I ordinarily do not start into my bag of "Buck Reaper" scent until full rut but have been contemplating on getting some out there this weekend. Also, contemplating doing a little rattling and a grunt or two...suggestions?!?
I am not a scent user so I will allow someone else to provide their input on that suject. If you are going to do any rattling or even grunting I would work lightly on the horns for another couple of weeks. I have witnessed and have trail cam pics of numerous bucks sparing aggressively already in Iowa county, WI so you might be able to be a little more aggressive, but I would start with some light rattlin' first. Same with the grunt tube. I have only been able to call in younger bucks with a grunt tube this early in the season. Older, mature bucks (3+ yrs old) have just ignored my attempts in the past. Good luck!
I don't use scents or rattlers or any of that stuff. I just find an ideal location where theres at least a few major deer trails, set up my stand and let the deer come to me. Not a real fancy strategy but it works.
I’d personally stay clear of the scents this early in the season. I tried several times last year with scents early in the season and didn't see anything for the first few weeks of the season. I think the deer are in a norm state of mind and if you were to add a new scent to their home they may become wary of those locations. You might try starting a mock scrape or two and see if they produce any results now???
I typically wait till around the 15th of oct to start grunting and rattling, not much of a scent guy so I can't speak there. The 15th is usually when I start seeing pre-rut activity, which gives me the green light to be a touch more aggressive than only still hunting.
