scents/lures any good reports?

[merogers]

I use them every once in awhile. Never seem to have had a buck (or doe for that matter) actually seem to "come in" to a lure or scent. I think it may be because that I shoot them before they could actually rub their nose in it. Anybody have any positive experiences before I spend another 8-10 bucks on some piss? Yeah, I know getting downwind and not letting them smell me is most important, but does anyone think they really work? Mark.

[joshfkntaylor]

I have had plenty of people tell me they had deer go up to scents/lures and smell them... but im like you, ive never had them seem like they are coming close to it

[rmamechanic]

I'm not sure if it was the scent or just coincidence, but I used a product from James Valley one year and while I never actually saw a buck sniff the actual scent, the area I was hunting was invaded by bucks for about 3 days. I harvested two and saw at least three other ones working the area.

[THATSNEAKYMURRET]

i place code blue standing estrus the expinsive kind both sides of my tree about ten to twenty yards so if a buck comes in he will hit the scent down wind of me before he gets directly down wind of me and and busts me. i have had small bucks and a few 16 17 inch deer come in to investigate it and it has worked for them but still have not had the monster come to it yet. i believe it works well but i use deer pee or raccoon pee as a cover scent on my boots.

[crabby and son]

I have used James Valley dominant buck and created a mock scrape. I had several bucks come in at different times, some smell and some scrape and leave their own scent. I don't know if a buck thinks it is another buck in their scrape or it's a what the hell is that smell in my scrape. I have discharged a buck bomb but did not see any results. Some products are spot on and some are just curiosity scents..............Gary

[cctbj]

i've used a buck bomb a few times, but just last saturday in the muzzleloader season was the first time i saw a differenct. it was just a 5 point, but he came right in and smelled all over the area i sprayed it. it was the estrus doe sent

[Anything-goes]

Years ago I was walking to my stand on opening day of early ML when my light died about 100 yds from the stand. Bright eyes don't do much good in the dark! I had an estrus scent pad on my boot. I walked all over the area until I finally found my stand. I had a buck come running in with his nose to the ground in pretty much what I believe was the same path that I had made getting to the stand. Was one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

I don't have a preference and have had mixed results with them responding.

One thing that I do to help prevent being busted is hang one of the Tinks canisters that you apply your own scent, right on my stand with fox or raccoon urine. I truly believed it's saved me on several occasions.

Mike

[crabby and son]

Scents work weather they duplicate a buck or doe odor or are just curiosity scents. I do know that if you put fox urine on you that a deer knows you are a human with fox pee on if the wind isn't right. It doesn't cover your scent up. Most lures catch hunters and fishermen more than deer or fish! Big money. A decoy works as well especially if you are grunting or rattling. When a deer hears either, they are on alert looking for the source. If they see a decoy, they will relax a bit more and come in faster. An appropriate scent on the decoy will help also. Most times I prefer to be scent free and quiet, especially with a bow...........Gary

[Anything-goes]

Scents work weather they duplicate a buck or doe odor or are just curiosity scents. I do know that if you put fox urine on you that a deer knows you are a human with fox pee on if the wind isn't right. It doesn't cover your scent up. Most lures catch hunters and fishermen more than deer or fish! Big money. A decoy works as well especially if you are grunting or rattling. When a deer hears either, they are on alert looking for the source. If they see a decoy, they will relax a bit more and come in faster. An appropriate scent on the decoy will help also. Most times I prefer to be scent free and quiet, especially with a bow...........Gary

I get your point and for the most part, I agree with you. Sense we're not deer, neither you or I can do anything but base our thoughts off of observation and educated guessing. My take is that if I do my part in trying to be scent free, placing an over-bearing scent like fox urine, may help mask any scent I still have on me. Mythbusters just revisited trying to elude a trained bloodhound and the outcome was very interesting. They scrubbed down in oder eliminating soap, wore a carbon suit and sprayed oder neutralizing spray on them and the dog found him without hesitation! The only thing that worked at all was they dumped some canned herring on the trail with the theory that the smell stayed in the dog's nose and no longer could pick up the trail. It took a bit, but the dog's nose seemed to start working again and found him. The dog even found him when he walked right down the middle of a river! After watching this, I don't thing anyone can truly eliminate their scent, but obviously you can greatly reduce it. I know that I've been busted more often than not when a deer gets down wind of me without the cover scent. Just something to think about. "Most lures catch hunters and fishermen more than deer or fish!" 100% agree. My favorite bass lure is a 5" Yum Dinger Wacky worm, rigged wacky style (Short shanked hook completely exposed in about the middle of the worm.) 6 years ago, I would have laughed at anyone with that rig!

