RE: Question about scent control with ATV's
 

Mike, please ignore these guys who having nothing better to do than harass people. I would ask you to excuse them but their terrible adittudes and manners are unexusable, in my opinion. Wvarcher, I can understand your feelings about the litter and such but I've never seen an ATV throw down a beer can, nor have I seen an ATV blaze a trail on it's own. Blame the person controlling it, not the vehicle. Also, 90%(maybe more) of the people who ride an ATV do not fit into that description. If I'm wrong, I'm sorry, you hunt around a different crowd of people than I do.

Back to your question Mike. We own and lease close to 800 acres, so always walking is out of the question for me to. I ride my 4-wheeler but I try not to park within 300-400 yrds of my stand, most of the time even further. I do take my 4-wheeler closer if I'm taking in stands or such. I also think the deer can hear them coming and eventually will associate humans(danger) with them; that is almost unavoidable. As for scent control I make sure I never walk behind the exhaust while the 4-wheeler is running and I've got on my camo. That's the only advice I can give. Good luck!


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Hunting the Piney Woods of Deep East Texas.

RE: Question about scent control with ATV's
 

Mike, I hear ya there bud. I ride up to 4 miles to get to one of my stands and if I had to walk anywere near a mile to hunt it would take the FUN out of it.

Anyways, as far as your question goes. I would not wear scent locks while riding to your stand. I used to and would get busted often., I figured out later that the suit was collecting the exhaust smell on the ride out to the stand. I Imagine the exhaust smell wraps onto the back of the fourweeler just like dust covers the rear of the seat during the dry months.
As for normal camo's I dont worry about it much. When it's cooler I ride with a rain jacket as a wind and smell barrier.

RE: Question about scent control with ATV's
 

I'd have to go along with changing into your camo or scentlock after you arrive at your standsite. I don't know if the 4wheeler actually makes that much difference to the deer. I have seen both my father-in-law and brother-in-law take huge bucks sitting on the 4 wheeler, drinking coffe or a soda. Of course, that was during gun season.

Those who wish to appear wise among fools, among the wise seem foolish.
Marcus Fabius Quintilianus (35 AD - 100 AD)

RE: Question about scent control with ATV's
 

Mike, Wow looks like you almost started a war.. I too utilize an ATV and have had concerns over odors. Keep the engine tuned and warm it up before you get dressed to hunt. I typically walk out first thing start it up(Without my hunting clothes on) and let it run while I'm getting my things together. As one of the other guys said, I never walk behind or ride close behind while going out to the woods. I'm sure there is some odor rolling over on the driver but there is a trade off. I'm not sweating, fully rested, and get to the stand early. Been hunting (mainly bowhunting)for years with ATVs and think the trade off is worth it. As for the folks who blasted ATV users, well I'm sorry they have disrespectfully hunters in their area. But it's like anything else, it's not the machine, it's the people on them, just like this "BOARD". IT'S NOT THE BOARD OR THE QUESTION THAT WAS DISRESPECTFUL. IT WAS THE PEOPLE USING IT!!!!!

RE: Question about scent control with ATV's
 

I ride my ATV a lot to my stand. I usually park it half a mile from where I will be hunting. As far as the exhaust, I don't worry about it, I ALWAYS hunt with a good wind. If you play the wind right, a $300 scent-lock suit is pointless.

Hunt the thickets

RE: Question about scent control with ATV's
 

I just signed up for the forum today in an effort to reply to this topic based on my own observations last month.
I hunt in Mineral Wells, Tx, on my mothers 500 acre horse ranch that has a lot of machinery, and ATV traffic. One would think that with this much going on that the deer would not be affected by the noise of a tractor, or and ATV. The truth is that we have a feeder placed down in a small valley best viewed from her back patio, and at 5:30p.m. every day the same 4 does 6 fawn, and 6 point buck feed there. My mother was at the barn about 300 yards away, and up the hill from the feeder the other day while I was at the house spotting scope in hand watching deer. She started her EZ-GO jeep to come to the house just like she does, and has every day for the past 10 yrs, and to my amazment the 16 deer bolted from the feeder. They did return 20 or so minutes later, but changed my mind entirely on how I will be getting to my stands this year. A-Foot!!!!

RE: Question about scent control with ATV's
 

I think the opposite of Y2KR1. I have drove right by bedded deer on my ATV on the way to hang a stand. She watched as I drove by and then when I was leaving, she watched from the same spot and never even stood up. They are some what accustomed to equipment. Now if I would have stopped within 100 yards or so she probably would have bolted. I have watched deer walk by my ATV that was parked in the middle of a corn field and I have watched them walk by my truck at the road without hesitation.

So my opinion is that if you don't drive into their area and stop you will be ok.

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Edited by - IL_BOW_MAN on 09/27/2002 11:09:56

RE: Question about scent control with ATV's
 

Where I hunt we all have atv's but always walk in. I have anywhere from a 300 yard to 1 mile walk depending on which stand I hunt. The atv is there just in case I kill one. I hate dragging deer and usually pull right up beside it to load it up. The guys on the lease next to us drive in on atv's and usually run deer over to our property. I've seen this on several occasions.

As far as the scent, I agree with the others. Put your camo on after driving in to keep the exhaust scent off your clothes.

RE: Question about scent control with ATV's
 

Everyone seems to think I shouldn't be on this message board because of my stance on ATV's. If I was going to single someone out, I would look at DaveC, the man who thinks walking anywhere near a mile takes the fun out of hunting. I just returned from a scouting trip this morning because our season hasn't started yet. I saw 17 deer, 2 black bears and multiple turkeys, grouse and squirrels. The bears were in thickets 20 yards off the trail so I'm sure I would not have seen them on an ATV. This is a hunting message board, and I thought hunting incorporated many skills such as woodsmanship and markmanship. Any slob can ride in the woods on a four wheeler, shoot a deer and ride it back out, that's not what I call hunting.

RE: Question about scent control with ATV's
 

wvarcher,

I don't think anyone is saying you don't need to be on the board but you did come on here and with your very first post, began casting stones so to speak. You're right, it is a hunting board and I was asking a legitimate hunting question. Just because you choose not to use an ATV while hunting doesn't make your way any better than mine. I'm sure every member on this board has a different style of hunting. As long as each person enjoys their hunting experience, even though it doesn't match your style, doesn't necessarily make it wrong. There is no reason to come on here bashing and degrading other members for their style of hunting. If that is all you are here to do and have nothing valuable to offer, then yes you will not be welcome here. If you have something such as good advice or would like to share some of your experinces with us then by all means you are more than welcome here.