Best Deer Attractants In 2024

The best deer attractant today is very different than it was years ago.

When I was a kid, more than 50 years ago, I can remember going with my grandfather to his friend's house. He had a lot of land and every fall he would have a truckload of apples dumped at the edge of the woodline behind his house.

We would go there in the afternoon and watch the deer come down the hill to feed on those apples in broad daylight.

As a kid, I was mesmerized by the sight of big buck after big buck coming out to feed on those apples.

While apples are still good at attracting deer, there are much better and easier to use deer attractants available today.

Let’s have a look.

Reviews Of The Best Deer Attractants 

Lucky Buck Mineral

We have had nothing but good things to say about Lucky Buck. It is one of the best mineral deer attractants that you can buy, whether you are spreading in on the ground or mixing it with corn.

Deer love this stuff because of the high salt content and it gives bucks the nutrition that they need to grow incredible sets of antlers.

They will eat it right off the ground and will also eat the dirt or the stump that you put it on, but if you mix it with corn, the deer gets the nutrition from the corn and the minerals to grow big antlers.

There is no doubt that this stuff works. Here is a picture of the Amish Buck that was taken in Adams County Ohio on opening day of hunting season after being fed Lucky Buck!

If you are looking to attract whitetail deer and grow huge antlers on the bucks on your hunting property, then this is the best attractant for you.

Our guys that use Lucky Buck have it out all year. The bucks use it to get essential trace minerals which promotes antler growth and the does use it when lactating, which gives the bucks a head start from day one.

I want to show you an example of what these minerals can do for antler growth.

We had a mature buck that we called Big Papi that was fed these minerals starting when he was 3 years old. His antlers literally blew up between 3 and 4 years old after using these these minerals.

Here are his trail cam pics for proof:

This is him at 3.5 years old in January, just after the hunting season. This is typical for this area of the country. They usually make a pretty good jump from 3.5 to 4.5 years old, but check this out!

This is the same buck 6 months later, just before hunting season, after using these minerals all winter, then through the spring and summer!

What's In It?

Lucky Buck is mostly salt, which deer love. It is a great way to get them to ingest the other included minerals.

Here's what is in Lucky Buck:

• Salt
• Calcium
• Selenium
• Zinc
• Manganese
• Iron
• Copper
• Cobalt
• Mineral Oil
• Natural and artificial flavors

A powerhouse of minerals for growing bucks with big antlers!

How To Use:

We have deer hunters on our staff that use Lucky Buck to mix with corn in their feeders and on the ground. That way they feed the deer and provide the powerful minerals at the same time.

We have other hunters that simply pour the Lucky Buck on the ground or a stump to create a mineral site that the bucks will come back to time and time again.

Here's an incredible video of a huge buck being taken while feeding on lucky buck at a mineral site that the hunter had established in front of his deer stand.

The results speak for themselves. This stuff flat out works for growing and harvesting big bucks.

Lucky Buck is one of the top choices for best deer bait on the market among our pro staff at DeerHuntingGuide.net and we use it all year long to grow big bucks for hunting season.

Big & J BB2

Big & J BB2 is another top quality mineral attractant that gets very high praises from our pro staff and contributors.

BB2 is a protein based deer lure.

What does that mean?

It means that it is a mineral supplement that is made up of grain products and grain by-products.

Because it is grain based, it is intended as more of a feed than for a mineral site. The deer get the minerals by eating the food, as opposed to eating the dirt that the minerals were poured on.

Also, by being protein based, the deer have everything that they need to fully absorb the minerals and make use of them. 

This deer lure has a very intense and strong smell that attracts deer from a long way off, pulling them from neighboring properties and keeping them on your hunting grounds.

What's In It?

Big & J BB2 is mostly grain products with added minerals. Here is what the deer get when they eat it:

• Protein
• Fat
• Fiber
• Calcium 
• Phosphorus
• Salt

This is a great combination to lure deer and keeping them coming back.

How To Use:

For attracting deer, you should use this in an area where the wind currents can take the scent a long way.

Deer will smell this from quite a distance and come to investigate. Once they find it, they will keep coming back, day after day.

All you need to do is open the bag and spread it on the ground in front of your deer stand or trail cameras.

