Heartbreaker and lesson learned about scents.

[Gordy]

Friday PM, magic hour had just started and I heard him coming a mile off since there was no wind noise.

A mock scrape had been made several weeks earlier and was being cleaned off by the deer ....  I went to my stand and placed a wick of estrus scent about three feet off the ground.

Well that nice 6 pointer came in with another deer in tow...never got to see that deer but the buck locked up about 10 yards away from the wick just two steps from the first shooting lane.  His eyes locked dead ahead the breeze inn his face, neither of us moved.

After a few moments he decided not to continue, turned and left in a hurry going the way he came ...he didn't bolt. Just did a 180 and trotted away.  

I can only think that my effort at a short-cut cost me an opportunity at a decent deer !

Lesson learned.   :(

[BEN]

My experience has been too that does do NOT like estrus scent at all if they are not in heat and will snort and bolt every time. I gave up using the stuff after having this happen many times and me bing a meat hunter, I really don't wnat the does running away from me.

Ben

[Jedimaster]

Hate the stuff.  I've experimented with it pretty extensively and won't use it.  Never had it do anything but arouse suspicion from bucks and really freaks the does out.  BTW, I've used it in and around the rut and it may be a regional thing where I'm at.  I've given it enough tries to know it won't work for me.  Sorry for your experience, it is typical for me.

[Gordy]

Thanks for the sympathy guys.... I hate learning the hard way !  

[leatherneck]

I'm with Jedi, I've used alot of different scents and had more bad luck than good. Keep it natural.

[vermonster13]

Only scent I ever had positive results with is Trails End 307.

[madness522]

If your deer aren't rutting estrus scent will arouse suspicion.  I like to use peanut butter or drops of vanilla before the rut.

[longbowben]

Do not use sents to many bad reactions.

[cahaba]

I have had some bad and some good. The good didnt make up for the bad. I now use bakeing soda as a cover scentin my boots under my arms and in my cap band. My uncle taught me that trick and he has killed some monsters all on the ground. Bakeing soda is cheap too. I use unsented washing powder on my clothes.

[Bonebuster]

Every couple years, I forget about the bad reactions, and buy some estrus scent in the hopes
that THIS time things will be different.

The only scent I use is diluted ammonia, and that is only in artificial scrapes I have made. Deer readily take the over...usually.

[longarrow]

Vanilla works great about any time of the season here.

[J-dog]

I use Kirschner's scents and have had good reactions all the way round. Least have had none spook. Vanilla does work as well as peanut butter.

J

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

I have had many deer spook from things they smell and don't like or trust..(Mostly me)
I have never had one react to "Not smelling" anything.
Years ago when I played with such things I had several times a doe would come in to investigate said attractant only to spook and take the buck that was following her along.
Never had one spook from a scrape I didn't relieve myself in either