Tips on Laying Scent Trails...
| HAPPY TRAILS TO! |
A properly laid scent trail is a wonderful
thing. It can pull in deer in any direction, even up
wind. Are you doing the figure 8? Well, perhaps
not a figure 8 exactly, maybe more of an
hourglass. If you can picture an hourglass with
your stand in the center of the necked down
portion, you are envisioning one of the classic
and most effective scent trail setups. The scent
trail is started at your stand.
Lay the trail in an hourglass shape, fairly
wide and extending a hundred or more
yards out, taking care to go through areas
where deer are likely to cross your trail and
follow it back to your stand. The drawback is
that you have to walk through your hunting area
to lay the trail. Because of that, most hunters lay
trails during daylight hours for afternoon hunts.
Starting the trail at your stand avoids one of the
biggest problems with a scent trail, deer following
it the wrong direction. Deer quickly and
instinctively determine the direction another deer
has gone by assessing the strength of the odor
as they move along the trail. They can make this
determination within a few yards. I’ve heard some
people advocate adding a little more scent to
your trail every 50 yards or so. This may be a
little better but probably still leads a number of
deer in the wrong direction because the amount
of scent spikes when you add scent and then
tapers down as you move toward your stand,
spikes and tapers down, spikes and tapers down.
A deer picking up this trail at any given point
could easily head towards your truck, not your
stand.
thing. It can pull in deer in any direction, even up
wind. Are you doing the figure 8? Well, perhaps
not a figure 8 exactly, maybe more of an
hourglass. If you can picture an hourglass with
your stand in the center of the necked down
portion, you are envisioning one of the classic
and most effective scent trail setups. The scent
trail is started at your stand.
Lay the trail in an hourglass shape, fairly
wide and extending a hundred or more
yards out, taking care to go through areas
where deer are likely to cross your trail and
follow it back to your stand. The drawback is
that you have to walk through your hunting area
to lay the trail. Because of that, most hunters lay
trails during daylight hours for afternoon hunts.
Starting the trail at your stand avoids one of the
biggest problems with a scent trail, deer following
it the wrong direction. Deer quickly and
instinctively determine the direction another deer
has gone by assessing the strength of the odor
as they move along the trail. They can make this
determination within a few yards. I’ve heard some
people advocate adding a little more scent to
your trail every 50 yards or so. This may be a
little better but probably still leads a number of
deer in the wrong direction because the amount
of scent spikes when you add scent and then
tapers down as you move toward your stand,
spikes and tapers down, spikes and tapers down.
A deer picking up this trail at any given point
could easily head towards your truck, not your
stand.
- By starting the trail by your stand and
circling back again, no matter which
direction the deer travels on the trail it will
end up heading to your stand. - The last step is to put your drag rag or
scent pads just upwind of the trail, where
you want the deer to stop for a clear shot.
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There are a few ways to lay down a scent trail. The most common is
to put the scent on your boots or on a boot scent pad. It’s the
easiest way to lay the trail but it causes the deer to focus its
attention on your trail as it studies the scent. Any leak in your scent
control program can ruin all your hard work. You’d be wise to use a
generous coating of Hunters Edge® on your feet and boots if your
going to use this method. The older the deer, the greater the
chance it will smell a rat. Lots of guys are under the impression that
rubber boots stop any and all scent from being left on their trail. This
isn’t true. There’s something they call the 'stovepipe effect' that
occurs with rubber boots. Scent tends to puff out the top of a rubber
boot like a stovepipe with each step you take. The point is, if your
going to lay a scent trail, just as with any other scent setup, you
would do well to focus on scent control first. Also, don't bother
buying boot pads for a few dollars each. Just use a regular
scent pad and a large rubber band to hold it to your boot.
Another method of laying a scent trail was taught to me years ago.
Its more of a hassle and I don’t do it all of the time, but it is a better
way to go. I was taught to lay a scent trail off to the side of where I
was walking. Over the years, I have become more convinced about
the wisdom of this method.
As you walk along, hold the branch out to the side of you and let the
scent pad bounce along the ground and off foliage etc. This method
is a little more work but it will increase your chances.
Like any other scent setup, a scent trail needs to be believable. A
believable scent trail needs to include interdigital gland scent. This
is the gland located between deer’s hooves that gives off a musky
scent. Deer identify each other from this scent and can track each
other’s movements by following the scent trail. Give Jackie's Scent
Trail Maker a try. It's a mix of interdigital gland scent along with doe
urine and doe tarsal gland scent that creates a scent trail even a
mature buck will believe is authentic.
to put the scent on your boots or on a boot scent pad. It’s the
easiest way to lay the trail but it causes the deer to focus its
attention on your trail as it studies the scent. Any leak in your scent
control program can ruin all your hard work. You’d be wise to use a
generous coating of Hunters Edge® on your feet and boots if your
going to use this method. The older the deer, the greater the
chance it will smell a rat. Lots of guys are under the impression that
rubber boots stop any and all scent from being left on their trail. This
isn’t true. There’s something they call the 'stovepipe effect' that
occurs with rubber boots. Scent tends to puff out the top of a rubber
boot like a stovepipe with each step you take. The point is, if your
going to lay a scent trail, just as with any other scent setup, you
would do well to focus on scent control first. Also, don't bother
buying boot pads for a few dollars each. Just use a regular
scent pad and a large rubber band to hold it to your boot.
Another method of laying a scent trail was taught to me years ago.
Its more of a hassle and I don’t do it all of the time, but it is a better
way to go. I was taught to lay a scent trail off to the side of where I
was walking. Over the years, I have become more convinced about
the wisdom of this method.
- Cut a thin branch or sapling, maybe 6 or 7 feet long.
- Tie a 2 foot string to the end of the branch and a scent
pad or rag with the deer scent to the other end of the
string.
As you walk along, hold the branch out to the side of you and let the
scent pad bounce along the ground and off foliage etc. This method
is a little more work but it will increase your chances.
Like any other scent setup, a scent trail needs to be believable. A
believable scent trail needs to include interdigital gland scent. This
is the gland located between deer’s hooves that gives off a musky
scent. Deer identify each other from this scent and can track each
other’s movements by following the scent trail. Give Jackie's Scent
Trail Maker a try. It's a mix of interdigital gland scent along with doe
urine and doe tarsal gland scent that creates a scent trail even a
mature buck will believe is authentic.
Double click on images to view complete product line of Hunters Edge Scent
Absorbing powders, Jackie's Scent Trail Maker and more!
Absorbing powders, Jackie's Scent Trail Maker and more!
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