Hunting deer is not an easy task. It takes time and stealth; and sometimes a hunt can last a whole day.
With deer attractants, it’s a whole different case. With the application of the right scent, you can lure the buck to your stand and therefore spend a considerably lesser amount of time landing the trophy buck.
But then, there are many deer attractants that work. This article is going to help you pick out the best deer attractant for you.
Reviews of the Best Deer Attractants
1. TINK’S Estrus Gel Stream #69 Doe-in-Rut
Best Overall
100 percent natural
Easy to use
Highly effective on deer
Not effective for late season deer
Not suitable for all budgets
TINKS #69 is an all-natural attractant made from doe estrus urine. This urine is collected from live whitetail does during their estrous period. Tinks #69 will give the best results during the early deer season, especially around the rut period.
This deer attractant used to be liquid, but it now comes in gel form. As a gel, it lasts longer when applied. You don’t have to worry about its naturalness because the pressurizing agent is separate from the attractant itself.
The gel form presents a lot of advantages. The gel will not dry out in the wind. It also will not wash out in the rain.
It’s very easily applied, just spray on a buck scrape, or a scent wick, or just on the ground. It’s always effective in attracting big bucks. Previous users have reported the buck following the exact line made by the attractant every time. You don’t need a deer hunting guide to understand how to properly use Tinks.
Tinks is capable of luring in bucks from greater distances. The attractant can also lure other animals, not just deer. You can store Tinks for about a year. The good thing is that you don’t have to worry about freezing the attractant. All you have to do is keep it at room temperature. It’s also easy to transport. Tinks comes in a 4-ounce bottle with a squirt top.
This scent killer works optimally during the early season and because of its high efficiency, it’s a bit expensive. However, if you want a deer attractant that is easy to use, easy to carry, and can be stored for a long time, then Tinks #69 is what you need. For us, Tinks #69 is the top-rated deer attractant and the best overall.
2. Nationwide Scents Fresh Deer Urine
Best Value
Covers human scent
Attracts deer very fast
Efficient customer service
The bottle might spill or leak
Strong scent may cause discomfort
Nationwide Scents stands out from other deer attractants because of how quickly it attracts deer to your stand. Nationwide Scents, because of how strong they are, can reach out to deer faster, conceal your human scent, and lure a deer more quickly to you.
Some people find the scent too strong. This attractant exceeds all USDA and ATA deer protection guidelines and has been CWD certified free since 2002.
This attractant is very effective in the early, rut, and late seasons. So, with this attractant, you can hunt deer during any season with full confidence in its efficiency. It can attract both young and mature deer to your stand.
This attractant comes in 8 ounces. This quantity is far more than you’ll get from any other attractant. If you want a lot of attractant for affordable money, Nationwide scents are what you need.
Nationwide scents can maintain its efficacy across time because of the state-of-the-art collection facilities where estrous doe urine is collected from over 600 whitetail does. This means that you can have confidence in this attractant.
It has its downsides. The bottle is not very well made and so the attractant tends to spill if it’s not handled properly.
However, you don’t need to worry. If you get this attractant and encounter any problems while using it, you can reach out to very efficient customer support. They’ll replace it or even refund you.
The scent is straightforward to apply and you can even change sites so as not to alert the deers. It’s also easy to carry. You can also use it as a calming scent to create a bedding area for does. It gives the best value for money.
3. Wildgame Innovations Acorn Rage
Easiest to Apply
Easy to apply
Long-lasting
Contain nutritional benefits for deer
Deer usually prefer corn to acorn
The scent may be too strong
This deer attractant is an acorn mixture. It comes as a mixture of crushed acorns blended with a special oil-enriched roasted soybean meal. It comes as a five-pound bag.
It works very effectively during the hunting season or near its conclusion. During this time, deer are looking for food. This attractant will put out aromatic smells that resemble those of acorns and therefore attract the deer to your site.
In addition to attracting deer, it can supply deer with all the nutrition they need. Acorn Rage comes with all the vitamins and minerals that deer may need. It helps to promote the growth of deer.
