User's Guide
HUNTING WITH SCENTS
A. WHAT SCENT SHOULD I USE?
This is perhaps the most frequently-asked question that we receive. The answer, of course, is not that simple; however, we’ve tried to boil down our opinions about scent selection as follows:
- ESTRUS SCENTS - Conventional wisdom says that it’s best not to use estrus-based scents until at least the active pre-rut period. They’re clearly best during the peak of the rut, but we have heard of hunters using estrus scents before and after the rut, with success. Which estrus scent to choose is hard to say. There is a huge variety of natural scents on the market, many of which are very good, and some of which will “sour” or go bad very quickly. Our own preference is for synthetic scents (see below).
- SYNTHETICS OR NATURAL? - Although they’re harder to find, we like synthetic scents because they’re laboratory-formulated to be powerful, clean, and long-lasting (indefinite shelf life without spoiling), and consistent from batch-to-batch. We’ve had good results with both natural and synthetic scents – but we do like the synthetics better.
- BUCK SCENTS – We don’t use much regular buck urine, so we can’t comment on it, but we do use tarsal-gland scents routinely during the pre-rut and peak rut, and have had excellent results with them. A good tarsal gland scent, placed where it’s easily detected, can cause a dominant buck to really “lose his cool”, and come in all fired up, looking for the intruder in his “bedroom”. The nice thing about that, too, is that if he’s looking For that other buck, he’s not paying attention to you (or your scent)!
- GLANDULAR/CURIOSITY SCENTS – these scents are often useful throughout the entire season, and they are some of our favorites. We use them all the time.
- ACORN AND OTHER FOOD-TYPE SCENTS – These can be highly effective at different times of year, in different parts of the country – it’s largely a decision you should make based on your experience with such scents in your area.
Be certain to adhere to all laws and regulations governing scent use in your area!
B. HUNTING WITH SCENT DISPENSERS
Q: Why is it better to use scent dispensers when hunting with various types of scent? Why is it a big deal, and how imprtant is the dispenser, compared to the choice of scent?
Scent dispensers can play a major role in the success or failure of using hunting scents. In our opinion, using a good scent dispenser is just as important a decision as deciding which scent to use, and it can make just as much, or more, of a difference in your results! Here are just a few of the reasons why we believe scent dispensers are an essential tool for improving hunting success, and for making the hunt more enjoyable and more productive:
- ECONOMY -Scent Dispensers don’t waste expensive scents. When you pour scent onto a branch or on the ground, you’re not getting the most efficient performance from your scent, and you’re spending a lot more money than necessary on scents.
- EFFICIENCY - Scent dispensers generally do a better job of releasing scents into the atmosphere than simply pouring scent on the ground or on a branch. They get the scent vapors up into the air currents where they can spready effectively, to reach the greatest number of deer in your area.
- ENHANCED SCENT PERFORMANCE – Whatever scent you’re using, its performance will tend to be enhanced by using it with a proper scent dispensing system, such as our ScentLeaf and Wickster scent dispensers. By putting out a lot of scent over a large area, your chances of attracting a buck are improved. If you want to see examples of how scent dispensers can add to your rate of hunting success, just take a look at our Photo Gallery.
- CLEANLINESS and CONVENIENCE – a properly-designed scent dispenser makes scents easier and more convenient to handle and to carry. Ours, in particular, feature compact, lightweight designs that are easy to load without all the mess, and they make it easy to store scents, as well, so that the scents will be ready to use on your next hunt.
C. WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE EDGEFIELD SCENT DISPENSERS?
We make a range of scent dispensers that are all designed to be compact, convenient, and easy to use, as well as highly efficient at putting a lot of scent in the woods. They’re highly engineered to be rugged, simple, and economical, and we believe you’ll find that they’ll greatly boost the odds of success in your favor! User Guides for our two primary scent dispenser product lines, the ScentLeaf and the Wickster, are listed below:
SCENTLEAF ® USER GUIDE
LOADING - Load Scent pads with a small amount of your favorite scent.
Don't over-load pads with scent. It’s not necessary, can cause a mess, and...
It wastes expensive scent.
Loading Tip - Hold the ScentLeaf so that one scent pad is held firmly against the open top of the scent bottle, then tip-up the bottle and ScentLeaf together, (as you would do with a bottle of alcoholl and a cottom ball) to place a “dot” of scent on the pad. Repeat several times on each pad, until the pad has absorbed a good amount of scent, but is NOT saturated or dripping wet, as that can be very messy. Remember, a little scent goes a LONG way!
Snap closed to store scent, and slip the ScentLeaves in a pocket or pack, and you’re ready to hunt! NOTE: don’t forget to replace the cap securely on the scent bottle.
HUNTING - Open ScentLeaf and place on a branch near your stand, and let the wind do the work of dispersing the scent over the hunting area. To disperse even more scent, use several around your stand.
TIPS for Hunting
* ALWAYS place ScentLeaf dispensers where you can see them clearly from your stand, so that if a buck approaches, you’ll have a good shot.
* Ideal places for ScentLeaves include: over active scrapes, over frequently-used trails or crossings, or along the edges of clearings or food plots. In the woods, good places include the edges of thickets, swamps, or canebrakes, or at the edges of clearings or hardwood groves where there are active trails or fresh deer sign.
