Can you fool a deer's nose?

[Bear55]

You make some good points propster, I think we can agree that you can't be scent free 100% of the time and maybe I have been a little careless with scent control from time to time. I'm interested to hear about your scent control routine.

[96trigger]

Propster, please share. In past years, I have paid little or no attention to wind and almost always saw deer, didn't get busted, and followed a very strict routine. This year, did the same thing, only to get busted by just about everything. Very tough where I am to play the wind, the deer can come from just about anywhere and this year, always seemed to come from downwind.

Also, noticed that the weather played a part this year. As it got colder the deer never seemed to detect my scent near as much. Makes sense as the air is thinner and usually dryer, less particulate for scent to stick to and get carried.... Anyone else notice this?

[Musky Buck]

I did notice this trigger, maybe with everything freezing from opening day on we had sub 32 degrees, can it freeze dry our scent or something? Although Saturday we had 2 bucks get to our boot tracks, they knew something was up turned around and headed off somewhat spooked. Our tracks were made at 7:00am, the bucks came by at 9:11 am and were startled when they reached our boot prints. So I don't know what to make of it.

[96trigger]

I would say mostly its the thinner air with less moisture during the cold weather. I beleive that scent travels better with heavier more humid air.

[Musky Buck]

True enough.

[FISHINGURU]

propster is spot on forsure...i was gonna say the same exact thing about the dog vs deer comments.

the thing you have to realize is deer have receptors in the brain that tell them the danger level of the odor they are smelling.

every extra step you take with scent control will increase your odds of not alarming deer....smaller and younger deer are way more easily fooled them a mature deer, a buck or doe.

when you hear a snort and a foot stomp you totally alarmed the deer....when they come in and you can tell they know something isn't right you contained your scent good enough not to put them in full alert..they know something is not right but they don't what or where exactly....if they come in totally natural and go about their business they have no clue about your odor...more then likely you have the scent control, wind, and thermals in your advantage wether you know it or not...the younger deer are not exactly sure what danger is compared to a deer that has been around 3-10 years.

i've seen big bucks come in natural as can be then all of a sudden hit his brakes then put his nose in the air and go on full alert...then they back track to go back where they came from or go far enough out to know the odor they smell is far away and not in the danger zone.

personally i'd never hunt without a scent shield suit...the day i started wearing my suits and doing alot of scent control is the day i started seeing deer pretty much every sit...i'm more shocked when i don't see deer then when i do see deer...it used to be the opposite.

here's what i do for every sit.

i wash all my under clothes in scent free soap then i dry them with fresh earth dryer sheets...if i take them out of the dryer they go straight into a scent proof bag.

i activate my suit in the dryer with a fresh earth dry sheet...i also throw in my gloves, hat, ect....they all go in a scent proof bag....my boots are in a scent proof bag.

i shower in the morning with scent free soap and brush my teeth with baking soda...i put on scent free pit stick.

i'm normally loaded up in the vehicle the night before so when i get out of the shower and put on the under clothes i mentioned early i'm out the door...i don't stop for gas or nadda.

when i get to where i park i first spray down with scent free spray or fall blend depending what time of year it is...my hands, hair, neck, everywhere.

then i spray down my boots starting with the bottoms real good...then i get my suit on, boots on, hat, gloves, ect and spray down again.

then i go to the stand i have picked out for the best wind and thermals on top of it all....if i have a favorite stand and the wind is wrong i won't go, but if its a spot that deer can come from any direction at anytime i'll go and hope my scent is limited and not in the danger level of the deers nose and brain.

when i walk to my stand i take 10-20 steps then i stop for 30 second to a minute or so...then i take 10-20 more steps and do it again...for 1 i don't get sweaty doing it that way and for 2 thats how wildlife go through the woods...giving yourself a chance to not sound out of ordinary...if you just tromp straight through the woods at a steady pace then stop at your tree the deer will have a pretty good idea where you are.

in the morning i time it so i'm in my stand and set with half an hour before shooting light...sometimes more depending where i'm at.

