Deer scent used by Indians
 

Someone told me that Indians used to carry skins or bladders of doe estrous urine when they hunted deer. If the wind shifted in the deer's favor, they'd supposedly use this urine to mask their smell. But if this is so, how would it work? Would carrying the bag be enough to mask an Indian's scent? Would he have to scatter the liquid into the air between him and the deer? Or what, exactly?

Rob

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

If that is true I think they would most likely "wash" themselves in it.
We are not talking about a people with a phobia about doing that kind of thing. If it would work and out food on the fire, it would be done.
Now I am NOT saying they weren't clean. Probably cleaner than most of the "civilized" settlers they met, just they were not afraid of doing what needed to be done.

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

I understand people can douse themselves with scents in advance. But this person implied Indians used the scent in the middle of a hunt. Would dousing themselves quickly with the urine work?

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

I would read it as this,
When hunting deer, if the wind shifted from the way it had been blowing, in order to continue the hunt they would use doe urine they carried with them in bladders. But I would suspect that they would wash down with it as a masking scent in order to be able to come at the deer from a upwind side. Simple to do. Pour some into your hand and rub it on your face, arms, etc. It would take seconds and could be done behind cover so as not to give yourself away with movement. Besides, "spraying" it out from a container could make more noise and disturbance than just a quick wash and it is being used to cover your own body scent so when you you do anything but put it on yourself.

this is only an semi-educated guess though.

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

Wayomic, i have to agree with you its not a clean or not clean thing its a you eat or you dont thing back then!! Walt

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

Most of the annecdotal evidence suggests that they more frequently used smoke from a camp fire as cover scent or smeared themselves with mud to absorb and cover their own scent . They also frequently used deer hides from previous kills both as scent cover and camo . If urine was used at all it's a good bet that they either bathed in it or simply doused their footwear to leave a trail . In most cases they just hunted with the wind in their favor or conducted drives .

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

I would think they would have used fresh deer droppings smeared on themselves. I'm not sure what percentage of the time they actually ate deer meat. I don't think it was as often as you would think before firearms became available to them.. Easier to get food was more likely in their diet.

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

Ive actually heard of that before, Im pretty familiar with Indians and their traditions, history, and hunting techniques. Of cource, I come from a long line of family that has always been fighting Indians. My grandfather, when he came to America in 1684 from Canada, killed 26 Indians in one raid, and they burnt down his house 4 different times in 4 different locations.


-Travis-

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

The indians were hunting here successfully thousands of years before the invention of gunpowder , don't sell bows and spears short . ;)

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

Squeeze over Squeeze Box! Wonder why they burnt down his house?:eek:Let someone come and set-up a camper in your yard and see what you will do?

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

Right on Kev!

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

You can't really compare hunting 100's of years ago to hunting in the modern world. There was no were near the pressure on deer at that time, and most likely the numbers in a specific area were lower and the range of the deer much larger (more land, less people). Also they didn't have rules, regulations or seasons. If you were hungry you killed something. They could trap them, snare them, drive them off a cliff, chase them down on a horse, whatever it took to eat. They didn't do it for sport or the challenge.

Heck 50 years ago or so you didn't even need to wear camo or use cover scents. Just go out in a pair of jeans and flannel coat, or your carharts.

Thats my opinion any way.

Paul

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

yeah well they didnt burn down no more houses after he got through with em, that's for sure. I hate how people think we were "so horrible" for fighting the Indians, they were doin a good job of killin eachother LONG before we got here


-Travis-

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

There not Indians,there Native Americans.

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

tomatoe, tomotoe ;)

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

I gotta agree with Reb. Your comments on Native Americans are pretty ignorant. The natives of years ago were a great people with a great culture living with the land. Then we came along and showed them a "better way of life". We destroyed the greatest cultures and the greatest way of life in the nameof progress. Time to wake up andadmit that what we, and your grandfather,did to the Native Americans was a tradegy.

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

[/quote]
Squeeze over Squeeze Box! Wonder why they burnt down his house?:eek:Let someone come and set-up a camper in your yard and see what you will do?
[/quote]

I don't care who you are , that's funny ! :D :D

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

The native americans in the temperate zone would bring along bladders as well as some tarsail glands to use much like we do now with attactants and shields that are packaged so nice and neat so we don't get our hands dirty. Like many early people,the North American hunters were some of he most skilled and effective at taking game to provide. Next time you are sittingin your stand in 20 F snowy weather, with your goretek and thinsulate and warmers,think of the indian withhidemoccasins, pants and a fur poncho - and that he would already be taking his meat back home to make jerkey.

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

Well, I don't know what they used up north, but the Seminoles of Central and South FL, used Pine Sap and Pine Oil. I have used Siberian Pine Oil and wrap my hunting clothes in pieces of Lighter Pine. When hunting in a Pine Forrest you don't wantto smelllike Apples!:D

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

my grandfather did not do anything personally to any Indians, and I woulda done the same darn thing. If anybody doesnt like the way this country was founded, what do you wanna do? give all the land back and move back to England? Us whites did some pretty horrible stuff, I will admit, but we didnt call em "savages" for nothin, it was a 2 way street. Ignorance my rear

-Travis-

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

I guess we can't blame the KKK for what they do to Blacks and Foreigners?

Ct8, it's your prerogative to think the way you do, but don't come on here and brag about it! You ever stop to think that there might be Native Americans here with you or members who have a parent or grand parent with Native American blood?

RE: Deer scent used by Indians
 

what I meant is that he didnt do anything before they burnt down his houses, and the raid I was talking about was an Indian raid on him, his family, and other settlers with women and children also, who were heading to America. He didnt go out and look for trouble. I have Indian blood in me. Im not saying that the whites did was right by any means, like wounded knee? all that was was murder. All Im saying is that it was a 2 way street, and that the "hollywood view" on Indians is that they were all peaceful people, which is incorrect, cause they did some horrible things too. All Im saying is that it was a 2 way street. Dont relate what Im saying to the KKK, because I also have a fewblack family members.


-Travis-