* When placing ScentLeaves, it’s usually best to place them so that they are not directly upwind or downwind of your stand. Also, don’t place them too close to your stand, or a deer approaching the ScentLeaf may see you. Generally, if you’re in a tree stand, 15 yards to 35 yards from the stand would be the best distances to place the dispensers.
*Note: ScentLeaves in different colors make great yardage distance markers!
AFTER THE HUNT –
Retrieve your ScentLeaf dispensers and snap them closed to store the scent, and keep it ready for the next hunt.
After several hunts, it may be desirable to refresh the Scent Pads by adding several more “dots” of scent (see loading technique above).
Always keep several loaded ScentLeaf Dispensers in your hunting pack, so that they’ll be ready to use if you should decide to make a quick hunt, on short notice.
NOTE: in handling the dispensers or scents, it’s possible that you could get some scent on the outside of the containers. As a precaution, it’s never a bad idea to keep any scent product or dispenser in a zipper-lock plastic bag in your pack or clothing, to keep them as scent-free as possible.
USING SCENTLEAF DISPENSERS ALONG WITH WICKSTER SCENT DISPENSERS:
ScentLeaf is the ideal companion to use with Wickster Scent Dispensers. If you put several ScentLeaves out around the edge of your visible Hunting area, that’s good for attracting nearby bucks from their hiding places. Then, the strong scent output of the Wickster can draw the deer in to your preferred spot, for a clean, clear shot! scent, use several.
WICKSTER ™ Detailed User Guide
LOADING:
Remove the filler cap and add about 1/3 oz. of scent, or just enough to come up to the top of the wick. Next, loosen the knob slightly, to loosen and separate the coils of wick, and watch the scent soak right into the wick! Re-tighten the wick knob securely, and pour out all remaining liquid from the container (IMPORTANT - all you need is a wet wick, not a container full of liquid which could spill or even over-pressurize the seals). Replace the filler cap.
LOADING TIP – After you have added scent, but before replacing the filler cap, loosen the wick very slightly by turning the knob backwards just a little. When you see the coils of wick separate slightly, you’ll see the liquid scent “suck-up” right into the wick. Now you can pour out any excess scent, and BE SURE TO RE-TIGHTEN THE WICK with the knob, to hold the hanger cap (the upper cap) firmly in place. Finally, replace the filler cap securely, and you’re ready to hunt!
HUNTING:
Find a likely spot, such as over an active scrape or a well-used trail, preferably at the edge of a clearing or a food plot. Hang the Wickster from an overhanging branch, about 5 feet off the ground. Pull up on the hanger cap and down on the body to release the cap and unroll the wick with the knob.
HUNTING TIP #1 - Be sure WICKSTERS are located where you can see them clearly, preferably on both sides of your stand.
HUNTING TIP #2 - Avoid placing WICKSTERS where the wind is blowing directly from the dispensers directly to you, or from you to the dispensers.
HUNTING TIP #3 - BE READY! The deer can often surprise you by just “appearing” at the Wickster, and you don’t want to miss a shot at the buck of a lifetime just because you weren’t looking!
HUNTING TIP #4 – It’s a good idea to dedicate each Wickster to a single type of scent, and to use only that scent in that dispenser. You can use a felt-tip marker to mark the unit with the type of scent inside, preferably in the circular area at the end of the knob.
AFTER THE HUNT
Locate the Wickster (with flashlight if necessary – look for the reflective tape), then (1) wind up the wick until the O-ring reaches the neck opening, (2) snap the cap firmly into place, and (3) secure the cap in place by turning the knob a little more to tighten the wick firmly (but not excessively). Finally, remove the Wickster from the branch, and use it again on your next hunt.
HUNTING TIP #5 – It’s best to unwind the wick or to roll-up the wick WHILE THE WICKSTER IS HANGING ON THE BRANCH. If you remove the Wickster from the branch before unwinding or rolling-up the wick, scent could possibly drip out, or the wick could rub against your hands or clothes. For maximum neatness, do all operations with the wick only while the unit is attached to a branch!
HUNTING TIP #6 – Between hunts, it’s just a good idea to keep Wicksters or any other scent products or scent dispensers in a tightly-sealed zipper-lock bag, just to prevent any accidental escape of the scent, and any mess which could possibly 
result.
REFRESHING THE SCENT
After several hunts, the wick will probably dry out, but it will still smell of the scent. At such times, you can add a SMALL amount of scent to the wick to replenish the scent (an eyedropper works great for this, as does a soda-straw with your finger over the top). Do Not Over-fill! Doing this over the course of several hunts tends to concentrate the scent even more, and makes it even more powerful!
MAINTENANCE TIP #1: Between seasons, or if you have a type of scent that goes bad or spoils, you can remove the wick, and replace it with a new one. Wash the container in warm water with non-scented detergent, followed by a baking soda and water rinse. Air dry only.
MAINTENANCE TIP #2 - Add a small amount of petroleum jelly or unscented grease to the O-rings periodically, to maintain the seal, and to keep them working smoothly.
MAINTENANCE TIP #3 – If your natural scent spoils in the dispenser, but you don’t have a new, replacement wick, you can try washing the wick in cool water with a non-scented detergent. Don’t use warm water or it could shrink. Air dry the wick before re-assembly.
Also wash the container, as described in TIP #1!