It is said to release more than six times the scent that other attractants would normally give off. This is made possible because of patented airborne technology. This modern technology creates a long-range scent vapor trail.
The vapor trail formed by the attractant lasts very long. It keeps drawing in deer for a long time, sometimes for weeks after it has been put out. The strong smell of the attractant may be too strong for some hunters.
Acorn Rage is the easiest to apply attractant. Because it comes as an already made mixture, there is no need for you to prepare it further. All you need to do is to pour it directly on the ground of your chosen site. With Acorn Rage, you don’t need to know how to call in a buck in order to catch your trophy buck.
4. Whitetail Institute 30-06 Mineral and Vitamin Supplement for Deer
Best Extra Features
Promotes lactation and pregnancy in does
Strong scent enhancers to attract deer
Not very affordable
Whitetail deer attractant contains all the essential minerals and vitamins that deer need for maximum growth. Also, they come with scent enhancers to attract deer to you.
The vitamins included in Whitetail are Vitamins A, D, and E. They encourage pregnancy and lactation in does. The attractant also includes Antler Up D3 that promotes the growth of antlers in deer.
Whitetail mineral attractant is not any other salt lick or supplement. It is made very specifically for deer. The scent enhancers present in Whitetail are so powerful that some states consider it bait. This means that the attractant is highly effective in drawing whitetail deer to you.
To use, you have to locate a good spot to lure deer. It could be a good plot or a trail near a bedding area. You then have to clear a circle of about 2 to 3 feet in diameter. You then mix some of the supplements with the topsoil and then deposit the rest on top of it.
This attractant lasts a long time and attracts deer again and again to the selected site. It has the best extra features.
5. C’mere Deer Corn Coat Hunting Scents
Largest Quantity
Long-Lasting effect
Mixed with large quantity of corn
Suitable for a long hunting trip
Effective during only post-rut
This is a corn coat deer attractant. It works when you mix it with grains, usually corn, and spread for deer to eat. It is very effective because it’s made with F4, a very effective combination of C’Mere Deer patented formula.
If you decide to buy this attractant, you can use it to treat up to 300lbs of corn. Because of the huge amount of corn you can use with this hunting scent, we selected it for the largest quantity spot.
With this deer attractant, it is guaranteed that deer will eat anything you put before it.
This deer attractant is more likely to work during the part of the season when deer is more likely to forage for food. All you have to do is mix the attractant with corn or any grain of your choice and distribute evenly over your chose area.
You can apply every 4 ounces of C’Mere corn coat to up to 50lbs of corn, or any other grain. Make sure to mix very well before distribution. This attractant works very effectively during the late part of the hunting season, because what attracts deer the most during the post-rut period, is the prospect of food.
However, it has a long-lasting effect. On average, the scent of this attractant lasts for about three days. So, if you’re planning on going on a long hunting trip, C’mere is for you. It allows you time to lure deer into the desired area while keeping them at ease. So, if you’re planning on hunting a trophy buck, this attractant is for you.
6. Wildgame Innovations Peanut Rage
Best Budget
Contains 600% more scent molecules
Effective all season long
Very affordable in relation to peanuts
The quantity may be too small
Wildgame Innovations Peanut Rage is a deer attractant that is made of peanuts mixed with roasted soybeans. This deer attractant is extremely effective because deer love peanuts.
It’s very easy to apply. With Peanut Rage, there’s no need to prepare the feed any further. All you need do is pour the attractant on the ground or in a feeding trough in your chosen site.
It attracts deer without failing because of what it contains. Peanut Rage contains 600% more scent molecules than any other deer attractant. Apart from the numerous scent molecules, this deer attractant has up to 20% protein. This promotes rack growth in deer. This deer attractant also has a patented extrusion process that helps to increase digestion and nutritional absorption.
Peanut Rage also has an effective Airborne Technology that creates a long-range scent vapor trail. This will definitely draw deer to your stand.
Peanuts can be very expensive, not all hunters would be able to afford them. But with Peanut Rage, the price is very effective and it still works as well as peanuts; which is why it’s a perfect budget option.
