How do you attract deer?
 

Hey Everybody!

Hey I recently ordered some stuuf off of cabelas to become more prepared for hunting...as in stead of just pushing and just sitting around waiting I would like just to sit and lure them to me. I recently purchased the following in hopes of success!

-Whitetail Institute Apple Obsession Attractant
-Primos "Can" Family Pack (has three cans for different uses)
-Knight and Hale Mag Pack Rack (larger version)
-Evolved Habitats Acorn Frenzy
-Birdola Corn and Pumpkin Mix
-Trophy Rock Mineral Rock
-Team Fitzgerald Deer Dander Attractant

I purchased these mainly because of the views they had on cabelas, as I didnt really think about joing a hunting forums till now.

Questions is how would you use these things? I plan on just placing a mixture of the acorn, corn,pumpkin and apple obsession around the mineral rock. Then I would go back to my stop to sit and watch while using the cans and rack pack. Also I have never used the deer dander attractant, so I guess I just spray on my clothes and gear and just walk in the woods right?

Thanks everyone, new here!

Also what do you use?

spread em out instead, see what they do and do not like. alot of that stuff is gimmick imo just want ya to spend yer bread. so spread it out 50 feet/yards apart and see what gets gone the fastest.

I don't use any lures or scents, etc. and have been pretty successful over many years of hunting by scouting and hunting them on their own terms. It has always been my feeling that baiting only makes deer lazy when they know there is stuff they can easily get to and it makes them more nocturnal than they already are by nature.

I use doe estrus from time to time during the rut. Haven't tried food-based scents in a while; never had much luck with them, and its just something else to carry. The rack pack is probably more effective in the days building up to the rut, as it simulates breeding behavior. Same thing with the can calls -- supposed to simulate an estrus bleat. So, unless the rut is going where you are at, probably not going to do much good. Some reports of second rut around here (Illinois) so maybe worth a shot.

I rarely try to attract a deer, unless it's a buck that won't be coming in my direction during the rut. Other than that, my main goal is to just try to go undetected, and be shooting at a "relaxed" deer.

Hey thanks for replies,

Here in new york, westchester if anyone familar. In my hunting area thier are marks on trees showing the marks of antlers (don't know what exactly called). I figure i give it a shot with these attractants, never know. I will update if anything...I should of bought a camera to mount infront of food pile to see what happends. Any good models? Also how do you keep it safe from other hunters?

Pazz
 

There is a line of thinking that Hunters should be sneaky ba$tards and be like a black hole: Mostly undetectable until it's too late for the deer.

Another is your line of thinking: attract a deer to you using attractants.

I have used attractants with one success: Tinks 69. I was done humping a large ridge one morning, had on the hiking jumpsuit (no thermals for the hike as I sweat profusely). I was putting out a line of tinks on cotton-balls when a gnarly 3 pointer came crashing up the ridge, following my scent line. I looked to my rifle, now 4 steps away. The buck stopped behind a tree, blocking his view of me. I reached over to my rifle, took a knee and centered the scope on the tree he was behind. He popped out and I re-centered on his chest and squeezed. He went 25 yards.

I've had most of my my success making a black hole to fit into and popping the hatch at the last moment.

Being scentless is the goal I believe. At least for me.

Lastly, you will want to review NYSDEC Hunting Regulations concerning your types of attractants. Anything that constitutes a food source (I.E.: Corn, Grain, Pellets, Etc) would be illegal to use while hunting for deer. Be sure the attractants you have and use are NOT food sources.

If what you have is seed for food plots, the you will want to plant these during the spring or fall of the year; not now. Be sure to have permission from the Landowner before doing this too.

If what you have are truly attractants, then hanging cotton/synthetic material saturated with the attractant should suffice. Not too high up. Don't sit too close to the scent line or you risk a deer sneaking up on YOU before you're ready.

Finally; read the miriad of posts on these pages. There's a lifetime of wisdom here.

Welcome to the site! Personally I dont buy into the gimmicks, they might work but I have been hunting many years and kill deer every year without the aid of camo, scent killer or any other attractents. I know alot of people that use all that stuff and hardly ever kill anything. Just my observations.

After a lot of testing, the one thing that I believe works best is food plots. If you can put something in, even a throw and grow and rake it in, that will be the best bet. I've seen and used most of everthing and nothing brings in deer (especially bucks) better than a good food plot. I think they have a second sense with food attractants. Now Doe in Heat lure is a whole different story!

That's cheating that's not fair chase I don't have much respect for people like that. Baiting for deer. Not very ethical. IMO

Yep, I agree. It's not legal to bait in Pa anyway.

