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Talk me off the ledge of Scents....

MattMan81

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2020
Messages
4,943
Location
The Mitten
So I was listening to the rompola buck pod cast. Got me thinking about just working some synthetic scrapes. A lot of you guys on here are anti scent, smoke and mirrors kinda guys. Which I greatly respect. I feel like trying some and running it at the farm I hunt, or behind my parents house. I wouldn't bother on public with it. To many other hunters around.
Talk me into or out of 35$
 
When I was younger I ran Tinks and just used it as a drag around the area I was hunting. Had a few bucks come in and run that drag line. Other times it seemed to alert some deer. Honestly, I think its all trial and error. Some swear by it and others swear not to use it. I no longer use it but that is me. I am sure we all have had difference experiences with scent and mix results. I say give it a try, why not. Might as well check the box so you can say you tried it or it'll always be in the back of your mind.
 
So I was listening to the rompola buck pod cast. Got me thinking about just working some synthetic scrapes. A lot of you guys on here are anti scent, smoke and mirrors kinda guys. Which I greatly respect. I feel like trying some and running it at the farm I hunt, or behind my parents house. I wouldn't bother on public with it. To many other hunters around.
Talk me into or out of 35$
Are you putting a camera up on the mock scrape? That could be fun. What’s the worst it’s gonna do?
 
So I was listening to the rompola buck pod cast. Got me thinking about just working some synthetic scrapes. A lot of you guys on here are anti scent, smoke and mirrors kinda guys. Which I greatly respect. I feel like trying some and running it at the farm I hunt, or behind my parents house. I wouldn't bother on public with it. To many other hunters around.
Talk me into or out of 35$
I second what MEB said, just use a stick to scuff up the ground and then pee in it. In as little as 3 or 4 hours all the proteins and other wastes in our urine that identify us will be absorbed and gone, at that point the only scent left is ammonia. This happens when any animal pees on things. (For some reason certain animals have a stronger ammonia smell than others such as a cat). In other words the deer won’t be able to identify it any differently than it would the pee from another deer.
 
I've made a scrape and peed in it and hung a cam and within a day had bucks hitting it.

I've made a scrape and peed in it and hung a cam and never had a deer visit it the whole 4 months the cam hung over the scrape.

God knows why these things happen how they do, cause I sure don't. lol. Maybe it was something I ate.
 
I second what MEB said, just use a stick to scuff up the ground and then pee in it. In as little as 3 or 4 hours all the proteins and other wastes in our urine that identify us will be absorbed and gone, at that point the only scent left is ammonia. This happens when any animal pees on things. (For some reason certain animals have a stronger ammonia smell than others such as a cat). In other words the deer won’t be able to identify it any differently than it would the pee from another deer.

I was hunting a scrape in MI, near Rompola's haunts.

One morning, the thing was like a puddle. Had a yote come in, sniff at it, and then piss in it. Sounded like he was using a toilet. So weird.

Must have been some of Mitch's magic in that one.
 
I've initiated a scrap trail by using Tinks', and yeah I could have pee'd the whole way, but whipping it out while heading to the setup isn't easy. Setup a trail with your pee, then hit it occasionally with the Tink's pre rut to keep it fresh, slowly add estros to mix it leading up to rut. Then full on estros before and during rut. Everytime before you go in, at the head of the trail put the blend on your boots a natural walking progression of scent. Then scrape with your boots at the end to muddy the scents up, and head to stand setup location.

And don't ride the four wheeler in!

Good luck
 
So I was listening to the rompola buck pod cast. Got me thinking about just working some synthetic scrapes. A lot of you guys on here are anti scent, smoke and mirrors kinda guys. Which I greatly respect. I feel like trying some and running it at the farm I hunt, or behind my parents house. I wouldn't bother on public with it. To many other hunters around.
Talk me into or out of 35$

I've never used scents to any significant degree but, just make it easier on yourself go listen to a couple more podcasts with Troy Pottenger. You'll jump off the cliff feet first, that dudes pretty convincing. It's only $40.
 
I've never used scents to any significant degree but, just make it easier on yourself go listen to a couple more podcasts with Troy Pottenger. You'll jump off the cliff feet first, that dudes pretty convincing. It's only $40.
I know. But that's what I hate. Every time someone says it's a "game changer" it never is. Because it still no substitute scouting it seems.. make a fake scrape, walk out out on the perfect wind and shoot a big buck just never happens to often. There are probably other reasons that it does. But it can't be that easy......
 
I know. But that's what I hate. Every time someone says it's a "game changer" it never is. Because it still no substitute scouting it seems.. make a fake scrape, walk out out on the perfect wind and shoot a big buck just never happens to often. There are probably other reasons that it does. But it can't be that easy......

When you listen to his podcasts pay particular attention where Troy says he spends 250-300 days per year (I think he even mentioned spending some nights in the woods in the Rompola podcast) preparing for hunting. I do believe that he has developed a method using scents that helps him kill mature deer but, it's the 300 days he spends per year scouting/learning/preparing, etc. that allows him to do it consistently.
 
I know. But that's what I hate. Every time someone says it's a "game changer" it never is. Because it still no substitute scouting it seems.. make a fake scrape, walk out out on the perfect wind and shoot a big buck just never happens to often. There are probably other reasons that it does. But it can't be that easy......

Just about all the really big bucks I've seen while hunting from a fixed position, I've had scent out.

Just about all the nice bucks I've taken, I didn't have sent out.
 
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I’m team “pee in it yourself.” That said, while I’ve seen some positive action on mock scrapes, all the best scrapes seem to be natural, then I find a way to hunt there instead of where I think the deer should be. The primary reason I’ve avoided scents, though, is that I don’t like using any kind of synthetic products while hunting if I can help it, and I sure as heck won’t be risking bringing CWD to my area with authentic deer urine.
 
I stopped using scents years ago, even cover scents like fox urine and I've been killing just as many deer as I did when I "believed" that they were magical. Or maybe I just got better at hunting...

Either way, I don't miss the carrying them and trying not to get that funky odor on me, my clothes or my gear, wondering if I applied too little or too much, remembering to remove all of the scent wicks I put out etc... Just another something out there that may alert pesky humans of my presence in an area which is not what I want.
 
My uncle use to yell at me for freshening scrapes. Until he shot a big 8 over a scrape i freshened the night before. Came in early he was barely in tree to shoot.
 
I’m greatly opposed to smells but I do pee in scrapes. Everyone I have enough pee for. If I don’t my son or nephew does it. Of course I don’t rattle grunt or call either. Each to there own. I have buddy swears by a dropper into a mock scrape. Just not for me. If you want to try it. Have at it.
 
When you listen to his podcasts pay particular attention where Troy says he spends 250-300 days per year (I think he even mentioned spending some nights in the woods in the Rompola podcast) preparing for hunting. I do believe that he has developed a method using scents that helps him kill mature deer but, it's the 300 days he spends per year scouting/learning/preparing, etc. that allows him to do it consistently.
Anybody spends that many days out there better kill a big 1
 
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