zrexpilot

I just dont believe their nose is the best. I think its a tie between hearing and vision. This year been doing some expiermenting. I have a bow blind set up with a bait pile not 18 yds from me. No cover scent and blowing cigarette smoke out the window at them and it doesnt seem to bother them. But damn I had a 8 pointer spook as soon as I drew my bow, that little noise of the arrow sliding just freaks them out. Or even a slight body shift in the blind and they hear me. As I watch them, they are always flicking those ears and eyes in certain directions, scanning with both. I dont think their nose is all that. I think its a marketing skeem to get you to buy cover scents and scentless clothing. What do you think is their best sense.

_Dan

By far, its their nose.

buckhunter14

I say sixth sense, they have something humans don't.

Icedragon

Yea they defiantly have something we dont, its almost unexplainable.

tj_cubin

you are saying they dont smell the smoke? i think its more a matter of what spooks them, not just what they are aware. Dont assume that he didnt smell the smoke. this scenario does not prove that the ears are better than the nose

WVCritter

I say it's their sense of smell. I think they can smell you long before you're withing hearing range.

TSR6

It's a combination of all of those.

If you smell like FART, but the deer has never associated a fart with a human before - you're fine. If you drop something out of your treestand, or your phone rings, you might not be DONE yet. The deer might look right at you, but if you're against a tree he might not know exactly what you are....

However, If you move, smell like fart and make a noise at the same time - GAME OVER. You can usually pull off one or two things from that list before you are BUSTED

zrexpilot

Ya but at 18 yds standing there for more than 20 minutes, why cant they pick me up, its like out of sight out of mind. I have never used cover scents and I always can get deer within yds of me, and I dont play the wind much, unless I am rattling.

isatarak

#1 Smell

#2 Hearing

#3 Sight

skeeter 7MM

They are plenty goodwith them all but they default to their nose. How many times have you bumped or spooked a deer only to have them leap a few yards sniff, blow, look and listen. They know something spooked them but they aren't sure where or what it was, so they default to scent while running the other senses at the same time. My experience isif they smell you and spook they are gone. Though I have had deer move downwind of me and for whatever reason don't spook.

They are all very good and rely on them as a combination to ensure safety but I personally believe the nose is often the deal breaker.