In our experience, deer and bucks in particular will begin using it within 24 hours and sometimes within an hour or two.

Check out this video that shows how Big & J was started and how far they have come. It is a true American dream success story.

Big & J BB2 is the best deer food attractant that we use, but it is more than that. It is not very often that you get to support a company that you can truly be proud to do business with.

Big & J is one of those companies.

Whitetail Institute 30-06 Mineral and Vitamin Supplement for Deer

We trust Whitetail Institute to bring us the best products for deer that have been researched and tested for delivering results and you should too.

Their 30-06 Mineral/Vitamin Supplement is professionally formulated to provide deer with the right nutrients in the right ratios that they need to build a healthy herd and grow big antlers.

Whitetail institute uses scent and flavor enhancers, including Devour™, a proprietary attractant that will have deer digging holes to get to it. 

Vitamins and minerals are very important for bucks and does during spring and summer for pregnancy, lactation and antler growth.

Whitetail Institute 30-06 will maximize the genetic potential for antler growth in your deer.

What's In It?

It has a great combination of minerals, but also Antler Up D3, which is vitamin D3 and helps with absorption of the minerals.

It is super fine and smells really good.

Here's what else your deer will get:

• Calcium
• Phosphorus
• Salt
• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Selenium 
• Vitamin A

This is all delivered in the correct amounts and ratios for your deer, backed by science and research.

How To Use:

Clear an area on the ground a few feet in diameter. Pour some of the 30-06 minerals on the ground and rake into the top few inches of soil.

Pour the rest of the bag on top and let the proprietary Devour™ deer attractant do its work.

In our experience, the deer will find the minerals in less than 24 hours and will actually dig a hole to keep eating the dirt and minerals.

This can be used year round as an attractant, but it is particularly important to use it in the late winter, spring and summer for antler development and lactating does.

Here's a video from Whitetail Institute that shows how to use the 30-06 minerals and talk about the features, as well as shows the results of using it.

If the health and wellness of the deer on your property is important to you and you also want to help your bucks reach their genetic potential with antler growth, then the right minerals for you is the Whitetail Institute 30-06 Mineral Vitamin Supplement.

Redmond Hunt Trophy Rock

Click here to see all the best mineral blocks for deer.

I have used the Redmond Hunt Trophy Rock extensively, with great results.

The deer crave it and they get the nutrients that they need to achieve better health, larger sizes and big antlers, and it keeps deer coming back for a long period of time.

We like to use a solid attractant on our sites that are difficult to get to, or where we do not want to go very often.

Blocks will last much longer than other attractants and will not need to be replenished as often.

The less time that you spend traveling through your hunting grounds, the better.

What's In It?

The Trophy Rock contains more than 65 trace minerals, including sea salt mined in Utah.

Here's a small sample of what the deer get when they eat the Trophy Rock:

• Calcium
• Phosphorus
• Salt
• Potassium
• Sulphur
• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Iron
• Copper
• Manganese

Not only is it everything the deer needs, but it is in the correct form, the right ratio and the right amount to help your deer reach their genetic potential.

How To Use:

Using the Trophy Rock couldn't be any easier. Simply take off the wrapper and put it on the ground where you want the deer to stop and eat it.

It works great in front of trail cameras for getting good pics of the deer on your property or in front of your tree stand or ground blind.

Our only issue with the Trophy Rock is that sometimes they can get moved by deer, or even bears. This is a problem if you have put it in front of a trail camera, but the advantages of not having to replenish often far outweigh this problem.

Here's a video that gives you a look at the Trophy Rock why you should use it. 

I like to use it in front of a trail camera for long range scouting to help pattern deer.

If you are looking for the deer attractant that also supplies the exact nutrients that your deer need, backed by research and science, then the Trophy Rock is for you.

Big&J Deadly Dust

While you can use any of the granular or liquid deer attractants that we recommend for mixing with corn, our staff chose Big&J Deadly Dust as the best bait to mix with corn because it is the one they have had the most success with.

It is made from real sweet corn that is 5 times sweeter than ordinary feed corn and has an intense sweet corn smell that attracts deer from long distances and allows you to put deer where you want them.

It can be used on the ground, but our staff uses it mixed with corn so that it goes further and lasts longer.

What's In It?