7. Evolved Habitats Deer Cane Mix
Most Durable
Very Affordable
Long-lasting effects
No need to apply twice on the same site
Any vegetation around must be cleared
Attracts only close vicinity deer
EVOLVED deer attractant is made from a combination of minerals and molasses. This combination contains nutrients that deer crave and therefore, would be attracted to. What you do is to pour this attractant over wood stumps or logs. Then the attractant reacts with soil moisture to create a sweet molasses aroma that will draw the deer to you.
Also, you can create a trail. You can pour it into the soil. The vapor released will leave a mineral vapor trail, leading the deer to the desired location.
The good thing about this deer feed attractant is that one site can keep attracting deer for a long time. It lasts for years in the soil so that every season, deer keeps returning to the site. It’s the most durable attractant out there.
Unfortunately, it only attracts deer that is close to the area. This means that you’ll have to find a good site to pour this attractant. Then, you’ll clear any surrounding vegetation to at least a 4 feet diameter and then pour the attractant on the soil, or wood log, or stump.
It comes as liquid with a weight of 6lb in a jug. This liquid can be used again and again.
8. Hot Doe Estrus Deer Urine
Most Modern
Aerosol form – lasts long
Modern bag in a valve system
Small bottle
This deer attractant attracts deer by mimicking does in heat. This is bound to attract any deer in the area.
It comes as an aerosol in a spray can. It weighs 4 ounces. In case you’re wondering how they’re able to make it come in aerosol form, Hot Doe uses a modern bag in a valve system. This keeps the gasses and urine separate. It ensures that the pheromones are well preserved. This is the most modern attractant you can get.
This ensures its naturalness and therefore its efficacy in attracting curious deer. It’s very easy to apply. All you need to do is to spray it around buck scrapes, or feed plots, or salt licks. You can also apply it along a trail. Any way you apply the attractant, it’s very effective. It also covers the human scent so that the deer is not disturbed.
Hot Doe Estrus always comes fresh and lasts all season long. It lasts for a relatively long period and attracts deer from far and near. It’s CWD certified free and passes all necessary guidelines.
How to Choose the best Deer Attractant
Hunting Season
To decide the best deer bait for you, you have to take into account what period of the hunting season that you are going to be hunting. There are three phases to the season – the pre-rut / early hunting season, the rutting period, and the post-rut period / late hunting season.
If you’re planning on going during the early hunting season, then attractants that make use of doe estrous urine would be very effective. If you’re going during the hunting season proper, doe estrous urine would help and so would the non-estrous urine. If you’re hunting during the post-rut period, use attractants that make use of food mixtures.
Length of Hunting Trip
Another factor to consider is whether your hunting trip is going to be a long one or a short one. If it’s a long one, the food mixture attractants would be suitable. This would help you seek out your trophy deer and lure it to your stand while keeping it calm.
On the other hand, if you’re looking to lure a buck shortly, you should use attractants like Nationwide scents because they will attract the deer fastly for you.
Ease of Application
You have to consider ease of application too. Some attractants only require you to spray them and then wait for the buck. Others would require you to clear vegetation before applying to the soil.
Also, there’s a first time for everything. If you consider yourself an amateur at deer hunting, using an attractant that is very easy to apply is advisable.
Scent Strength
Some scents are stronger than others, therefore they attract deer faster and over longer distances. If you’re looking for an attractant that will draw deer quickly, then an attractant of a very strong scent is what you need. Strong scents also conceal human scents more efficiently.
You have to keep in mind that some hunters find some scents too strong for their health.
Durability
Some scents last longer than others. C’Mere lasts for about three days on average making it very suitable for a long hunting trip. Evolved Cane Mix lasts for years in the soil.
The longer the attractant lasts, the more deer are going to return to the site you have prepared.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Conclusion
Whatever confusion you may have about the right pick of deer attractant to use has, hopefully, been resolved. For us, the best overall is Tinks Estrous #69 followed by Nationwide Scents.
You know exactly how you want to go about hunting deer. You now know which attractants to choose based on your plans – whether you’re going to be hunting early or late, whether you’ll be needing minimal stress in the application.
Whatever your needs, you can easily pick out from this article the best deer attractant for you.