Doe Hocks as Attractant?

[JeffDilla]

While talking with a coworker today, he said that he used cut the hocks from a doe that had been shot by another hunter and either tie them to his feet while walking or hang them near his stand or blind. He said that it worked like gangbusters to bring in the bucks due to the secretions from the glands in the hocks and the urine on them. He also mentioned that he thought it has since been outlawed.

Curiosity got the best of me, so I went searching in Maine's hunting regulations book and couldn't find anything that would suggest that practice is illegal. I'm not looking to rush out and try it, but a few of the guys in my hunting crew have doe permits and I wouldn't rule it out as an option if I knew it was legal to do so.

Have any of you ever tried this before? It very well could be another wive's tale method, I'm really not sure.

 

[buck460XVR]

I have used the glands from deer hit by cars, both buck and doe. How is this any different than bottled scent?

 

[JeffDilla]

I'm thinking that being in possession of doe parts while hunting could possibly make it a legal issue, since Maine is a one-deer-only state (with exception in the expanded archery zones). Other than that, I don't see what the issue would be.

 

[98Redline]

There is a product called "Real Deer". It was essentially the tarsal glands from real deer. They put them in a stitched up mesh bag and you were supposed to hang them, the same as a scent wick.

....boy oh boy did those things stink...but they worked better than anything else I have ever used.

 

[Patocazador]

You won't mess anything up if you want to do it but I don't think it will help you much. I used to try all that stuff when I started deer hunting 45 years ago. Now I just scout a lot and stay downwind of the deer sign or trails.

 

[matrem]

I'm thinking that being in possession of doe parts while hunting could possibly make it a legal issue

Can't see how if you have the tag # from it.
That just may work as well or better than the bottled stuff, but then again I've seen bucks do things from lip curl and walk right to Doe scent, to try to turn themselves inside out to get away from it.
Why not try it? Male deer seem to each have a bit of a different "personality" or at least different moods at any given time.

 

[oldcelt]

I have always beleived these scents wold focus the deers attention on me so I didn't use them . AllI ever ued is fox urine and earth scent for cover. This worked very well for me. seen lots of deer up close.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I don't know about tying cut off Dow hocks to your feet. What about the blood? Wouldn't that throw things off?

 

[matrem]

I've seen deer that have walked in a couple minutes after the shot react to fresh bowkills a few times, while still in the tree.
Most times they look at it lying there (if they notice it)and get an "uncomfortable" look to them, sometimes they don't seem to pay attention to it.

Certainly not sure of this, but I don't think the smell of blood means a thing to whitetails.

 

[JeffDilla]

Can't see how if you have the tag # from it.

That's the kicker, I wouldn't have the doe tag # for it. I don't have a doe tag myself (not for the region I typically hunt, anyway) but several of my hunting buddies do. I don't think I'd want to be caught with hocks from a doe while hunting. However, I can't find any information about this practice being illegal.

I'm not really itching to run out and try this, I just thought it was an interesting idea and figured I'd ask around about its practice.

 

[Patocazador]

Unless they run DNA tests on it, how do they know it's from a doe? I think the LEO would have to have a VERY sloooow day to bother with that.

 

[hardluk1]

I can tell you what a buck hocks glands do to other bucks. Drive's them stark raven mad. I got the glands off a buddies buck and then hung the glands on a windy col raining day and I had another one rush in and around spinning and looking for a buck to fight . Did it one more time a couple days later. I had a harder time waiting for the deers to stop long enough to get a shot off. Both under 50 yard shots.

Never used Code Blue doe sent but I have had a buck trail me to a stand in the dark do to a drag rag I had tied to my boot. I will not do that again in the dark. To dark to shot. I could hear the buck and finally saw it as it went under my stand looking around. To early to shot. I was not in the stand 2 minutes.

 

[hipoint]

I've seen deer that have walked in a couple minutes after the shot react to fresh bowkills a few times, while still in the tree.
Most times they look at it lying there (if they notice it)and get an "uncomfortable" look to them, sometimes they don't seem to pay attention to it.

Certainly not sure of this, but I don't think the smell of blood means a thing to whitetails.

At least for the deer around my farm, it doesn't mean a thing... I thought I could try to keep them out by scattering remains of the ones I shot around the fence perimeter, kinda thinking it would freak them out... Either they don't know what they're looking at or don't care, but it didn't slow them down one bit. Of course from what I hear, our deer are pretty dumb, I've taken plenty wearing jeans and a white t-shirt...

 

[Granby140]

I take the bladder and empty it out and save it for next hunt

 

[Centurian22]

Very interesting points. A call to the Maine DIFW / wardens might not be a bad idea just to confirm but as you said, I've read the Maine hunting laws and don't see anything that should strictly prohibit the concept. I still have the buck tarsals from my first Maine deer that I got this year in Penobscot. What part of Maine are you hunting if you don't mind my asking?

The idea certainly sounds worth trying as does the idea of saving the urine.

 

[JeffDilla]

I hunt in the Charleston and Corinth area.

 

[JeffDilla]

Centurian, I read your story, congrats on your first deer! Your first one is always the most memorable.

 

[Centurian22]

Thanks Jeff. Now you've got me wondering if the buck hocks / tarsals from my deer this year, would still be of any use by next year if kept well sealed in the freezer. I guess the only way to find out is wait, open and sniff lol.