Buck Lure

The present invention is specifically directed to the deer scent odor which is emitted from the chemical interaction of the deer urine with the tarsal gland, which produces a rutting odor that a buck perceives as a territorial infringement or a challenge. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide a deer lure comprising a doe tarsal gland and doe urine which will give the buck the impression that a doe has entered his breeding territory.

The key element of the buck lure of the present invention is the tarsal gland. This gland has been described before as a gland on the hock of a buck which produces a musky odor. When mixed with urine, the combination of the urine and tarsal gland signifies that a buck is in the area. As interpreted in the present invention, the tarsal gland used in the buck lure is a substantially intact gland which has been removed from the hide of deers, generally during the deer hide processing or tanning stage. It is within the scope of the present invention to utilize only so much of the tarsal gland as is necessary to produce an effective buck lure. Thus, only a portion of the tarsal gland may be necessary for each buck lure kit. For example, a tarsal gland of a mature animal is generally large enough to accomodate two buck lure kits. Therefore, the tarsal gland may be cut in half and utilized for two kits.

It is within the scope of the present invention to utilize a fresh tarsal gland in the kit. However, for convenience sake and for long-term storage, the tarsal gland is preferably dried.

The tarsal gland may be prepared as follows: The glands are cut off a deer hide, generally prior to the time the hide is cured. The glands are then trimmed to remove any excess skin and put through a double-rolled rolling press in order to remove excess liquid from the hide. Following the rolling press, the gland is perforated by coacting spiked rollers which aid in the additional removal of excess water from the tissue in the back of the gland. The gland is then again placed through a rolling press.

If the tarsal gland is not to be used immediately, it is preferably dried, either naturally, by convection heating or by freeze-drying.

Freeze-drying is preferred because it is quicker and freezes the gland into desired shapes. Freeze-drying methods are known to the art. Basically, the gland is placed in a freeze-dryer, which drys the moisture out of the gland by freezing it solid. A vacuum pump then removes the liquid from the freeze-dryer. The dried product remains somewhat pliable.

The gland is then cut into desired shape and size.

It is within the scope and indeed a preferred embodiment to include at least the essence of two other deer glands: (1) the interdigital gland and (2) the femoral gland. As explained previously, both of these glands are located on the hind leg of a deer beneath the tarsal gland and in the track of the urine flow to the ground. Thus, the distinct rutting odor which alerts the buck to the presence of another buck would include scents derived from these other two glands. Rather than to use these two glands intact, it is preferred to soak the glands either in the urine solution or in a preservative solution prior to adding the urine. This procedure will put the gland scent in the fluid which is to be added to the tarsal gland.

Turning now to the fluid, the main ingredient is deer urine. If a buck tarsal gland is used in the buck lure kit, then buck urine should be used full strength in order to provide continuity between the gland and urine. Although it would be preferred to utilize the urine from an individual buck, practicality dictates that the urine of different bucks can be combined. Buck urine may be obtained by methods known to the art, such as collecting the urine from caged bucks in a deer park.

It is also preferred to add a preservative to the buck solution. Useful preservatives include glycerine, propylene glycol, mineral oil, and alcohols.

The fluid solution is prepared as follows: a minimum quantity of femoral and interdigital glands to place the gland scent in the fluid is emulsified in the preservative. The preservative solution is then allowed a sufficient time to ferment, generally about three months. This time may be shortened if the solution is agitated. Approximately one part of the preservative mixture is then mixed with approximately three parts of urine in order to create the buck lure fluid. Optionally, the fluid can be strengthened by adding more musk from additional tarsal glands. The purpose of this fluid is to mimic the natural body fluids of the deer.

For convenience, a ring is attached to the tarsal gland to enable the gland to be hung above a scrape area. It is preferable to have the ring made of plastic or some other neutral material, as metal may oxidize when contacted with water. The oxidized odor would then be picked up by the buck, alerting him to some danger. It is preferred that the ring be attached on the musk side of the tarsal gland. As the hair on the gland flows in one direction, the ring should be hung on the downside of the hair flow so that when the gland is hung up, the solution would flow down into the hair folicle toward the skin. Thus, the tarsal gland would retain the scent longer.

Although there are a number of ways to package the buck lure kit, it is preferred to place the tarsal gland in a plastic bag which may be sealed shut, such as a bag having a tie-wrap or an interlocking mechanism. The solution is kept separate, preferably in a glass bottle as the urine in the solution may tend to mix with the polymers in a plastic bottle and contaminate the solution.

When the buck lure is ready to be used, the tarsal gland is rehydrated by adding a sufficient quantity of the solution to the gland in the plastic bag and allowing the tarsal gland to rehydrate. This period may take anywhere from a few minutes to 12 hours.

After the tarsal gland has been sufficiently rehydrated, the gland is preferably hung approximately two feet off the ground and up wind of where a buck might be expected to cross. As indicated previously, the lure may be used at a mock or a real scrape. Alternatively, the buck lure can be tied to a string and dragged on the ground in order to simulate a deer trail.

It is understood that the invention is not confined to the particular construction and arrangement herein described but embraces such modified forms thereof as comes within the scope of the following claims.