Deer Lure Usage for the Late Season

By: Will Bowen

 

The rut is over in most places and the season is about to settle into the long grind during the late season. A little breeding happens during this time, but as the calendar flips later and later, the routine of the average whitetail gets more monotonous. Food, safety and recovery are the name of the game, kind of like myself after smashing Thanksgiving dinner. They aren’t as interested in the does, they are just focused on surviving at this point. 

 

Because bucks are locked into survival mode in the late season, the way you have to hunt them changes. Usually less aggressive tactics need to be employed. Sitting back and watching a prime food source suddenly becomes the go-to option as opposed to diving into bedding and travel areas. We are trying to put the least amount of pressure possible on them now to ensure that they maintain a consistent late season pattern. 

 

Considering that post-rut hunting will mostly happen in only a handful of stand locations, we want to remain as undetectable as possible. In previous articles, we’ve laid out plans for scent-control regimens and in-rut lure usage. The scent control routine needs to remain the same, but when it comes to lure usage, some things must change. 

 

Like I stated earlier, the bucks aren’t focused on breeding, they are focused on feeding. So, it’s our job to make sure that they feel as safe as possible. We accomplish this through scent control and cover scents. We aren’t trying to engage a buck’s biological tendencies as much this time, we just don’t want to smell like a human. 

 

And just in case you were wondering, Tink’s has several products that will help in this endeavor: 

 

Tink’s #1 Doe-P: this is the best cover scent on the market. It simulates a new doe in the area and can often work on two levels. First, by using the strong doe scent you are covering your natural human scent. Second, if there are some levels of testosterone left in that buck, maybe he will act on it and be drawn in by his own curiosity. Either way Tink’s #1 Doe-P is the go-to late season cover scent.

 

 

Tink’s Various Cover Scents: Outside of the realm of whitetail-based scents, Tink’s also offers various other cover scents to help mask your human odor. They have a scent option for all times and settings. These cover scents include: pine scent, cedar scent, acorn scent, earth scent, and bandit coon scent. Each scent is designed to mimic the natural smell of the woods and is sure to get you closer to that big buck!

 

 

Throughout this article series on scent control and cover scents, there are three main principles that need to be remembered: 

 

• Human odor is a detriment to any hunting plan. It could ruin a perfect situation in a matter of seconds. There is no need to be lazy when it comes to controlling your scent profile.
• Scent control products and hunting lures are great tools, but in my opinion are not the end-all-be-all. Being acutely aware of your scent and wind direction is the most important element to your success. Late season lures are there to help when the wind direction changes on you or the buck moves downwind.
• Proper use of scent control and hunting lure products is to be in conjunction with good scouting, quality stand locations, and a “cut-no-corners” attitude. 

Hopefully for the rest of this season and future seasons, you will have a better grasp of how to use scent control and lure products. Be sure to check out the GoWild store for all of the most popular Dead Down Wind and Tink’s products. Let's finish this season strong!