Whitetail Deer: Attractant Scents

Here is some advice about the use of attractant scents for whitetail hunting, based upon field experience. The first and most important advice I could give would be: if you are not sure whether it is the right time to use scent or what type of scent to use and where, don't use any. Ninety percent of the time, no scent is the best scent. If you use scent at the wrong time, it will spook deer. I have watched it happen.

Personally, the only attractant scent I use is estrous doe urine, and I only use it during the rut. (especially the seeking and chasing phases) Also, if the deer are likely to be spooked from hunting pressure (such as opening day of gun season), I forgo the scent. I only use it if the deer are unpressured, such as the bow season in the first week in November on private land. Pressured deer don't need any additional reasons to be concerned, and using scent will give them one.

Also, always remember that deer investigate odors from downwind. In fact, contrary to magazine pictures, the bucks I have seen come in to a scent lure hang up about 20 to 30 yards downwind and approach no closer. So I keep my scent lures about 40 yards upwind of my location. That gives me a likely 10 to 20 yard quartering away shot. That is the only reason I use this scent; it helps me position deer for better shots.

I have read that the phermones in the estrous doe urine break down, and that the urine needs to be fresh. I would think that it is important to keep the phermones intact. I am certain they are key to attracting bucks. If you use estrous doe urine, it probably is smart to get some fresh stuff every year. But I have used urine over 2 years old and had bucks approach. I have used many different brands, and never noticed much difference. I can't imagine that the brands that advertise "bottled from a single doe" are any more effective than ones from multiple does. As long as it has the smell of a hot doe (phermones are the key), I am certain the bucks will like it.