The Big&J Deadly Dust is contains 50% sweet corn, but it isn't just any sweet corn. It is a special hybrid sweet corn that contains 5 times the sugar content of regular sweet corn.

How To Use:

You can just dump Deadly Dust on the ground and the deer will flock to it, but the best way to use it is to mix with corn.

This makes it go a lot further and makes your corn irresistible to the deer.

We use a bucket or bin to mix it with shelled corn.

Simply add your corn and then add Deadly Dust on top and mix with your hands before adding to your deer feeder or pouring on the ground.

Here's a really cool video where they take Deadly Dust onto a sand bar in the middle of a flooded river and put it on a log to see if it will attract deer across the running river to the sandbar.

Check it out!

Big&J Deadly Dust lives up to its name and is a great deer bait for mixing with corn to enhance your bait pile.

Do yourself a favor and add it to your corn and see for yourself.

HME Scent Web Spray  

HME Scent Web is a scented foam string in an aerosol can that is 300% more potent than liquid scents.

It is available in 6 different scents.

• She-Heat (Doe in Estrus)
• She-Duction (Doe Urine)
• Scrape Venom (Buck, Doe & Tarsal Gland)
• Vanilla Acorn
• Apple
• Sweet Corn

The scent foam string lasts up to 5 days and is reactivated by rain making so much better that standard sprays and liquids.

The aerosol can will spray up to 10 feet, so you don't have to contaminate the scrape or trail that you want to spray it on.

We love to use this in mock scrapes, where we spray it on the licking branch and then as it decomposes over a few days, it drops into the scrape and keeps scenting the scrape.

How To Use:

The foam string of the Scent Web acts like a long wick that disperses a tremendous amount of scent, so you don't have to use much to get good results.

How you use it would depend on which scent you choose.

Here are some of the ways:

• Spray it in a mock scrape
• Spray on a licking branch
• Spray on a deer decoy
• Spray on nearby branches
• Spray on a deer trail
• Spray on your boots

Those are just some of the ways that you can use Scent Web. It can also be used as a cover scent, similar to Nose Jammer.

Here's a video showing how the spray works, what it looks like and showcases the different uses for it.

Using this spray in a mock scrape will bet a mature buck to visit during daylight hours.

The HME Scent Web is great scent attractant in spray form that you should add to your deer hunting arsenal.

Evolved Buck Jam Honey Acorn Liquid Minerals

For those of you looking for liquid minerals, we have included the Evolved Buck Jam Honey Acorn Liquid Deer Attractant.

This stuff crams all of the crucial minerals in a liquid form and then flavors them with a honey acorn flavor to give deer a salty, sweet taste that they can't resist.

It comes in 1 gallon bottles to make establishing mineral sites quick and easy.

What's In It?

While Buck Jam is a good at attracting deer, it doesn't have any beneficial minerals besides salt.

Here's what you'll find in a gallon of Buck Jam.

• Salt
• Sodium Carbonate
• Citric Acid
• Xanthum Gum
• Guar Gum
• Natural and Artificial Sweeteners
• Natural and Artificial Flavors

How To Use:

Buck Jam is thick and gooey and can be poured directly on the ground where it will leach deep into the soil and have deer digging up the ground to get at it.

It can also be poured onto old, rotting stumps and logs where it will seep into the wood and the deer will actually eat the wood.

We also have some gus on staff that pour it right on their corn piles to attract the deer quickly and to draw them away from corn piles on neighboring properties.

This is the only liquid deer attractant that we use here at DeerHuntingGuide.net. We have had great experiences with it, we just wish it had more minerals to help with antler growth and fawn development.

Evolved Habitats Deer Cane Black Magic 

Deer Cane Black Magic is the new and improved version of the original Deer Cane which has been used as bait to lure deer for more than 30 years.

It is loaded with the minerals that deer seek out and the molasses and other natural flavors that deer love are added.

What's In It?

Deer Cane Black Magic is a powder that contains:

• Calcium
• Phosphorus
• Sodium
• Natural molasses flavors

How To Use:

Clear debris down to bare soil in approximately a four foot circle.

Spread Deer Cane Black Magic on the ground. You can add water or just wait for it to rain.

Once wet, it will secrete the scent vapor that draws the deer to the mineral site.

