Best Attractant Deer Scents to Catch Your Prey
When you are out deer hunting, the most important thing is to be as quiet as possible. However, there are other things that are just as important, such as scent control. If you can mask your human smell, you will be a lot more successful in bringing home your prize buck. In this blog post, we will discuss the best deer scents on the market and how they can help you catch your prey!
Glandular and Estrous Deer Scents
Glandular and estrous deer scents are two of the most popular choices for hunters looking to attract bucks. These scents mimic the scent of a doe in heat, which can draw in bucks from far away. This is because bucks will follow their noses when they catch a whiff of an estrous doe as it signals that there are potential mates in the area.
Glandular scents, meanwhile, imitate the natural smells produced by deer’s preorbital glands to communicate with other deer and mark their territory. These scents can also be used to confuse or cover up human odors that might scare away bucks. Glandular and Estrous deer scents come in four distinct varieties, offering a range of options for hunters.
1) Interdigital Gland Deer Scents
The Interdigital Glands of a deer, located between its hooves on each of the four legs, are composed of sacs that open through a wide duct. Inside these sacs is usually found an odiferous substance with a yellowish appearance and cheesy texture. Unfortunately, this material emits an unpleasant smell that can be described as rancid or foul.
Due to its position, a mere trace of this material is left in a deer’s track every time it moves. This odor may change as the molecules that compose this substance evaporate at varying rates, allowing both the deer and predators to recognize how old the track is.
Furthermore, each deer has their own individualized scent due to the interdigital glands producing a unique smell that declares their presence in the area with a trail as they travel. For an easy-to-use and reliable Interdigital scent for this purpose, Tink’s Fresh Tracks is available!
Best Interdigital Gland Deer Scent:
Tink’s Fresh Tracks
2) Preorbital Gland Deer Scents
The Preorbital or, Lacrymal Glands of deer are tiny pockets that sit just in front of the eyes and remain closed most of the time. However, bucks during rut season will open this gland to make scrapes by rubbing against branches as a way to display aggression towards other bucks. Similarly, does may also open their glands when tending to fawns. For an ideal scent option from these glands use Code Blue’s Rack Rub!
Best Preorbital Gland Deer Scent:
Code Blue’s Rack Rub
3) Tarsal Gland Deer Scents
Tarsal Glands are absolutely crucial for Whitetails, located on the inside of both hind legs. They feature a collection of elongated hairs with an enlarged secretory organ known as a Sebaceous Gland attached to each hair that produces a “lipid” which coats all these hairs entirely.
Additionally, the hairs of the tarsal gland have been modified to increase its area for holding fatty material. Even so, it was found that this lipid is not responsible for its robust musky odor; instead, research suggests it comes from urine deposited on the gland when an animal practices “rub-urination”.
To keep the odor going, you must “recharge” your buck tarsal glands using urine daily. You can use them alone or combine it with a dominant buck scent by dowsing the dried gland and dragging it behind as you move about. This will create a false trail or one-off mock scrapes that are sure to challenge any dominant buck in its habitat!
However, timing is of the essence with this gland and should be used when scraping activity peaks: 2 to 3 weeks prior to the peak of rut.
Nevertheless, they are likely to be less effective during the peak of the rut since bucks would rather tend to investigate unknown intruders. Luckily, both Tink’s and Code Blue offer tarsal gland products that can help you attract deer any time of year!
Specifically, Tink’s offers their Trophy Buck w/Intruder Tarsal Gland package and Code Blue has developed the Code Blue Whitetail Tarsal Gland – so no matter what kind of scenting strategy you plan on using this season there is a solution for everyone!
Best Tarsal Gland Deer Scents:
430 Mega-Tarsal Plus Whitetail Deer Attractor
4) Doe-in-Estrus Deer Scents
Estrous is the brief time frame that follows rutting season, which prompts does to be eager for breeding. Therefore, doe-in-estrus deer scents are extracted from live captive doe as they enter their prime reproductive state and utilized to lure a mature buck towards your desired spot.
During the rut, deer scents are particularly effective tools since bucks attempt to breed as many as possible. You can spread a false scent trail with a drag rag or disperse it in the air using a scent dispenser and strategically lure more bucks into your hunting area.
If you are looking for doe-in-estrus scents, Tink’s offers their #69 Doe-in-Rut lure made from natural urine and a “secret ingredient” that tends to draw bucks in. Code Blue also provides Whitetail Doe Estrous as well as Hunter’s Specialties’ solid scent wafers of the same name. All options guarantee an irresistible aroma perfect for enticing those intimidating bucks!
Best Doe-in-Estrus Deer Scents:
Tink’s #69 Doe-in-Rut lure
Synthetic Deer Scents
Synthetic deer scents are combinations of natural’s deer fragrances that serve special purposes, like when an intruder buck establishes a dominance mark. To recreate this scenario, you can blend interdigital gland scent with tarsal gland scent and dominant buck urine to form a specific cocktail. This way your mock scrape will look convincingly realistic!
1) Synthetic Curiosity Deer Scents
Tink’s Magnetics synthetic deer lure blend is made to exploit a dominant buck’s three weaknesses: the instinctive desire to control his peers, reproduce and satisfy curiosity. This formula has an unrivaled effect compared to other natural scents and can be used throughout any season for reliable results!
