The Best Deer Attractants of 2025

Everybody has at least one hunting buddy who will swear on his granddaddy’s rifle that he’s found the “secret sauce” for pulling big bucks. Maybe he has, or maybe he just likes to talk a big game after a couple of beers. For the rest of us, it’s a lot of trial and error and sorting through marketing hype to figure out what actually works. 

The truth is, there’s no magic potion. What draws deer near an Arkansas bean field during the rut might not do squat for late-season, big-woods booners in Wisconsin. That’s why we put together this list of the best deer attractants using a mix of expert advice, hard-earned experience, and honest testing by folks who live for deer season.

Here are our picks for the best deer attractants:

How We Chose the Best Deer Attractants

We tapped some of the most consistent buck killers around, people who live and breathe whitetail hunting, across all kinds of country, and use all different hunting styles. These are the attractants that these die-hard hunters hang their tags on every season. 

Don Higgins has spent decades studying whitetail behavior, not just in the woods but also with his own captive deer herd. He’s the founder of Real World Wildlife Products, the host of the popular Chasing Giants podcast, and runs the Whitetail Master Academy. The guy knows deer behavior cold. 

Over in the Northeast, Brett Joy of Just Hunt Club consistently scores big public-land bucks where baiting will land you in serious trouble with the local game warden. He has mastered mock scrapes and scent down to a science. 

Outdoor Life staff writer Alice Jones Webb has been chasing Southern whitetails most of her life. She has studied how whitetails respond to everything from fancy sprays to old-school corn piles, and she has boots-on-the-ground experience testing these products in real hunts. 

And finally, OL contributor Erik Barber chimes in from the Midwest, sharing how he uses trail cameras and artificial scents to maximize short hunting windows across multiple states. 

Between this crew, we’ve seen (and tried) just about every gimmick out there. What you’ll find here is the stuff we stand behind, the stuff worth packing into the woods.

Best Deer Attractants: Reviews & Recommendations

Best Overall: ConQuest EverCalm Deer Herd Stick

The EverCalm Deer Herd Scent Stick is a highly versatile artificial scent intended to replicate the smell of a bedding area. Unlike other scents purpose built for scrapes, dominant bucks, or estrous does, EverCalm mimics family groups of deer. Rub it on a tree or branches at any time of year to attract deer to your camera location or make them feel at ease after any disturbances caused while scouting. 

Above all, the resealable package and no-mess functionality associated with the stick design (just like a stick of deodorant) make EverCalm an easy addition to your pack. Over years of using artificial scents, I’ve realized I’m significantly less likely to bring the scent with me if I’m nervous of it spilling into my backpack or contaminating my hunting clothes. Just like your favorite deodorant, EverCalm is contained in a solid stick and comes with a resealable package for added protection. Simply rub the scent on foliage in your hunting area and monitor with a trail camera for best results. Be warned, though—less is more. A small amount goes a long way, and it’s easy to apply too much. The $21 price point for a 2.5-ounce stick suggests you should be mindful of how much scent you’re using at a given time. 

Best for Mock Scrapes: Buck Fever Synthetics Pre-Post Rut Formula

Buck Fever Synthetics Scrape Deer Scent is designed to attract deer to mock scrapes. This is a great way to pattern deer when used in tandem with a trail camera. Joy uses Buck Fever Synthetics exclusively in all of his mock scrapes with great results. “I believe scents enhance scrapes, increase activity, and promote immediate adoption of mock scrapes,” says Joy.

While the resealable package and spray bottle are convenient, he noted that he’s experienced failure in the spray bottle, which requires him to dump the scent directly into the scrape or onto a licking branch. 

Best Food-Based: Manna Pro Top Score Apple Deer Corn

There’s beauty in simplicity, and few things are simpler than a corn pile when it comes to attracting deer. Mana Pro Top Score Apple Deer Corn takes simple and puts it on steroids. Whole corn is something deer naturally crave, but the apple-flavored coating adds a serious “come check this out” factor. I’ve seen big does (and where does go, bucks tend to follow) leave a freshly harvested corn field to munch on this stuff. It’s just that good.

It’s easy to pour out, works well in most feeders, and the price won’t make you wince in pain when the raccoons throw an overnight rave on your corn pile. And they will. Just know you’re feeding every critter in the woods with this stuff, from squirrels to songbirds to possums. 

This is corn, so it’s high in carbs and low in protein, so this isn’t the best all-season nutrition source if you’re managing a property for its big buck potential. But if you’re just trying to draw deer into shooting range or fill up an old-school trail cam SD card, this stuff works like a charm. 

Like most corn, this doesn’t play well with moisture. I like to dump mine in an air-tight container to keep away mold and weevils.

Best Value: Wildlife Research Center #307 Buck Lure Deer Scent

Trail’s End #307 replicates a doe in estrous, intended to be used in the pre-rut and rut phases. Wildlife Research Center packages the scent with wicks included, making it easy to apply once in the field. However, the application process can be messy, especially if the scent gets on your hands or clothes. Unlike other scents that are sprayed or rolled, Trail’s End #307 is a liquid. While the scent wicks are convenient, you’ll notice only two are included in the package. Extra wicks can be purchased for an additional $4.19 (two-pack). 

