To pee, or not to pee?

[hanshi]

....and when you gotta go, well, you gotta go.

 

[sarcasmn]

I totally agree with you Jaeger. I think there is a cone of scent that travels from you with the wind. I always hunt the wind and still try to eliminate my scent as much as possible.

 

[Jaeger]

I think a "cone of scent" is a good way to describe it, Sarcasmn. I've watched deer cross my "scent line" while sitting under a pine in almost total darkness (with a snowy background) and they almost exploded with fright when they winded me. Their sense of smell is astounding.

 

[sarcasmn]

I do a lot of work with our K9 guys, laying down tracks for them to follow etc and I live with a bomb dog handler. She also has a degree in animal biology and worked as a zoo keeper for many years. She constantly makes fun of my scent elimination strategies and gives me a lot of good info on how deer scent. She tells me if they are downwind of you and there is any kind of breeze they can probably smell you at least 500 yards off. I try to keep my scent at a minimum and hunt the wind always.

I think that most people do not know they have been scented by a deer downwind because the deer don't get close enough to blow, they just avoid the area and never get close enough to the hunter to be seen.

 

[Jaeger]

I agree 100%, Sarcasmn. My hunting buddy washes his hunting clothes in scent-free detergent, and uses all kinds of scent killing strategies, and I always think "Really? And we walk the mile to our hunting blinds and by the time we get there we are perspiring and puffing our "sweat steam" out of our clothes with each step, and you are trying to eliminate your odor?" I don't bother laundering my hunting clothes very often...I think it's pretty pointless. Just use the wind to your advantage.

 

[Spikebuck]

Different areas of the country probably have different wind currents....meaning the way they move around structure. In my area of hilly river valleys the wind swirls and circles. A friend of mine used to carry dried milkweed pods and once in a while would turn a couple of "seeds" loose. Many times they would make a big circle and almost come back to him. That's why it's smart to absolutely minimize your scent as well as TRY to play the wind as best you can.

 

[flyfisher76544]

I have had mixed results with the "peeing" issue. While I have seen a few deer not notice or some even checked out the spot where nature called, I have also had some get spooked by it.
The scent control gimmicks are just a way to get folks to buy something. They don't work, period. Too many tests have been done to prove that point. Save your money, if you want to feel as if it gives you an edge....just wash your hunting clothes with baking powder to eliminate some of the human stink. Play the wind, play the wind....play the wind!!!!