Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

I think one of the absolute biggest factors in killing mature bucks on a regular basis is beating his nose. There's different ways you can do it..you can get high in a tree, use cover scent and take every precaution you possibly can, and then, even then, he may beat you at your own game.
One thing I think we tend to forget as hunters is that were're in their domain. Were're in his neck of the woods. Sometimes we as hunters, don't take all of the necessary precautions when even scouting. Many great bowhunters has said, it take 90% scouting and 10% hunting, and how true that is..If you don't know how the deer are moving, you can't kill'em..but even scouting, we need to make sure were're trying to beat his nose..
I've read many times that a whitetails nose is a hundred times stronger than that of our own. That means that deer are able to pick smells up at even several hundred yards away if the wind is right.. Knowing that, it's easy to understand how the smallest amount of human odor could totally decide whether that buck is going home in the bed of your truck or not... We as hunters have to definitely have to develop a overall game plan as to how were're going to control our scent. Then, we have to stick with it hardcore. Totally getting rid of your scent will probably never be possible, but reducing it is certainly the first step in the right direction. Scent reduction programs begin with making sure you don't stink, including showering before every hunt with an unscented soap, and there's plenty of different products to use. I like to use dead-down wind or Ex-treme deer scents... The same goes for clothing. You'll want to keep your clothing scentless, and wash them in unscented detergents as well. You can even use arm n hammer..


The greatest source of ground scent usually comes from wearing boots that will suck up scent..boots made out of cloth will have this affect..Now, I've been guilty of it, and I've also had plenty of deer walk across where I had just stepped with cloth type boots, but wearing rubber boots will defintiely aid in keeping your scent down. Make sure, though, that if you buy rubber boots, they have some insulation in them. Mine don't and there's alot of times wish they had. If you get insulated ones it will definitely weight your boots down though...


Now that you're dressed to kill, you might consider spraying down all equipment and outerwear with a scent killer. If you really want to do it right, make sure you spray your bow as well..it can hold it's fair share of scent...

Taking some of these tips to heart and putting them into practice will definitely aid you in taking a big buck this season...

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

The way i look at it, theres no way i can reduce all my human scent, especially if mr. big can smell 100x better than i can. All i do is make sure the wind isnt blowing right in his direction and wear rubber boots. Sometimesi spray a little scent killer on but its never going to eliminate all my scent so its kind of pointless.

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

You are obviously a very wise hunter.I've never seen an article like that in Outdoor Life,Field and Stream,Deer and Deer Hunting,NA Whitetail,Ohio Game and Fish,Buckmasters,Rack,The Northwoods Sporting Journal,Fur Fish and Game,or any of the other 117 outdoor mags.:eek:

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

he forgot to mention utilizing "gas x" or "beano" because flatuance is a dead give away in a tree.

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Nah, just make sure to have a solid dinner of corn, apples and glover the night before and then you will be blowing an attractant instead! ;):D

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Hey guys,

Sorry ifthis some of you think this threadseemsa little 101...but there's always an educational curve involved when it comes to forums, or anything for that matter...some who read this material may find it helpful and some may find it a little sub-par to their level of deer hunting education....and yes, the 117 mag's out there may cover this material on a regular basis, but there are some out there who may be brand new to the sportand may have never read those articles, and may have questions...and thisthread is for those...

as far as scent contol goes, I think you have to do a little more than just play the wind and wear rubbler boots, as that definitely helps...I think there's some good spray on products out there that help control scent, and as I don't think you should over do it, I think you should use it on a regular basis...a good scent program is the best solution...I've done it for years now and had great success and I'm sure if you talk to any of the other successful hunters who tag a big mature buck, year after year, they'll tell you the same...you have to have a good program..

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Thanks for the info . Theres no such thing as to much of it and not all of us are pro hunters . Keep it coming .

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Just because I feel like arguing, I don't think a whitetail's sense of smell is its number one defense. I think it's vision is numero uno.

