Follow Up Question(s) Regarding The What About The "Pre- Rut" Thread.

[Big7]

Having looked at all the responses in the " What About The "Pre- Rut" Thread, if you use estrous and mock scrapes:

1) When do you start using Doe Estrous?

2) When do you make store bought mock scrapes?

3) When do you start using buck tarsal lure or actual glands from previous kills?

All in relationship to the magic day the "rut" starts or the best research says it starts in a given county or area of course.

 

[kayaksteve]

I wouldn’t use estrus until I knew the rut was “on”. If at all.
You can start mock scrapes anytime of year. I usually do mine about the time I see them open up naturally.
I’ve only used tarsal glands a couple times and I’d do the same as estrus. If it’s a rutting buck tarsal I would use it during the rut. If it’s and early season tarsal I would imagine it would be fine to use anytime.

 

[bassculler]

The best advice i can give is to hunt the does. Not necessarily kill them...unless you want to of course. Make sure the wind is in your favor as much as possible. And, just hunt. If you are on does, that's all you need. Its better than any scent, mock scrape etc. My bucks have all come from just staying on the does and being patient. Just enjoy being in the outdoors. The magic will happen in due time

 

[kmckinnie]

What ever Tiffany uses

If I was to make a mock scrape. I would use the daytime dripper. I would hang it 10’ high abouts. I would prefer to find a well used real deer scrape. One that has big rubs close to it. I would also hang the glands close by. After u hang the dripper over the scrape I would stay away from it. He don’t like human scent ever. The glands 20’ 30’ feet from it. Pick up when done hunting the glands.
I really don’t do any of that. I just hunt.
My oldest grandson killed some nice bucks using the “Can” . I have a old grunt call I use every now and then.

Some hunters use them scent bombs and do good.
Anytime now is a good time.

 

[Big7]

Found this on the Google home page.

How to Kill a Mature Buck During the Pre-Rut

The rut gets all of the love. Everyone wants to be in a tree when a hot doe could bring all of the neighborhood bucks into their lap. The truth is, that hot doe can just as easily pull all of the neighborhood bucks into someone else’s lap. Given this, rut hunting is a gamble. Pre-rut hunting...

www.themeateater.com

 

[JustUs4All]

I have found that making mock scrapes gets way too much stuff stuck under my toenails. I don't do that any more.

 

[basshappy]

Having looked at all the responses in the " What About The "Pre- Rut" Thread, if you use estrous and mock scrapes:

1) When do you start using Doe Estrous?

2) When do you make store bought mock scrapes?

3) When do you start using buck tarsal lure or actual glands from previous kills?

All in relationship to the magic day the "rut" starts or the best research says it starts in a given county or area of course.

I don't buy into the bottles, potions, rubs, etc. Save your money. Spend that investment on time in the woods. A consideration - deer learn they are prey from birth, they catalog everything in their home range, they have to in order to survive. Any change is immediately a big neon sign. For most mature deer these large flashing neon signs spell danger stay away.

What I do believe in are the tarsal glands and urine from a freshly harvested deer. That deer is within a family group of that herd and other deer in that family group or within a different family group know that scent, it is not a warning to stay away. But come on in I'm here, or I have been here.

I harvest the glands and urine as soon as I harvest a deer. In ziploc bags each gland wearing scent free gloves of course. In a bottle with the urine. Both go in the cooler. Will keep fresh for 4-7 days.

As soon as I find a scrape I make my mock scrape using a branch and my urine UNLESS I have harvested a buck then I will use his urine and tarsal to scent the mock scrape.

In this clip I scented an area with a doe tarsal and this brought in this doe and 30 minutes later a buck. You can see her response to touching the tarsal in the tree - I didn't have a string to hang it 16 inches off the ground so I laid it in that tree. My boy was with me and we were studying the deer coming in to where we scented, their response to the tarsal, and how they left the area.

I am certain the commercial products work on some deer. But I give most mature deer credit that they likely won't be fooled.

 

[Kev]

I don’t use anything but a tarsal gland off a buck and I only use that when I think they are really out of their mind. I’ve had 3 mature bucks come to investigate a fresh tarsal in the last 3 hunts.

 

[basshappy]

A tarsal from a doe in estrus is GOLD during rut. I mean you could almost just wear a suit and tie, eat popcorn while swaying in a hammock, and bucks will still come within range smelling that estrus tarsal!

 

[WOODIE13]

Luck is 97% of it.

 

[bighunter23]

Luck is 97% of it.

That’s on the low end

 

[Ruger#3]

I have found that making mock scrapes gets way too much stuff stuck under my toenails. I don't do that any more.

 

[sgtstinky]

I may make a mock scrape for camera set ups but not to hunt over, any commercial product never made a difference in my hunts, in fact I suspect it did the opposite of what it was supposed to do.