For Thos Who Use Estrous . . .

[jlmustain]

. . . or similar products, when do you start using them?

 

[deerhunter10]

opening weekend of ml season. and sparsly at that mainly use them as a drag system or something along those lines I don't expect to kill a deer using it I use it more as a cover scent. I personally use drop tyne scents or code blue. but like Its not magical by any means but imo it doesn't hurt.

 

[Mike Belt]

At one time or another I've used every type of scent dispenser ever made with almost every kind of scent...including home made drag rags, etc. I still do but be forewarned you're going to waste a lot of money. I've seen about a 2 percent success rate. I no longer use attractant or cover scents. I only use estrous scents coupled with the best scent out there...your own urine. Any time after a buck sheds he's apt to start making scrapes. From that point on I'll freshen them by peeing in them including creating my own scrapes. At this stage I really don't think these scrapes mean much except showing a surge of testosterone. Towards the end of October I think they begin to have significance among the buck population. Once the heavy scraping starts after the first part of November I may begin to use estrous scents. I really don't think it does much good to walk through the woods pouring estrous scent in the scrapes you find. If you think about it most scrape activity is at night. Any buck visiting a scrape 1)won't be seen by you and 2)won't have a doe to trail away from the scrape. This alone would seem to me to alert a buck that something's not quite right. I much prefer to use the estrous scents when I can take advantage of them. I will use them on a drag rag going in to my stand thinking that any filtering through the area may cross that trail and be drawn towards my location. I have even gone so far as to start that trail from my stand going outwards so that the heaviest scent is closer to me. My thinking is that farther out the scent is fainter and a buck may think he's closing in on the doe as he gets closer to my location. I also prefer hanging a scent close by rather than pouring it on the ground because it's more prone to be detected by a cruising buck wind checking.

 

[Bone Collector]

never....well i used to, but it is waste IMO

I have taken a tarsal gland of of a younger buck or a doe that i kill and hang it up, but I never had nothing come to it. I just figure it is natural, so it may work one of these times..

 

[ROVERBOY]

If I use any it will be at the beginning of muzzleloader season. The rut is usually kicking in at that time. But, like the other guys said, they can be a waste of time and money.

 

[timberjack86]

Opening weekend of Muzzleloader.

 

[bassybuck47]

In my experience, regular doe urine will peak the curiosity of other does. And during the rut, the bucks will be chasing does. A lot of does I have seen tended to leave the immediate area upon getting a whiff of estrous while actually following a drag line with non-estrous urine. If I use anything it is urine from a non estrous doe. Just my opinion, and it may not count for much...

 

[WRbowhunter]

I know for a fact that if it were not for the drag rag /scent trail I put down the 2nd weekend of MZ I would not have gotten my buck. He followed the trail for 150 yds before getting within 30 yds. Does it work every time. nope. can it run deer off. yes. Can it help you get a nice buck. Yes.

 

[Realtree]

Anytime during October and then on. Never know when it may draw one in.

 

[parkerxbowhunter]

I usually don't use scents other than bow season I spray diluted vanilla water as a cover .

 

[UpperTully]

I have been using a scent wick of doe urine as a cover scent while bow hunting. Id just hang it off the side of my stand. During the last hour I had a younger buck come running in, nose to the ground, snorting, wheezing and acting a fool. He ran strait to the base of the tree I was in and went NUTS once he found the scent. It was entertaining to say the least.

I guess sometimes using scent works, sometimes it doesnt.

 

[Mike Belt]

Since I started deer hunting I've had success in luring in 1.5-3.5 year old bucks. 4.5+ bucks are another story. To do so you have to do everything right AND you have to catch the buck in exactly the right frame of mind. It can be done but the odds are stacked against you.