Questions and Answers About Scents

Question and Answers About Scents

Keith Doc Ainsley

OVO--Doc Talk about attractant scents

Doc-Attractant scents are very effective, especially early on when the deer are busy preparing for the upcoming rut and winter. These are very effective just for the mere fact that at this point, hunger is their main drive. They know what lies ahead. This is what stimulates their drive, the necessity for food.

OVO--Is there anything to be gained by using a food scent already accessible to the area you hunt?

Doc-Absolutely. Nothing works better than something that is accessible to the area, because the deer are use to it already. Trying to introduce something totally new and get too aggressive with them at this time, all you’re going to do is push them off to other food sources.

OVO--Switching to deer scents. What about just at the time when you are not necessarily using an in heat type urine, just a deer urine. Is that a good attractant?

Doc -That is actually great. It can be just as effective as the rut and that is one of the misconceptions of two scents as people think, "Well I don’t need them until the rut gets here." That is a bad miscalculation and a misconception. Actually they become very effective -- not only doe, but especially buck urine, because they are territorial and let’s face it, you introduce a new buck into the area when they already have their pecking order established, you have just scrambled up the pot and now they have to reorganize. They want to check out the new guy. So it’s very effective, especially early on, mock scrapes and buck urine.

OVO--Now we kind of turn to doe in heat. When would you use it and do you have any tips about using a doe in heat type urine?

Doc -Well, the great thing about the doe in heat especially in deer It’s only produced a certain time of year. When it comes out is always a good time to start using it. What I always do, the tip that I use when I am entering the woods always put on what I call my big hot plan. All that consists of is three paper towels rolled up into squares on each side of my boots at the top of the straps and I put a good dousing on each side and of course I freshen it the closer I get to the treestand just to let traveling bucks know I went through and which way I am heading.

OVO--Now as far as secondary rut, do you go through basically the pre-rut and that kind of thing using scents the way you did during primary rut?

Doc-Absolutely, once again I always use scent, especially when you are talking rut, late, pre-rut, early rut and even into the second rut. Of course your extreme heat is what they are looking for. Food source, at that time, is definitely a secondary-type scent. Although it can still be effective, it’s nowhere near going to have the potency of your extreme heat urine. I also couple that always with tow things, buck urine and then we have a curiosity attractant that I like to use to keep the does in the area. Because, once again, you keep a doe in the area, especially one that buck’s familiar with, nothing works better than the actual live decoy.

OVO--What about a cover-up type scent?

Doc -Cover ups, there are several out there. You can either go with the ‘coon and fox cover-ups or some fresh field earth scent kind of cover up. Very effective, works great, but again keep in mind that scent free or scent elimination is a must first and foremost.

OVO--Any other tips to the guy out there who is going to start hunting this year and use scents for the first time?

Doc -First time users understand that you want to get the freshest scent that you can possibly get your hands on. And number two; don’t expect magic in a bottle every time you go out there. Sometimes a deer just is not willing to respond because that is not what is on its mind at the time. So, don’t get too aggressive, don’t get too pushy with deer, just let things unfold naturally and you will have a lot better success rate than if you get too aggressive and push deer. All you are going to do is knock them out of the area.

OVO--How about the amount of scent to use?

Doc -The amount of scent really does vary. We understand that scents, at least some of them, are a little expensive but it doesn’t take a lot. Typically, a guy can conserve if he is in a bottleneck and he knows the deer within 50 yards are going to pass him. You do not have to use as much. Typically, anywhere from five to 10 drops and you are good to go.

OVO--What about the means of distribution, as far as putting the scent around your stand, that kind of thing?

Doc -I am not a big believer in putting it right around my tree. I like to get it out anywhere from 15- to 25 yards and I put at least one if not two or three mock scrapes. If you were looking at a clock, I like to put them at 10 and two, depending on the wind conditions. That being said, mock scrapes are free, all it takes is an extra 30 seconds of effort before you get in your treestand to put that scent down in the middle of the mock scrape. Totally naturally, it didn’t cost you a thing to do and is very effective.