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When talking about the best whitetail deer attractants, you have to consider all the different food sources, food plots, urine scents, calling systems, mineral attractants, salt licks, and any other way that you can lure bucks into the shooting range.
The best whitetail deer attractants will not compensate for a lack of actual hunting skill. There is a lot of work, planning, and time that goes into becoming a great whitetail deer hunter.
Big bucks are smart animals that will not be fooled by a foreign attractant not properly hunted and placed. The best whitetail deer attractants will further your opportunity of seeing mature bucks during daylight hours.
In this article, You will learn the best ways to plan whitetail deer attractants to add more encounters with bigger bucks this hunting season.
Food Plots as Whitetail Deer Attractants
Food plots are a great way to improve your hunting land. Food plots are great because you can manipulate what kind of food that gets added to the habitat.
The best part about the natural food attractant is that they seem natural to the deer because of the work you do during the summer and by the time fall comes around your human scent should be gone and the deer will never know that you precisely planted that food plots.
You can use food plot mixes to create great food sources for deer based on the time of the year that deer need such resources. As an example, I would plant a winter-based food plot if I was to plant a food plot on the private property that I hunt.
Different Types of Food Plots
Almost all of these food plot seeds will be Whitetail Institute products and for good reason. Whitetail Institute has established its brand as one of the highest-performing food plot brands on the market today.
On each bag that you buy, you will get a few more resources to help you maximize your food plot. You will get the proper amount that you should spread per acre and the time of year that you should plant the seed to get the best growth.
Best All-Purpose Food Plot
Imperial Clover by Whitetail Institute. Clover has been tested time and time again as a great food source for deer all year round. This type of food plot will allow you to have food for your deer all year long.
You will want to have a way to till the land that you plan to plant this food plot. I understand that tilling land may be more the hardcore deer hunters rather than your average deer hunter.
This clover seed is specifically designed for whitetail deer and has a high protein concentrate that is essential for antler growth, bone structure, and muscle development.
You will want to plant this seed in September and by October you will have a full food plot of clover for the deer to munch on. You can plan on starting to see these seeds start to sprout within a week or less.
Best Late-Season Food Plots
Winter Greens by Whitetail Institute is the perfect choice for hunters like myself. Where I hunt, we have agricultural crops standing all throughout the fall season. Once those crops get harvested, the deer struggle a little bit more to find green food that will aid them in getting through the winter months.
This winter greens food plot will allow the deer to relax more after the rut. It will also help reduce the mortality rate of deer that die due to the cold winters in the north.
This winter seed will give you a great chance at bagging a late-season buck as it will most likely be some of the only green food left. The deer love it and it is definitely worth the price to improve the herd and habitat.
The Best Small Food Plot Seed
Bowhunting has become an addiction to me in the past 3-4 years. As a bowhunter, I understand the frustration of big fields and the limited amount of shot opportunities in those big fields. However, Whitetail Institute has created a solution for the die-hard bowhunters. The BowStand Food Plot seed is the perfect blend between a food plot and a deer attractant.
This food plot is specifically designed for secluded areas where deer will feel safe and most likely have bedding nearby. I like the idea of this kind of seed because it provides the right deer attractant for bowhunters like myself.
In order to get the best results for your hunting spot, I would recommend having sunlight hitting the seed. But overall this is a great kill plot for bowhunters.
Best No Plow Food Plot
Whether you do not have access to the machinery for plowing your land or you are scrambling to plant a food plot on a tight schedule, the No-Plow food plot is your best choice for a food plot. This seed can literally grow anywhere.
This is one of the best whitetail deer attractants for people that want to just spread some seed and forget about it.
As you noticed Whitetail Institute is a very popular deer attractant brand. I would recommend having a system that uses all of their products. It will help keep your land consistent and you already know that they create quality products.
Minerals/Salt Licks
Mineral attractants and salt licks are extremely misunderstood resources that you can use to attract and hold deer in your area.
