human scent in the woods

[Trench]

I'm in the camp that doesn't really worry about it too much, and just pays attention to the wind.

However, to the OP original point, I know an aquintance who has been living in a wedge tent for the last 10 months, and he says the deer pass within 20 or 30 yards of him when he's working on the cabin refurbishing project. So, having deer get used to your presence might have some credence.

 

[Robert Egler]

The most important thing to finding deer is to NOT be hunting deer. Every year I see lots of deer within easy bow shot distance, in deer season, when I'm hunting squirrels or fox. On the rare occasion when I hunt deer I almost never see a deer, but I do see a lot of squirrels!

 

[Rocky Johnson]

Yeah if you want to see a lot of squrriels go bow hunting. I play the wind, had a sent lock suit that didn't work.About the pee thing yours and the deers all turn to ammonia in a short time so they can't tell yours from theres.

 

[stormcrow]

I believe deer are able to discern between a fresh scent and a stale scent, otherwise avoiding predators such as coyotes in my area would be a maddening thing for them. That said, if it works for you then by all means keep doing it. I knew a guy who would listen to sports while he hunted with one of the old transistor and earplug combos. He swore it drew in curious deer, and was usually successful. When it comes to hunting or fishing it's hard to argue with success no matter how quirky.

 

[hoochiepapa]

We learned many years ago that a chainsaw will attract deer. We used to carry our rifles while cutting firewood for the cabin, because you would almost always see a deer.

 

[Bill Hall]

I'm in the camp that doesn't really worry about it too much, and just pays attention to the wind.

However, to the OP original point, I know an aquintance who has been living in a wedge tent for the last 10 months, and he says the deer pass within 20 or 30 yards of him when he's working on the cabin refurbishing project. So, having deer get used to your presence might have some credence.

I truly believe that animals have a sixth sense about our intentions. Nothing mystical or magic about it, just something we can't see nor measure. Like when we meet someone we know we can't trust, we don't know why, but our gut tells us that person is up to no good. Little cues we get on a subconscience level. Like someone mentioned, the best way to see animals is to hunt another species of animal. I think animals get a "vibe" from us that tells them we either are, or aren't, a threat to them. This theory isn't always true, of course, but I know I can sneak up on all kinds of animals, as long as I am hunting something else. :idunno: Bill

 

[hoochiepapa]

Yeah, not too long ago I was hunting grouse with my .32, heard a noise off to my left, and there stood a most beautiful buck, at least a 140 class muley just looking at me-50 yards away.

 

[hanshi]

I'm a real sweet guy and critters trust me implicitly :grin: .

I also let my dogs curl up on my hunting clothes as they are always interested in the strange, woodsy smells.

 

[hanshi]

Yes chainsaws do attract deer. A fresh plowed fire break does to. I've seen it hundreds of times and still don't understand it.

 

[Kapow]

I remember hunting a remote area once, no people around and I heard this maddening din coming from a gully way up on a hill. Made my way to it and there was a young stag smashing up a big sheet of roofing iron that was laying on the ground. He was really going to town on it but strangely it didn't seem to worry any other deer in the area. There's more to these creatures than we know. Prpbably why they are so much fun to hunt.

 

[Spikebuck]

Regarding human pee, while I don't make it a habit to pee anywhere near my stands and usually carry a "little jon" for long sits, I was with a friend who was hunting Iowa (I was along to do some rattling and calling for him) and I just had to pee before getting on stand, so I walked about 30 yards away, dug a small hole with my boot, peed, and covered it up with dirt and leaves. About 2 hours later, a 2 1/2 or 3 1/2 year old 10 point came up a trail, literally veered off to walk over to EXACTLY where I peed, put his nose in it, then just walked straight back to the trail and kept coming. He ended up with an arrow in him...guess he should have run off!!!

I'll never discount anything, but my success on big, mature bucks (at least 4 1/2 yrs old) jumped significantly when I did two things: 1) I started keeping all my hunting clothes in sealed plastic bins and only put them on once out of the vehicle before heading on stand; 2) I stay out of my best "bucky" areas until at least the chase phase of the rut. This eliminates me chasing these big boys out when they are harder to hunt and less susceptible to making mistakes. Of course the latter demands that you pretty much have that area (which could be quite small) to yourself, otherwise people might be in there hanging pee and sweat strips!!! :shocked2: :wink:

 

[Spikebuck]

Yes chainsaws do attract deer. A fresh plowed fire break does to. I've seen it hundreds of times and still don't understand it.

