What is the best deer scent?

[jigstick44]

I am looking for a few opinions on what you guys would consider the best or most effective deer scent? I usually put a few key wicks out with scent, but I never know which one is the best one to buy. Any responses are appreciated.

[Code-Man]

Good question. I am wondering the same thing and as a result i'm trying two differnt ones this year. Tinks 69 and a cheapo to see if there is a differnce. Anyone have anything?

[Froggy4371]

I have tried different scents and for a main scent I like the trails end #507 all deer attractent (sp). I have had deer come into that at all times of the year. Early to late it does not matter. The only thing is during the peak rut I also put out Hawgs unlimited. Last year I had that out along with the Trails End and had a little basket 6 come running to it. I have never had any luck with Tinks 69 cause I think it is too used by other people and they are used to the scent of it. Just my .02

Froggy.

[JDM]

If you can find it, Whitcombs (I think that is how they spell it) has been very effective. They have a farm by Milaca and it is very fresh. It is sold in a freezer. They have buck and doe depending on when you are hunting. It worked for me.

Tinks Golden Estrous also has worked for me during the rut.

[ddp]

I bought that Whitcombs (buck urine) last year and thought I would give it a try. I hunt thick woods and noticed a nice set of anters in the brush. It came to the Buck scent and turned right around. Could have winded me but I do not think so. Don't do like I did... buy the doe urine

It looked and smelled really natural. Will probably give it another shot this year.

at gander in the freezer, 12 bucks or something like that

Is it 11/4/06 yet!!!

[harvey lee]

I have been very happy for years with product from James Valley Scents in South Dakota.

I have also heard good things about Whitcombs stuff.

[89Bronco]

I've noticed that deer have reacted to Whitcomb's doe urine. On my way to the stand I would stop every few feet and drop just 2 or 3 drops on the ground. I've had bucks come right down the trail, nose to the ground.

The only time I've seen any reaction to Tinks is one time a nice buck cruised past my stand just out of range through some thick cover. He ended up downwind of my stand on fairly breezy day. I had an unopened bottle in my pocket and thought "what the heck?" All I did was open it up and left it open on my stand and not 10 minutes later this buck is weaving his way back through all that thick crap sniffing everything. It's the only time I've seen it work, however.

[doser]

Best deer scent...doe fart JK

I've used HS brands and had success , but I've also used James Vally too like Lee. Haven't used Whitecombs, but may have to try it. I usuall like to experiment with a differnt brand every year and stick to a few favorites that I've been successful in the past.Trails end has been ok for me too. I think scent elimination is more on my priority list .

[jigstick44]

Doser actually brings up another question I have, what is the best scent elimination spray? I have used wildlife rsearch products in the past and I guess it seems to work ok. As far as doe scent, I think I am going to give the whitecombs stuff a try this year. That seems to be the scent of choice so far from what I have heard and read. Thanks for the responses, this site is THE place to get info.

[nitroant]

I have never really seen anything I have used work or not work, my results have been all over the board no matter what I use. A guy here at works says that Code Blue is the trick.

[love to hunt]

I personally do not use any scent. My theory is not to bring new scents in the woods that aren’t supposed to be there.

He is my thought process;

Deer scents come from a deer farm that feeds these animals which is most of the time not what they are eating/drinking in the wild.

Animals are just like people in the aspect of, what you eat and drink affects the odor of the urine and poop. Eat a lot of broccoli and drink a lot of beer for instance. Peueu!!

Deer that eat clover and wild grasses while drinking out of the lake or river are going to have a different smell then deer raised and fed on a farm.

Then you bring this $10.00 plus per bottle, farm raised deer pee, into the woods and it smells nothing like what wild deer pee smells like, and spread it all over the place and expect a worked up buck a be attracted to it. I have a hard time believing it.

I have literally had deer (bucks and does) walk up to a scent that I put out and bolt like they were just shocked with a cattle prod.

I concentrate more on controlling my own odor, stand placement on major thoroughfares, and good old fashion trial and error. Store bought deer attractants in my opinion are simply a “get rich quick scheme” that works sometimes at the most perfect time.

Perhaps a little preachy but just my 2 cents.

[doser]

I use HS and Wildlife Research scent elimination products. I think they are virtually the same. I play the wind and use Scent Lock clothing. I shower in scent free soap and use scent free deodarant before each hunt. Sometime I even use that gumouflags.I am scent free freak when it comes to deer hunting, ecspecially bow hunting. I also use a scent lock face mask for my breath. One other thing I do if I do use scents or make mock scrapes is always were rubber gloves like the surgical kind. I even keep the bottles in zip lock bags and try not to even touch the bottles with my bare hands.I don't use attractive scent alot, but I did take my first deer with a bow that happened to be an 8 pointer that followed my scent trail I laid down. Nose to the ground following it the whole time.

[chucker34]

I would agree with much of what you've said love to hunt - though I still experiment with different scents, including, ehm, ehm, my own. I've watched deer smell human pee on a scrape on react curiously and not bolt, so I don't know what to believe actually "works."

I view scents as a curiosity thing and would be hard pressed to believe most claims about deer urine being from estrus does, or only from one deer, etc. I mean, I'm sure a few of the premier ones take the time to make sure doe in heat pee is doe in heat pee (and these are the ones I would try after investigating thoroughly).

But I remember a lawsuit involving a few scent manufacturers a couple of years back where one was able to get the other to admit that not all of the pee was from does in heat. One of the employees who testified said they cornered whatever doe they could and collected her urine to put in the doe in heat bottles.

