second week of the season I had a nice 8pt come straight down the trail I came in on. I plan on hunting Thursday through Saturday (and maybe Sunday!). I was thinking about getting some scent to make a scent drag. I know there are at least 2 trails that I cut across that I think I could cut a buck. My question is, what is the best scent for that. Just a doe urine, estrous, trails end, tinks #307, what do you think!! I have a doe and buck tag and do not care which I shoot so something for both would even be ok.
Personally, I avoid the stuff that is easy to buy (trails end, tinks69) just because I hunt on public ground and if somebody can buy it at walmart, I can pretty much guarantee the deer have smelled it before (and probably are afraid of it). If you're on private ground you're prolly okay with any of them. I use (sparingly) a fresh doe pee that comes from a local deer pee farm. (Timber Valley Fresh Scent) Several years back I used stuff called Bowhunters Set-up (or something like that) from Muzzy. The does found it very interesting. Didn't have any bucks come close enough to smell it so I don't know how they would react. Anyhow, it seemed to work for does.
I've had the most luck using Mate-Tricks doe in heat urine for leaving a trail. But this year I've noticed bucks following all does they come across and then scent checking them to see if they are in heat. I watched a couple of does trying to get a yearling to chase them one day but after he smelled where one of them peed he wasn't interested and came back to my corn. Another trick that works well is if you are leaving a trail in tall grass you might want to tie your string on to a long stick and drag out to your side making sure you leave plenty of scent on the tall stuff. I've noticed more bucks scent trailing the head level air stream than I have with their nose in the ground. But I can't say I've had a buck come in to my rag hanging in a tree with following the trail I laid. Of course when they get on a doe's trail in the short stuff they're kinda like bulldozers! I've used a product call Franks's estrus doe pee and Code Blue this year but they haven't paid much attention to it. A friend of mine uses a deer herd cover scent in a fairly large bottle, he swears by it but I used a bottle to no avail. He tells me trappers use it and hound men use it to train their dogs not to chase deer. It has the urine from a lot of deer in it. The owner of my local archery shop swears my Mrs. Doe Pee but I used a bottle last year and didn't have any luck. Maybe I'm doing something wrong but I've had some success with certain brands so ??? Using the mate-tricks I've had bucks follow it smelling every place it hit the ground and sticking thier nose into my rag hanging in a tree, just hasn't been the right one yet. Now our stores don't carry it so I need to see if I can find some! lp
In my opinion, the whole idea of a drag scent is not good. Here is why. Consider you stink, leave human scent everywhere. When I go into a particular stand set-up, I try to avoid walking anywhere a deer might. That is the key to stand entry and exits. Whether you want to believe it or not - you leave human scent everywhere you walk. So, now consider you are dragging some old deer scent around with the human scent exactly where you exect the deer to come through? IMO, you are shooting yourself in the foot. The biggest advantage we have as bowhunters is to have the element of surprise. Set-up to kill the deer, and don't make them look for you if you don't have to (calling, scents, etc...). Deer have a sense of smell that is BETTER than a blood hound. If you think you can fool that nose, you're only fooling yourself. Don't beleive anyting you read or see on TV - they are all being paid to promote this stuff - and again, IMO - none of it gives a greater advantage than the disadvantage of spreading human scent all over the woods!
Not trying to cause a contreversy but I have found over and over again that deer follow the same trail as myself. Just this year a nice size buck walked the exact same trail that I came in on and came within 8 yds of me and only spooked when my arrow clip a limb instead of his chest. I also have had deer follow me on many occasion else where and I know this becasue on the way out, I have had hoof prints in my tracks from earlier and they are not just crossing but following my trail for some time. Now, I use rubber/neoprene boots and a scent lock suit and I am heavily sprayed down with scent blocker but you are right, I still think that I leave some human scent. I am not the only one either. My dad had a big buck come in on him this year and met up with his trail and followed it out and he is no where near as stringent on his odor as I. Same with my Uncle 3 years ago before he was injured, big 12 came in right up his trail. I imagine many places do have deer that spook with ANY scent of humans but I have not seen it. As far as the deer scents being just a money maker, my first deer was shot off of a scent dripper with active scrap and I took a doe early one season off of a basic doe urine drag. Like you though, this is just my opinion.
That is the point that I'm trying to stress - try to avoid taking deer trails into your stands. When we set stands, as important as where the stands are located, how you get into that particular set is AS OR MORE IMPORTANT! If you can't get into an area without trampling the areas they will be coming from / through - then don't hunt that spot. There are MANY spots that I would LOVE to hunt, but don't because I simply can't get into them without blowing everything out of the neighborhood. If you are stuck on one small piece of property to hunt - you just need to find a way to access more property - or just be patient and not hunt your best stuff until the conditions are PERFECT. That is the biggest fault of almost all hunters, myself included. You have this great spot with tons of sign and big deer. Everytime you hunt that area / spot, your chances go down (IMO, in most cases). If you can just find a way of saving one of those awesome spots for everyday you hunt, you will see so many more deer, and send the odds in your favor of connecting. I used these tactics in Michigan on HEAVILY pressured public ground and saw 10x more deer than anyone else I knew in the same areas. It just takes a ton of time and energy - which I came to the conclusion many years ago was SO worth it when you are on the deer - all season long!
Ive tried using drags before with no luck, but it was only a few times. Todd, a problem i have around here is that i use logging roads to get in and out of my stand. The deer use these as well.
Uh, I mow trails to my stand to prevent tall grass from rubbing my legs and I'm sure I'm seeing probly twice as many deer as I did before mowing. The difference was immediate, not just noticed after several years. I do try to make a trail where they are not traveling but they always seem to start using my trails, a little at least. I'm using a Scentlok suit with Lacrosse "seasoned" rubber boots. I've yet to be busted on one of my trails unless it's back where I can't see them. There are usually trails bisecting mine and tracks in my trails. I have watched immature bucks following my drag into my setup and have watched all kinds of deer cross my trail and have noticed none of them become even on alert unless I had "left them a trail". WKP Todd, are you sure whitetails have better noses than a bloodhound? I've always been under the impression that canines beat deer in the olfactory dept. I've watched coyotes come unglued when they cross my trail that deer were paying me no attention on. Of course coyotes travel with their nose stuck in the ground looking for food and deer keep their heads up a lot more. Only time I see deer with their nose in the ground is a buck trailing a doe. One thing I've noticed this year is bucks trailing does from just thier normal scent. I had one buck dogging a doe, scent trailing her until she stopped and urinated on a bush. He checked this out and then ignored her but he picked up her trail and followed her like a bloodhound before. She came back and tried to get him to chase her but he just ignored her and came back to munching on corn. Actually there were 2 does but he lost interest after checking the one's "urine sample". From what I've gathered from this is it would be a lot more beneficial to be able to make a "doe" trail than a urine trail. BTW, I had dragged a so called estrus soaked rag and hung it in a tree right next to my bait site and the buck previously mentioned didn't pay it any attention until he saw it later. I know he was smelling it cause it stank!!! He saw it and investigated but I guess he thought it stank also cause he didn't get within 6' of it! It was Frank's estrus doe urine purchased this year and was relatively fresh. I keep my drag in a sealed baggie and refresh it a little when I reuse it. However, and this is a big however, I've yet to have a mature buck follow a drag rag! These areas I set up in with a mown trail are usually doe use areas or close to feeding areas. These spots are for estrus does to pull bucks in for me. If I think I'm hunting close to a mature bucks core area or trail I change as little as possible! Mature bucks do not like change, however they do like the babes!!!!! lp
