Do Deer scents really work?

I was recently on one of the forums I like to contribute to and one of the members asked a question about whether deer scents really work.

Well, I've had a good bit of experience with many different scent so I decided to add my 2 cents.

Here's my comments:


"I have used a number of different products over the years. I have even used products that were kept refrigerated, just delivered from the farm that morning! I have had almost no success with scents myself. Can a buck be killed with be following a scent line like this out of curiosity.


One of my best hunting buddies swears by Tinks and uses it all the time. He claims he's killed a number of deer with it.


More often the reaction you get from a scent line is either a pause, sniff and go on or no reaction at all.
However, here is the most important point.... I don't know if you have ever seen a stud horse around a mare in season, the reaction and intensity is pretty much the same with a buck deer and a doe coming in. The drive these animals have to breed the female is nothing short of incredible. There is no keeping them from getting to the doe. If you bust up a chase, a buck will either circle wide and cut the track and keep going or he's coming back to straighten it out shortly. He won't hardly give up if she's hot.


If the stuff in the bottle had the active pheromones that a live doe does.....you would be over run with bucks to the point that the game and fish dept would have to make the stuff illegal! Seriously.

We lease a farm in Illinois and I have hunted the rut there every year for the last 10 years. I have seen countless chases, some with less drive than others but some had an incredible intensity. I have had as many as 13 bucks come by a set in one morning. You will never see this kind of action from scent in a bottle.


The Pheromones that the doe produces is what creates this drive and they have a very very short life. I have heard it's only about 24 hours. Therefore, you cannot keep this in a bottle.


Of course you also have the issue of having to place yourself where you are putting out the scent. That's a whole other problem. If you have been there a deer can smell you, period. It may not be enough to bother the deer but bucks do take that way more seriously than a doe.

I have a bluetick I use for blood trailing and I take her with me when I go hunting and leave her in the truck. One afternoon, I pulled up to my parking spot about a quarter mile from my stand and let her out while I was getting my gear on. The next thing I know she's missing and I can't find her know where. Then it hit me.... I bet that %*!$# tracked me to my stand thinking she's here for a blood trail job! I grabbed my gear and headed towards the stand. About a hundred yards down the road, hear she comes, headed back to the truck. In about 12 minutes she had tracked me all the way to my stand and come back! that track was 8 1/2 hours old, down a grass road and trail that is pretty clean so I don't have to touch anything.

Never underestimate an animal's nose!

OH, how did I know she actually made the track all the way to the stand....her butt tuned up on my trail camera that night!

I am not saying there are not some situations where you might benefit from using scent or that you won't kill a few deer using it but it will be very few.


Personally, I would not bother with scents as the cost/effort does not justify the results. Others might argue that if it helps you kill just one buck it's worth it.
I do believe that If your going to use scents you need to be a believer. Much like many other hunting products, if you don't have faith in it, it probably won't work well for you.


Good Luck either way,
O.E."
 
Larry S.

Thoughts on Dogs for Blood Trail Work!

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I was recently on a Forum  where someone suggested a Jack Russell would make a perfect blood trail dog. I have quite a bit of experience tracking crippled deer with a dog so I decided to offer some of my insight and what I have learned on this subject.

A Jack Russell is a great little dog and might make a good blood trail dog but there are better choices.

Everyone will have a different opinion on this and there are always exceptions but the Jack is a little on the hyper side as a rule. A great blood trail dog is steady and deliberate, and has a track to track trail style. Some gods can switch from winding to track without issue but a dog that has a tendency to hunt with his nose in the wind is not preferred. The size of the Jack is a good quality but only in fairly open woods. Remember, by law you have to keep the dog on a lead. A shorter dog is more difficult to handle in thick gallberry and palmettos, etc. A crippled deer is headed to the thickest place he can find. Water is another issue where the short dog comes up, short.


One of the best short legged dogs for blood trailing is a wire haired dachshund but in the South has some of the same limitations as the Jack.

Another top blood trail dog is the Lab but you need to find one that is out of hunting stock such as a duck hunter. The problem with Labs is that they have been bred to death by the pet people without concern to hunting qualities.
I personally, really like a bluetick but also has some draw backs, He is a big dog with fierce drive and will pull your arm off while dragging you to death. However, sometimes that drive is a plus as well as the height and stamina. One of the best things I like about this breed is that most all will bay unlike beagles, walkers, etc.
Another great blood trail dog is a german wire haired pointer. They are incredibly versatile and you can hunt a bird with him in the morning and blood trail a deer in the afternoon.

If you have plenty of spare cash and can find one, a Bavarian mt. blood hound is as good a blood trail dog as you can get. They don't like being yelled at but are incredible trail dogs and about perfect size.

Then there is the choice of male or female. Personally, I prefer a female but try to get one that will not be in heat during hunting season. Females seem to be a little more no-nonsense, learn quicker, etc.
With all that said, most any of the hunting breeds have the potential and equipment to get the job done but some are much better suited than others.
One of the biggest mistakes people make with a blood trail dog is not building a bond with the dog where he has a desire to please you. If you don't spend a lot of time with him and teach him everything you can, don't expect him to be the brightest crayon in the box. Keeping him in a pen 24/7 and just taking him out when you need him won't cut it either. A dog kept like that just wants to go nuts when you let it out and has no control.

Remember, you are going to have a lot of time invested in this dog. Select your dog very carefully. Consider where you hunt and your needs. Then spend every minute you can with him. Take him every where you go. Put him on [U]every[/U] track, not just the ones you can't find. Teach him everything you can. Do this and you will have a dog whose abilities are nothing short of incredible.
Here's a few pic's of my Bluetick Lacy and some of her finds:

Larry Stephens