“scents”

When used appropriately, scents can be an effective way to attract a whitetail or, at the very least, stop them long enough for you to take a shot—but which ones really do the trick?

Wildlife Research Center has released Buck-Fire Raging Estrus, the latest in its line of Micro Brew Craft Scents.

Wildlife Research Center has released a new line of masking scents, deigned to be extra concentrated, with twice the smell in convenient spray-pump bottles.

Being a dyed-in-the-wool bowhunter means I am always worried about something smelling me. This is not something that needs telling to serious predator guys, but just a way of explaining how, many moons ago I started using Wildlife Research Center’s Scent Killer scent-eliminating sprays, shower products and laundry soaps.

Scents, mock rubs or scrapes, decoys or even upturned earth may stop a curious buck long enough to create a brief shooting window.

With all-around appealing scents of fresh-cut wood, and other forest-based fragrances that are comforting to deer, this is a scent-control tool that can be used both before and after the hunt.

The surge in popularity of bowhunting brought the use of deer based scents to the forefront. We now have a multi-million dollar industry based on deer pee. Over 60 companies produce and sell deer urine and gland based attractants in one form or another. Unfortunately, everything is not rosy in the world of cervid secretions.

The most effective scent strategies are also among the most simple to execute. You just need a system.

Be their tails white or black, be they donkey-eared with wide crowns or basket-racked desert dwellers, the pursuit of deer across this land is as American as it gets. Here’s a look at the new gear that will get you there, keep you there and, we hope, return home stained a little red.