I've been thinking about this discussion for awhile, and thought it would be helpful to all us hunters if we could compare notes on all the various gadgets and random "stuff" that vendors claim is THE answer for bagging that trophy buck/bull/bruin/boar/tom. I'm an admitted gadget guy, and I'll try lots of things once, but I have to admit that I've found most hunting gadgets touted to be the best things since the invention of the wheel outside of the essentials like a good rifle, good optics, good boots, and good clothes have left me very underwhelmed.

So, here's the thread to talk about the stuff that works and doesn't work, the truly useful and the ripoffs in calls, decoys, scents, scent elimination products, blood trailing lights, etc., etc., etc.



I would like to start this thread by discussing estrous ("doe in heat") deer scents.



I've tried pretty much every major brand and form of estrous scents available today, and I've NEVER seen conclusive evidence that they really work. I've hung wafers, sprayed atomized clouds of stink, dragged scent impregnated rags, squirted smelly liquids and gels on branches... and I've never accomplished anything from my efforts other than wasting money and making everything around me, my clothes, and my gear stink like something unholy!



Deer (and most other game animals) are very scent-oriented. They rely on their sense of smell for food, avoiding danger, and reproduction. So, it seems logical to me that these estrous scents SHOULD work during the stages of the rut.



The fact remains, however, that despite YEARS of extensive use, they never have worked for me. Nor have I ever talked to anyone not affiliated with an advertisement or endorsement tell me that they've positively witnessed these scents work. By "work," I don't mean a buck walked out, happened to walk by the scent and sniffed it out of curiosity, causing him to pause momentarily; I mean a buck came trotting in directly toward the source of the scent, obviously attracted to it.



There are several suppliers that advertise their estrous scents come direcly from live does. It would seem that if this is indeed true, they should work. So, I'm not sure why I've never had any success with them.



I did an experiment 2 years ago. I applied some of the "100% natural, from the source" scent to a tree limb at chest height along a well-traveled deer trail right in front of one of my game cameras. I was wearing rubber boots and made sure that I did not actually touch anything in the area so I wouldn't contaminate the site with my scent. The timing was in the peak of the rut, which in my area is right before and after Thanksgiving. I retrieved my camera card 2 weeks later and saw no increased buck activity. None of the bucks in my pics showed any noticeable interest in the estrous-scented limb whatsoever, or if they did, it happened during the delay between pics.



On multiple occasions during the rut, I've witnessed bucks even walk right past (within a few feet of) the scent locations, and not one of them has paid any attention to it beyond casually sniffing it and moving on.



I don't know what to make of this, so my theory is that there is some component (pheromone perhaps) of the scent beyond the stink itself that must be lost when it isn't fresh. Maybe these scents are too contaminated with other agents that they no longer smell like a doe in heat to a buck. Perhaps there is some element to a doe's estrous scent that is unique to the region they live or is affected by their diet. Or, maybe the suppliers are just putting some random stinky liquid in a bottle and telling us hunters that this is what a doe in heat smells like.



I'm open-minded enough to accept that maybe some of these scents work some of the time under some conditions and for whatever reason(s), these conditions have just never been right during the times I've used them. Heck, I saw a video once of a buck attacking a hunter that supposedly had spilled some estrous scent on him. Who knows if that was the real reason for the attack.



So... lets hear it. Any of you folks ever had any luck with any of these attractant scents?

If this is a useless gimmicks thread, I'm sure there should be a reference to the "Butt-out" somewhere ...

In the useful category, I'll offer the box cutter with curved shingle cutter blades for skinning hogs.

During the peak of the rut in Lampassas, Texas Tinks's 69 did work one time. Two bucks came in 10 minutes a part. Got them both. But, I think that was the exception rather than the rule. Otherwise, I agree totally with you.

Any chance you have some of the San Francisco bucks on your place? Maybe some buck testosterone scent would lure the big fellas in. Sorry, I know you are opening a serious post, but this cold weather has got to go.

I am not much of a trapper, but I have heard some of the trappers swear by scent related lures to attract various animals. Maybe a different scent, corn, acorns, apples would work for deer. I know for a fact that peach trees will lure them into the area.

Try James Valley Scents. Look into them. They work

I hunted a few years in south Texas with scents.
We had lots of deer with or with out the scents.

I never had more success with scents compared to no scents.

I'm not saying they can not work, just that when I used them I did not have bucks making a "v" line straight to the scent. If they are in the area they may have given it a sniff to check it out, but not much more than that. It seemed like a little corn thrown on the ground works just as well if not better.

I hunted a few years in south Texas with scents.
We had lots of deer with or with out the scents.

I never had more success with scents compared to no scents.

I'm not saying they can not work, just that when I used them I did not have bucks making a "bee" line straight to the scent. If they are in the area they may have given it a sniff to check it out, but not much more than that. It seemed like a little corn thrown on the ground works just as well if not better.

IF I get rid of the doe in heat, what will I spill in my backpack that will stink it up the rest of the season?

" Perhaps there is some element to a doe's estrous scent that is unique to the region they live or is affected by their diet."

