Calls and Scents
Wisconsin
So what works for you? Curious of the whats, whens, and wheres.
I picked up some buck urine from Menards as an impulse with the thought of using it to piss off a buck. Closer to the rut I might try doe in estrus.
I've never tried calling or rattling. Which works best and when?
Thank you all for continuing to educate.
I'm with trapper on this.
Elk addict sees this he could chime in on how he's does things. He's very successful on public land.
I've used and still use a product called Ambush from Hunter's Best Deer Scents. The company is based in Bruce Wisconsin and Ambush is used as a cover scent as well as an attractant. I've had good results with it. It's best not to over do it. I put a couple drops on bottom of both boots and a couple of drops a few places circling my stand. I've had deer follow my trail when using it. They make other scent products as well. It would have to be ordered direct, can't find it in retail stores.
Didn't even give decoys a thought. Aren't they a pain to carry out with you? I'm hunting mainly public land so I try to carry as little as possible.
I never had luck rattling in WI. In Ontario yes very good results the end of October, some real monsters up there. Calling I love and have great success with. But not every deer can be called either. Scents never really worked for me.
Calls have worked very well for me through the years. Rattling has been hit or miss. I can't say that I've ever had much luck with scents. Certainly tried them and occasionally use them now, but they did not pull bucks in on a string like I've experienced with calls.
What sort of calls were you using? Do you change up depending on what part of the season?
I use scent more as a cover scent than an attractant. Typically I will put a little doe estrus on a cotton ball in (late October through mid-November) and tie it to the base of my tree stand. I do complete No-scent of myself and my clothes, but I figure it doesn't hurt to have the estrus block any remaining scent I may be giving off. I've also done pretty well with calls too. I use an all-in-one deer call that allows me to change from mature buck to fawn and everything in-between. It really depends on the time of year for what works best though. This time of year I tend to stick with Buck and Mature Buck calls. Around November 1st I switch over to a short 1 blurp Doe call and mix in a Buck call every 30 minutes or so. Then around November 7th I'm using a doe in heat call pretty hard. All of that said, it depends on what type of deer you are going for too. If you are looking to shoot a doe then you should be sticking with doe calls the whole time. If you are looking for a mature buck then you have to switch up your tactics. However, if you have a deer by your stand and you don't plan on shooting it (spike or 4 pointer ideally) then I recommend practicing your calls. I once played around with a basket 6 for a half hour...it was a lot of fun. He came in nose up on a doe bleet. He walked around the area for a bit and when he started to walk off I did another short bleet...he turned around and came strutting back through again...and then when he got to about 40-50 yards I would call him back in again. He finally lost interest, but I had him standing literally underneath my treestand at one point.
Ohh...and I've tried rattling before but it never really works out for me. It definitely doesn't work out like it does on TV. I think they edit that footage so they can boost their sponsor's product.
-Kevin
Since we are on the topic of scent, I still have the tarsal glands from my rutting buck in my beer freezer. I'm thinking about hanging the bag high in a tree over a scrape and just snipping the corner of the bag. My plan was to set it out in the next week. What say the experts??? Good plan/timing, or should I wait longer before I put it out. Will it get rancid hanging in the bag in the sun?
Regarding calls, I continue to use them along with rattling but have yet to have any documented success.
I have posted something like this in past years. I use food based scents at cameras to get photos. Estrous scents on scent drags and felt strips near stand. The strips are hung out on left and right side and upwind from my stand. Picture a "V" with my stand at the base of the V and scent at the two tops of the letter. Wind towards the base of the V.
When rattling or calling the bucks tend to circle downwind so either coming from left or right they will hit the estrous scent before my scent and swing in to find the doe. It works.
I have sued rattling and grunt calls late Oct through mid November with success and a few years ago started having luck with the Can call thanks to some suggestion on this site.
I've never had much luck with calling big buck's . But used tampon's are buck magnet's . My supply dried up year's ago . LOL
So Swampy.....you do you even bring that conversation up with your wife? LOL
I have heard a lot about used tampons and I've always wondered how that conversation went. We are on septic so they go in the garbage, but I can't imagine being caught smuggling used tampons out of the trash. Guess a deer just isn't that important to me.
My wife is pregnant with our fourth. Can anybody help a brother out? Ha ha Ha!
That just means she's full if all sorts of hormones!
Here is my take, and while I am in town, thought I would get back on the site...... Now I am no expert, but I have gotten lucky a few times,,,,, I think you can play around with a lot of stuff, in pressured and urban areas..... I think you can piss out of stand, and in a scrape in a lot of areas,,,,,,, but I can assure you, NOT, in areas where the few bucks around, are not use to two legged creatures.......
Tweed if I was hunting your area, do this trick. Go get some wooden clothes pins, and boil them in hot water, and use a latex glove when taking them out,,,, put a tack pin on them, so they show up,, after dark...... now still using the gloves, dip them in a small amount of James Valley Rut Scent, and as you walk in, clip them to the trees,,,,,,, When you make a scent drag, do not drag it on the ground, hang it higher to get it out there..... Now when you leave, take the clothespins out with you, YOU DO NOT want that scent out there, while your not there........ try it, I can assure you it will work at times............ but what do I know
Tweed,,, here is another trick, use this right now,,,, bucks are moving,,,, next week in the far north will be very good,,,,, barometer is rising, rain and clouds, early am frost, temps not hitting more than 50,,,,,,,, but in the south looks like alot of rain, and maybe warmer...... Anyway, get some toilet paper, tak it off a branch, about 25 to 30 inches up, and let it fly in the wind,,,,,, It s a neat trick, will get attention of a cruising buck, not a big deal to try, and has been deadly at time,,,,, Oct 25 to 31 going to be hot,,, moon is building........ but what do I know
Never heard of using TP but I'll try it in the morning. Thanks Razor! Always a well of wisdom.
Save your used up thermacell pads. Put your favorite scent on it and hang it on a sapling somewhere near you. Or if you are up for some drama do this hooked to your belt while bear hunting. ;-)
Hmmmmm what would happen if we doused out old thermacell pad with scent but put it back in the appliance?
Tweed, that is what I meant. Guess I did not mention to hang the thermacell appliance on a sapling to heat the scented pad to get those scent molecules moving into the air. I guess fleet farm and other similar stores used to sell some sort of heaters to do this.
Next step is to figure out how to refill the thermacell gas cartriges.
