No matter how well we plan things, at times they don't always work. When using doe scent on your boots first became popular, we had to try it. While standing behind our parked trucks we applied the stinking stuff to our boots. We then walked to our stands and waited, but nothing happened.
When we returned to our trucks that evening there were fresh deer tracks all around the area. That is when we learned that the scent became weaker as we walked away. So, we started spraying around the stands only, but then we overdid it and spooked the deer away.
Finally, I got my scent in a spray bottle and left a scent trail all the way to my stand. This worked well or almost did. A nice buck was following the trail nose-to-the-ground when he was spooked by another hunter.
My next project was to try rattling antlers and it worked. My first attempt had a nice buck coming into bow range when he suddenly stopped, turned and fled. Another buck had come up behind me and spooked the one I was watching. You need eyes in the back of your head when rattling. It does work when you learn when to rattle and when to be quiet.
Many deer have come into my shooting range when using a grunt call. This will bring in doe as well as bucks. Last season I brought a big doe into range for my black powder rifle.
All these things work but you must learn to use them correctly. The best teacher of this is trial and error. There are tapes that you can buy or rent that will give you the basics but you still need to do it correctly yourself.
Learning to call the deer in can be as much fun as shooting them.