How Long Does Doe Urine Scent Last?

As the annual deer season approaches, hunters start researching different types of deer attractants and scents. One such scent that I’m routinely asked about is urine scent from a doe. Doe urine scent can be a great way to attract bucks to your location, but one common question that arises is how long does doe urine scent last?

Having worked in the deer hunting industry for many years, I can tell you that it really depends on the conditions and the type of scent you’re using. In this article, I’ll explain the factors that affect the longevity of doe urine scent and provide tips for how to get the most out of that scent.

Overview of Doe Urine

The use of doe urine has been a popular deer hunting tactic for decades, and for good reason. Doe urine is an effective deer attractant and cover scent that can be used to lure deer into a specific area or mask the hunter’s smell.

When it comes to doe urine, there are two types – naturally collected doe urine and synthetic doe urine.

Let’s take a deeper look at each type:

Organic Doe Urine

Naturally collected doe urine is collected from real deer. This type of doe urine can vary in its effectiveness depending on several factors, including:

• The age of the urine source
• The time of year that the urine was collected.
• The amount of time that has passed since the urine was collected.
• How the urine was packaged and stored

Due to the labor and expenses associated with the urine collection process, organic doe urine tends to be more expensive than its synthetic urine counterpart. Naturally collected doe urine also has a shorter shelf life compared to synthetic deer urine.

Synthetic Doe Urine

Synthetic doe urine is a manufactured version of doe urine. It is designed to be more consistent in its effectiveness and is often more concentrated than naturally collected doe urine. Synthetic doe urine is also more shelf stable and can last for extended periods of time without losing its potency.

Synthetic doe urine can be an invaluable tool for deer hunters. Using this deer scent during hunting season, you can attract bucks and doe to your hunting grounds. I have been using synthetic doe urine for several years now, and I can vouch for its effectiveness when used properly. It is a great way to attract deer to your location and can be used in several different ways. I typically use it when I’m hunting from a stand, either spraying it around the area or using a scent drag. It is also great for covering human scent while walking through the woods.

Clarifying the Doe Urine Question

Typically, when hunters ask questions about how long doe urine lasts, the questions are geared towards one of the two following situations or scenarios:

• How long will doe urine keep after being opened?
• How long will doe urine last in the field when used?

Let’s look at each situation in more detail.

How Long Will Doe Urine Scent Last After It’s Been Opened?

The answer depends on several factors, including the following:

• The type of urine (natural or synthetic)
• When the urine was collected or produced

Organic doe urine has a significantly shorter shelf compared to synthetic urine. This is because naturally collected urine contains several chemicals, including ammonia, so it begins to degrade right after the sealed bottle is opened. The shelf life also seems to vary from brand to brand. For example, the Tinks brand of natural urine is supposed to last at least 12 months as long as the container is resealed tightly, it’s kept out of direct sunlight, and stored at room temperature. In contrast, the Code Blue brand of urine markets their doe urine as only being suitable for one hunting season.

Synthetic doe urine has a much longer shelf life than organic urine and can be stored for multiple years as it doesn’t contain any ammonia. However, the same general storage rules found with natural doe urine still apply:

• Kept out of direct sunlight.
• Properly sealed.
• Stored at room temperature.

I’m not going to get into the natural doe urine versus synthetic doe urine debate in this post, but I may try to address it in a separate article.

How Long Will Doe Urine Scent Last Once It’s Been Deployed in the Woods

Several factors play a direct role in answer to that question. Those factors include the following:

• The urine type (natural or synthetic)
• Temperature
• The application conditions (wet ground, windy, etc.)
• The application method (such as drag line, direct application. Etc.)

Natural doe urine will typically last and be effective for anywhere from 24 to 36 hours. The effectiveness of the scent is at its peak during the first 3-4 hours when first deployed; then, the scent strength begins to decline. Natural urine sprayed in a concentrated area will retain a more potent scent compared to a scent drag, scent wick, or scent trail.

Weather conditions like rain, snow, and frost will dilute the strength of the urine scent and can significantly reduce the duration of effectiveness.

Synthetic doe urine tends to be more concentrated than its natural counterpart so that it can remain effective for four to seven days. In addition, manmade doe urine has a thicker consistency and does not break down as quickly as organic urine.

However, artificial doe urine is equally susceptible to weather factors like rain, snow, etc., which will dilute the strength of the scent.

Overall, synthetic doe urine has a longer shelf life and maintains a scent longer in the field than natural doe urine. However, I think natural doe urine offers a stronger draw to whitetail bucks since it’s the real thing versus a synthetic copy.

That being said, natural doe urine has downsides as well. It has a shorter shelf life than the synthetic stuff and doesn’t last as long when used in the field.

I prefer to use the synthetic option because it lasts longer when stored, maintains a strong scent for days when used in the field, and is more cost-effective.

FAQS

Here are some frequently asked questions that are commonly associated with doe urine and urine-based scents:

How far away can a buck smell doe urine?

The question of how far away a buck can smell doe urine is one that many hunters have asked over the years. The answer depends on a variety of factors, including wind direction, wind strength, humidity, and terrain. That said, it is generally agreed that a buck can detect doe urine from several hundred yards away.

On a calm, clear day with no wind, a buck can easily pick up the scent of doe urine from up to 500 yards away. This distance can increase when there is wind, as the smell will travel further through the air. In addition, the terrain can also play a role in how far away a buck can smell doe urine. For example, if the terrain is hilly, the scent may travel further due to the updrafts created by the slopes.

While it is impossible to give a definitive answer to the question of how far away a buck can smell doe urine, it is safe to say that the scent can travel over several hundred yards.

When should I start using doe urine during deer season?

I think the key to successful deer hunting with doe urine is to use it early enough in the season to attract bucks. For example, in most parts of the country, the pre-rut period begins mid to late October. In most parts of the U.S., bucks have already started to display an interest in does during the pre-rut phase, even though they may not completely be in full estrus yet. I find that using doe urine during this early season phase can provide a hunter with an opportunity to see and possibly harvest more mature bucks before the rut comes into full swing.

While most hunters also use doe urine during the rut, I don’t find it to be as effective during that period. During the peak of the rut, I suspect that the decrease effective of doe urine is tied to the fact that it’s competing with doe estrous scent. And, in those situations, the full estrus scent is going to overpower any doe urine scent (be it natural or synthetic).

Should I put doe urine in a deer scrape or mock scrape?

I’ve tried using natural and synthetic doe urine in a series of deer scrapes and did observe a slight increase in the number of bucks that visited the scrapes compared to the number of bucks that visited scrapes without any doe urine. However, the increased number of bucks was minimal, and at least 90% of the buck visits to the doe urine scrapes occurred at night or during non-shooting hours. Very little buck activity at the doe urine scrapes occurred during daylight hours.