warning scents

[bucketmouth64]

I was told some information that I have never heard before. A hunter told me if you miss a shot the deer will put out some kind of warning scent as it flees away. Thus it kinda ruins the area for hunting for a period of time. If this is true, does it also put out a warning scent when it is hit?

[buzzsaw]

Its actually just the smell of [PoorWordUsage] running down his hind legs. ( :

I joke, I'm not sure about this question.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I never heard of such a scent... sounds like a wives tale to me?

[gunflint]

They must be talking about The North American Skunktail. Looks kinda like a whitetail but the flag is black and white. I've never heard of a warning scent. But I do know alot of hunters who have shot more than one deer out of the same stand in the same day.

[bucketmouth64]

Something about that statement didn't sound right to me either. So I thought I would ask all of you since I don't hunt. Thanks for the comments.

[Dockter]

I don't know about a scent. You would think the tail flag and weeze would be quite enough to let every deer around know somthing was amiss...but anything is possible. If this were, I'm sure you could find a credible study, or find it published ina good book or magazine...

[WB make the CUT]

Some have said that a alarmed deer will produce a scent that is released for the interdigital glad.

[Dan Thiem]

I was told one time that the big loud snort/wheeze the doe did blew out some stinky stuff out their nostrils. Then that left a warning scent for other deer that came through the area.

[jlm]

I think we are confusing some of the terms here. The warning call of a doe (usually does but bucks do this to) is not the same as a snort-wheeze (sp). A SW is something that a buck does to intimidate other deer usually during the rut or just pre and post rut. It is VERY rare to hear and I have heard it only one time in the many years I have spent in the woods. The snort of a doe is very common and we have all heard that. As far as I know, there is no connection between snorting and scents. Thinking back on personal experience, I have had deer wind me, snort, and then another shows up a minute later. The theory does not hold up in my book but you just never know!

[Dockter]

I agree with that...I have spooked deer and then had other deer come in shortly after. I don't belive that a deer leaves any kind of warning scent, or you would never see a deer after a deer had seen you on stand.

[Jmnhunter]

I think I have heard of that before, but I dont believe it. I shot a deer one day, than the next day ended up shooting a mature 8 in the same spot.

-Good hunting

-JN

[Dockter]

When did you shoot an 8 pointer?? IN your dreams??

[otto_man]

when i shoot at a deer it does leave a scent, the scent of steak on the grill!!!

[ironranger420]

I'm not too sure about the "warning" scent left during the wheeze either, but what usually accompanies the wheeze can sometimes pose a problem. In my experience, most of the time when a doe snorts/wheeze it also stomps its feet. This does leave a "warning" scent, if you will. It deposits a large amount of scent from the "metatarsil" gland (I believe that's the gland I'm thinking of). This does leave a scent for other deer, warning them of something just not right. It also sends a vibration through the ground warning any deer nearby of a possible danger. Scientists have determined that Elephants use "sonar" (foot poundings)to communicate with each other up to 20 miles away. Deer do the same thing. So long story short, too late, it's not necessarliy the wheeze that is leaving the scent, it is the foot pounding that accompanies the wheeze that you have to look out for.

Keep in mind, I have still had deer come in to me minutes after a doe has snorted and stomped and blew my cover.

What we keep forgetting is, when the rut is in fullswing all bets are off. The rules no longer apply!

[Bubbadust]

I've never heard of this. One morning I missed a deer, but managed to shoot 2 others about an hour apart from the same stand.

[B. Amish]

i've also heard that when a deer is alarmed and they start stomping their feet, they are actually leaving large amounts of scent from their interdigital glands as some sort of extra warning

[Jmnhunter]

told you dock, dont need all that extra scent prep., just the spray is enough. I shot it in '99, and yes it was mature dressed out to be more than 200. big ole rutted buck.

he he heeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!

[MasterGophHunter]

On openening morning of duck hunting this year I was floating down a river and we saw a doe that then saw us and she started to stomp at the ground and do that snorting noise. I don't know if she left any scent but I'm sure the marks in the ground from her stomping would do something and could create a smell to warn others. She actually came towards us. I don't think she really wanted us around there.

[Dockter]

Welcome back buddy........missed you, and I really miss your name! Good luck duck hunting tomorow...I suppose they could, but the reason they stomp is to make YOU do somthing, either move away or attack, read that in outdoor life.......

[MasterGophHunter]

Dockter, do I know you, or weren't you talking to me? You must know me tho cuz I am going out duck hunting tomorrow. Do you know Jmnhunter?

Yeah I knew that she didn't want me around and she was trying to look big and bad.

[bigbucks]

The warning scent is a bunch of dump as far as I'm concerned. I've shot at multiple deer with the bow & gun off the same stand within a few minutes of each other many times. I've both missed & killed the first deer. The second critter had no idea that I could tell that the first one had been there, regardless of what had happened. That of course hasn't been true if the first one was actually laying there. They still come by in that situation too, but they tend to notice their fallen comrade.

[LuciandTim]

The Metatarsal gland is largest in mule deer, next largest in blacktails and smallest in whitetails. It's been suggested that blacktails and possibly mule deer use it when alarmed to express danger. It's not totally understood in whitetails. There has been no proven research done in whitetails to conclude that a warning scent is released from the metatarsal. The "blow" or "screech" that a doe typically does when danger is sensed is a warning sound to other deer in the area. The doe will typically bound to the edge of what she considers a danger area and sound her alarm. This sound is commonly used by a doe. Bucks don't commonly use this alarm as it is a learned characteristic of being a mother deer.

I might ad that the reason that I speak of the metatarsl gland is that it is the only gland that is not completely understood and in other types of deer it has been proven to secrete a warning scent but NOT IN WHITETAILS.