Calls scents and other deer attractants

[10-Ring]

I've always been wary of most any of them.  I can make a passable grunt with my mouth and don't carry a grunt tube.  About the only time I use it is to get a deer to stop walking for a shot.  I've used some scents in the past, mostly some variation of doe estrous.  I also tried the Buck Bombs when they first came out and had good luck with them but when they got up to $10 each I stopped messing with them.  Never had any success with rattling antlers.  The old standby that I use is a doe bleat.  I have one of those cans that you just flip over and it bleats.  I've experimented using it from 1 to 3 times and every 15-45 minutes.  I've had does come straight to it from across a long field and during the rut I've had bucks come to it.  

 

What have you used successfully and what is your method and intervals?

[DaveS]

I use a grunt call to stop a walking deer. Scent-a-way and acorn scent work good for me. I do not use any sex attractants at all, and I'm not into all the gimmicks out there. Scent control is your best tool!

 

Dave

[TNMTBik3r]

I use scent away on my clothes and usually spray doe urine on boots just to help cover any smell, not so much for an attractant.

I don't call very often. If I see a deer and trying to get its attention - bring it in range or stop it, I will grunt. Occasionally I will bleat to try and lure something in but it is rare.


The one 8 point on my wall is actually due to grunting. I saw the buck 250 yards across the field feeding along the wood line. I grunted, he lifted his head, another grunt and started trotting towards me, a 3rd grunt and he broke into a full run across the field towards me.

[JWC]

I've called in and killed 3 good bucks with the can. I consider a grunt call a call you get about 1 outta 20 to really respond to. So only use one occasionally. I gave up rattling just because, no real reason. I called deer up with horns before but never big ones then again I probably haven't rattled since like 1998 and it seems we have a lot more mature bucks nowadays so maybe I should consider trying again.

I do scent away my clothes and use a little doe in heat walking in occasionally.

I've pondered this stuff before:
Go into any Walmart the end of Sept. and note all the stuff, scents, lures, calls, bait, etc. Now go back in Late Dec and see how much was sold and the few things left. Then think about how many walmarts there are, plus all the other stores. People putting all that crap all over the woods has to mess with the deer. And I would say a lot of it it's negative.


With that in mind I generally try to scout carefully, sneak in, use the wind to my advantage, make as little impact as possible, and use calls as sparingly in very specific situations as possible. 60% of the time it works every time

[Slappy]

I use Dead Down Wind on everything.  Usually rock a Scent Away wafer cover scent.  99% of the time, I don't use any type of grunt calls or doe pee scents and what not.  Last year I had a doe around 300 yards at last light, decided as a last resort to do a fawn bleat.  Well it worked like a charm, she came in to 187 yards and then I put her down.  So, my goal this year is to get a little more experience w/ different types of deer attractants but I don't put a lot of weight into their effectiveness.  But like I said earlier, I never use them, haha.  

[Omega]

I have a collection of calls, bleat, grunt etc. Also have a bunch of scents of one kind or another that I have had in my hunting bags for a bit (should clean out) but here is the only thing that I can verify; fawn bleat, brings them does in many times. Grunts, hit and miss, many a stomping and grunting deer just out of sight while some just rush in. As for scents, honestly cover scents are the only thing that I have any real confidence in. I wash my cloths in scent free soap, and use scent free deodorant but it only goes so far. Racoon scent on the boots help with the trail in and while in a tree stand.