I think you have hit the nail on the head. Not only the region but the immediate area. Bucks know the sent of every doe in their territory and are tuned in to when they go into heat. In my experience doe in heat scent can actually run buck off because it does not smell right to them. Now fox urine is another thing. Bucks hate foxes, don't ask me why. Back in the days when I stomped the woods with a muzzle loader I tried fox urine to mask my scent, on the advise of a friend. Not only did it work, it almost got me killed. I had two different bucks charge me, head down and ready to run me through. Killed one and the other broke off the charge at the last minute.

I will have to check those guys out. Thanks!

If you are blind hunting (90% of texans, myself included) all you really need to kill deer is a blind, a chair, a gun, a feeder, and corn. Don't even need camo, don't need scents, most of us don't even need good optics since most of us out our feeders at 75-100 yards. It's all right place, right time. Anything else you are probably just wasting time, money and energy.

The only gadgets have had success with are grunt calls and rattle bag. I've used both and minutes later had bucks come running to me.

This doesn't apply to guys who stalk, or even bow hunt. Or to guys trying to grow big bucks. Just average guys looking for meat for the freezer.

Hmmm... this thread has a familiar ring to it... very familiar.

knives sold to the uninitiated that
are wholly unsuitable for butchering
chores. they're usable, but just so.
i'm fully aware that any sharp anything
can be used, but why make drudge work
out of it?

I have used Doe estrus scents over the years. I have used them during all different times from early bow season till late season. 3 years ago I covered a glendell bow target with doe estrus and had a young buck mount the decoy. The last year I sprayed two trees on Halloween night, bow hunting. I had 2 bucks come in a go straight to those trees before coming to the feeder. That same night I shot my biggest buck to date a 13 point 172" with my bow. The first pic I had of this deer was 2 days earlier and every pic was a night.

Late in the season this year I hunted a different blind, and sprayed another tree one afternoon. 3 different bucks went to that tree before coming into the feeder.

I typically like to try gimmicks junk but I have began to believe in using these types of scents.

Last season my daughter found one of my drag rags in a container. She wanted to try it out and we were just getting into the rut so I figured why not. Once we got about 100 yards from the truck I tied it to her boot and we walked to the stand. I think it was code blue I was using but can't be 100% sure. We got in the ladder stand and within five minutes of sitting down we had a nice young 10 point come in nose to the ground following her exact path. About ten minutes after that another young 8 and a spike did the same thing. It was awesome to get to share that with her and we had all the bucks within ten feet of the bottom of the ladder. Only time I've ever used it so can't say if it was luck or what.

Have only used the scented wafers 'Earth', which I put in a platic bag with all my hunting clothes and, on rare occasions the Golden Estrus soaked cotton balls in the boot laces. I use them more to mask my scent rather than as an attractant.
There ya go, my two scents worth.

Javalon knifes - good
Grunt tube - good
Rattle bag - good
Real antlers - better
Doe in heat - only had success in Kansas, few responses in Texas
Scent Eliminators - bad
Scent blockers - bad
Cover scents - meh
DeerCaine - bad
Other "miracle mixes" in a bag - bad
Most extras are gimmicks IMO

Tailgate feeder
Bag(s) of corn
Repeat as needed

I don't think doe scents work. But I have used tarsal glands from bucks I kept frozen and put a few drops of tarsal scent on them and used them when rattling. Almost every buck I have rattled went straight to the gland when they got a whiff. I am convinced they work.
I have also used a butt out and they work just fine but they do not speed the cleaning process up for me.
Javalon knives are the bomb.
Cough mufflers are a joke.

Skylar, I appreciate your testing as I have done the same with numerous special recipes and scents for attracting hogs. Nothing performed better than plain old corn despite claims to the contrary by folks.

No doubt hogs will happily eat jello/koolaid/soured corn, but it does nothing to actually attract them better. I had to laugh...one guy told me that adding powdered koolaid, poured out on the ground around the feeder would attract more and lager boars. The ides is that animals including hogs would get the koolaid on their feet and track it in various directions, thereby providing scent trails to the feeder. How this made a difference in the size and sex of the attracted hogs could not be explained, however. Testing revealed to it utterly fail.

On once occasion I saw a pig come out and go straight to some soured corn running right under my feeder which had just gone off. This was only one time though.

What is this lager boar you speak of and where can I find one? Is it related to the pilsner boar?

Gimmick: camouflage clothing of any pattern when hunting mammals.
Gimmick: Gore-Tex rain suits in a driving rainstorm. (only vinyl or rubber is reliable)
Gimmick: UV eliminator products for clothing.
Gimmick: scent-blocker sprays and scent-guard clothing.
Gimmick: suppressers. (almost as noisy as un-suppressed to me)
Gimmick: estrus scents and attracting scents in general.
Gimmick: fluting your gun's bolt.
Gimmick: high-capacity magazines.
Gimmick: Slime, and other similar tire sealers.
Gimmick: flip-up scope covers.

Useful: World-class binoculars and spotting scopes.
Useful: shooting sticks.
Useful: rangefinders, on occasion.
Useful: Gen 3 night vision, damn the cost.
Useful: Swiss-made Mammut Champs mountaineering pants, damn the cost.
Useful: Lovingly- and patiently-handloaded ammunition.
Useful: Bikini or inner tube scope covers.

There are surely more of both categories from nearly 50 years in the field, but this will do for now.