And an interesting article I read in a hunting mag that noted that there are not enough deer in captivity in the U.S. to produce the amount of deer pee sold every year. So where is the rest coming from? One scent maker in the article suggested asking yourself, if the scent maker I buy products from doesn't have their own deer herd, just where are they getting it from? He even went so far as to say some scent makers consider anything with four hooves to be a deer. This same scent maker said his company doesn't sell doe in heat products because he's in the business of breeding deer and anyone else who does is more concerned about breeding does when they're in heat than collecting their pee.

[BuckRuttinFool]

Chucker I agree with you on the human pee thing.... 4years ago the day before season started everyone at the shack made a bet on who would get the first and biggest buck....my brother thought he'd be smart and pee on me and my dads mock scrapes....needless to say we both shot bucks opening morning that were checking those scrapes.....1 10pt. and one monster 8 pt. He ended up with nothing.....was it coincedence or is there something to it?? I don't know but still give him crap every year about peeing on them.

[UdeLakeTom]

Interesting subject about human urine. My nephews went to a deer hunting seminar and the people doing the presentation stated that buying "doe pee" was a waste of money. The scent has something to do with the amonia {?) content in all urine, and that is what the deer are smelling. A mock scrape with human urine can work as well as the $10 a bottle "doe pee"..

My best results is using the earth odor covering spray.

[BigWadeS]

I've had pretty good luck with using day old beer and whiskey smell, well the way Friday at deer camp starts out anyway

[Johnny_Namakan]

I use more scents for concealment than I do for attractant. I use pine tree cover scents or cedar cover scents. Don't get me wrong, I still place a couple wicks out on a run or two during hunting, but It's more out of habit than it is out of effectiveness. To add to what Love to hunt said, I've read about some hunters going to the extent of not eating any meat in the week leading up to hunting, because it affects the oder your body produces. They stick to a vegetarian diet leading up to the hunt. My Great Uncle, who died many years ago, used to actually go out into the woods find a spot to sit, and start a campfire. He shot more deer than anyone at camp. He said that deer are such a curious creature that they would come in to investigate the fire everytime. There's a lot to be said about the old methods that our forefathers used to attract game.

[doser]

Human urine is an interestied subject when it comes to deer. Last yr. my brother and I experimented with a couple scrapes we found nowhere near where we hunted and peed in them as an experiment because I had read about the subject. We continued to check those scrapes a few times and refreshed them so to speak to see what would happen and every time we checked them the scrapes were reworked and had deer prints in them. Now we don't know if they were bucks or doe , but it did not seem to bother them in the least. I will not do it around any stands I hunt, but it does make you wonder. I personally don't believe it scares deer away that much because I think any kind of urine is a curiousity to deer. Do you really think a deer can decifer the difference between fox, racoon, dog, cat, or possum urine ? It's an interesting subject though. I too know people that always pee in scrape they hunt and have shot deer.

[chucker34]

There is a study somewhere out there where researchers tested which scents bucks were interested in, etc. They made mock scrapes and used bottled deer urine, human urine, new car scent, and no scent, I believe. None proved more interesting to the deer than one another and the deer were startled or afraid of none of them. I can't remember the specifics but I do remember this was a fairly scientific study.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

I've been experimenting every year, I'm trying trails' end right now, and not too impressed. I've had deer cross over trails that i dragged a scent wick over with the stuff and I've had wicks up with the wind blowing in the area the deer have been coming out of and they didnt pay any attention. I'll keep trying though...

I shot my 1st buck using some doe pee, nose to the ground and very excited to find her out! but the 30-30 found him

[bigyooper]

OK,

I am not supposed to be talking about products that don't endorse us..blah...blah ....blah, but I have found the best cover scent I have ever used . I was in my blind on Friday night and had 2 does come in from up wind, as soon as they got down wind they ran. I was using fox pee cover scent (didn't work). Friday night I bought the Team Fitzgerald’s Deer Dander. Saturday I had 5 does up wind and down wind. No clue I was there, not even a nose in the air.

I am sold on this stuff!! best cover scent, I would highly recommend it!

[UdeLakeTom]

Anybody agree the best "scent" of deer is when it's cooking...on the grill, frying pan, stew kettle...wherever!!

[chucker34]

Speaking of cover scent and being scent free. I had the best time this weekend giving my wife trouble after she - GASP - washed my long underwear meant for hunting with the regular wash. "Whew," I said after making a big stink about it. "At least it was something I wear under my hunting clothes and can just air out. Imagine if you had washed my hunting clothes. Think of all the UV rays. I'd have been glowing like a lighthouse out there." Needless to say, she just ignored me. : )

[smg04]

i bought a bottle of "bow hunters set up" from gander mt a week ago $9.99, has worked great since trying it

[midwesthunter]

I have used a bunch of different scent products with mixed results. The last two years I have been experimenting with Mrs. Doe Pee scent. It isnt cheap and hard to find. The last two years I have had bucks come in following the scent drag I use when I walk to my stand. I have also put out scent wicks and have had bucks come with their noses up smelling the scent. This is by far the best success I have had so far with any scent.

[Neiko]

I use Tink's 69 and last year I had it set up on the ridge I was hunting. I could see this 6 pointer smelling it from about 80 yards out. He made a bee line straight for the ridge and I got him about 10 yards from my scent wafer.