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BY TRACY BREEN


As laws change because of CWD, more deer hunters are wondering if synthetic deer scents are a better option. For decades, the norm has been to walk into a sporting goods store, purchase a bottle of deer pee, and then pour it on the ground near a treestand. Over the years,  many have noticed not all pee is created equal. In fact, some deer scents that are available on the market today are not true deer pee.


One problem with buying deer urine is that it doesn’t stay fresh for long.  As the urine breaks down, it starts to give off a foul smell. This smell is unnatural and can actually spook deer. If you have ever hunted over a mock scrape, I am sure you have experienced what happens when a deer smells something in a mock scrape it doesn’t like...it typically runs off. There are many quality scents on the market today, but because of changing laws, more people are asking themselves if they should try synthetic urines. Below are three reasons deer hunters should try it.  


USING DEER URINE CAN BE AGAINST THE LAW

1 ~  Hunters should try synthetic scents because some states have outlawed the use of deer urine being used as a hunting attractant. One of the biggest hunting states in the nation has outlawed deer urine. As time passes, more states will change laws, making it more difficult for hunters to use actual deer urine. Now is a great time to try synthetic deer urine.


SYNTHETIC DEER SCENT COULD LAST LONGER

2 ~ Hunters should try synthetic deer urine because it doesn’t have a short shelf life like many of the deer scents that are currently available on the market. As urine breaks down, the odor changes. Because synthetic urines are not urine-based, they don’t break down. The scent you buy today can be used months from now. Synthetic scents consistently smell the same, which means you have less chance of spooking game if used properly.


SYNTHETIC DEER SCENTS WORK

3 ~ Hunters should try synthetic scents because they work. I have used synthetic scents many times over the last 20 years. I have seen deer walk up to my mock scrapes and pee in them, sniff them, and mess around in them for several minutes. When used properly, synthetic deer scents work great.


Hunting over mock scrapes is an art, not a science. I have seen deer fall in love with mock scrapes and visit them daily and I have seen mock scrapes get ignored. Using synthetic scents this fall isn’t going to increase your odds of success ten fold, but it can help you outsmart deer.


If you are looking for a great synthetic deer scent, check out our synthetic estrus scent that was formulated to work with our Wyndscent unit, which vaporizes scent. Click this link for more information on our synthetic estrus scent.

Here at Fourth Arrow, we know that vapor scent can carry a long way, but we wanted to find out how far away an animal could smell heated vapor scent. We asked our good friend, Tracker John to see how far away his bloodhounds could smell the vapor coming out of our Wyndscent unit.

Tracker John is considered by many to be the best tracker in the outdoor industry. He is a full-time tracker who owns multiple bloodhounds and spends his days training and tracking deer. We sent him a Wyndscent unit and let him put his bloodhounds to work to determine if vapor scent is more effective them pouring deer urine on the ground. “There is no question that the dogs could smell the vapor scent 250-300 yards away,” said Tracker John.

Weather and a variety of other factors can determine how far away animals can smell odors. We are confident that heated vapor scents travel further than scents that are simply dumped on the ground. Watch the bloodhounds put the Wyndscent unit to the test below.

Very few bowhunters tag as many critters as Tim Wells. Wells travels the globe every year in search of bowhunting adventure. One animal he enjoys chasingis early season whitetails. During the early season, he likes to hunt near food sources and bedding areas and he is not afraid to use deer scents. “Once a buck is hard-horned, he will begin checking out does. I like to use deer scents and hunt near deer scrapes as soon as deer season opens. This year I will be using the Wyndscent unit early in the season with the Doe in Estrus urine to help me pull in a big buck. Many hunters wait until the rut to use deer scents. I believe that is a mistake,” Wells explained.

In the early season, Wells likes hunting near a freshly cut alfalfa field. “Many bowhunters want to hunt over a bean field or some other type of food plot. I try to hunt near a freshly cut alfalfa field. The alfalfa is tender and easy for the deer to eat and is packed with protein. This time of year, patterning a big buck on these food sources can be much easier than trying to find him in November.” If you are hunting over your own food plot, Wells suggests cutting it two weeks before opening day which will attract the deer in the area because of the fresh growth.