We can neutralize their sense of smell by the very simple measure (although granted this doesn't sell product for the hunting gear manufacturers) of staying downwind of the deer. Doing so converts the deer's sense of smell into a zero. Their hearing is great, granted, but truthfully all a sound typically does is raise their alert level - put them to sniffing and looking. Only after their nose or eyes confirm what their ears tell them do they run, usually.

Their eyesight is the rub. They are absolutely keyed in to movement, and we can't shoot without movement, right?

Again, I'm just being argumentative, but all this is triply true when you do a lot of still hunting. In still hunting, it's their eyesight that busts me the vast majority of the time.

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

I definitely have to agree to disagree with you on that one...:D It all depends on what type of hunting your doing, and if your still hunting then yes, you do have a much greater chance of being seen before they smell you...your down on their level...however, I hunt from a stand, and I have literally not been spotted out of my stand for at least 3 yrs....but have I been busted through their nose, definitely......Chuck Adams use to hunt with check-ed flanel shirts on, deer are color blind for Pete's sake, and they never seen him...all you have to do is break up your outline. He didn't start hunting with camo until he got sponsor's...money talks, and the rest walks....however, there's tons and tons of products out there trying to reduce scent....that's how deer communicate with each other through rubs, scapes, licking branches, etc....there noses pick all that up....So to say that a deer's eye sight is a bigger threat to a hunter than his nose, I don't buy it.....

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

I know I've been winded and spooked deer that way, but if you freeeeze, they may know something is up if they see you but won't spook if you don't move (if the wind is right). I've had many encounters where the deer and I entered into a staring contest, and if I hold my ground and dont move, they usually get back to feeding. They look every now and again, but if they dont catch you move, they eventually forget you're there or at least give you the opportunity to draw when they move behind a tree, look the other way for a few seconds, etc. It is unbelievable though how they can wind you when you know they didn't catch you visually.

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

exactly!!.......

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Im not sure Dirtz really thinks that vision is a deers #1 sense ..he said he just felt like arguing a little ...which makes for a healthy debate .... even a deer cant see through heavy foliage or through trees ...but they can smell most everything ... yep I would have to agree his sense of smell is his number 1 defense because they could smell out a fart in a world wind...then his hearing ..then his vision ...but thats just from my experience ..

dd

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Thanks for the nod, DD.(Did I ever mention what a great buckyou've got there?)I would like to repeat that IF you have the wind in your favor, with or without any gadgets, there is a 0% chance thata deer is going to smell. However, you must move to shoot, so the chance you get spotted is greater than 0%.

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

DIRTZ IT HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE THAT A DEER WILL ALWAYS USE HIS NOSE AS HIS FIRST DEFENSE ...WHEN IT IS WINDY AND HE CANT SMELL OR HEAR HE WILL GENERALLY WALK BIG OPEN WOODS OR THE EDGE OF A FIELD SO HE CAN AT LEAST SEE ...HOWEVER WHEN ITS CALM OR A LIGHT WIND WHERE HE CAN HEAR AND SMELL HE TENDS TO WALK THE MORE DENSE AREA'SAND TRUST HIS NOSE.... JMHO

dd

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

A MATURE deer, couldn't live to be a MATURE deer w/o sight or smell.....so, why does one have to be more important than the other?

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

While that is true, a big buck does certainly use all his senses...and in order to take one, you need to over come all....out of all his senses, his since of smell is the greatest...just like a turkey's sight is a much greater advantage to itself than its Ol sensory factor...a big buck uses it sense of smell more than any...Like I've brought out...Chuck use to wear check-ed shirts, and deer are color blind...now, I'm not saying they don't use their sight, what I am saying is that they rely on smelling things at a much greater rate....if this wasn't the case, we wouldn't have to store our clothes in air tight containers, watch what we eat before we go out, make sure nothingsmelly is on our hands when we go into the field, wear rubber boots, possibly scent-lok clothes, make sure our clothes is sprayed down, and/or washed in scent reducing agents, watch the wind, use scents as cover, and not to mention, theirs a muti-billion dollar industry involving the reduction of scent, etc..then and maybe then, if your scent program is flawless, they won't smell you. Bucks also use their sense of smell to communticate through licking branches, rubs and scrapes, all involving their sense of smell, as far as their eyes go, all you have to do is get 16 ft. or above, and don't move...which is harder to do? It is much much much easier to overcome their sight than their sense of smell...So you asked, Why does one have to be more important than the other? Once you can get your scent program that's flawless, you'll be sure to start seeing many more mature bucks....