i shot my biggest buck 10-15 steps downwind and he busted 2 times because i was trying to adjust my feet so i could draw my bow sitting down and my stand creeked...he instantly popped his head right up at me and bobbed his head up and down trying to figure out what i was....i totally froze and didn't blink or breath from past lessons lol....he starred at me for about a minute or two that put his head back down just to whip it back up right away to see if i moved or changed shape but i didn't move....he took a few more steps and i had to finish moving my front foot to draw and my stand creeked again...same thing happened all over again....then he dropped his head and took a couple more steps meanwhile i drew and got him broadside at about 10 steps downwind the whole time...along with my odor control i might of got lucky with my scent blowing over him cause that stand is about 25-30 ft high.

i thought i was toast the whole time and if he would of pegged my scent along with the sounds i would of been done for....i had angels with me that day.

[Bear55]

I guess I could have been a little more specific when I said you can't fool a mature deer. The times I have been busted everything has been in the deers favor, they either crossed my trail on the way into the stand or they were 100 yards strait downwind of me. We all know you can't bee 100% scent free so they will know something is up. There are goign to be 1000's of situations where you might have the upper hand, maybe your scent is blowing over them or they are on alert but didn't bust out of there but did you really fool them? They knew something was up and a lot of times they get away, maybe other times they make a mistake and you get one.

[sticknstring]

Quote:

i might of got lucky with my scent blowing over him cause that stand is about 25-30 ft high.

Yeah I'd say so.

If you can get past the steep arrow trajectories and often single lung shots, then hunt high. You get above their sight and stay out of their nostrils but without the intensified scent regimen.

[MUSKYMAN1011]

propster is spot on forsure...i was gonna say the same exact thing about the dog vs deer comments.

the thing you have to realize is deer have receptors in the brain that tell them the danger level of the odor they are smelling.

every extra step you take with scent control will increase your odds of not alarming deer....smaller and younger deer are way more easily fooled them a mature deer, a buck or doe.

when you hear a snort and a foot stomp you totally alarmed the deer....when they come in and you can tell they know something isn't right you contained your scent good enough not to put them in full alert..they know something is not right but they don't what or where exactly....if they come in totally natural and go about their business they have no clue about your odor...more then likely you have the scent control, wind, and thermals in your advantage wether you know it or not...the younger deer are not exactly sure what danger is compared to a deer that has been around 3-10 years.

i've seen big bucks come in natural as can be then all of a sudden hit his brakes then put his nose in the air and go on full alert...then they back track to go back where they came from or go far enough out to know the odor they smell is far away and not in the danger zone.

personally i'd never hunt without a scent shield suit...the day i started wearing my suits and doing alot of scent control is the day i started seeing deer pretty much every sit...i'm more shocked when i don't see deer then when i do see deer...it used to be the opposite.

here's what i do for every sit.

i wash all my under clothes in scent free soap then i dry them with fresh earth dryer sheets...if i take them out of the dryer they go straight into a scent proof bag.

i activate my suit in the dryer with a fresh earth dry sheet...i also throw in my gloves, hat, ect....they all go in a scent proof bag....my boots are in a scent proof bag.

i shower in the morning with scent free soap and brush my teeth with baking soda...i put on scent free pit stick.

i'm normally loaded up in the vehicle the night before so when i get out of the shower and put on the under clothes i mentioned early i'm out the door...i don't stop for gas or nadda.

when i get to where i park i first spray down with scent free spray or fall blend depending what time of year it is...my hands, hair, neck, everywhere.

then i spray down my boots starting with the bottoms real good...then i get my suit on, boots on, hat, gloves, ect and spray down again.

then i go to the stand i have picked out for the best wind and thermals on top of it all....if i have a favorite stand and the wind is wrong i won't go, but if its a spot that deer can come from any direction at anytime i'll go and hope my scent is limited and not in the danger level of the deers nose and brain.

