Create the Perfect Mature Whitetail Trap
"Using Nature Against Itself"
Have you ever heard the saying "Ya Can't Fool Mother Nature"? Well i am here to tell ya
that one can fool mother nature if they can understand how she works. So although some
hunters are going think that this method is bat shit crazy. Mainly due to that it defies all
that we have learned about properly hunting mature whitetails and the wind. I will share
with you my thoughts on how to manipulate mother nature against herself for the purpose
of putting mature bucks in your lap this fall. Not only have I successfully done this several
times myself. But I have also guided hunters to success by teaching them this method of
using fresh tarsal glands to harvest mature whitetail bucks.
Understanding the "Nature" of a Whitetail
As we all have experienced, it will be the nose
of a whitetail that decides when the gig is up
"time to split" OR if the situation is "Real" it's
ok to commit. We know that a whitetail can
see something, hear something or even see
AND hear something. But usually never will
decide to commit or split without taking a good
snout full of it first. Thus, the nose is the # 1
controlling factor of a whitetail that actually tells
its brain just what it is to do next.
Now take a moment to actually try to bend your mind around that concept and it will
actually make sense to those willing to give this hunting method an honest try. But 1st
thing a hunter has to do is even get his/her hands on some tarsals, lol. But no worries as
there are a couple of ways to do this.
The "Best Preferred Method" is to get them yourself fresh off of a rutting whitetail buck
and/or a whitetail doe in estrous. So each time that either you and/or a friend harvests a
whitetail. The absolute very 1st thing one should do is get the tarsals off of the whitetail.
As well. (if it's available) get the urine from the bladder onto the tarsals. To view/learn
how to remove tarsals & urine from a freshly harvested whitetail visit the following link:
The Absolute Best Whitetail Scent for the Rut
The "Better Than Nothing Method" is to get in touch with a local deer processer/butcher to
see if they will remove & store any "CLEAN" buck and/or doe tarsals from the whitetails
that they take in for processing. Just make sure that he is aware that bloody tarsals are
a no go due to the contamination of the blood. Reason being is that the proteins in blood
will be the first thing to break down and begin to decay, thus causing them to smell rotten.
And as we have already agreed on is that the nose of a whitetail has the ability to
smell/detect things that are not detectable to humans.
The last option is to actually "TRUST" your preferred over the counter bottled deer scents
enough to try and see if its "Real Enough" to get the job done. Because trust me when i
say that the deer will let you know what is real and what is not.
Setting up for Success
Now as I mentioned at the beginning. Hunters are gonna think that I have done lost my
mind when I suggest how to use this method. Mainly because the procedure is to set up
azz backwards with the wind at your back blowing to where the whitetails will be coming
from. But keep in mind that in order for any scent and/or attractant to "work" the deer
actually has to be able to smell it first. Now back in the day before scent elimination
products were available to the hunter. We were forced to set up in a way where the
whitetails were not able to detect the presence of human scent. But the effectiveness of
todays scent elimination products from scent lok suits, elimination sprays & soaps. We
are now able to reduce our scent levels to the point that it is not detectable and/or
alarming to whitetails. So if you TRUST your scent elimination products then you will have
no fears of testing this method. I always teach my hunters that we have ALWAYS have a
down wind side. The main reason that we protect our down wind side is not for the
purpose of the deer we are going to target/shoot. But it is for the deer that we are not
going to shoot which we will allow to get past us and onto our down wind side. Remember
that it is those deer that will give away our presence to the deer that we are actually
wanting to harvest. So if you have deer snorting you once they get onto your down wind
side? Then you need to figure out what holes are needing plugged in your scent
elimination game.
Again a whitetail has to be able to smell a scent in order for it to work. So set up with
your tarsals on each side of your stand. Place each tarsal about 15 to 20 yards to the
sides with having one tarsal on your right and the other to your left. As well DO NOT set
the tarsal up directly to your sides. Also place the tarsals at least 25 yards behind /
upwind of your stand. Reason being is that once a whitetail gets within a certain distance
Zone". That is the area where the smell of the tarsal is so strong, that the mind of the
deer will realize that "The deer that my nose has detected is so strong that it should be
right in front of me". Thus it will cause the deer to freak out and run back where it came
from. So by placing the tarsals behind / upwind of you will place the freak out zone to your
sides and/or behind you. And by the time the deer enters the freak out zone, you will
already have a broad head passed through its lungs. But IF the deer happens to freak out
in a spot before where you predicted and takes off. DON'T PANIC and DON'T PUSH A
BAD SHOT!! Trust me when I say that I have not only learned this the hard way. But i
also have experienced several times that the deer will only run so far. But because the
nose of the deer is telling its brain that there "IS a REAL DEER THERE". They will turn
around and come right back and I have had this happen to me SEVERAL times before
realizing that I just need to move the tarsals and the freak out zone further behind me.
Just know that this method is effective and WILL WORK during the peak of the rut. I have
literally seen bucks trotting across a field 100+ yards out... Hit the scent cone of a gland
and literally turn with ears back, hair bristled up and posture sideways all the way to the
stand. I have also had bucks that smelled the gland from 100+ yards out and instantly
snort wheeze and drop a hot doe to come defend his position. Heck one time I had shot at
a buck... missed the deer!! As expected the buck ran off. But the gland was so powerful
to the mind of that deer that it turned around and came right back.
So if you are craving an experience like that? Give it a 110% honest chance/effort this fall
and I am positive you will find yourself collecting any tarsal you can get your hands on.
For those wanting to speak with a couple of our hunters that have had awesome
experiences while using this method. Feel free to contact us and with their permission I
will get you their contact info so that can share with you their experiences / stories of
success while using whitetail tarsal glands during the rut.