I got some Tink's #69 yesterday to try using for the first time. The temps out here have been cooler than normal and I thought why not. I don't have the orange container to hang from a tree like I normally see people using so I thought about just putting some on a cotton ball and sticking that to a branch. I have a feeling it would work fine but thought I'd see what other ideas were out there. What do y'all think is the best way to use it if you don't have the little container? Thanks everyone!
I have used the following with success; Cotton ball stuck in tree branch or just scattered on the ground A clean piece of cloth (spray with scent killer first) tied to a low hanging branch. My current favorite... Tampon from the $1 store. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I have used cotton balls before with push-pins to hold them into the tree bark. Only thing about that is I inevitably got some on my hands. I would store my cotton balls in a film canister or prescription pill bottle for reuse. With the orange canisters and scent wick, you don't have to touch the pissy cotton balls. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks guys. I found a small plastic cup, about the size of a to-go ketchup cup, and put a zip tie through it. Put a couple small holes in the bottom. I can tuck the cotton ball in the cup under where the zip tie goes through and I think it should work just fine. Put a couple drops on the cotton ball and should be ready to go. Pull it off the tree and store in a zip lock bag when I'm done. I'll hit the whole thing with a spritz of 3D before the drops of Tinks. Good idea!
Why would you use #69? Its nowhere near rut time? What am I missing? Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I'm not a fan of scents. I just don't think they work. How is the deer supposed to smell the scent from upwind? Also, its VERY early to be using rut scents. It won't be effective because the bucks aren't even ramped up yet. You might get one to coincidentally come up and smell it but bucks aren't out scenting doe trails yet. (Insert "Yeah well I never get winded and I smoke cigarettes in my stand and never worry about the wind and every time I put Tink's out I get a booner come up running right for it trying to hump the tree" comment here)
Well obviously they can't smell them from upwind. I typically use them in situations where I'm hunting a cross wind - one that isn't quite perfect for me but not quite perfect for the deer either. Forgive my basic diagram but I think it gets the point across. The deer is headed in a direction that will most likely bring him down wind of the hunter's position unless something changes his mind. Many people use calls alone to do this - and we all know how that usually works out. The deer continues on it's path to get down wind of the noise and then smells the hunter and game over. Having a scent in the mix may up your chances of that deer hearing and then smelling something which could be enough to change his direction, hopefully bringing him within bow range on the up wind side. It doesn't always work, but for the low price of scents and the ease of using them IMO it's worth a shot. And as others have said, IMO it's way too early for #69. At least in the whitetail woods. Not sure about CA but here in IL I don't even think about using that scent until shortly before Halloween. Even then I use it sparingly. I believe the dominant buck urine is a much better scent for getting a buck to commit.
The diagram helps but it still seems like a very specific use. Are you concerned with the deer catching any of your ground scent to where you hung the wick, or is it irrelevant at that point because its too late for the deer?
Tape a clothes pin to a pill jar (film container in my day), put a couple of cotton balls in it and your scent. When you get to the spot take off the top and clip it to a branch. I recommend not leaving the scent out when you are not there (unless you pour it in a scrape). If they come and find no doe and a bottle of scent they may avoid that scent again. Especially the buck I want to shoot.
I personally gave up on using the Tinks scents or any other urine based scent in a bottle. HOWEVER, i'm not saying they do not work because I did have a really nice 3.5 yr old a few years back come in on a rope to it. Unfortunately I screwed up. Most of the times I used it though it never really gave me the confidence. I personally like using the Evercalm products, I seem to get more deer within range using it. Using that periodically along with Buck fever synthetics on a Mock scrape has been working pretty well for me. Every area is different and deer have different personalities so I feel that anything can work at any given time. Just finding that one buck to trick and get him to come in.
Tampons work well, I steal some from the wife and hang them on trees. It's a little weird at first but honestly it's just a cotton ball with a plastic cover. Make sure they are unscented. Also, as a side note, if I didn't have them at the house, I would not go buy them for hunting.
Tink's 69 used in their "scent bomb" container is the ticket. No mess, no spill. I have had excellent results using it, even in steady 15+ mph winds gusting upwards of 20-25+ mph. The trick is using it at the right time. Best when used at the start of the rut and 3-4 weeks into post rut works great, at least here it does. (our season runs from Oct-Feb). Too soon will spook them, and in pre-rut it will spook them if used at full strength. So I will put about 1/8 - 1/4 of #69 in the scent-bomb canister, and then fill it on up with Code Blue Doe Urine (it's from 1-deer opposed to many deer with the #69). This is to dilute it making the bucks think there are some early doe's that are nearing time. I even use vanilla extract and peanut butter oil (flavoring for cooking) in the scent bombs as curiosity scents. They work great too when 1st used. They get wise to the smell if there's nothing for them to eat after a few days, so switch it up, meaning use vanilla for a couple days, then switch to PB for a few days, etc. I will also do this with the pre-mix #69 to give the impression the doe's are near a food source. And yes, I have put these scents out with game cameras on them to see if they actually work. They do, and will, until they get wise to it. (see my introduction-New User Forum) g/l.