Best Granular Mineral: Real World Wildlife Products Maximizer Mineral

Real World Wildlife Products Maximizer Deer Mineral includes more than 20 minerals whitetails need. According to Higgins, who spent 25 years managing a captive whitetail herd, captive breeders do not use mineral rocks or high salt blends to grow giant racks. Instead, they use a scientifically formulated mineral blend to cultivate a healthy deer herd. Maximizer Deer Mineral comes in 40-pound bags and, where legal, can be applied directly to the soil. The smell is potent, designed to attract deer from far away. Over time, the mineral is absorbed by the soil, resulting in an established mineral location that deer will visit year after year. If there’s a single knock on granular minerals, it’s that they’re absorbed faster into the soil, especially in damp soils or in areas that receive a lot of rain.

“Most minerals simply attract deer to a particular location, the same way an ice cream stand attracts people on a hot summer evening,” says Higgins. “A quality mineral that’s part of an overall nutritional program can have numerous benefits, including increased antler growth, better conception rates among does, higher weaning weights with fawns and better overall herd health, including the ability to fight off diseases. Maximizer Mineral is designed to do all of the above.”   

Best Solid Mineral: Redmond Hunt Trophy Rock

Redmond Hunt’s Trophy Rock is one of the most popular mineral supplements on the market. Weighing in around 10-pounds, Trophy Rock is a solid, hearty mineral mined from salt mines in Utah. Redmond Hunt’s salt mines are open for tours so anyone curious about the mining process of these mineral can experience it first-hand for themselves. 

Due to their size and solid makeup, Trophy Rock lasts longer than other granular mineral on the market, which keeps deer coming back longer. Simply place the Trophy Rock on a decomposed stump or directly onto cleared dirt and monitor with a trail camera for best results. After a mineral site is established, you’ll notice a hole dug where the rock was once located. This is a result of the mineral being absorbed by the soil. Simply revisit the mineral site annually to freshen it in early spring when does are carrying fawns and bucks are growing antlers.

Read Next: Best Cellular Trail Cameras

Best Liquid: Tink’s #69 Doe-in-Rut Buck Lure

I got my first whiff of Tink’s #69 as a young teen hunting the Virginia Muzzleloader season with my dad. He dripped some of the smelly liquid from a glass bottle onto a makeshift tampon scent wick and hung it 50 yards from our shared deer stand. My dad shot a chunky-bodied 7-pointer that day. 

For many deer hunters, Tink’s #69 is the OG of deer attractants, and as such, it has been a staple at deer camps across the country for generations. Made with a blend of concentrated doe estrus urine, “#69” is the product number, although plenty of rut innuendo has accompanied its use. Bucks come running in hot minutes after hanging a scent bomb soaked in Tink’s. 

These days, Tink’s #69 is available in more than the classic glass bottle Daddy carried next to his smokes in a shirt pocket. It comes in a fogger, mist, stick, gel, pucks, and pre-loaded scent pods. Tinks also has a synthetic version that simulates the natural smell of a doe at the peak of estrus, which is handy for those hunting states that restrict the use of natural urine products. I still prefer the classic bottle. — Alice Jones Webb

How to Choose the Best Deer Attractant

Every state is different in regards to laws that restrict use of minerals and, in some cases, natural scent attractants. As CWD regulations become stricter in hopes of mitigating disease spread, it’s important to be aware of how your state manages the disease. Some states prohibit baiting and feeding altogether, making mineral supplements illegal. In addition, it’s often illegal to use natural scent attractants bottled from live deer, leaving hunters to synthetic scents as the only viable option. Check with the fish and wildlife agency in the state you hunt in before purchasing an attractant. 

How to Use Artificial Scents and Mock Scrapes

In states where baiting and feeding is illegal, the most effective way to take herd inventory is by pairing artificial scents with a mock scrape. According to Joy, the most effective scrapes serve as a communication hub in areas with existing focal points of deer activity. Generally speaking, these are staging areas where cover and topography pinch deer movement between a bedding and feeding area. Look for existing scrapes on flat, level ground and in semi-open pockets where cover and a diverse mix of trees form an edge. If an existing scrape isn’t in the area, don’t be afraid to create your own. 

“Deer seem to prefer to work scrapes if the area immediately around the scrape is flat and free of obstructions,” says Joy. “Excessive vegetation, rocks, and blowdowns are all obstacles that prevent a mock scrape from attracting deer. The goal is to position your scrape in an area that’s naturally discoverable by deer passing through. A mock scrape won’t draw deer for miles, but they will serve as a social hub for resident deer in the immediate area and funnel deer activity to a very specific area.” 

It’s important to identify desirable tree species with overhanging licking branches to increase the odds your mock scrape is used by deer in the area. The best licking branches are overhanging into an open area, about 3-5 feet high, broken, and hanging perpendicular to the ground. According to Joy, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to identifying the best tree species for scraping activity. 

How to Establish a Mineral Site

To establish a mineral site, simply place minerals directly on the ground in an area deer frequent. While determining how often the site should be refreshed largely depends on the number of deer using the site, Higgins recommends starting with a 40-pound bag and replenishing three times per year—February, early May when fawns are being born, and early July when bucks are at their peak stage of antler growth and development. Higgins noted that minerals will have a quicker and more significant impact in regions with poor soils. Once a mineral site is established, it can take 7 to 10 years for a quality mineral program to maximize its impact on a deer herd.

Final Thoughts on the Best Deer Attractants

There isn’t a magic formula to lure a buck to top pin distance. Nearly all of the products offered at your favorite sporting goods store can help tip the odds in your favor, but they require a significant amount of woodsmanship to do so. When you experiment with different attractants and hunting tactics, you’ll open yourself to learning more and growing as a whitetail hunter.