Hunters may think that they can just put out a trophy rock salt block and the deer will just come and eat it. However, the salts and minerals that are found in these types of products actually help the bucks to get the proper amount of proteins to maximize their antler growth.
For does, deer minerals can be a great way to ensure healthier pregnancies and a higher success rate of healthy fawns.
For this reason, I believe that mineral supplements are great to have on your property from the end of the season till the beginning of next season.
Best Mineral Supplement
This past year, I used Big & J Headrush in hopes of giving the deer on our property the proper minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium. I have found that not only does it help the buck’s antler growth, but they also love it.
I ended up getting 1400 photos in a month and a half span. That is the most pictures we have ever gotten in a specific spot. The best part is that over half of the photos were of bucks.
I really have enjoyed the Big & J Headrush and believe it to be one of the best mineral products on the market today.
Other popular deer attractants will most likely do a lot of the same things. However, it is important to make sure that you have your big 3 minerals of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium.
Big and J have an abundant amount of products that may be beneficial to you and your hunting spot. One thing you want to take into consideration is the type of mineral lick that would fit you best.
There is a granular mineral supplement and dust deer mineral.
I personally like to use a dust mineral attractant for the base layer of my mineral site and then use a salt lick or granular minerals to top off the great attractant.
Some of Big & J’s other products are To-Die-For, Deadly Dust (which is sweet deer corn scented), BB^2, and Legit. All products have their purpose and are some of the best buck attractants.
However, just like the Whitetail Institute products, I would stick to one brand as a beginner and see how it works for you and your hunting property. If you want to make a homemade deer attractant, Click Here.
Best Salt Lick to Attract Whitetail Deer
There is not too much to say about salt licks. In fact, the real benefit of a salt lick is sodium. They specifically need this during the spring and summer.
It is a good idea to place a salt lick near a good water source. Just like humans, deer get thirsty after licking a block of salt.
As far as products, I always have liked Trophy Rocks salt block. I did a split test in 2022 (time of writing this article) and have not been able to test the results quite yet.
Scent Lures
Scent lures can be a decisive way to attract bucks during the pre-rut and rut. While the rut is happening, bucks are on high alert for two things.
One, other bucks that may be intruding the territory that a buck has established in search of hot does.
We can use this knowledge and use cover scents like a doe in estrus urine (most popular), buck urine, soothing sticks, and a multitude of other products that may be able to fool a mature buck.
Best Doe in Estrus Urine
Doe urine is a great way to fool mature bucks into getting out of their bedding areas. The best way to use doe in estrus scents is to put on buck scrapes and on your boots as you walk into the woods. This way has not only given me a cover scent but it also is one of the best deer attractants.
I always go with the Tinks 69 Doe in Rut estrus scents. This can come in both liquid form and spray form. I think that the spray form works best for putting the cover scent on your boots or on a big buck scrape. It also is one of the best strong odors on the market.
Best Buck Scents
The beauty of nature is that most animals have some sort of dominance hierarchy that establishes which bucks dominate which territory.
This is great news for deer hunters because we can use the scents of bucks to create an illusion of another buck trying to challenge a mature buck’s territory and ultimately get into shooting range.
The most overlooked but yet one of the best buck attractant scents is the tarsal gland scent that bucks have on their foreheads. This scent is what can be found on rubs and buck scrapes. This scent will get other mature bucks moving especially during the rut and pre-rut.
I would use this kind of scent strictly during that time of the hunting season when you are hunting near the buck rubs and scrapes.
The other buck scent that you can use is urine. Essentially this tries to do the same thing as the tarsal gland scent. Try to create the illusion of another buck in the area that is threatening a different buck’s territory.
The Scrape Lure by Nationwide Scents can be used to create mock scrapes. These mock scrapes can help you lure in bucks within shooting range. I also would use this scent in a drag rag in a necessary situation.
