PROOF IS IN THE PHOTOS

SCENTS MAKE SENSE

After seventeen years of chasing whitetail deer in an area of southern Michigan, which is made up of sprawling subdivisions and factories, I've come across many issues.

The first problem I've encountered like most hunters, is gaining permission to hunt the areas in which the trophy bucks frequent. Needless to say, I acquire any piece of property I can to hunt a certain whitetail. Some may be as small as three acres and some as large as a hundred or more.

     After spending thousands of hours scouting, hunting, and getting to know these animals, I've learned that the suburban whitetail, for the most part, has a lot larger range than most people think. I have scouted some rather large bucks in a square mile area for the duration of the summer. Yet during the rut, I have spotted the same whitetails as far as five miles from its core area. These particular bucks had to cross obstacles such as industrial areas consisting of concrete and asphalt, major intersections, and even highways to get to their destination.

     This led me to my second problem. How could I possibly concentrate on one piece of property knowing that these whitetails have such a large range? After years of pondering, a good friend, Dale Syer and I developed a scent dispersal system and stuck with it. We knew that the bucks were there, but we just had to be able to pattern them more effectively.

     We went back to the basics and evaluated the facts of nature. As most hunters know, the whitetail deer has an extraordinary sense of smell, hearing, and vision. We knew we would never beat the whitetail's vision or sense of hearing, which left us with their sense of smell.

     It's a fact that whitetails use their nose in every decision they make on any given day. They use their sense of smell for everything from sensing danger, identifying other animals in the area, to something as simple as finding an acorn. Knowing this, the system we've been using is simple. We know that we can't guess where the trophy bucks are going to be at any certain time, so for the past six years, we've been using trail cameras in conjunction with scent-dispersal units.

     Our Big Buck Ballz were strategically designed to conserve and reuse expensive scents. This allows hunters to save money with less scents being wasted. The unit that we've developed consists of a round body, which contains a revolutionary wicking system that holds a liquid 1/2 ounce of scent. You may be wondering how these units are different from any other system out there. The difference is that it emits a larger vapor trail compared to most others. We've been hanging the unit in front of trail cameras with great success. Dale and I have been able to pinpoint certain bucks knowing which areas they prefer. How can we prove this system works? It's easy.. the proof is in the pictures!

     Knowing the bucks are feeding heavily in early June, Dale and I started using Big Buck Ballz with food scents. The buck's racks are far from being developed at this time of year, but you have to start this process early in order to determine a pattern. Once you have established a pattern and know where the bucks like to travel, it's already August. We found that alternating scents keep them coming back to the same locations. By late September, hopefully you will know where your buck's frequent travel routes are.

     One thing you have to remember is that mature bucks are not the easiest animals to pattern. They travel mostly at night and under the cover of darkness. My friends and I like to call them "vampires" due to this aggravating habit. Again, what you are trying to pattern is their travel routes, night-time or not!

     By mid October, the pre-rut starts to kick in. This is when we start to use doe urine and tarsal gland lures. Be aware that the buck's hormones are almost in full swing. I can't tell you how many times I've gone out to check my cameras and found the Big Buck Ball lying on the ground.

     In southern Michigan, like most northern states, the first week of November signals the start of the rut. This is when it's time to bring out the big guns and pour your favorite doe-in-heat scent into your Big Buck Ballz. Keep your stands hung over the areas in which you've had the most success with your cameras and wait it out. You have to hunt hard, because the hard work does pay off. You have to go to that stand knowing that your buck could run past your favorite haunt at any time.

     If that buck happens to investigate the scent that you laid out for him, even at night, he will be back. This is where using our Big Buck Ballz can really pay off. We've personally seen the same bucks come back to the scents several different times throughout a period of several days.

     If by chance the rut peaks in your area, and you still haven't had a shot at that trophy buck you've been after, don't give up! Keep those cameras running! One photo of a good buck can really rekindle the fire. In Michigan, the secondary rut starts around the second week of December. This is the time of year that usually surprises us the most. Every season the photos we collect tell the same story.. the bucks are on the move again!

     After the season ends, don't put those trail cameras away. The bucks by this time of year are run down and have lost a lot of body weight. The only thing on their mind is finding their next meal.

     Why run the trail cameras at this time of year? This is when food scents come into play again. The season may be ending, but don't put your cameras and scents away until the bucks leave their headgear on the ground. The simple reason is that you might learn one more thing about that trophy buck, or maybe even catch another in search of a tidbit to eat (not to mention you'll know what you have to look forward to in the next season).

Bottom line, scents make sense!
-Dave Lee