I'd venture to say they associate it with good food. Chainsaws many times mean tree tops with buds, green leaves, etc they can't reach end up on the ground and at least for a short time it's a buffet! I've had deer show up within a 1/2 hour of a chainsaw stopping to come get the eats. NOT any big bucks, but "deer."

 

[S.Kenton]

my neighbor and I share a woods we both hunt in.. I was cutting some much needed wood during bow season while my neighbor was in his stand across the woods...He called me from his cell phone and told me I scared a large buck towards him, he couldn't get a shot off...so later that eve. I went out and sat in my stand, not far from where I was cutting wood and low and behold that buck came back in around the area I was cutting. It looked as though he was munching on the saw shavings, he never came close enough for a shot, but stayed around the area where I was cutting for sometime...

 

[Stumpkiller]

Years ago I walked out to my shooting "alley" in the woods behind our house. I tacked up my target, walked back 50 yards, shot at it three times. Walked up and marked the holes and as I was walking back to shoot again a deer jumped up from 15 yards off to one side from beneath a low hemlock and ran back towards the houses.

Smart enough to wait me out and then wait until my back was turned.

I suspect when a deer smells a human without knowing the specifics it bolts. If it sees you first it will evade as possible but not necessarily bolt.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

never saw a deer eat chain saw shavings, especially since they have oil mixed in with it.

I've done a lot of cutting in the back yard and last year, deer and bear were all over the place. They are after the new grasses that pop up, plus the small water pond i made. Just holds the rain water long enough that the deer get some use out of it.

 

[silly goose]

I was under the impression that deer learn to come to the sound of a chainsaw because of all the browse that is now brought down to their level and left on the ground. I've heard it said that to help feed deer in the winter time, all you need is an axe. Same premise. :v

 

[Loyalist Dave]

My observations have been that deer react to what they have not become accustomed. In very deep woods with little human contact from actual humans to scent from human habitations..., they seem to be more easily alerted to human made scents at lower concentrations.

In areas where the deer are close on a regular basis to human dwellings and roadways, they seem to be less cautious of human scents, unless the human scent is very strong.

Following that observation, I also have found that deer are also more cautious around scents that suddenly appear, no matter how "natural". So in a area devoid of apples, dropping apples on the day of the hunt or using "apple scent" seems to have undesired results, as would deploying "yellow corn" scent in an apple orchard.

This is assuming the white tailed deer of Maryland and Virginia that I have seen in the wild are typical in behavior to all Odocoileus virginianus.

I smoke my clothes with hardwood smoke, as I have also seen a buck react to the scent of smoke clothes with curiosity, not caution or flight, AND..., I pay attention to the wind direction. This past season's results were three deer at under 100 yards.

I have also noted that deer react to quick motion, especially with a noise, than with very slow motion. So if I raise the rifle quickly, and cock the piece with an audible click..., the deer flee, but a very slow raising of the rifle, sighting it in, then cocking the piece..., the deer have looked right at me at less then 50 yards, as I shot them.

LD

 

[Mike Brooks]

All this scent blocker stuff is a gimmick to get the gullible to buy a bunch of expensive anti stick products and clothes. The deer I have killed never seemed to care how bad I smell.

 

[Dave K]

I deer hunt as odor free as possible, don't stop at filling stations on the way to the hunt or for that matter even have my hunting clothes on. I change into my hunting clothes when I park. I take the wind and sun into account and use it accordingly. I never bought into all the scent lock stuff and sprays, but if it makes you feel better and you hunt better, do it. As a bowhunter, I rarely hunt without having a chance at a deer. Gun seasons are different though. So many people roaming around, the deer learn to find cover and stay there after the first few hours of season. Hunting for anything else, I pay little attention to the way I do deer hunting, except for coyotes.

 

[Bill Hall]

All this scent blocker stuff is a gimmick to get the gullible to buy a bunch of expensive anti stick products and clothes. The deer I have killed never seemed to care how bad I smell.

:thumbsup: Right up there with nipple primers, foaming bore cleaner, and gunstock shampoo. Bill