Bring up deer scents around a group of whitetail hunters and get ready for a debate that will rival the back-and-forth of most talking heads on cable TV that we are all exposed to every day.

Opinions about deer scents are like, well you get the idea, everybody has one. Some love them, some hate them and some teeter on the fence. Using of deer scents and the effectiveness of them are controversial topics that always have been and will surely continue to be, but those who use them fall into two categories: hard core and weekend users.

For those that consider themselves hard core, the use of seer scents is a science. When to use which kind of scent is key to success and hard-core scent hunters know that through the use of trial and error or through a scientific approach.

Here are a few ideas that we have discovered through years of use. There are many keys to the proper and successful use of the scents. The first one is freshness. Do you really want to take a bottle of scent that has been sitting around in a warehouse, then sits on a store shelf for lord knows how long, or do you want to use the freshest scent you can get your hands on?

The second key is where your scent comes from. It’s common knowledge/basic biology that urine smells like whatever is eaten. If a deer is eating vegetation from the deep south, their urine will smell differently than deer eating corn, soybean, apples and the like. Make sure your scent comes from the areas that you are hunting.

Scent drags have been a tried-and-true scent line technique for years, but seldom we ask why does it work. There has always been a lot of talk about how a deer knows which way to follow a drag when that particular deer picks up a trail. Think of it this way: How does a beagle on the heels of a rabbit know which way to follow the rabbit? The strongest scent is on the rabbit, so each step that rabbit takes leaves the strongest, freshest scent, meaning his first steps in the woods that particular day will be the weakest. So, the weakest scent will be where you start the drag, and the scent will get stronger as you move toward your stand.

I like to use drags when hunting narrow woods, roads or gas/power lines. I soak the rag with a lure and drag the rag down the middle of the opening. As always, control your own scent by using rubber boots and scent-free clothing.

I also like to run a drag when walking through good deer woods or fields on the way to my stand during the rut. A drag soaked in a rut lure like Buck-N-Rut will keep control of your line. Remember to never take your drag line directly to your tree stand or hunting location, keep the scent drag within range of your weapon of choice.

Using trail cameras over mock scrapes is one of the newest tricks hunters use to find out what bucks are in their area. When I am testing a new scent combination I use a trail camera to keep an eye the location and watch deer response to a given scent. One of the keys I have learned is to use video mode instead of picture mode. This gives me a first-hand record of how deer react to a scent.

When to start using scent is another question that I get asked all the time. Just like calling, I use scent throughout the year. Just like using deer calls, scents from deer aren’t just left during hunting season but throughout the year. This is why my No. 1 scent, the scent I use the most, is either straight doe or buck urine. Again, common sense will dictate proper use.

When building your scrape, location is everything. Look for old logging roads, creek crossings, a corner of a field or even existing “real scrape” locations from last season. The next step is to look for the right tree, a tree with an overhanging branch. A lot of people overlook the branch, but the branch is as important as the scrape when it comes to scent communication. The overhanging branch should be around 4 feet high. It’s important to remember that the buck has to be able to reach the branch. When it comes to making a scrape, the over-hanging branch is a key to success. One of the things that I have seen with real scrape is the overhanging branch is broken. This one of the little things I do to make my scrapes.

When building a scrape, I scrape the ground under my branch, either using a stick or rubber boots. In the process of building your scrape, always make sure to scrape the dirt, leaves and ground cover in the same direction. This needs to be done in the direction from which bucks are coming. Another thing I do when building a scrape is not to make it too big. This keeps the younger bucks from hitting the scrape, until the big boy finds it and takes it over. When that happens, the scrape gets what we call “torn-up.” The scrape will double and often triple in size once the big boys take over.

Teaming up the use of scents with a deer decoy is quickly becoming the buzz in the industry. This hasn’t caught on for a variety of reasons from safety to difficulty of getting decoy in and out. What we have discovered is if used properly and in the right area/situations, decoying bucks is very successful and more than worth the little extra effort that goes along with it.

The first step once you have decided to use a decoy is to make sure to spray down the entire decoy in the field with a scent-eliminating spray. This is vital to your success. The next step is to place the lure between the back legs on something like a cotton ball. Obviously, use the proper scent on the proper gender decoy you are using.

During firearms season, I see hunters not using scents. I think they are missing a great opportunity. Remember, deer smell like deer 24/7/365. We have many experiences where a buck that is running has stopped in his tracks when he gets a whiff of doe scent. Many times, this helps getting a cleaner kill shot off.

Back in the day it was a major sin to dispense scent from your stand, for fear of having a buck pinpoint your location. The way we battle this is a fine spray mist on your bottle. This will help disperse the millions of scent molecules over a larger area, but still gets scent out there. Like always this may not be a prefect method and is not always fool proof, but it will often confuse a deer just enough that they may walk on through your scent stream.

The use of deer scents can be as easy as one would like or as complicated as one would like. As with anything else, the more one puts into it the more one will get out of it. The use of scent should be looked at as a tool in your whitetail tool box. When used properly it can work.