Vanilla

[PoisonSnake]

I've never used it deer hunting, but when I was young, I used to crush Wheaties and mix some vanilla in and go carp fishing. Never kept them, just caught them. I have heard of folks using vanilla. I might try it in next seasons quest for the 160". I might do a little more hunting after Christmas, but I need to let the HFA relax a bit.

[fish]

Everybody knows people plant vanilla extract plants to ward off deer from their gardens an such. Dumbarses...

[Keith@AimLow]

MoCraig,

I tried some stuff about 4 years ago called Hillbilly Magic that a guy on the old Bass Pro message board was making. He kept on about how good it worked so i gave it a try. He later told me what it was, (1 part rubbing alcohol and 1 part vanilla extract). It smelled exactly how you would expect, vanilla with a little bit of pungent odor to it. Anyhow..I liked the idea because it was more pleasant than putting urine and other stinky chit on my boots and such. To make a long story short, in the two years I used it most deer didn't react one way or another when they smelled it. Almost like a person who is walking down the street might notice the pleasant smell of White Castle burgers. They raised their nose a little and looked curious but then just went on their way. Not once did it seem to ever spook a deer. On a few select occasions I had young deer actually come right in to investigate. Now, would they have done the same thing if it was chocalate or raspberry they smelled? I would guess they might. Never did I have a mature deer come right into it like the Fitzgeralds claim their Vanilla Killa lurers them in. (Which BTW smells almost exactly like the Hillbilly Magic) I didn't see good enough production to make me want to keep using it, but it does cross my mind from time to time as to whether I should have stuck with it.

Keith

[TwoTigers]

Vanilla is thought to be a "Curiosity Scent"- not necessarily something deer smell often enough to recognise- but they probably do recognise it as a plant source. Since it isn't used very much, deer probably don't associate it with humans. I would analogise it to a "Stimulator Pattern" used when trout fising- it looks weird but also edible, so they try to eat it.

I've also used bait quality shrimp soaked in Vanilla for catfish.

[Warmouth]

I think you could be missing out on another good attractant scent, peanut butter. At the AT site, a few guys were talking about peanut butter bringing deer in, I tried it in my yard, and the deer hit it harder than the corn. In fact I'm going to discontinue the pb becuase they now eat a whole jar in 2 nights. if you could dilute it enough though, it could make an attractant scent worth using.

For scents I only use doe in heat, and sometimes crushed cedar needles or honeysuckle leaves for cover scent.

[Triton X2]

I use cow manure.....

[hunting170]

I`ve had better reactions to Bowhunter`s Set-Up than any other attractant scent that I have ever used. We used to mix vanilla with acorn scent. I don`t remember what possessed us to try this, but we may as well have been whizzing on the ground.

[PoisonSnake]

Allright boys! Give me the link or the lowdown on this stuff. MoCraig, you had told me about this. Now I want some of it.

[PoisonSnake]

170 makes a habit out of killing big bucks. I will bend an ear when he makes a statement. You on the other hand, have not yet showed me anything of any significance. When you joined the WAS bunch, you lost any amount of credibility I had ever given to you.

[Keith@AimLow]

I happen to know that Hunting170 likes turkey with gravy for lunch and pizza for supper. Not sure about breakfast yet but at least this is a start.

[Great White Hunter]

MOCraig - I think PMS is right, when you type something now, all I read is blah blah blah....maybe because I'm illiterate but that's what I see.

[Keith@AimLow]

How exactly are you boys using the BHSU? Drag rags? Fiilm canisters? Just on branches? Since it is a combo of many attractants, how do they recommend using it?
I know Robin has tried it before and said he had some success but he isn't using it anymore. I'm gonna have to get on him.

[PoisonSnake]

Boys, you should see my setup this year. You go to one of my stands, you see scent cannisters hanging from the trees on all sides. I have about a 6 inch cotton ball in each of them. When I get to the stand, I take the cotton out and spray it down with doe in heat.

[hunting170]

Keith,

I use it much the same as MOCraig, except after seeing deer react to it a couple of times I quit using it on a drag rag. The reason being...when a deer smells this stuff, it will hang around for quite awhile (if you shoot em they stay even longer). I was afraid they might smell it too far from my stand and hang up there.

When I get within 100 yards of my stand I start spraying a little. If you lightly pump the sprayer it will come out in small drops, creating a scent trail. I also spray some in shooting lanes around the stand.

Early this season, I took my son with me to one of my tower stands. He was in charge of scent distribution that day. He sprayed some on the milo edge of the fencerow we were sitting in, through the gap in the fence, and out into the CRP field about 20 yards. A small fork horn came in later and smelled it on the milo. He followed it through the gap, and into the CRP. He walked on out in the CRP for a few minutes, and then came back. He had to have been within 15 yards of our stand for at least 10 minutes. We were only 14 feet up, with two stands in this tree, and he never even looked up. (Mason`s reaction to all of this was priceless) I`ve seen does react the same way. When they smell it they stay around for awhile.

[counts]

Years ago Dan Fitzgerald had Vanilla-Killa. I am sure they still sell the stuff.