Do Deer Attractants Really Work?
John Woods 10.12.18
DO DEER ATTRACTANTS REALLY WORK?
Deer hunters as a whole tend to be a skeptical bunch. Over the past couple of decades or so, hunters of the No.1 most popular and sought after big game animal, the white-tailed deer have been inundated with new products virtually guaranteeing hunting success. But, do they really work? In particular do deer attractants really work?
The white-tailed deer can be such an elusive sort of wild game animal. This has been proven time and time again now that deer hunters regularly use trail cameras to collect movement data around hunting properties. Hunters now know that most deer movement is in fact at night, which complicates hunting them during the day.
So, the trick then is just how to hunt deer during daylight hours or how to pull them out of their bedding areas or secret hideout spots. There are many strategies for this that have been discussed and hashed out forever. But, then along came commercial products created to attract deer by sight, smell, and taste. The key factor being smell in terms of an attractant.
Makers of these bags or blocks of deer goodies would have you to think just pour out the coated grain substance or a block of salted treats, and the deer come running. Is that really true? Do these products really work? The truth comes in their regular use over time.
Imagine if you will, sitting in your home office or bed and you smell fresh coffee or better yet, some baking cinnamon rolls. Trust me, you will notice. Well, when some of these deer attractant products are judiciously spread in deer traffic areas, they can have the same effect. By far the best sensory traits of a deer are smell and hearing. When they get a whiff of these attractants, they investigate them.
In practice one of the best products I have used proven to attract deer is Buck Powder by Buck Warrior, Facebook.com/BuckWarrior. This has been proven for several seasons now on a 680 acre property by capturing deer on the powder sites via trail cameras. I have documented bucks on the sites during both evening and daylight hours. Put it out and they come. I have proof of that.
The real secret to Buck Powder is the smell. This product’s scent almost burns the nostrils with a whiff of grain by products, plant proteins, minerals, molasses, natural and artificial flavors. I have even smelled this product crossing down range. Spread it out, hang a camera or a hunting stand. This deer attractant does work.
John J. Woods
Magnolia Outdoor Communications
