Scent Use Question

[hortontoter]

Lets say you are in my situation. You are hunting in an enclosed permanant stand facing west with a good constant breeze in your face. You are set up to shoot basically due west and keep your shots at 20 yards or less. You want to hang a scent bottle out to maybe attract a cruzing buck. How far out from your stand should the bottle be. Seems to me that only bucks downwind of the bottle will catch the scent. And if they are downwind of my location they will wind me. Seems like putting the scent twenty yards (my shooting distance) from the stand is useless. But, further away and I wouldn't get a shot. Am I thinking wrong?

[jsyn]

WOW DICK THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.... I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER THAT SO I WONT... I WILL LEAVE THAT UP TO THE VETERAN HUNTERS ON HERE TO ANSWER AND THEN I WILL JUST AGREE WITH THEM. LOL

[buckstalker17]

Lets say you are in my situation. You are hunting in an enclosed permanant stand facing west with a good constant breeze in your face. You are set up to shoot basically due west and keep your shots at 20 yards or less. You want to hang a scent bottle out to maybe attract a cruzing buck. How far out from your stand should the bottle be. Seems to me that only bucks downwind of the bottle will catch the scent. And if they are downwind of my location they will wind me. Seems like putting the scent twenty yards (my shooting distance) from the stand is useless. But, further away and I wouldn't get a shot. Am I thinking wrong?
i hang mine at the farthest distance i can shoot so if i only have a 20 yard shot were I'm set up at them thats were i place the scent bottle ,then make sure its up wind from my stand or blind that way if the are down wind of my location he may be more likely to pay more attn to the doe scent than yours . so it can never hurt to have something out there to cover up your scent and just maybe thats what he needs to bring him in side your range or even draw him to you if he is down wind but its all in what you be leave .i will always use some kind of cover scent and 99% of the time i use a drag while I'm walking to my blind to help cover any smell i might leave then ill toss the drag in in the tree also it works great for me . my thought is it might not always be a benefit but i can't see how it could ever hurt your chances or get u winded ''''''' i don't know if that helps you or not but i never leave home with out it

[bigcountry]

i agree with buckstalker...as long as you have a cover scent then your chances are going to greatly improve because he wont likely pick up your scent

[ohiowhitetails]

When I use attracting scents, I try them with a cross wind. Using them as a cover scent is when you want the wind in your face.

[blackbeard]

When I use attracting scents, I try them with a cross wind. Using them as a cover scent is when you want the wind in your face.

Bingo. I also have always struggled with this issue. Cross wind is the best but if I have the wind in my face then I'm hanging the scent canister about 5 yards inside my effective range up wind, so 25 yards.

[hortontoter]

So basically the scent will be more as a cover than an attractant if placed only 20 yards from my position. Makes sense, but I'm not sure it is needed if I expect the deer to approach from up wind.

[buckstalker17]

It is all in how you look at it I have a spot that I call my doe hole it's where I go to fill the freezer I had never seen a buck there ever and 2 yrs ago I put three scent drips out to see if I could draw any buck into the area. To my disbelief after about three weeks of leaving them out I found scraps at 2 of the 3 rt under the scent attractant and the 4 th weekend I shot a 11 point that I have never seen in the area. I figured I would give you the story on how I learned that the scent attractant can help your odds just leave them out in the area just hang a couple and leave them and just leave it alone outher than topping of the bottle or re dip the scent wicks. It has worked for me. Hope that helps

[hortontoter]

Good tip. I had always hung the bottle before the hunt and retrieved it afterwards. The scrape dripper sound like it may be a tool I could utilize in my hunting situation. Sounds like a much better plan than to hang a bottle each time before I get in to my stand. Thanks for this information. Wonder how early before season I should hang one. Or maybe waiting until closer to the rut would be a better idea.

[mrbb]

OK I am not a big user of scents
I have too much experience with seeing it keep deer away rather than bring them in

if anyone followed my post about scent drippers or not
over the past say 3-4 yrs I have set them up with doe in heat buck scents and attractant scents
and hung them over ACTIVE scrapes with a trail cam over the scrape before and after i placed out the scent dripper
on every single try(and di this for up to 3 months over a scrape) I got less pictures after hanging the scent dripper

now I am not saying they scrae off deer
but to me it just shows that scents don't wrk all the time, and some times they do the oppisit of what your looking to have them do!

and to DATE, the best scent I have ever used was the BUCK BOMBS, that you can spray into the air

I have had great luck with them last few seasons when I used them
and to me they have an advantage in some set ups

as if you see a big buck down wind of you many times i was able to spray, then grunt, get its attention, and see it scent check, and then come right in to me looking for what ever, be it maybe the grunt or scent, but it has worked better than anything else i tried

you can also spray it as you walk in and or>>


but as for setting up scents on stand, yes I think 90% of the time, its a more of a help to cover your scent, and M<AYBE get a buck to come in looking for what made it

ain't nothing like the real deal if you ask me

and adding a decoy can help when using scents too I think
and sorry if i got off topic on you , just wanted to add about the scent drippers
they are nice to use, most only drop in day time, mornings and evenings too! helping they say keep deer looking in shotting hrs!

[buckstalker17]

I don't hang them over active scrapes I let him make his own . Maybe that's a factor or not jus sayn ! Mine are already out, in my opinion it's proven to me it works and I'd rather hunt with them then get caught with out them. I already have my scents out and a few apples and pics on trail cameras at the scent drips its all personal preference

[BIGHUNTOH]

Good tip. I had always hung the bottle before the hunt and retrieved it afterwards. The scrape dripper sound like it may be a tool I could utilize in my hunting situation. Sounds like a much better plan than to hang a bottle each time before I get in to my stand. Thanks for this information. Wonder how early before season I should hang one. Or maybe waiting until closer to the rut would be a better idea.
I wait till mid October to hang a dripper. Early season is for food attractants such as maple syrup and peanut butter.

