handles II

NO! It's absolutely NOT TOO EARLY.
Bucks will breed any available doe at any time. In addition, the ovulation of doe do not occur all at the same time. It starts with just a few doe as early as mid-October. The dominant bucks lock onto them almost immediately, breed them, then find the next one. As we move further into October, a few more and a few more doe ovulate. Into November many doe are ovulating, this is when people consider the "rut" to occur. Bucks are moving around more because there are more doe available. This then slows to only a few doe ovulating, and the ones that were not bred will ovulate again in about 25-28 days.

It's unfortunate that many hunters lack the knowledge in basic reproductive biology to understand the actual way it works.

So 1. It's never too early to use doe in rut. Bucks will breed anytime a ready doe is available.

2. Don't expect bucks to respond positively to your scent. They generally don't work, at the very least they don't work at all like advertised. Bucks won't come running in. Most bucks won't pay any attention to the scent because it simply isn't vaginal secretions, it's urine. The objective of deer lure companies is to sell deer lure to hunters that don't know any differently.

super_hunt54

And there is a vast difference between "book knowledge" and actual EXPERIENCE! Bucks absolutely DO get scent educated and very quickly. They know when they should be smelling Does in heat and they are quite intelligent about knowing when to bug out of an area that doesn't "smell right". Anyone that thinks otherwise has little experience in the woods. Bucks get a little stupid around the rut but they don't get completely retarded.

grinder67

That was funny!

bronko22000

Definitely too early. This time of year I strongly believe that no scent is the best scent. But if I were to use anything right now it would be buck urine. Any buck worth his salt will want to know who is invading his territory looking for HIS doe(s).
I just got done reading in PA's Outdoor News that the "rut moon" won't be until November 23. That is very late but should be good for the rifle hunters this year.
Here in PA I normally have my best luck seeing cruising buck from now (Nov. 1) to about the 15th. I won't use any estrous scent until I see a big boy chasing. Then I had better have it in my pack.
Using an estrous scent too early WILL alert both buck and doe alike.

Champlain Islander

Illegal to use here to keep CWD at bay. My tactics will be mostly still hunting.

handles II

Thanks for being the good example of someone that doesn't understand reproductive biology. Saying that bucks get "educated" to doe urine is complete garbage passed on by people that formulate their own opinions as fact. What would bucks do all year long when they encounter doe urine, run away in fear?? Don't be silly.

And if bucks encounter a doe in heat in April, do they turn down that offer? Absolutely not. It has been shown in both the wild and in penned situations that bucks will breed any time of the year. Just as any other male mammal will do. Saying that isn't true is exactly what I expected someone to say. Someone with true "woods" experience, because of course they know better than all the mammalian biologists of the world, all the herbivore reproductive specialists in the U.S. since they've been in the "woods" before.

The reality is that doe urine doesn't come from the reproductive system of the doe. Therefore, especially bottled urine, but even fresh, can have very limited results and yes, some of them can be quite off putting to either doe or buck, but that is the reality of urine. And yes, sometimes a buck will follow in the trail of a drag rag. I've had it happen using doe, buck, and even fox urine, in addition it's worked with vanilla, and once for fun I dragged a banana peel and had 4 deer follow it. Deer are fairly curious creatures.

I'm sure some of you have read or even seen on TV where the higher ups of Tinks, Conquest Scents, etc. will actually use tampons that were inserted into the vagina of pre-ovulating doe, and then hang them up around their hunting areas, or do this for big-name TV hunters? That's the scent that bucks are looking for, but of course that is only available to certain individuals. Which might cause you to ask, "Why aren't the heads of Tinks using urine in these situations?" Simply because urine is very hit/miss, vaginal secretions however are much more reliable. But all that said...It's not too early to use doe in estrus scent, it might be a complete waste of money, but that's the gamble you take.

handles II

So what would you say about someone actually seeing a buck breeding a doe last week? Would you say that it is too early for this to happen? What would you say to someone who saw chasing behavior prior to Oct 15th. Would you say that it is too early for this to happen? That the deer must stop that behavior because the moon isn't in the cycle that it should be?

Brushy Pines and kellyguinn have both reported seeing very active rutting behavior, but maybe they should wait until Nov 23 to use any scent (if they choose to use any scents)? Sounds like for them now is as good of a time as any.