I have had some decent success with scent drags in the past but never had a buck come in on a string like they are supposed to. I'm looking to try one out this Saturday for the shotgun opener. I was wondering what scent works best , how long do you let the rope drag behind you and any other important tips. Also I usually freshen up the rag every 50-75 yards, is that too much or too little. Thanks
doe estrus. But for it to work you must be as scent free as possible. but like anything in hunting it may only work 3 out of 10 tries. But that one time it works and you see that buck come in on a string with his nose to the ground you will be a believer.
What I do : 1. Rubber/latex gloves 2. Unscented tampon 3. Code Blue Standing Estrous or Whatever doe estrous you prefer 4. 12ft.Fishing line 5. Stick from around the area about 3.5-4 ft. First, put on the gloves. (this helps with not transferring your scent on the tampon and stick, and also aids if you spill the estrous on your hand) tie your fishing line to the UNSCENTED tampon string and dip the tampon in your estrous. Tie the other end to the stick and drag off to the side of your trail as much as you can without it being obvious that something didn't walk there. (animals usually follow the path of least resistance) Don't drag it through thorn bushes and thick brush. Refresh tampon as needed. I try to refresh mine every 75 feet or so or if my tampon is too dry. Keep your gloves on until you get to your stand. and put your wicks or whatever out and hang the tampon from a low hanging branch about 4-5 ft. then into the stand I go. Hope this helps you out. -J-
Most hunters use TOO MUCH scent IMHO. I do what was stated above by JStar (BTW... welcome to the site Jman)... but I do not saturate a drag the size of a tampon. I tie a Q-tip onto the fishing line - it just seems to me to be more 'natural'. But... with that stated - CableBob posting is right-on. NOTHING works everytime - but when it does it's MAGIC!
I use it during the Pre-rut and Rut and it is VERY EFFECTIVE. I use the Hunter Specialties drag system. I tie it to a 3 foot stick I find near my hunting setup. I keep the stick for future use. My total setup is 6-9 feet in length. I dip all the tentacles in Golden Estrus and I drag it once I get within 50-75 yards of my stand. I drag it along the route I want the deer to follow. No such thing as too much. Then hang it on a limb about 6 feet off the ground near where you would like to take your shot. I used it today. Had wind gust up to 25 mph blowing towards the main deer trail to my stand. I had two spikes come running in with 5 mins of each other. Both stopped at the wick I had hanging 25 yards in front of my stand with the estrus on it!
Sounds good guys. I have read where people walk in semi circles in front of their stand before walking to the stand. This just doesn't make sense to me. Why would you risk walking around in the dark possibly making a complete racket and scaring a way any deer in the area, especially if near thick cover where most of my stands are. Couldn't figure that one out. I know that the idea is to attract deer that are just passing through out of range but it doesn't seem worth the risk for me especially in a high pressured area. Thanks for all the advice.
If you traveling through some tall grass or the woods. do as I do and tie the drag around your knees. this keeps them from becoming soaking wet from dew and what not and puts the scent right at nose level for the deer. I've had a few bucks in my life time follow a scent drag, but like CableBob its not always going to work. Another helpful tip. I use used pill containers (washed out with baking soda. I'll pure my scent into them and just shove the drag directly into it.
