How much human scent is "enough"?
 

This is from another thread....and it's something I've bought into in the past. I still don't know whehter it's backed by science....or simply personal opinion(s). I also know that all deer are probably different in their tolerance of human scent.

But my question would be......Do we REALLY think we're fooling them? Is there such a thing as a "little" human scent that a whitetail will tolerate"? In the past....I've thought that by going through a sound regimen of scent control....we could fool the deer into thinking we were further away than we really are. I'm not sure of that, now. Hence my question. Is there such a thing as a "little" human scent....that a whitetail will tolerate?

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

i was wondering the same exact thing last night... I overdressed for my evening hunt and was soaked in sweat by the time I reached the top of the tree. I took a bunch of layers off so I'd dry off, then put my coat and bibs back on. I had 4 deer circle downwind of me, none busted my scent. I was probably 18-20ft in the air... i dont wear scent blocker etc, only scent spray, and the bodywash/deodorants...

Conclusion? Well i think it depends on the area, the deer, and how used to human scent they are. The deer in my 'urban' setting are used to human scent, so I dont think it alarms them AS MUCH, I've noticed they need a double trigger, like movement added to scent to really get scared.

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

Jeff, I relate it to the skunk story you and Rob have told several times on here. Can we eliminate scent all together? No. I do believe, though, that I can reduce my scent enough that it tricks them into thinking I am much farther away than I am.

I've had several deer downwind of me thisyear, and in close enough range that I could view their reactions. All but one had absolutely no reaction at all. They just didn't know I was there. So last weekend when I had a yearling buck walking a course that would take him down wind of me 10 yards from my tree, I just wasn't worried about it. He got me. Stopped him dead in his tracks. I THOUGHT at that range my scent would have drifted over him, but no. He turned around and walked the way he came from.

But I also took a few shortcuts as well. I hadn't been taking my chlorophyll for a few days, didnt' spray down with DDW, and didn't take the precautions I normally do when I wash my hunting clothes. Obviously I didn't fool him, and he was certainly not ok with it. But could it be that the shortcuts I took did it? IF I would have been following my strict routine, would I have gotten away with it? I don't know, but I can tell you I won't take those shortcuts again.

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

I think that story is a great way to describe the theory.....but I wonder now if it's sound???

I'm like a kid with a new toy....using my windicator. I use it going in.....on stand every so often. ANY time I feel the wind pick up or strike a different part of my face/head.

I wonder how many times when people say that deer are "dwonwind" of them.....that their scent is really blowing where those deer can catch it. I'm not saying anyone is being untruthful (AT ALL). Please don't hink that. What I'm learning......from watching little white clouds.....is "downwind" doesn't mean that much. Thermals are absolutely amazing to watch. I have something to study, now, over the off-season.;):D

I just wonder if they'll KNOWINGLY put up with a "little" human scent? I'm thinking "no"....IF they're actually getting that scent.

ALL opinion on my part. I have no way (how could anyone?) of "knowing".

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

Depending on where a whitetail lives, they have to accept some level of human scent or they'd kill themselves running into the ground. Deer that live in human environments smell humans.

Big woods deer that may have never or only associate human with fear may accept NO level. Deer never walk into the wind 24/7/365, and if they live in human environments, do you not think they smell humans? In my woods, no matter what the wind there are humans upwind, my deer don't run 24/7.

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

I think to a degree you absolutely correct. Just because they are downwind doesn't mean the are......downwind. Like you said, the thermals have a lot to do with it, also the wind currents downrange of your stand. For example, I was sitting in natural ground blind watching a clover field. The wind was hitting me directly in the face for a while, then turned and hit me in the back of the head. So, I got up to move across the field, but when I hit the field edge, the wind was blowing from my left to right......So I sat back down and gave a couple puffs........Sure enough, that cloud went right to the edge of the field, then turned to the right and blew in a good direction. It was a learning experience for sure, and I saw several deer that were easily in range that night. Unalarmed and with no idea I was there. Thermals and currents are very interesting, and something I now think about much more.

I also had a doe that I knew was downwind of me one evening. So I puffed a couple, and that cloud hit her right in the face. Can't be more downwind than that, and she fed on clover for half an hour, totally unalarmed.

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

I agree they will smell you no matter what if they are down wind thus i feel the most important thing to do is play the wind , Now in my area the deer are very use to being around people and houses so they don't get very alarmed at human scent but if it is backed up by movement or sound then you are busted

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

Ask yourselves though what is worse, a full blow nose full of human/gas/bacon/smoke/chew/BO/etc or, a faint hint of human.

I still like the skunk theory, if we smell a skunk and he's 100 yards away, we go eew, skunk but if he's a couple feet away and we get a nose full, even we run. Deer that live in human environments smell humans, they don't leave the county unless it smacks them in the face. I like my chances much better doing everything possible to reduce my human odor.

And tell me about the windicators that pass through a deers ears and don't flee when downwind. I think Matt PA told that story once.

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/fb.aspx?m=3125077

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

Even still, ROb (and I'm not totally disagreeing with you)....your scent creates a "cone". Sorta like this See below):

I feel like we can even get away with our scent going where we don't want it to.....IF we have the right thermal. You can bet I'll be studying this in the off-season....and going into my woods on occasion to test some winds. I think we can all get away with some "iffy" winds if we play the thermals right. Sometimes it might be as simple as setting up 20-30 yds on the downhill side of a slope to take advantage of the thermal efect. I'm also learning that a "perfect" wind is not always "perfect" if the thermal is pushing it back down.

