| 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.
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.
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.
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!
Scent Absorbing powders, Jackie's Scent Trail Maker and more!
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Tips on Laying Scent Trails...
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
