by canoe.

In the mornings when going into stands I try to stay in the woods much as possible to avoid alerting the deer in the field feeding. In the evenings when going in I try to stay away from the thick little bedding patches that are in a woods that these bucks like to bed in but at the same time I try not to walk around zigzagging all over the woods making footsteps all over. The less steps it takes me to get where I got to go the better.

I see now what you were saying Jeff. I do this as well. I will Sometimes be in stand an hour before first light. Sometimes, I will be an hour after first light. Heck I even go sometimes at 10:00AM and sit the rest of the day. Just according to what stand I am hunting and how often I have hunted that particular stand. I agree, deer will definately usually catch on to us quicker than us to them. (Older/Smarter Deer)

LT

I realize very well that a deer will pattern you if you use the same trail every time. They will also smell where you have been on all of your other entry/exit routes. I like moving to different trees too, but I will still use the same general path to get to a different tree. This way, you didn't just leave a "new" trail of scent to a different tree. In doing the different path, you may be pushing a deer further away than before, whenyou had only pushed or altered his/her path only 20 to 30 yds. Deer sometimes will only skirt a stand once they realize it is a spooky place. By using the same trail and only choosing a different tree maybe 20 to 30 yds deeper into the area, you may just intercept that same deer.

LT

LT....honest question....

How long do you think your scent trail remains in the woods?

For this question....we'll assume you're clean and you've sprayed down......and rain doesn't wash out your trail.

How long?

Days, maybe weeks. According to how much vegetation you contact, ground moistness, other variables as well, I suppose.

LT

If I'm hunting public land I take the easy route..until it 's time to break off for my spots. There are "trails" that hunters are gonna walk. It's human nature. I'll stick to those knowing that the deer know it too. Once it's time to head for the more remote spot I'll be in, I factor in the wind and the expected route of the deer I'm heading to interecept. I will respray my boots at this point and I will go out of my way not to leave any trail that they will pick up on.

Even taking these precautions I have seen deer hit my back trail and never once, recall a bad reaction. I wear rubber boots and they are heavily descented. I also make sure to step in any mud, deer crap or other natural things. As fordescenting I rarely use a scent killer on my boots. I prefer deer dander,and these boots are only used for the walk in and out and on stand. They are not worn in the truck and they don't go out to shovel the snow etc. They are my hunting boots!

I've done that too!!

I don't believe this to be true, LT.....but I'm no expert. I don't see how this would be possible if you go in clean....rubber boots.....etc... I think they can tell where you've stepped .....due to the disturbance of the vegetation....but I don't think we're leaving that much scent on the ground by just walking in.

Maybe I'll learn something in this thread.

I am by no means an expert here either Jeff. I do know what I have witnessed as far as deer altering patterns whether by scent contamination or simply human presence. I believe they can and will pattern us. I have witnessed this on several occasions. If they are not patterning us by scent, then why will they skirt some stands and never use that trail again? Is it because they saw you? Not in my experience. I have a very strict scent regimen, but they will continue to bust us all at one point or another. Now, will they alter their pattern just because of one screw-up on being scent free? I don't think so. They may be more cautious the next time, but not enough to alter their trail. Using different trails distributes whatever scent we leave or ground disturbance oveer a different area each time we do so. imho