Its not legal in alot of states.

start a chainsaw, cut a log, turn it off and be ready to shoot.

I wouldn’t waste my money on lures, attractants or any of the other gimmicks that are out there. It makes me made to see these guys on TV telling you this magic poison will get you a giant deer. I have never seen any of what I would call the top whitetail hunters use and of these gimmicks. What I do is hunt smart, improve deer habitat and put in food plots.

I put in food plot as a way to get deer to stop on their way to the large farm field that surrounds me. I plant clover, chicory, alfalfa and turnips. By planting these four plots I have food all years for the deer. I use trail cameras to tract movement on my food plots and to get an idea of what kind of deer I will be hunting in the fall. You have to us trail cameras to your advantage not the deer’s. I used to put cameras on trails in the wood but I have found that if I use them to follow deer to and from the food plots I don’t have to go in the woods and spread my scent around. This is part of hunting smart. One of the other things I do is don’t over hunt stands. I set some for early season, some for the rut and some for late season. But the biggest think is don’t hunt a stand if the wind is wrong. I also put in a lot of screening so I can get to my stand without being seen.

I hope this helps you out but remember there’s no magic lure of powder that’s going to bring every deer to you. You have to be a smart hunter to be consistently harvest nice deer.

I occasionaly use doe estrus during the rut but like others said scent control is priority if you want to see them. I have grunted and rattled in bucks but have never killed one like that. Not because I couldn't mostly because they were smaller deer (or I wasn't ready)

I like to learn the area. Try to get an idea what they are doing. I had an area that was like clockwork to see the does...it was just a matter of time and there will be a buck along...all that has changed and I have found it made me a bit lazy. Now I have a new area (a few actually) and I am learning their patterns all over...which is fun actually. It gets easier as you learn what to look for but never think you have it all figured out... because when you do ....it'll change.

Hey everyone thanks for the replies, I guess I'll give the food based attractants to eighter a few cousins who do have food plots or just give them t the local birds and squirrels. I guess I'll stick with pushing, and the days of just when Im tired of pushing to sit and use the primos beats.

Thanks for your hep everyone, btw when do you go hunting? I figure getting in the spot just before sunrise...

Timing
 

I'm in my stand 1-2 hours before I know when deer will move thru the area. This may mean as early as 4AM but is site-specific. It is also hunting pressure specific.

figure out what the does like if you have the does the bucks will come its hard to beat corn and apples

I have not used any commercial attractantsor cover scents in decades. No loose feed is used where I hunt. Food plots are. Only plain salt is put out during the season, though the Trophy Rock is legal because it is the same formula - NaCl. We do mix in Di-Cal during the off-season. Heck I can buy 150# of NaCl mixing salt for what 1 Trophy Rock sells for.

The only "attractants" that I have used, and I have for the past 25+ years, are a "drag rag" wet with urine that I have collected from deer that I have killed and "oily" tarsal glands taht I have removed from "rutted up" I bucks have killed. These seem to have worked somewhat , but certainly not anywhere near a sure thing as far as covering my walk-in or bringing bucks into range.

I ahve practically not luck with calls , but occasionally rattling has worked pretty well. Depending upon the time of the season.

I know .... there are a lot of guys that swear by this or that scent product, and the calls, and the cammo's, etc. But if the stuff was as good as the hype, we's all have a wall full of B & C's instead of mostly "Coon and Crickets".

My middle son uses what he calls his "patented snore call". It has worked almost flawlessly for quite a while and I don't think it needs any explaination!

you gotta talk sweet to them...;)

I tried a mini skirt and thigh high stocking since it would attract my attention but didn't work.:barmy: Just kidding.

Early season Sept not much you can do unless you can hunt a bait pile. I cant so never worried about it but can take out a fawn distress call here and their for 2 reasons. 1 - Can potentially call in a doe, 2 - Can potentially call in a yote and getting rid of them in your area can make the following seasons better with less predators.

2 weeks before the rut would leave buck scent around scrapes to get the already pumped boys to hang around and maybe even want to find the new guy on the block (Coincidentally holding a slug gun). I have personally never had much luck with grunt calls or rattling until right before and during the rut. Later in the rut loses its edge due to most deer being bedded and gets mostly young bucks still hoping (Which isnt bad either).

I would use doe estrus at the first signs of rut even a week prior or few days prior all the way to the end and even a little after the rut.

Late season try to keep food sources from getting covered with leaves so they get sun and again if you can bait with food to attract deer. This to me is the best attractant at this time as food is essential and easy food is tops.

I just whisper C'mere deer. Just realized this post is almost a year old and the deer are a year wiser.