Mike

[16hooked]

Big thing to remember about scent is there is an expiration. What I mean is there is a point in time when the urine and secretions begin to make ammonia. For instance there are some james valley users here, ever picked up a darker vial and spent your 11 buck only to find the ammonia smell so strong that you cant even smell the original product? This is a james valley yr for me. I try and purchase a product with a lighter color to it, ie... with james valley go for the bottle that is more vanilla color verse darker brown.Gel seems to strech a lot better. I dont waste money on a liquid type scent anymore unless i mix . When i do use the liquid urine I purchace a large bottle of golden estrus and a large bottle of deerhyde decoy scent made by buckwing decoys. I go to walmart purchace a couple squirt bottles(dont premix the estrus an deer hyde) and add about 3 inches worth of deerhyde and a moderate amout of golden estrus (I use about a qrtr inch) in the squirt bottle fill the rest with distilled water. Dont over use and dilute with distilled water stop whe you get a good golden color. I promise this works and will strech that dollar to the max. If your like me and live in the woods for those 4 weeks it will save you even more money.

[uncljohn]

I put some Code Blue estrous urine gel out Saturday and had a decent sized 4-pointer come in hot and smell the branches I put it on. Had a BIG 9 pointer come out of the woods 40 yards from me but upwind, so he didn't get a chance at smelling the urine. And unfortunately he headed away from me, likely towards another (live) source of estrous odor. Oh the pain of bowhunting.....

[16hooked]

One more tip when you get home from hunting take your scent out of your bag and put it in an Empty coffie can and pop it in the fridge. The Mrs wont be to upset cause she only sees the coffie can and it stops the amonnia from forming after opening.

[BLUEYZWAITN]

TRY James Valley Allseason and Wall hanger.... They are pungent gels that last ... I used these last year and had lots of different bucks come in..
... Usually this time of year when the the does are getting run all over.. If bucks Nose crosses this stuff he will come in to investigate..

Can't say what Size deer it will attract , Thats hunting

[Red]

I had an archery shop for years, tried a lot of scents, sold a lot of scent and got a lot of feed back. The best we sold from my experience and my customers was Buds Buck Lure, it was bottled fresh in glass and hand delivered to the store. He sold in heat, doe-p, and fox. I liked the doe-p, I would spray it on the ground at my truck and scuff my boots in it. Killed my 2 best bucks using it as a cover. That was 20 yrs ago, I don't think he has sold it for years. I wish I could get some fresh doe-p.

Second best was James Valley.

[uncljohn]

I wish I could get some fresh doe-p.


I've seen on TV where guys kill a doe, and whip out a hypodermicc needle, go into bladder, extract the urine, and put it into a bottle. That's fresh. Yo gotta keep that stuff in the fridge for sure!

[merogers]

The hypodermic needle thing sounds fantastic! I am so gonna get a needle and a glass bottle before this weekend. I'll take it from a buck or a doe. That's truly the only way that I would know I was getting real scent.

[16hooked]

Thats a great idea. 15 years ago I carried a syringe with me sika hunting. No store carried a scent strickly for those deer. I would get so excited when i bagged one I always forgot and never used it. Maybe you'll have better luck than me lol. Blue the wallhanger and leathel weapon are personal choices also. Never hit the woods without them.

[uncljohn]

Actually now that I think about it, I'm gonna grab my Cajun Injector and take it w/ me! That should extract a fair amount. The new "Cajun Extractor". (pantent pending)

[crabby and son]

You don't need a hypodermic needle to extract doe or buck urine. When you field dress the animal, the bladder is exposed. Pinch it off with your thumb and finger and cut it. ( as you should be doing in every evisceration) Now pour it into a container. Keep it simple:thumbup: The tarsal glands of a buck or doe in the mating season is worth cutting off of the inner rear legs also. You can tie it to a string and drag it as you walk to your stand and then place it within shooting distance. All REAL scent and it works. :yes:.............Gary

[smellslikefish]

You could write a book on all the factors and variables that go into scents/and the deers ability to smell them, but heres a few of my thoughts and experiences:

I used to have spotty experiences using scents until I had a breakthrough hunting year, and started using James Valley Scents..... The owner of James Valley is a Trapper, and therefor needed Scents that WORK!!! So many scents on the market seem to be gimicks..... Some are collected from several different deer, and bottled together, others are synthetic, ect. Every time I have used James Valley Scents, I have gotten reactions from the deer(when they have smelled it). I dont always get possitive reactions(as in the deer coming right into the smell), but never negitive.