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

I do not agree with, "all you have to get is 16ft or higher". Hunting in an area that there aren't many trees, such as certain parts of the MidWest is ALOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT different than hunting places that have actual forrests. The deer out there rarely look up. The guy that killed that huge buck on the Lone Wolf tv show....u seen it? that deer walked right under him and never looked up.....if i am not mistaken, they even comment on it during the episode.

Its b/c they aren't used to looking up. Here in SC, our deer will spot you if you are 30+ feet in a tree.

One perfect example is last year I was hunting 20+ feet in my climber. I had a flock of about 10 turkeys walk under me and feed. None of them every spotted me. A little while later, three does come down the same trail....All three of them look RIGHT at me....like i was sticking out on a limb.

Everything depends the situation.

If the deer is used to danger being above him,he is going to look up.

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Your definitely right there...Every state is different, and even areas with in a state that gets more pressure will be different as well...it all depends on how educated the deer are in your area....Although, you can take deer from lower than 16 ft, I've done it, the general rule of thumb is 16ft above...I've been up above 20ft. and had a buck spot me when he was right under me....I wasn't moving at all what-so-ever...If deer are educated to hunters in stands, and they havebusted hunters before, they are much harder to hunt...but I definitely agree with your statement..I've had my best luck and started seeing more bucks when I was in the 30ft. range..it'sa little hard to get use to at first, but it definitely pays off...

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

DD, I have to agree as well. I have been spotted countless times no matter how high I was, how still I was or how much scent control I practiced. This has led me to test the concept of a ladder stand this year though I almost always use a climber.As one of the others on here said, we are in their world. So I am beginning to think that their memory of their surroundings is much better than we give credit for. Think about it, they walk these trails evryday. Now there is something hanging out above them that wasn't there this morning!?!?!? So I'm going to try putting a stand out early in the fall and "slip" in during the season. I am buying one that has a lower skirt. (if that means anything) And I hope that they'll get used to its presence long before I get back into the woods.

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

I don't getwhat your saying[&:]If you truely get high, adeer isn't going to see you unless you are hunting that area way to much, or have left your scent on your boots going directly to the tree. Maybe you accidently touched the tree when putting your climber up. However, I can tell you right now, putting up a ladderstand isn't going to help you. Especially if the deer "Have to get used to it". A big mature buck won't get use to it, he'll just move out of the area where he's more comfortable. If your up high, and you have cover, a deer isn't going to see you. Maybe if your out in a lone tree with nothing around you, then yes, your going to look like a lolly pop. However, I have to agree with the majority. My experience has showed me that it is way easier to stay hidden than to cover up all thescent. On top of that, DD, didn't say that sight was more important, he said the opposite of that.

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

This is what dd said,

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Sorry, I was referring to StrutNtom's post. I was reading too fast. Does that clear it up for you? And don't get so bent out of shape, I am adding my opinion like everyone else. As far as deer not adjusting to their environment, that's a little short sighted of you. Deer are one of the most adaptive animals out there. They will get used to their surroundings after they don't view it as a threat. Just like the buck standing at the corner of a busy8 laneintersection in Northern Virginiaat 2 pm munching away. I see it all the time.

