rookie for deer estrus?

[xrem597x1977]

hi folks,

i'm a rookie hunter. I go out every weekend for deer, I cover about an average of 2-3km of ground on foot after a 5-10km rugged quad ride to get as far away from where the rest of the city hunters show up. I've seen lots of deer where I've been going. the bucks I've seen have been a little young and with the abundance of does that I've been seeing I don't feel right taking a younger one just for the sake of the population. also they have been a little far to be taking a shot in my opinion between 250 to 380 yards away. I can confidently shoot up to 300 yards with my rifle, but, I feel that I should be closer just for the sake of the challenge of getting that close....maybe if I was out in the wide open rolling prairie where getting to within 140 yards seems impossible to me i'd take those longer shots..... all but 2 of the bucks that I have seen I have followed through the forest along trails. the 2 I speak of came out of the forest at the top of a ridge above a small creek but never came down for a drink and did not give me a great shot opportunity so I just watched them do their thing instead.

that being said, the question I pose to those of you who are reading this is,

what are your experiences with using attractants like doe estrus and the like? is it worth it? does it really work? is it a hoax like buying a fishing lure that's made for catching fishermen rather than fish?

looking forward to read your responses

[35 whelen]

I do use tinks 69 on a dragline but I also try to have my clothes and body scent free as possible

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[Big Red 250]

I sure don't see any point in using a deer attractant such as doe estrus if the ruts not on. I've hunted deer for 40+ years and never once did I use any attractant or scent cover up and I've shot a ton of deer.
Find an area where you know there are deer, if you can find an active scrape line all the better, or where 2 trails cross or along a hay field and find a place where you can sit comfortably for a few hours, keeping the wind in your favor. Keep quiet. Keep your eyes open, no daydreaming. And sometimes a bit of luck helps.

[HunterDave]

Doe in Heat works great at any time of the season if you use it sparingly. Sometimes I put two drops on the heel of my boots when I walk out to my stand and I've had deer with their nose to the ground following the scent right to my stand. Once the bucks start making scrapes, find a fresh one and put a couple of drops in it and wait a bit. The buck that made the scrape isn't far and I've had them come running in to check it out. Another thing that I like to do is to put a couple of drops in the middle of a doe trail on a cutline. This allows me a little time when they stop and sniff it. The trick is to use it sparingly as a deer's nose is very effective. One or two drops is all that it takes.