Rattling/Grunting to Attract Whitetail Deer
Rattling and grunting can be another great way to get bucks out of their bedding areas. I like to use my rattling sequences and grunt calls during the rut and pre-rut.
I use the black rack and extinguisher by Illusion Sytems (also sponsored by Deer Society)
The Best Natural Deer Attractants
Food is a huge part of a whitetail deer’s habitual routines during the early season and late season.
Corn
Corn provides not only an amazing whitetail deer attractant. It also provides security for deer during daylight hours.
It is best to hunt corn fields naturally. Deer tend to walk the first two rows of corn on the edge of the field. This allows them to not only see the woods or open field, but it also allows them a quick exit route if a predator approaches.
If you are going to use corn to bait deer, make sure that you use it in practical spots. Good spots include recently cut corn fields, the edge of the woods, or an open space in the woods.
However, remember that big bucks are intelligent creatures that will be suspicious if a pile of corn is in the middle of the woods.
Soy Beans
Soybeans are a great source of protein for whitetail deer and serve as a natural attractant during the summer and early season hunting.
Acorns
Acorns are great for the winter season while hunting in big woods. The deer are willing to dig for these acorns even if it is through the snow.
Scrapes
Real buck scrapes can be a great tool for a hunter to capitalize on a buck’s testosterone levels during the pre-rut and their habitual actions.
Another way that a hunter can utilize scrapes is by creating a mock scrape using a deer scent from the tarsal gland of a whitetail buck.
These types of whitetail deer attractants are capitalized on best when the pre-rut is in full swing and the whitetail bucks are in search of a hot whitetail doe.
Even though the scrape is a ‘mock scrape’, bucks will smell an unfamiliar cover scent that will hopefully interest the buck to come to check it out.
Rubs
Buck rubs are a way that deer mark their territory and establish a hierarchy of dominance. It can be a good idea for someone to look for these bigger rubs that are concentrated in a core area.
This will make for a great hunting spot during the rut. Buck’s often checks these signs for any other bucks that are in the area.
Bedding Areas
Bedding areas are beneficial for heavily hunted land. This type of deer will be much more warry to a deer attractant. Instead, heavily hunted deer will go to the only place that they feel comfortable which would be their bedding areas.
One of the best whitetail deer hunting books for heavily hunted land is “Hunting Public Land Whitetails” written by Tony Peterson.
As I start to get into the best deer attractants that you can use to further your hunting success, understand that a poorly placed mineral attractant, salt lick, or mock scrape will do absolutely nothing to help you bag a big buck.
Other Ways to Attract Whitetail Deer
Another way that you can attract whitetail deer to you is by creating your own types of attractants.
One way that I have seen people attract whitetail deer is by using a jar of peanut butter and screwing it into a tree. This may sound funny; however, whitetails actually love peanut butter.
Another way that you can create an easy whitetail deer attractant is by creating your own combinations of bait food sources for deer.
Although baiting is fairly popular, I think that it is not as effective as it sounds. But, that topic is for another article.
Time of Year
The time of year that you decide to use certain deer attractants will make or break the effectiveness of the product that you choose.
During the summer, whitetail deer are strictly focused on getting as many minerals and proteins as they can in order to reach their maximum antler potential.
During the fall, deer are getting ready for the rut. Whitetail bucks will rarely go towards even one of the best deer attractants during the rut because it is not their main focus.
During the rut, I would focus on using your rattling sequences and calling systems. Also plan hunting spots in staging areas and pinch points.
Post rut, deer are looking to fatten up for the winter. This is the best time to capitalize on winter food sources and warmer areas. The late-season hunting can be very predictable and effective for a whitetail deer hunter.
Conclusion
I hope you have got a little bit of a better understanding of what the best whitetail deer attractants may be. It is important for you to try out these tactics for yourself and figure out what works best for you and your land.
You may also be interested in a free E-book to help you create a personal hunting game plan or a Free PDF that explains the 5 most important fundamentals for whitetail deer hunting.
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