Interesting Article in American Hunter

[SteveMcD]

#5786

The article, titled ‘Most Scrapes Aren’t Worth a Sit’ appears in the 10.2010 issue of American Hunter (p.77). Karl Miller of the University of Georgia and Stephen Kroll of Austin University, among others, have done extensive monitoring of fairly representative groups of wild deer and I found it fascinating that they printed this statement (page 78 ) from Kroll:

‘The idea that does urinate into a scrape and bucks take off after them is a misconception…the tests we’ve done convince me you cannot put doe-in-heat urine into a bottle. There are at least 90 compounds in doe urine and most of them are volatile fatty acids that evaporate in seconds…we even put does into estrus, collected mucus from their vaginas, and immediately put it into an ultra-freezer, and tested it on bucks…We didn’t get any reaction. It was worthless, but that’s logical. If a doe left a long-lasting scent every time she squatted and urinated during the rut, the woods would be a very confusing place’.

[TradRag]

#44678

Hhhmmmm…I’m sure there is more to it than the ‘hot’ urine alone. Like posturing of a receptive doe and even maybe the scent she put off from her glands. I’m not any authority on ungulates, but when I think of a doe in heat it reminds me of a female dog in heat and all the male dogs on the block seem to know when they are not able to smell the ground she last visited. Maybe there is some vocal communication (bleating) the doe performs too like a cow elk in estrus.??

Thanks for sharing Steve. You have me researching now. 😕

[William Warren]

#45138

So years of previous study by other experts is out the window and all the bucks we hunters have “lured” in with scent is pure coincidence.
I do agree that using scents is not a guarantee that you will see a buck but I do beleive that the bucks are following something. It’s pretty obvious and speaking of which, the bucks will be chasing the does very soon.

Thanks for posting that Steve.

[SteveMcD]

#45154

Duncan wrote: So years of previous study by other experts is out the window…..

The other “experts” were or are the marketeers selling the stuff or getting paid for endorsing these products.

I don’t disagree that sometimes it works, but more often than not, it scares them away too. If the scent is anything,,, it is pure curiosity, nothing more.

I have seen deer, bucks and does react to scents both positively and negatively.

Personally, I think it’s all snake oil. There is no substitute for good scouting and knowing your area.

[William Warren]

#45212

SteveMcD wrote: [quote=Duncan]So years of previous study by other experts is out the window…..

The other “experts” were or are the marketeers selling the stuff or getting paid for endorsing these products.

I don’t disagree that sometimes it works, but more often than not, it scares them away too. If the scent is anything,,, it is pure curiosity, nothing more.

I have seen deer, bucks and does react to scents both positively and negatively.

Personally, I think it’s all snake oil. There is no substitute for good scouting and knowing your area.

There is no lure,scent,or attractant that works 100% of the time. Even expert scouting isn’t a 100% guarantee. But scouting and knowing your area greatly increases the likelihood that the use of these products will help your efforts. The proper use of scents, etc involves scouting and woodsmanship otherwise you are just wasting time and money. I’m not ready to totally dismiss the use of these. I see them as a tool I can use when the time is right for them if I choose.

[tom-wisconsin]

#45533

Did buy on product and tested it at my home where I knew the habits of the deer around us very well. It really scared them away and I did not see them for days. It was an artificial product.

[Stephen Graf]

#45587

All the “research” done on deer is likely done on deer farms. The one thing I can tell you for sure is that confined animals do not behave as wild animals do. It is laughable to think otherwise.

I have tried deer scents on and off over the years and I can honestly say that I have never had a buck come in because of a scent. Which isn’t to say that I never saw a buck after putting down scent. I did. But I think I would have seen the deer anyway. The point of the scent is twofold: 1. to bring in deer that you wouldn’t have seen otherwise. 2. to hold the deer still for a shot. I have had it perform the second function, for a very short time. But then the deer was gone even faster than normal…

Maybe in areas where the rut is more pronounced than it is in the south, scents could be expected to work better.

I know someone is going to say that they dragged a scent line all the way to their stand, and then they watched a buck follow that scent line right in and got to shoot the buck. But I have seen the very same thing without using any scent. The buck just followed my human scent all the way to my stand. They are curious critters!

If anyone wants to buy some of my old socks that are proven to bring that big boy in, let me know! 🙄

[SteveMcD]

#45793

Just a couple of clarifications –

1) “Karl Miller of the University of Georgia and Stephen Kroll of Austin University, among others, have done extensive monitoring of fairly representative groups of wild deer…”. These are not Farm Deer.

2) Drs. Miller and Kroll have been studying whitetail for close to 40 years, so I don’t doubt their credentials or credibility. They pretty much confirm what many suspect already.

[tailfeather]

#50375

I had a number of classes under Karl Miller back in my ol’ Ivory Tower days…..he knows the ecology of white-tailed deer as well as anyone. But yeah….I don’t spend any money on “doe-in-heat” scents….

[Cottonwood]

#51312

I did try using vanilla this year in a drip wick, and got no reaction from the deer at all. Never have messed with the doe in heat stuff either. But, I just don’t think there is a real love potion #9 out there for the deer.

[STEVEN]

#56915

AllI know is that is a very clever title to the article!!:wink:

[trapperDave]

#56938

your own p will out perform anything you buy. The last few years I have urinated in scrapes then hung a cam…results are eye opening to say the least. Ive done the same with commercial doe p and in heat p…bucks disappeared. My p, they fight for a chabnce to add their own, along with every squirrel,rabbit,yote,fox and coon that comes by.

[blade]

#13997

All i know is that i have tried all kinds of scents over the last 20 years and have had no luck with them at all.I don’t spend money on them anymore.I have used grunt calls for the last 20 years and have killed alot of deer that i have called in.I think i will stick with my grunt calls.

[SteveMcD]

#27260

trapperDave wrote: your own p will out perform anything you buy. The last few years I have urinated in scrapes then hung a cam…results are eye opening to say the least. Ive done the same with commercial doe p and in heat p…bucks disappeared. My p, they fight for a chabnce to add their own, along with every squirrel,rabbit,yote,fox and coon that comes by.

TD… I did the same thing! I made a couple of Mock Scrapes and pee’ed in them myself. They are both still active, and I have had bucks and does coming to them!

Old Indian trick – stand in the mock scrape, rub your knees together and let it run down your leg. :shock::P:lol:

Only kidding! But yes, it really works!

Lastly, I couldn’t sleep at night BUYING PEE for 30 – 40 – ridiculous 50 dollars when so many people go without in this country and world.

[Author]

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