Most times hunters assume that the deer came across the scent, and just didn't react, but its not always easy getting the deer to catch your scent. Thermals are huge factors...... During morning hunts, thermals make scent rise, and if you have a dead calm wind, scent placed on the ground can rise straight up........ While sitting in your stand on a morning hunt with calm wind, blow out some air, and see where the breath moisture go's.......... Humidity is a factor...... Scent molocules attach themselves to moisture when moving through the air....... Cold dry days with little moisture do not allow scents to disperse very well. If you read/re-read the pamphlet that James Valley puts out, he tells you "dont expect to pull a deer more than 30yds or so with scents.

I like Gels better than liquids as they seem to disperse scent longer......some for days. Placing scent at different levels helps get the scent to the deers nose...... Some on your boot walking to the tree, some on a sapling or branch 1 1/2' of the ground, and some at about 3' of the ground. I had this basic set-up in place the other day while hunting a morning hunt. I had 4 bucks chase 4 does towards my direction. when the deer reached a trail about 35 yrds from my stand, all four does split up and ran in 4 different directions. The bucks didn't know what the hell to do, but being straight downwind of my scent setup, all four of them trotted directly under my tree, too 12yrds away from my tree..... A 4pointer was sniffin the base of my tree, another four pointer was looking curious 3yrds from my tree, a button buck was licking the scent at the 3' high level, and a fine 8pointer was standing 12yrds away behind a holly tree scent checking....... When he stepped out heading towards the scents/button buck, I took him........ I saw 17 deer this day.... Had them running everywhich way, but until those bucks got downwind of that scent, and only 20-30yrds away, they didn't smell it!!!

As far as human odor...... no way to iliminate it...... I theory is...... Remember when Mom used to say "Put on a Hat, you lose 90% of your heat through your head"......? Well I believe we generate most of our human scent through our head also...... Little test...... smell inside of that ball cap you were on a regular basis!!! Or rub your finger in tyhat little crease under your lower lip were your gotee grows after about your second meal of the day, and have a smell........Lots of funky stuff coming from our head....... Behind your ears, breath, nose, ect.......You can where all the Scentlock gear you want, but unless you can make it to your stand with a plastic bag tied around your head, your putting off scent......

My normal routine: Shower with some kind of hunters soap, hunters deoterant, where street cloths that have been washed in your hunting laundery deturgent, in the truck ride to hunting area(stopping for gas is a no no). Try to were like a pair of flipflops in the truck, not your funky everyday sneakers.... when at the property, I strip everything off, start off with putting on a thin under armour summer gear pants and shirt, boxers(for extra layer over crotch area), then everything else...... My washed hunting cloths I like to keep hanging in a tree beside my house so they smell like the outdoors...... I think this is better than keeping in a scent free bag with a Fresh Earth wafer thrown in(I do transport cloths in the scent free bag. I do like a hunting hat with the Scentlock or Scent Blocker material in the crown. This year I have used the least amount of scent illiminating spray than other years, and have had a great year so far, but I do like to spray inside and out of my hat liberally, as well as my knee high rubber boots!!!

I think most human scent that you put into the woods(unless you are in the stand eating bolonga sammiches or smoking ciggeretts on the way to the stand, is the vegitation that you contact on the way to the stand. I try not to touch anything on the way in........ branches, vegitation, ect. I also try to slip my feet into my boot without touching the boot, and rub my boots on the ground and dig into some fresh dirt when I 1st get into the woods.

Funny story about a buddy I hunt with....... Fun Hunting partner, but the guy spends all kinds of money on scent illiminating sprays and James Valley Scent, but shows up to hunt, and rolls out of his truck with a cloud of ciggerette smoke following him that looks like a good Cheech & Chong movie, wearing his hunting hat, boots, and base layer clothing....... Gets hunting cloths on, sprays down, then smokes one ciggerette before heading into woods. Applies scent to boots, tree limbs with hands reeking of ciggerettes, then wonders why he didn't see anything and I saw multibles...... Wonder how those deer like a little estrous with there ciggerettes????? He always says "deer didn't move today" or "wind wasn't right". I always like too say, "see that deer over there with the split up his belly? he aint moving anymore today"

Alright, I'm done rambling.... Hope this helps someone....Happy hunting!!! James Vally Scents Rock!

[brewman555]

Anyone know where you can buy James Valley Scents in Virginia....??????.........I`d like to give it a try..........Thanks.........Mike........

[smellslikefish]

E-mail James Valley, tell them were in VA you live, and ask them who is the closest dealer.