[Big_Holla]

Most scents recommend to use several scent wicks or canisters to surround your hunting location to allow deer to encounter the attractant scent before they encounter your scent. The same can be done with scrape drippers and mock scrapes provided you know the prevailing wind directions or hunt the location based on your set-up.

8684

[buckstalker17]

Dick Let us know how it works out for u kinda of curious to see what kinds of reaction you get.

[hortontoter]

I think I'll wait until about Oct 1 to set one up. I have a spot that has been used for scrapes every year. I think I'll put it up in that area where I will be setting up a small pop up blind this weekend. I'll set up a trail cam to monitor what goes on. Keep you posted on the results. Should be an interesting experiment.

[BIGHUNTOH]

I think I'll wait until about Oct 1 to set one up. I have a spot that has been used for scrapes every year. I think I'll put it up in that area where I will be setting up a small pop up blind this weekend. I'll set up a trail cam to monitor what goes on. Keep you posted on the results. Should be an interesting experiment.

If your gonna try to setup on Oct 1 you should use straight buck or doe urine in the dripper, as I have not seen a scrape before mid to late October. After the middle of October start using Active Scrape or Code blue.

[buckstalker17]

I think it would interesting to hear what you come up with. Mine are already out due to where I hunt it takes me 2 hrs to get there So I met my buddy who lives down there and i put everything in place hung my stands he just keeps a eye on things and goes down once a week and puts out my apples and sends me my sd cards out of the camera till the season starts then I take over from there .... man after I type it out sounds like I'm lazy as heck guess I should just let him shoot the deer then just send me some meat. Lmao !! Lol. !!!kidding

[deerguy10]

I will have to agree with you mrbb. If i am using scent it's going to be the buck bomb! i have had great luck using the doe pee and estrus bombs... haven't used the buck flavors yet...

I am convinced that they work well not only as an attractant but also as a cover.

here's is a story from a few years ago that really helped to build my confidence in the buck bomb!

On this morning hunt as I went into my stand I sprayed the buck bomb on the heels of my boots and then as I got closer to my stand on a few limbs, saplings and brush in areas I felt I might get a shot... I climbed into my stand and just as it was getting prime time I depressed nozzle fully and latched it open and tossed the buck bomb from my stand into an opening up wind from me, it spewed the rest of it's contents and I waited... as I was waiting and as luck and nature would have it I had to pee... REAL BAD! now, up to this point I Wouldn't pee in the woods that I was hunting, let alone near a stand. but, that week i had read an article in some hunting magazine about a study some university did on how human urine effects deer. in the article they had come to the conclusion that chemically human urine is similar to most other animals and that it had little or no effect on deer. even after reading that i wouldn't have been convinced that is true, and to some extent maybe i am still not convinced... so faced with walking out of the woods during prime time, wetting my pants , or testing this theory i decided to just let it go and hope for the best. (kind of do my own study, i guess) sure enough as i was going i caught motion coming though the woods. it was a buck. i quickly finished my business and got ready. the buck continued my direction and actually stepped right across the wet spot i had created with out even flinching. he continued straight to the spent buck bomb canister and smelled around for a bit and then continued on his way. now, this deer was a young 6 point maybe a year and a half or so and young bucks have been known to do some things that might suggest they are the stupidest animal in the woods at times. but they have busted me just the same as any other deer other times...

so... i will let you guys form your own opinions about whether deer are actually effected by human urine, whether buck bombs actually work, and how stupid young bucks can be...

all i know is that i have had a buck bomb with me every time i hunt since this incident and i would say it has certainly helped me get closer to more deer...

If i were you i would use a buck bomb up wind from your location... whether that be spaying down the ground or trees in your shooting lanes with a bit of the buck bomb or depressing it fully and letting it fill the air... also like mrbb said i have used the buck bomb from my stand spraying a bit in the air just before or after calling with good results...

Sorry if my story was a bit off topic and lengthy... i just felt it might be some food for thought while you are considering the question you posted...

I like to use them as a spray, so one can will last me a few hunts ( it's too expensive to be using one every hunt by depressing and releasing the whole thing)

[archerymurray]

I'm with mrrb on this one.. I don't use them.. if you honestly had real doe in heat lure you would be covered in bucks.. This stuff they have labeled as doe in heat lure at the stores is in no way the real deal. Im calling bullshit on the whole idea of it. Everyone knows that a doe is only in heat for a very short time and lets face it she doesnt pee all that often during that time. So you take a large scent company selling millions of bottles nationwide.... getting the picture... Aint happining...I have tried alot and have had some success, but very limited. I have more success by simply hunting structure, hunting the right wind only, giving little pressure and watching my appproach and exit. As far as scrapes I have used my own pee to open a scrape and have had more buck pics than anything you can buy in the stores.. Call me crazy, but dont knock it til you try it.

This is all just my opinion folks, so please dont take it the wrong way. I'm not trying to knock anyones hunting style. To each his own!

[EMB]

Best Scent I ever used and still do is Herd in a Stick, or now may be called Evercalm. It's by Border Crossing Labs I think. Basically it's the scents collected in deer bedding areas. I never use anything but this cover scent. Gave up on Doe Urine & Estrous several years ago and saved a lot of money and see more deer that don't seem as edgy.