When using scents, it's critical to set up properly. The first thing to determine is the direction the scent will be carried from your
setup. This is affected by the direction of the wind, changes in wind direction, terrain, and thermals. Checking the current wind
direction is a good starting point and this can be done with the common small plastic bottle that puffs powder into the air. If you
don't already have one, I encourage you to invest in a small portable weather radio. A weather radio will let you know what the
wind direction will be and if any changes in wind direction are forecast for your local area.
Lure Setups
Setups for lures are generally simple affairs with scent placed in a single spot or in a few spots bunched together, close, but just
upwind of your stand. The stand location is a little more forgiving when using lures as opposed to deer scents, because with lures
the deer generally isn’t expecting visual confirmation of what they smell until they are just about on top of the source. Some
advocate leaving scents out in your hunting area overnight or even using long lasting scents and leaving them out for weeks. The
idea being that you will increase the deer activity in that area. This idea has merit for deer scented products, especially when
treating scrapes or rubs, but it’s a bad idea when using food or curiosity scented lures. Deer are pretty smart. If they pickup an
attractive odor, they are likely to seek out its source. If they go to the source of the scent and don’t get shot, they will see that, in
fact, there is no food at the end of the scent trail. How many times will they pickup that same odor and follow it to its source only
to be disappointed? They will soon learn to stop reacting to that particular scent. Leaving lures out when you aren’t hunting will
educate the deer in that area and destroy the lure’s effectiveness. This is mitigated somewhat in the case of mast type lures
where its possible for all the mast to have been eaten one day and be replenished by newly fallen fruit the next. I still think its best
to collect your lure at the end of the hunt and put it out again the next day.
Deer Scents
When using the scent of a deer, it’s important to distinguish between setups that indicate a deer is here right now and those that
indicate a deer passed through the area earlier. A setup using Realdeer, for example, says a deer is here right now. If you put
this scent out in a fairly open area,
you’re making a mistake. Bucks will come in from downwind and will be able to pinpoint the source of the scent down to a
reasonably small area. If they can see the whole area and there’s no doe, they will start to get nervous and your trap will fail.
Worse, you may educate them to the best product available to you and ruin your future chances as well. Much better to put this
type of scent out where there’s enough cover so a buck has to come in close to get visual confirmation.
Setups for deer scents that say a deer was here are a little more forgiving. The deer doesn’t necessarily expect to see another
deer as it nears the source of the scent. Usually these deer are intent on picking up the trail.
Scent Placement
Where you put the scent in relation to your stand is critical. Sooner or later you are going to find yourself in the terribly frustrating
situation of having a deer come in to your scent setup but not present a shot. The reason of course, is that you put the scent in the
wrong spot in relation to your stand. You need to put every bit as much thought and effort into selecting the proper spot to put out
your scent as you do in selecting the right tree for your stand. First, the scent should be placed upwind of your stand site,
especially when bowhunting. Second, you must have a clear shot to any deer that is right up at the scent. Last, you must have at
least two and preferably more clear shooting lanes at deer approaching the scent from downwind. These rules are important
because some percentage of deer will walk right up to the scent setup and some deer, especially bucks, will hang up 20 or so
yards from the source of the scent. If you put the scent even with your stand or worse, downwind, you will not be able to get a shot
at those deer that only come in part way.
setup. This is affected by the direction of the wind, changes in wind direction, terrain, and thermals. Checking the current wind
direction is a good starting point and this can be done with the common small plastic bottle that puffs powder into the air. If you
don't already have one, I encourage you to invest in a small portable weather radio. A weather radio will let you know what the
wind direction will be and if any changes in wind direction are forecast for your local area.
Lure Setups
Setups for lures are generally simple affairs with scent placed in a single spot or in a few spots bunched together, close, but just
upwind of your stand. The stand location is a little more forgiving when using lures as opposed to deer scents, because with lures
the deer generally isn’t expecting visual confirmation of what they smell until they are just about on top of the source. Some
advocate leaving scents out in your hunting area overnight or even using long lasting scents and leaving them out for weeks. The
idea being that you will increase the deer activity in that area. This idea has merit for deer scented products, especially when
treating scrapes or rubs, but it’s a bad idea when using food or curiosity scented lures. Deer are pretty smart. If they pickup an
attractive odor, they are likely to seek out its source. If they go to the source of the scent and don’t get shot, they will see that, in
fact, there is no food at the end of the scent trail. How many times will they pickup that same odor and follow it to its source only
to be disappointed? They will soon learn to stop reacting to that particular scent. Leaving lures out when you aren’t hunting will
educate the deer in that area and destroy the lure’s effectiveness. This is mitigated somewhat in the case of mast type lures
where its possible for all the mast to have been eaten one day and be replenished by newly fallen fruit the next. I still think its best
to collect your lure at the end of the hunt and put it out again the next day.
Deer Scents
When using the scent of a deer, it’s important to distinguish between setups that indicate a deer is here right now and those that
indicate a deer passed through the area earlier. A setup using Realdeer, for example, says a deer is here right now. If you put
this scent out in a fairly open area,
you’re making a mistake. Bucks will come in from downwind and will be able to pinpoint the source of the scent down to a
reasonably small area. If they can see the whole area and there’s no doe, they will start to get nervous and your trap will fail.
Worse, you may educate them to the best product available to you and ruin your future chances as well. Much better to put this
type of scent out where there’s enough cover so a buck has to come in close to get visual confirmation.
Setups for deer scents that say a deer was here are a little more forgiving. The deer doesn’t necessarily expect to see another
deer as it nears the source of the scent. Usually these deer are intent on picking up the trail.
Scent Placement
Where you put the scent in relation to your stand is critical. Sooner or later you are going to find yourself in the terribly frustrating
situation of having a deer come in to your scent setup but not present a shot. The reason of course, is that you put the scent in the
wrong spot in relation to your stand. You need to put every bit as much thought and effort into selecting the proper spot to put out
your scent as you do in selecting the right tree for your stand. First, the scent should be placed upwind of your stand site,
especially when bowhunting. Second, you must have a clear shot to any deer that is right up at the scent. Last, you must have at
least two and preferably more clear shooting lanes at deer approaching the scent from downwind. These rules are important
because some percentage of deer will walk right up to the scent setup and some deer, especially bucks, will hang up 20 or so
yards from the source of the scent. If you put the scent even with your stand or worse, downwind, you will not be able to get a shot
at those deer that only come in part way.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Tips for Scent Setups...
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