Best Syhthetic Curiosity Scent:
Tink’s Magnetics
2) Mock Scrape Deer Scents
Though “rubs” are relatively simple signposts that involve only scent from the forehead glands, a scrape involves several scent sources and likely has multiple functions in deer communication and reproductive behavior. Therefore, scraping activity usually begins with a buck approaching a branch hanging just above his head.
Furthermore, the buck often indulges in a ritual of mouthing and raking branches with their antlers to symbolize dominance over that region; this is seemingly an enjoyable activity as they seem to become absorbed completely in this process. Additionally, it can be assumed that they are leaving some sort of scent on these marked boughs although its precise origin remains shrouded by mystery.
The forehead gland may be the primary scent marker for tree limbs, but other sources such as preorbital glands, nasal glands, and saliva can also contribute to this process. Once a limb is marked with pheromones from these various sites, bucks will then typically paw away leaves directly beneath it forming an area of about 3 feet in diameter and leaving their interdigital gland secretions on the ground.
The buck then proceeds to step forward and mark its territory by releasing a stream of urine onto its tarsal glands before rubbing them together, leaving behind an intense and persistent smell. After the urine has dried up, it may even cause the soil in that area to darken significantly.
To craft a mock scrape, you will need the following scents: Interdigital Deer Scent (e.g., Tink’s Fresh Tracks or Paul Pollick’s Buck Interdigital Scent), Preorbital Deer Scent (such as Code Blue’s Rack Rub or Paul Pollick’s Buck Preorbital Deer Scent), and Dominant Buck Deer Scent (like Tink’s Trophy Buck Lure or Code Blue’s Whitetail Buck Urine).
Best Mock Scrape Deer Scents:
Tink’s Trophy Buck Lure
Curiosity Deer Scents
1) Curiosity Deer Scents
Tink’s Natural Attraction may be classified as a curiosity deer scent, but its purpose is to simulate new food sources and entice curious deer with its trail of aroma. That means you can use it both before and after the rut season to lure them right into your backyard!
Best Natural Curiosity Deer Scents:
Tink’s Natural Attraction
2) Doe Urine Deer Scents
Doe urine scents, such as Tink’s Doe P and Code Blue’s Whitetail Doe Urine are both excellent options for pre-rut hunting since their smell is different from that of doe in estrus. Specifically, these types of smells lack the sexual hormones contained within those emitted during mating season thus simulating the presence of a strange deer nearby which will invariably pique any whitetail’s curiosity to investigate this new potential intruder.
Best Doe Urine Deer Scents:
Tink’s Doe P
3) Dominant Buck Urine Deer Scents
Dominant buck urine scents can be harvested from the buck at any stage of the rut, depending on what effect they are meant to have. The scent may or may not contain heightened sexual hormones associated with the pre- and early-rut activity.
Thus, using Interdigital and Preorbital deer scents to create a mock scrape can be advantageous; however, Tink’s Trophy Buck Lure and Code Blue’s Whitetail Buck Urine are ideal for catching the attention of dominant bucks at any period during the rut. These dominant buck scents stimulate curiosity as well as an urge to assert dominance over other males which makes them effective year-round when hunting from your stand.
Best Mock Scrape Deer Scents:
Tink’s Trophy Buck Lure
Cover Scents
Cover scents are crafted to replicate the natural aromas typically found in diverse landscapes, like hardwood forests and sagebrush. This helps mask our human scent so that deer don’t recognize it as a potential danger. They come in liquid form and solid form – usually with liquids having more powerful smells but evaporating quicker than solids, meaning they must be applied more often.
Furthermore, most hunters prefer not to apply liquid cover scents directly onto their hunting apparel. Consequently, they will either hang an infused rag with a liquid cover scent near their stand or use a scent bomb dispenser containing the substance. Thankfully, solid-scent wafers are made expressly for attachment on hunter’s clothing and can be used individually or in sync with a liquid-based one to enhance your hunt!
1) Liquid Cover Scents
When it comes to liquid cover scents, you can opt for either natural varieties like Tink’s Earth or Acorn Scents or small animal urine-based ones such as Tink’s Red Fox P and Code Blue’s Coon Urine. However, when using a natural scent make sure that it is native to the environment where you are hunting; an acorn scent won’t be suitable in pine forests while pine isn’t going to work well in hardwood environments. By utilizing appropriate local scents, there is less chance of confusing deer with foreign smells.
Best Liquid Cover Scents:
Tink’s Earth
2) Solid Wafer Cover Scents
Solid wafer cover scents are also a convenient way to mask your human odor such as those produced by Hunter’s Specialties. This sort of cover scent comes in the form of a wafer with a solid rim and an open grid pattern at its center, similar to that of a waffle. It is impregnated with enticing scents such as H.S Fresh Earth, H.S White Oak Acorn, or H.S Western Sage; it also has molded into it a protrusion containing an attached metal pin which allows hunters to fasten this fragrance-infused disc onto their clothing without staining or marking the fabric permanently!
Conclusion
In conclusion, whether you’re a novice or an experienced hunter, using the best deer attractant scents can be an invaluable tool to ensure a successful hunt. Now that you know what to look for and feel comfortable in the decision-making process, it’s time to get out there and try some of the scents we mentioned above! Once you find a scent that works well with your prey, you’ll be sure to have engaged hunting experiences for years to come. So don’t wait, visit your local sporting shop today and pick up some of the best deer attractant scents available! Who knows? You may just bring home your next big trophy buck on your first try!