The deer will actually eat the soil to get the minerals that they crave, creating a wallow in the ground.

Reapply every 60 days for best results.

Here's a great video that shows you the features of Deer Cane Black Magic.

We have guys on our staff that swear by this stuff and kill big bucks over it every year.

If you are a beginner deer hunter and looking for an inexpensive attractant that works year round and soaks into the soil for a long lasting mineral site that deer love, you need Deer Cane Black Magic.

15. Lucky 7 Synthescent Doe-in-Heat Plus Synthetic Deer Scent

If you are looking to attract deer during the rut, then you have to be looking at some sort of doe in heat liquid.

Many states are banning the use of real deer urine in order to stop the spread of CWD, so that leaves deer hunters with the problem of finding a really good synthetic doe in heat product that fools mature bucks.

We have found the Lucky 7 synthetic scents from Nelson Creek Outdoors to be the best deer attractant on the market that effectively mimics the natural scent of the deer.

How To Use:

You use the synthetic doe in heat urine the same way as you would use real doe in heat urine. This comes with a convenient lid where you just unsnap it and a gentle squeeze of the bottle will apply the product.

Here are some of the ways to use the Lucky 7 Synthescent Doe-in-Heat Plus Synthetic Deer Scent.

• Use in a mock scrape or a real scrape.
• Soak a tampon and hang it from a branch.
• Put it on a rag tied to a stick and drag it on the ground on the way to your deer stand.
• Apply to nearby branches.

Those are just a few of the ways to use this attractant during the rut. 

It is not advisable to put this on your boots or anywhere on your person.

If you want to attract bucks during the rut you need the best doe in heat scent that you can get, while still staying within the law and doing your part to slow the spread of CWD.

That would be Lucky 7 Synthescent Doe-in-Heat Plus Synthetic Deer Scent.

16. Whitetail Institute Imperial Whitetail Clover Deer Food Plot Seed for Spring or Fall Planting 

Whitetail Institute is the king of food plots and the only one we trust to attract deer to our food plots.

This stuff not only attracts deer, but it provides the vitamins and minerals necessary to grow big bucks and a healthy deer herd.

While it does require a fair amount of work upfront, it is an inexpensive way to feed deer.

Here is a photo of Imperial Whitetail Clover growing in one of our personal food plots.

We placed the water bottle in there to give you some perspective as to how thick this clover grows.

In the photo below you can see a bachelor group of whitetail bucks feeding on the clover in the food plot.

How To Use:

Using this clover is a little more involved than the others on our list, but the hard work is sure to be rewarded as you attract deer from all of the surrounding areas to your food plot.

The soil must first be prepared by either tilling or raking and a soil test is recommended.

Next you fertilize the soil and correct the ph if necessary.

Then spread the seed and roll the soil to ensure soil to seed contact.

Watch it grow!

While it is a lot of work upfront, this is one of our favorite ways to attract deer to our hunting properties, and it is a great way to get deer to come out during the day.

How We Chose The Best Deer Attractants

We had a major problem with an out of control deer population in Connecticut. From that problem arose a new business called Whitetail Solutions. Homeowners and municipalities would engage our services to help them reduce the deer population to manageable levels.

We did this by baiting deer with attractants and corn to funnel deer activity into the hunting area where we had tree stands set up.

We would harvest the deer with archery equipment and then donate the venison to the Connecticut Food Bank through the Hunt To Feed program.

After more than 10 years of trying different deer baits, we found which ones that the deer loved the most and were most effective at bringing deer to a particular location.

These are the attractants that we recommend above, and that you can use to increase your deer hunting success.

Final Thoughts

Deer attractants are a great way to lure big bucks into range for an accurate shot. They are also a great way to get deer in front of your trail cameras so that you know what deer are living on your hunting grounds.

They are also a great way for beginner bow hunters to get deer to stop in front of their tree stand or blind.

We have shared the best deer attractants that our team of hunters here at DeerHuntingGuide.net use on a regular basis to harvest big bucks and to get awesome trail cam pics of the deer in the neighborhood.

Now it is up to you to pick the right deer bait for your situation and lure that buck of a lifetime into range.

Happy hunting!

Click here to learn how to attract deer to your property and keep them there.

Click here to see our recommendations for the Best Hunting Gear.