when i walk to my stand i take 10-20 steps then i stop for 30 second to a minute or so...then i take 10-20 more steps and do it again...for 1 i don't get sweaty doing it that way and for 2 thats how wildlife go through the woods...giving yourself a chance to not sound out of ordinary...if you just tromp straight through the woods at a steady pace then stop at your tree the deer will have a pretty good idea where you are.

in the morning i time it so i'm in my stand and set with half an hour before shooting light...sometimes more depending where i'm at.

i shot my biggest buck 10-15 steps downwind and he busted 2 times because i was trying to adjust my feet so i could draw my bow sitting down and my stand creeked...he instantly popped his head right up at me and bobbed his head up and down trying to figure out what i was....i totally froze and didn't blink or breath from past lessons lol....he starred at me for about a minute or two that put his head back down just to whip it back up right away to see if i moved or changed shape but i didn't move....he took a few more steps and i had to finish moving my front foot to draw and my stand creeked again...same thing happened all over again....then he dropped his head and took a couple more steps meanwhile i drew and got him broadside at about 10 steps downwind the whole time...along with my odor control i might of got lucky with my scent blowing over him cause that stand is about 25-30 ft high.

i thought i was toast the whole time and if he would of pegged my scent along with the sounds i would of been done for....i had angels with me that day.

Bla, Bla, Bla,!

[FISHINGURU]

i've never had a problem with steep arrow trajectories...its all about shot placement....that beast made it about 25-30 yards.

the scent regimen might sound intense but its whats normal to me...i won't hunt any other way anymore.

definatly the more moist the air is the better a deer can smell....when you see a deer licking its nose its trying to moisten the air going in so they can smell better.

the more you know and the more you respect your game the better of a hunter you will be.

u can take notes if you want MUSKYMAN.

[MUSKYMAN1011]

i've never had a problem with steep arrow trajectories...its all about shot placement....that beast made it about 25-30 yards.

the scent regimen might sound intense but its whats normal to me...i won't hunt any other way anymore.

definatly the more moist the air is the better a deer can smell....when you see a deer licking its nose its trying to moisten the air going in so they can smell better.

the more you know and the more you respect your game the better of a hunter you will be.

u can take notes if you want MUSKYMAN.

I am!

But I must say I’m usually higher than 30 feet, 30 is not necessarily high enough to Fool a deers nose.

IMO, I’d say 40 would be better, especially if it’s a taller deer with a longer neck.

[jltimm]

You guys are friggen crazy to hunt from that high up! Do ya drop a bomb from up there when you see the deer?

[Musky Buck]

Some of you are getting out of bow range as high as you are hunting lol.

[sticknstring]

Quote:

IMO, I’d say 40 would be better, especially if it’s a taller deer with a longer neck.

Like a giraffe?

[bigbucks]

Where the heck do they hunt that they don't have branches in the way from there that they can't even reach with polesaw to trim?

They must be limited to deer right under the tree.

[jltimm]

Arrow speed is much faster the higher you go up!

[propster]

Bear, you can fool them, even a mature one. And you will always have the naysayers, guys that have killed deer because everything went their way so now they believe they don't need it, which is fine, but who knows what they've been missing out on. And as for playing the wind, sure we'd all like to be able to control that, but how many times, especially during the rut, have you had the deer not walk on the trail you're hunting upwind, or the doe gets chased on the backside of your tree and busts you? When I get more time I will try to list some of the overlooked things and lay out the regimen a bit. Fishinguru does a lot of it, but I will caution you on something you are doing that is actually defeating your purpose a bit. How does your carbon suit differentiate between the human odor it is adsorbing and the earth scent you put on it? Answer is it doesn't - it trys adsorbs the earth scent too, which means not only is the earth scent not having as much an effect relative to the amount you put on as compared to a non-carbon suit, but you're actually filling the carbon sooner than you otherwise would by having it adsorb the earth instead of your human odor.

[propster]

By the way, I have nothing against earth scent, keep using it. But I'd spray it on your boot bottoms, maybe your backpack, tree stand seat, those kind of things. Just not on your carbon suit or on the layers your carbon suit is going over.

