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

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.

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?

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.

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

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 .

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.

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-

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

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