Reality Check - A deer's ability to smell
 

I am not sure I buy a statement on another post where somebody typed that cover scents don't work because the deer will still smell you. I just find it hard to believe that if you are using Tink's stink skunk between you and the deer, that they can pick you out. This stuff is potent.

RE: Reality Check - A deer's ability to smell
 

Maybe so. I'd still kill as much of my own before hunting when ever possible.

RE: Reality Check - A deer's ability to smell
 

Like I said...We can't begin to understand how well a deer can smell...They walk through a white oak flat at night and can tell you every coon, yard dog, cat, coyote, whatever has pass through there in the past 8 hours....I've seen them move out of a soybean field over 300 yards away, while I was 20 feet up in a tree....

Don't believe it, ignore the wind...See if you fill your freezer....:D

RE: Reality Check - A deer's ability to smell
 

I've seen deer smell some strange things.... I don't use a cover sent.. except mud when I fall in a creek or something (clumsy oaf)
I've seen deer wind me and haul ass and I've also seen them wind me and keep coming. I wash my camo in an old steel cooker with baking soda and hang it out to dry... seems to be the cheapest way I know to stay stink free... that and don't smoke...

RE: Reality Check - A deer's ability to smell
 

Wild animals are unpredictable in their reaction to scents, sights and sounds. What may work one time may not the next time. We all know they can smell, see and hear very good...most hunters will also admit to having noticed their 6th sense "the ability to sense danger when it isn't obvious". So the only absolute is minimize movement,noise & smell. How you go about this is where the lines can drawn in the sand between hunters. I can say i have tried just about everything and it really boils down to minimizing pressence and using the wind. I haven't used a cover scent for years, I don't use sport wash, scentlock, etc. I follow the common sense approach byrespecting their sense's. AKA: looking for natural/good concealment,watching my movements(minimizing skylining, get in early and undetected routes to and fro), being scent awareand most importantly keep the wind off their nose and on mine! If the winds wrong I simply don't hunt that location. I spent more hours scouting then hunting so that in any wind I have a place to hunt, plan D and E are better then running them off Plan A!! I am of the belief they make one mistake and I want to be on the right side of that mistake:D.

Basically use whatever makes you feel confident but don't forget the age long rules of hunting.

Personally I wouldn't use skunk smell as skunks spray when alarmed. Instead i'd use something thatmay potentially be unalarming likeregular deer pee, etc.

Good Luck

RE: Reality Check - A deer's ability to smell
 

I agree i wouldn't use skunk. I personally use racoon urine. Its one of the only animals that climbs trees so if they do catch a scent blowing down hopefull they wont be alarmed. A deers sense of smell is ten times better than we can even imagine. They can tell how long ago a doe came through an area just by catching the scent. How old the smell is and everything. I'd rather be safe than sorry when Ole' Mossy Horns comes in.