Scents and rattling for deer????

05 August 2003, 09:36

Dago Red

Hey all, do scents really work for attracting deer? I saw a thing the other day on tv and it was some company's product taken from pregant does that was supposed to bring bucks real good. It was on oudoor channel, cant' remember the name of the stuff though.

How about rattling, does that work? and how is it done, I have some old antlers laying around my guest room I could take out with me I guess.

thanks everybody

Red

05 August 2003, 11:55

hm1996

quote:
How about rattling, does that work?

If the buck/doe ratio is not too far out of whack it works. Too many does and the bucks do not have to fight over does, so rattling does not work well, if at all.

The first buck I ever shot came running in to the horns and I really thought I was being hoodwinked when my host handed me the horns and said, "beat them together and the bucks will come to you" [Big Grin]

.

Find a place where you are hidden but have a fair field of view. Most bucks will circle the sound and try to come in from downwind so you need a little distance on the downwind quadrant. Just clash two horns together and rattle them around against each other to similate two bucks sparring. Don't overdo it, rattle what seems like a minute or so and stop to watch 10-15 minutes. Repeat cycle two or three times and move on to another spot if unsuccessful.

Give it a try, really a thrill to have one come running in for a fight. Grunt calls work well, too. The wife & I sat in a white pickup truck in a posted area loaded with deer and watched a group of 25-30 bucks/does feeding one evening. This was at the beginning of the rut last year. Had a grunt call and had never seen one used. First grunt and a 10 point buck ran out of brush looking across the 200 yd. field straight at the truck. Took 5-6 grunts to urge him all the way across the field...each time he stopped, would give it another grunt. The wife and I sat in the truck and called the buck within 10 yards of the truck. He would circle the truck and each time he lost interest, I would grunt again and he would come back. This was in a small game preserve, where no hunting allowed but hunting was going on all around the property. We called the buck in two or three evenings in a row but the fourth evening he would just look at the white truck and give us a "no way, not today" look. [Smile]

Didn't have any horns with me to try a combination, though. The grunt also seemed to excite some lesser bucks into minor (and one not-so-minor) sparring matches. All in all quite a show.

Haven't done any deer hunting in several years but bet a grunt call in conjunction with horns would do well.

My experience w/horns & grunt are all in S. Texas, where horn rattling originated supposedly. Have heard it works well in other areas as well, however.

Regards,
hm

05 August 2003, 14:57

JohnK007

quote:
do scents really work for attracting deer?

Here's my take on it based on my experience hunting in Illinois where the hunter per square mile ratio is probably higher than out west. Scents might work but only until the first shots are fired, then all bets are off. I think once all the shooting starts the deer go into survival mode and follow natural and/or instinctive escape routes. At that point hunter concealment, quietness (is that a word?), and maybe masking your scent is the important thing. Again, this is just based on what I've seen here in Illinois. Your mileage may vary. [Wink]

06 August 2003, 13:33

CoonDawg

Dago Red, rattling does work here in Texas best to do it at the start of the rut!

I really haven't tried any of the scents as of yet but found some stuff on e-bay (can't recall the name right now) that you hang out on a tree aand as the sun heats up the smell comes out. Suppose to make them bucks go mad trying to get at it. I'm waiting for it to come in now also it wasn't expensive either.

08 August 2003, 18:19

Atkinson

Rattling is fantastic during high rut and tapers off before and after mostly, but in some areas I have found pre rut to be really effective rattling, I don't know why...

I have no experience with scents...Never wanted to go around smelling like apples or piss... [Wink]

09 August 2003, 02:57

Dago Red

I don't want to smell like apples or piss either. :-) I think I will try the rattling since I already have some antlers laying around. Unfortunately for me the season in the area i hunt only runs till just before the rut, so not sure how excited the fellas will be by then, but trying can't hurt.

Thanks guys.

Red

09 August 2003, 03:17

260Brian

If your going to be hunting here in California for deer then I think rattling would not have the same effect that it does in Whitetail states. Our buck to doe ratios are way out of whack so the bucks don't need to fight for it. I heard them fight but it was in the middle of the rut and in an area that doesn't allow hunting so there was a bunch of mature bucks around. What might be better is to take one antler and rake it the bushes or a low tree. I've seen them do that getting their scent on the bush from the glands on their forehead. They also do this when challenging another buck for dominence. Haven't seen that part in person but have in videos. They tear the hell out of a bush and the lesser buck takes off.
I'm going to look for a non estrous mule deer urine and get an atomizer spray bottle to send it down wind. Doe calling also works and may stop a buck on the run, or bring him in behind the doe. I haven't seen them react to grunting but they do it. So a light couple of grunts may spark an interest.
I have used with some success the "deer stopper" its made by E.L.K and its a small matchbook size call. My friends have called in bucks with it too but it was the last 2 weeks of the season closer to rut. Search E.L.K on the web they have a bunch of deer calling videos, calls, and scents. What zone are you going to hunt? I've got a D-11 tag, and am going to get an A-31 either sex archery tag.
Good luck
Brian