How to Use Scents
In this article l am going to discuss what I have observed and learned after twenty-six years of breeding and raising Whitetail Deer. Also, I will give in depth instructions on how to use scents properly. I hope the following information will be of some value to you.
Most hunters misinterpret what a deer lure is designed to do. The role of a deer lure is to attract deer from a reasonable distance to a scrape, mock scrape, dripper, or to cause them to follow a scent trail you have laid. When applied properly the lure will aid in positioning the deer for you to place a clean shot. Don’t think that just because you are using lure that the buck of a lifetime will appear. He has to be in your hunting area before you can harvest him.
Many hunters think that using scent is magic in a bottle. This is not true nor will it ever be. Deer lure is only one piece of the puzzle. You must make all parts come together to be successful. You must be able to read deer signs such as trails, scrapes, rubs, bedding and feeding areas. Plus be able to use the wind to your advantage. You have to do your “homework”. Scouting your particular area without leaving human odor is very important. Also, omitting human odor from your body and clothing is important.
How I Use Scents
by Jackie
http://jackiesdeerlures.com
Several weeks before the hunting season I will scout the area and hang my treestands. I try to have the wind currents hitting me in the face. I try to lay a scent trail in a parallel course in front of me. This gives me a broadside shot.
When I get about 50 yards from my stand location, I start laying a scent trail with “Jackie’s ID #4 Scent” while wearing rubber gloves. Since I strictly bow hunt, I will lay a scent trail about twenty yards from the base of my treestand making a complete circle around the tree. Be extra careful not to touch anything. When this is done, I hang the drag in an open spot about three feet from the ground. I then hang one film canister on a limb filled with scent, making sure these are placed in an open area and preferably in front of me.
Getting settled in my treestand I spray a few pumps of ”Jackie’s No-Scent Plus Earth Cover Scent” to my shirt or coat and if perspiring I will apply a few pumps of it to my face and armpits. I will do some light rattling, and give three or four short grunts on my “Posi-Call Deer Grunter”. After this, I spray whichever scent I am using for that appropriate part of the season, two or three sprays of molecules in the air. Repeating this method every thirty to forty minutes.
Do not over blow your grunter because deer are not that vocal. It is not natural to use too many scents in an area, plus, never leave your canister unattended. Never apply to your clothing or boot soles. Use a ziplock plastic bag to store the canister and drag when not in use. After using, simply refresh your canister by adding two or three drops of scent for your next hunt.
One question I am asked is “if you have scent left over from the previous season, is it any good?” It all depends where you have stored the scent. If it was kept in cool, dark storage, such as a basement or cellar, it will be okay. If there is an ammonia odor, remove the cap and let the container breathe for a couple of hours. Usually it will dissipate. Never freeze scents, as this will weaken the smell and strength.
Observation of Whitetail Deer
After twenty-six years of raising Whitetail Deer, I have noticed Whitetail Deer rely on their senses to survive.
(1) Radar nose: they have hundreds of millions of receptor sites inside their nose. We humans on the average have five million receptor sites. (Receptor sites are nerve cells that are exposed to the outside air).
(2) Sight: their eyesight is keen on moving objects. I have noticed if you stand next to something, or stand out in the open and don’t move, they hardly ever pick you up.
(3) Hearing: their sense of hearing is keen as a razor.
I have read numerous books by so-called experts that if a young buck’s first rack has spikes, or are forkies, they are inferior. This is not true. I have had young bucks like this that have gone on to be 150-170 class bucks at the age of four years old.
Usually velvet shedding begins here at the farm about the middle ofSeptember. This process takes a matter of fifteen minutes once they start rubbing. They eat the velvet as they rub it off. Once the velvet is gone they are capable of breeding.
Usually the majority of the does start to come into estrus the tenth of November.
We have some older does that will come into estrus in October if we have some cool nights. Two signs to watch for: their tail will be standing out, sort of slanted, and she will urinate frequently, but will just do some dripping.
The rubbing of the hind legs on their tarsal glands (both buck and doe will do this) is hereditary, as I have watched fawns do this at three days of age. It is a normal instinct.
Talking with hunters, some of them tell me they are hunting a big buck because they have seen his hoof prints in the mud. I, or no one else, can tell the difference between a mature buck or mature doe’s tracks. Although, sometimes a buck’s hoof is rounded and a doe’s is pointed.
The glands on a Whitetail Deer can really benefit you in hunting, if you know which one to use. The tarsal gland on the inside of the hind legs are very pungent smelling if they are harvested in the fall of the year. Remove these glands from the deer you have taken. Keep them frozen in a plastic ziplock bag until you are ready to use them. (Must be kept frozen to prevent decaying). When in use, I apply a few drops of deer scent and hang them on a limb or bush in my shooting lane. Be sure to wear rubber gloves.
The forehead gland between the antlers of a buck is waxy if harvested in the fall. I place a piece of this skin. on the overhanging branch over a primary scrape. This is a very good method for hunting.
Does are usually a day coming into estrus, twenty-four hours in estrus and a day going out of estrus. The urine is collected from estrus does October through February. We do not force our does into an estrus cycle with injections because this is not Mother Nature’s way and can be harmful to them.
In order to be successful using pure Whitetail Deer lures , whether as a curiosity or sex attractant, there are special guidelines to follow. One who is desirous of using lures must first understand what the lure is basically designed to do. Understanding WHEN and WHY, HOW and WHERE, and WHICH ONE – in this order – will help you obtain maximum effectiveness and the most positive results possible.
http://jackiesdeerlures.com
Our pure urines are the most effective aid when dealing with the Whitetail Deer’s sense of smell. Additives and chemicals spell DISASTER when it comes to deer lures. Our lures are 100% pure. We bottle what Mother Nature produces.
Preparation in reducing human scent is the number one rule when using lures. The worst situation is the one where the deer associates human scents with the lure. This is not good. Here are some very simple steps to insuring success when using our lures: http://jackiesdeerlures.com
1. Use a scent-free soap, which destroys human scent for your hair and body.
2. Use a scent-free soap to wash all your clothing.
3. Use Jackie’s No-Scent Plus Earth Cover Scent on your clothing before going to your stand.
4. Wear rubber gloves and rubber boots, trying not to touch anything when approaching your stand. Never apply deer scents directly on your clothing. If you do this will allow direct scent targeting to you!
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