I found out yesterday that a gulch will do AMAZING things with thermals. That was an eye opener. I'm finding that RARELY (with any elevation in your setup) does your scent travel horizontally with the wind. Knowing what your scent is doing 30-40 yds from you (and making an educated determination beyond that) is imminently as important as picking the right place from the get-go (based on simpy the directional forecast).

Like I said.....it's something I want to learn more about.....but I've rarely had a deer TRULY within my scent cone that hasn't pegged me. In fact....I can't recall a single incident of it occurring.....and I'm as conscious of my scent control as most (probably an understatement).

People smoking on stand and killing deer? I believe it 100%. I can see where this would be DEATH as far as entrance/exit....but for actual hunting....no biggie. I've come full circle on this. If a man KNOWS which way the deer will travel to and from.....I don't know why that man cares too much about scent control (IF he's playing the wind correctly).

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

Discerning that something's been disturbed (a broken twig....broken blades of grass, etc...) and catching your scent are two distinctly different things. I had a nice 6-pointer catch my entrance trail the other day. He was upwind of me, too....and couldn't be catching my scent.

This tells me nothing as to what they'll tolerate. I'm seeing this as no human scent was detected. He simply noticed something was disturbed (something my steps broke or disturbed).

That's MY thinking, anyway.

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

The difference between mature bucks and does, fawns and immature bucks is that many times, the does, fawns and immature bucks seem to need to verify a second sense to positively sense danger. Where as mature bucks only need just a hint of one sense before they flee the scene. I think that 100 years of "buck hunting" has helped mature bucks evolve into this "better safe than sorry" behavior.

Ever had a mature buck hit your scent trail and try to back track you to your stand? I haven't, but I've had many does, fawns and immature bucks do it. It's been said before that mature bucks are like hunting another species. You just cannot compare mature bucks with other deer when it comes to their tolerance of humans.

I hunt in suburban areas also where deer and man are in close proximity with each other and the deer are still just wary as their rural counterparts. They may actually be better at skirting humans. They may circle around them, remain nocturnal or move about at a time when humans just aren't around.

I don't think for a minute that you can fool a deers nose into thinking that you are some place other than where you are. They are just too good at the smelling game, their life depends on it.

These are the reasons that I rely solely on the wind rather than on some scent reducing gimmick. It's not worth the chance.

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

Credit where due.

Good post, Greg.

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

Then scent control was crucial if no human scent was detected where you walked in because that's impossible without scent control right?

And all critters walking disturb things, grasses, twigs, do deer double check the grass broken by the deer that passed before them and intimately discern why?

I know footprints are plausible, I've watch my own tracking dog put his nose in prints to discern what is what.

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

Though I don't disagree, I'd just like the term "mature" defined.

And, I read where you claimed you absolutely would not purposely alert a doe to your presence so you do pay attention to scent control as I've also read where you use reducing sprays, so "gimmick" should be defined as well.

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

I believe the word gimmick refers to anything another man doesn't use and/or believe in.

As defined by the unwritten book on Deer hunters ego. Which by the way.. I'm gonna write one day.:D

As far as how much scent is enough? Depends on the individual animal. It's own education as to the ways of man. So naturally.. with age comes wisdom?

So.. there's really no wrong or right answer. But if you hunt the wind.. the thermals.. and try to eliminate all the odors you can.. you're playing better odds than the other guy.

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

I have noticed these behaviors for bucks that are 3 1/2 and older.

You must have me confused with someone else as I don't own any kind of scent reducing spray. I wash my clothes in plain water and hang out to air dry.

I would never try to alert any deer to my presence. While walking to my stands I stay off of deer trails and step in deer, horse or cow manure if possible to help cover my tracks. If you want, I guess you could consider that to be scent reducing!!?? [:-]

I have a field stand up north in Wi. It is an alfalfa field with woods on two sides. From past mistakes, I've learned to walk to the stand directly down the center of the field, not along the woods. That way, by the time a deer hits my trail it would be too late for it to flee if I wanted to shoot it. Also, if a doe comes along that I don't want to shoot and she starts back tracking me, I've got the wind in my face and hope for the best that she won't recognize my frozen shape in the tree. I've never had a mature buck do this to me as I have had does do several times.

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

I think it is truly deer dependant and what they will tolerate, like previous said.

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

Thats why I said (Previously)it was crucial for entrance/exit purposes MOST.

Nothing in my woods has a footprint the size of mine. But does a deer check where another deer crossed its' path? Yes. See it all the time.

I think I said this very thing last week....lol:D

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

I think it depends alot on what the deer are use to. I know I hunt relatively close to neighborhoods during bow season and most of the time could go in without any scent control and deer wouldnt think twice about it as they will walk right out in the yards of the houses with people standing there. Now if you are hunting 5 miles from anyone then I would say there tolerance would be vey low.

RE: How much human scent is "enough"?
 

Depends on how used to you they are. The guys that hunt their own places, yes. Let a stranger come in and no. Still compared to the way I used to get busted it sure has helped change things. The way I see it a little scent control wont hurt anything and getting busted wastes a big investment of time and money. That's something I have a hard time justifying.