... and a few even spook. They simply are not worth the $$$ in my opinion. And I think that a ton of folks look at these as a "sure thing", based upon a handful of ad photos.

Here's what I have done, and frankly have had at least decent success with this ... I collect urine from deer that I kill or any that a buddy kills. I pour it through a coffee filter into a container. I keep the stuff frozen until I use it. I use this mixed urine to make a very wet drag rag. About 250 yards or so from where I plan to set up, I start dragging the rag behind me. Then leave the wet rag hanging off the ground about 2-3 feet, somewhere close to my stand. I also save "oily" tarsal glands and use these to scent up nearby saplings. Over the years, I have had several bucks (and does) come into view obviously looking for the scent maker ... a few have been pretty darned decent bucks. I have never had any deer spook. I have never had any ignore the "line". I have even had bobcat and coyote trail up the drag line.

Has any of this worked 100% of the time .... by no means. Probably not even 20% of the time. The way I see it, nothing can replace excellent habitat, superb scouting, correct set up, staying undetected .... and dumb luck ... and of course having plenty of good deer around.

I have used the tarsal glands as well - they work, and don't spook deer - and the price (free) is right. Have to save and try the urine too. Like Mojotex, I toss them in the freezer right away in a sealed jar or bag.

Scents can be very helpful in initially drawing deer to food plots - just put some out today in a new food plot area. Trails End 307 is a good all season lure.

I use mostly Tinks 69 and some H.S. Buck and Doe Pee when working mock scrapes or scenting up first time Buck scrapes.I have also used the Scent Waffers from H.S. that You hang on a tree limb and put them back into the plastic container and use over and over again!


I have used the high-dollar expensive Code Blue scents with No Luck at all! :(

OH yeah,I read about using the Orbital Scent on tree limbs in last years issue of Deer and Deer Hunting and it is suppose to really draw the Bucks in a lot better...I may give it a try this year since it will be early and I can order me some before the Bucks start making scrapes.

I guess I should have been a little more explicit in my post. And Mojo and MZS - I've heard of using tarsal glands and urine. I am sure they are effective if properly stored til the next hunting season. But although I use scents, I use them sparingly. There are times I'm sure you can agree that no scent is the best scent. A scent used at the wrong time (like tink's 69) in early archery will probably spook most deer. That is one reason I don't use any estrogen or doe-in-heat scent - ever. Buck urine or a curiosity scent usually never spooks a deer. Buck urine may cause a reaction from a doe, but a buck will almost always want to investigate who the 'new guy' is.

My belief is scents do more harm than good, and you really can't fool a deers nose, it might work on immature bucks, but not often on mature bucks, at least not often enough for me to rely on it as a legitimate way to hunt mature bucks.


I found it to be like a trap that you get caught in where you see small deer investigate and you get caught up in the game. For me now, it seems way better to never try and beat a deers nose. Catching them by surprise seems to have much better results on mature bucks

I also think there are some big issues with scent collection procedures, contamination, and deterioration of pee type scents. I am sure some brands are better than others. 1st off, there are not enough whitetail deer in captivity to make the amount of doe in heat pee that is sold, so somebodys playing games. Maybe they are using axis deer pee? Maybe deluting with water?
From what I have heard most places collection is done by having the deer in a stall with a metal floor and a drain to do the collecting. Contamination would be extreme. Poop, feed, hair, human worker scent, etc, right down the drain with the pee.
Pee turns rancid quick and don't refrigerate well. It gets to smelling like ammonia.
The only pee that has ever smelled not like ammonia to me is synthetic. And really, I have some doubts about our ability to recreate a smell to fool an animal that can smell millions of times better than us.
Bottom line is a doe that is in heat will attract deer from a long way off, I believe from miles down wind. If bottles of pee really recreated it, it would be very unfair to use cause the bucks would come running within a short time when you put it out... All you would need to do is set a bottle up wind of a large woods and deer would come investigate from all across the woods. But it does not work that way. My experiences have been very spotty at best.

never had true luck with scents, I think they hurt my hunt !!! I do believe in being as scent free as you can be, if he can't smell you, he doesn't know your there....STEALTH!!!!!

I use no scent until the rut. Then I use Tink's 69. I have had bucks walk in with their nose in the air and lip curled. Was it the scent or a doe that recently urinated or walked through or was upwind? I don't care. I have tried no other scents.

I use Bob Kirchner's lure made right there in Penn. Curiosity in the early season then Trailmaker and SilverTop. Trailmaker's been very good to me.