If you don’t have private property to hunt on and hunting over food plots is out of the question, try to find oak trees that are dropping acorns can be a great option. . “I will be hunting over a food source during the early season and I will have my Wyndscent unit out. I hope a buck will come to my food source and then come check out the Wyndscent. I think the vapor estrus will pull him in”

Harvesting a buck in the early season can be difficult, but with a little extra effort and some luck, you might find yourself gripping and grinning long before the rut kicks in. Working hard during the early season offers many advantages over the rut. The weather is mild, bucks can be patterned, and they haven’t been educated by hunters yet. If you are looking to put your hit list buck on the wall this year, don’t wait until the rut. Get into the woods as soon as you can!

Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo from Archers Choice TV is a husband and wife team who have hunted all over the world together.   They enjoy bowhunting Rocky Mountain Elk.  Over the last several decades, they have hunted elk across the country and know what it takes to put an elk on the ground.  I recently interviewed Ralph about his favorite elk hunting tactics.   

Find Water

Every elk hunter dreams of calling in a big bull, but Ralph enjoys hunting them like whitetails also. “Early in the season, I like to sit over water and wait for elk to come get a drink. Like whitetail hunting sometimes sitting for hours and hours is worth it. Many hunters don’t like this tactic but it works very well. In the early season, bulls aren’t typically coming to calls and the weather is very hot. Everything needs a drink so sitting over water is a great tactic,” Ralph explained.

Another reason Ralph likes hunting over water is because it doesn’t disturb the elk. “Many hunters run and gun during the early season, hoping they can find a hot bull. Instead of finding a hot bull, they educate the elk in the area. Sitting over water isn’t as exciting as calling in a bull, but it works well and doesn’t spook the animals. I love calling in bulls but I wait until the rut for that,” Ralph added.

Use an Elk Decoy

When the bulls start screaming in the rut, Ralph likes to use a Montana elk decoy to bring the bull the last few yards. “Bulls like to see that cow they hear calling in the brush which is why they often hang up just out of bow range. We have had great success outsmarting bulls with the Montana elk decoy. When the bull sees the cow decoy, he is often convinced that she is the real thing and comes the last 10 or 20 yards that we need for a close shot,” Ralph noted.

Elk Estrus Scent

Most deer hunters use urine to build mock scrapes and bring bucks in but for some reason, elk hunters don’t use elk urine when elk hunting. Ralph says that is a mistake. “Elk give off a very strong odor. “I have removed the bladder of elk in the past and used the urine in a spray bottle,” Ralph said with a laugh. “I like using urine because if the wind shifts and a bull gets my scent at the last second, he sometimes gets confused if he smells elk urine at the same time. If he hesitates at the last second before he bolts, it gives me enough time to let an arrow fly.”

This fall, Ralph and Vicki will be using the Wyndscent Unit which puts out a heated vapor scent that can be smelled a great distance away. Elk estrus is one of the scents offered in the Wyndscent lineup.

Fourth Arrow Products, makers of the revolutionary Wyndscent Vapor Scent Dispensing System, is proud to announce their partnership with Roger Raglin Outdoors. Roger Raglin is one of the most recognized faces in the outdoor community and has one of the longest running television shows on the Outdoor Channel.

Over the last several decades, Raglin has hunted across North America and has produced over 60 hunting videos. Raglin’s hunting show is extremely popular, as is his line of deer scents.  Over the last several years, his Maniac 150 scent has been in high demand because it combines 100% doe urine with interdigital glad that drives bucks crazy.

For 2017, the popular Maniac 150 lure will be available in a Wyndscent unit so hardcore whitetail hunters everywhere can take advantage of the power of vapor scents.The Wyndscent applicator is a one-of-a-kind patented vapor scent applicator that harnesses the power of vapor to dispense liquid scent. The reusable unit comes with a remote control and rechargeable batteries. With Wyndscent, hunters can control the amount of scent dispersed and continuously apply scent every 60 second intervals.

Combining the power of vapor hunting scents with Roger Raglin’s Maniac 150 scent will drive rut-crazed bucks crazy. Maniac 150 has proven to attract bucks and does during the early season, the rut, and the late season, making Maniac 150 the perfect scent for deer hunters who like to spend every moment they can in the woods. The Wyndscent unit, combined with Maniac 150, will attract deer from great distances and bring them in close.

“I am very excited to be partnering with Fourth Arrow Brands and Wyndscent,” said Roger Raglin. “The vapor technology is unique and will be something hunters should take advantage of this fall.”

To learn more about Fourth Arrow Brands and the complete line of Wyndscent products, visit www.wyndscent.com