[JeffB]

I like your idea of having your stand 30 ft in the air. If I didn't see deer I could always hunt geese with a rake. LOL

[FISHINGURU]

the amount of scent shield i use and where i use it doesn't effect the adsorbing quality of my suit imo...i thought it stopped odors at the molecular level preventing the odor to form into a gas...without the gas the suit can't adsorb it...or am i off base here?

mainly i use the earth blend/fall blend sprays around the places my scent would more n likely escape like hands, neck, head, boots...i guess i wasn't that specific what sprays i use and where...i roll with scent shield, fall blend, white lightning and carbon blast...i don't use them all everytime though but they are all in my vehicle when i go.

you guys think 25-30 ft is wicked or something lol? lowest i like to hunt is 18-20 ft...i got a 12ft ladder stand honey hole though...its hiddin nicely but deer look right at me alot but don't get alarmed...they see me but they don't.

if you get up high over buck brush and cut shooting lanes you can cover a whole area better and get longer shots...or if the area in front of you is a gradual sloping up slant your 25-30ft off the ground but 20-30 yards in front of you isn't...some cases you could be 30ft + off the ground and still have deer coming at eye level.

the higher in the tree u can get the more u can see normally...some situations are different though and your better off being lower...but i like to be out of sight and out of the path to the deers nose as much as possible.

trimming and cutting lanes is simple you just bring a saw that extends....bring a buddy and have him cut while u sit in your stand and point out branches and little trees lol...don't touch stuff, keep the area as scent free as possible blah blah blah...u know the drill.

[Bear55]

propster I look forward to hearing what you do to control your scent and what I might be missing. I am very strict with my scent control just because I know it can only help my cause.

One thing that is hard to cover up is your breath, even if you brush your teeth in baking sode (which I do) or use gum-o-flage or whatever I'm not sure you can control that. Any thoughts?

[96trigger]

Guru, I think its the earth scent dryer sheet that he is talking about, when the carbon is in the dryer trying to recharge, it is also trying to absorb the scent particles, now gas because of hte heat, that the dryer sheet is giving off. Keep using the earth scent, but when recharging carbon clothing, I make sure that there is no dryer sheets.

I use scent killer when I get out of the truck. I wear the least amount of layers on the drive out, all the rest are in a a scent bag, in a tub, in the back of the truck. I try and never let the truck stop with that stuff back there and I keep it towards the front to keep the exhaust from creeping in the back. Then I get dressed in the field covering everything liberally with scent a scent blocker or shield spray.

If I sweat even the smallest bit, everything gets washed in scent free soap again. If not, I usually go 3-4 hunts with the base layers, 5-10 with the outer scent lock layer. I shower with scent free soap before every hunt, morning and night.

My biggest problem this fall has been the boots. Twice I had nice bucks hit my foot trail out to the stand and high tail it out. Anybody have any suggestions on defeating this. Would rubber boots help? I am seriously thinking about getting a pair.

As for the breath, try and breath through your nose if possible. Tough to do, but might get easier as you go on. Also, maybe try chewing apple gum. Might not spook the dear not sure about how much breath plays a part. Lots of deer were shot before gum-o-flage came out.

[BeezeHound]

Rubber boots have been a great help to me as far as them not smelling where I've stepped. Make sure if you do get some to go and buy some scent free powder too. On the hot days in the early season your feet will get awfully hot and sweaty walking to the stand since these boots don't allow your feet to breath. Just sprinkle a little powder in the boot before you go and no worries.

[B. Amish]

I've read that deer don't necessarily smell your scent from your boot tracks but can detect the 'size' of the track's owner. They can smell the disturbance left behind when you walk out to your stand.

More disturbance = bigger tracks = chance that it's a predator or human.

[sticknstring]

Disturbances will often sound the alert but not always. If your boots are clean, often curiosity can lead to their downfall. The biggest doe I've ever shot followed my boot tracks 40 yds through the snow right into me. On the other hand, I've had coyotes and fisher wheel instantly once they hit my tracks. Every situation is different. All one can do is take the necessary precautions and hope for a little luck.