Deer movement in the heat, and human scent
10-07-2015, 06:22 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 10
Deer movement in the heat, and human scent
I've been hunting a hot spot on public land. During the summer my trail camera showed lots of movement on a deer trail. Mostly Does, and small bucks. I've already took a four point buck off this trail on opening day. The days i've hunted have been warm in the lower 80s with very little wind. I've always thought warm days with no wind was bad for bow hunting because it being warm causes you to sweat, and that creates smell. To make things worse, with no wind it causes the smell to radiate out and saturate the area. Am I right on this? The first few days i hunted this spot (average 5 hours a day) I saw deer everyday but now it has dwindled down to nothing. Has my scent tainted the area spooking the deer to leave? If so, how long for the deer to return? I will probably stay out of the area for awhile and let the deer come back, and cooler weather with a good breeze to carry away my odor. I have been spraying myself down with scent killer, and using doe urine as a cover scent.
10-08-2015, 01:55 AM
#2
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Maine & northern FloRida
Posts: 195
Hard to tell the exact reason for a deer's pattern change. It could be food source, your hunting pressure, others hunting pressure (you did say public land). The weather, the rut, there are too many variables. The one thing to do is pattern them from year to year. It may not help at this moment but will in the future.
As the deer passed you, where were they going? Are they still arriving there?
Good luck, there may be a reason or pattern. Just keep searching.
As the deer passed you, where were they going? Are they still arriving there?
Good luck, there may be a reason or pattern. Just keep searching.
10-08-2015, 04:29 AM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 921
You already killed a deer from that spot, you have sat there several time (5 hours +). I think that is a big reason for the lack of sightings. The deer have you patterned. Move around and try different locations. Generally, the most productive stands are new stand on the first sit and then sightings go down hill from there.
10-08-2015, 05:35 AM
#5
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: south eastern PA
Posts: 15,446
Coongitter, warm with no wind is better than warm with a breeze. You are always putting off scent, regardless of what clothing you are wearing and what it was washed in or what it was sprayed with. You are also putting off scent when you breath out. On a hot or warm day with no breeze the rising warm air carries your scent up, away from the ground. Deer change patterns, they don't do things the same way ll year long, food, doe in heat and other things besides human intrusion will change deers movement.