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Hey Gunner, I wasn't bent out of shape;)Sorry if I came off like that. That's what were're here for, to learn from each other. Just hit me next time I act like that

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

No prob. I think we all can agree on this, though. Sharing ideas and strategies on here is agood thing, but we have to be adaptive as well. Because the deer I hunt in VA, in this region, with the food sources I have around me and on this "particular" piece of property are different than where you hunt. I have come to believe that the information we share can not be considered a global given for every deer. They're just tools to throw into your bag of tricks to try and to adapt to where ever you may be. The influences that exist in a given area force deer to adapt to their surroundings. I also believe that deer, generally speaking, are smarter than we give them credit for. For some they're a large rodent, others a respected game. I haven't been hunting for all that long, but I have and continue to see remarkable things happen in the woods. And that's part of the fun.

Tell you what, I'm gonna try this ladder stand concept whether you like it or not,, and I'll report back in mid-January. Hopefully with a trophy getting ready for my wall. Till then, I'm still learning so keep the conversation going.

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Thus the purpose for this forum ...we can all learn from one another and thats one of the things that makes our sport so great !

dd

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Hey guys, I think your doing a heck of a job representing this forum to the fullest. I've seen forums where all they do is argue and nobody learns a darn thing. However, you guys are keeping first things first, and that's the educational process of learning a whitetails habits and nature..and not to mention, bagging a big one....again, great job, and I'm glad to be apart of this forum!!

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Maybe?

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Hi Guys,
I believe being scent free is primary to your hunting success. I have been bow hunting and had deer come into my hunting area just snorting away trying to figure out what I was. I would just sit still and had the wind going in the right direction so the deer didn't know what was going on. If a deer snorted at me several times, I would just do a call to try and let them know that another deer was in the area. That way, they would go back to what they were doing. I found that this worked very well, for me on several of my hunts. Has anyone else done this?

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

IMHO - when someone figures out how to beat a whitetails nose, he'll start lining his walls with world class animals every-single-year.

With todays technology, it isn't possible to beat a whitetails nose. The guy who put it to me straight many years ago killed his 6th B&C with a bow this season (Fair-Chase record I believe), so I'd say he's worth listening to. If someone truly had the technology to prove this, they would have advertised it by now!

JMHO of-course!

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

I agree heartily. In fact, though it is highly underpublicized, studies have demonstrated decisively that scent control suits do not work. Period.

Our only source readily available source of information on such questions as scent control is advertising and hunting magazines, a redundant statement since hunting magazines are advertising. They'll lose a lot of ad money if they publicize a scientific study that has found that scent blocker suits do nothing, zip, zero, to prevent bloodhounds from trailing down a person.

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

For anyone who thinks that a scent lock suit is the answer ...try eating a few boiled eggs ...a bowl of Chilli ...and drink some coffee ...the slip into your "scent lock" suit and go join some family or friends and LET ONE RIP ....they will let you know if that "scent lock" suit works or not !!

dd

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Doctor Death,

That is a pig buck you have there! I absolutely love those tight and heavy racks! Where did you kill him?

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Thank you WKP ...I was lucky enough to take this buck while on a hunt in Alberta back in 2004 ... he is a very unique buck and was aged at 8 to 9 years old ...with only 4 teeth left ...here is a better picture.

dd

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Sweet man - what a stud! Was he in a magazine - looks familier!

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Thank you WKP and yes he was in two Mags ...Big Buck Mag and Rack Mag ...

dd

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Rack Mag

dd

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Nice Buck DD...I noticed you said you killed it in Canada. Did you kill that buck with an outfitter? if so, what was their names?

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

So. ..I hunted with Alberta Whitetail Connection ...outiffter Don Tyschuk.

dd

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Just thought i'd put in a little something i have learned. One thing witht the wind is that it will never blow in a straight line. There are down and up currents. if your unlucky enough to have a down current near your stand. there will still be a chance to get winded. The only way i have found to try to detect this is to get some bright colored yarn from the crafts dept. and pull a bit off and let it go. The problem i see with the dusts on the market is that they dissapear to quickly. Just my 2 cents proly not worth alot though.

RE: Beating a Whitetails Biggest Sense!!
 

Scientist say it is uncomprehensible for humans to understand exactly how good the deer's sense of smell is.
It is their number one defense mechanism, period!

If hunters don't understand or believe that to be true, they are making one terrible mistake!