There are many folkish traditions regarding the use of scents to attract particular criters, varmints, and objects of desire.

A trivial example is the common (US boy scout) lore that says that eating bananas will make one the target of every mosquito in the vicinity.

Scientists in South America now report much success with the use of Calvin Klein cologne "Obsession for Men" to attract big cats.

Calvin Klein cologne used to lure jaguars

[quotes]

Scientists use Obsession for Men to get cats in front of cameras
Reuters
updated 9:34 a.m. CT, Wed., June 9, 2010

GUATEMALA CITY - Biologists tracking jaguars in the Guatemalan jungle might smell nice but it's all in the name of science, with researchers finding the Calvin Klein cologne Obsession for Men attracts big cats.

Biologists Rony Garcia and Jose Moreira from the Wildlife Conservation Society's (WCS) Jaguar Conservation Program say they use hidden cameras as a primary source for observing and tracking jaguars in the Guatemala's Maya Biosphere Reserve.

But they also rely on Obsession for Men, a cologne known for its complex scent, to help lure then research and hopefully ultimately preserve jaguars in the Central American country.

"The method we are using to study the jaguars here in Guatemala is a non-invasive method which is based on photographing the individuals by using camera traps," Moreira told Reuters Television.

"It has been very useful using Obsession (for Men) to get the jaguars in front of these camera traps ... and that allows us to estimate with greater confidence the genders and the numbers that live in each studied site."

The discovery that Obsession for Men acted as a magnet for jaguars was the result of an experiment by the WCS's Bronx Zoo in New York.
The WCS was looking for ways to get cheetahs in front of camera traps, and, after several years of testing with different fragrances, found spraying the musky Obsession For Men near the heat-and-motion-sensitive cameras drew the cats for longer than other scents.

They also tried out about 23 other fragrances but Obsession for Men kept the cats' attention for longest with Nina Ricci's L'Air du Temps coming second.

[end quotes]

So be very careful what you wear when venturing into the jungle.

In furtherance of the obvious value and general (scientific of course) interest, other "attractants" with similarly confirmable effectiveness should be welcome, and those with relevant knowledge are encouraged to submit their favorites.

It might be presumed that some of our younger (male?) participants might be interested in experimenting with whether the C Klein (or Nina Ricci) lures might be effective for "cougars" as well as for jaguars.

(I might be tempted to try it myself, but there are so few "cougars" old enough to consider me a boy toy that I'd be unlikely to find one close enough - or with retained senses able - to find the stink. I think "older than I" is an extinct category.)

I would anticipate thread drift to "well known" repellants as a counter-topic, and encourage all varieties of theories (no matter how stupid) as a means of furthering our understanding of luring and repelling.

(Love potions acceptable, within reason.)

John