Human Scent
09-14-2009, 10:23 AM
#11
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 3,406
First of all you have understand what you're dealing with here. The deer's sense of smell is legendary, man cannot comprehend how good a deer's snese of smell really is. Plus, a deer will be on full alert every single time they smell a human.
The problem with scouting the same areas too often is that the deer will hear you, see you and most important, smell you. They will know you are in their home. Your scent that you leave will dicipate in time after you leave. The biggest concern is leaving your nasty, human scent molecules on branches, leaves, etc. Wearing a pair of light gloves goes a long way in helping. Also, hunters that try to be scent free as possible, ignore the fact that their scent will be on their clother, boots, ect if they fail to use gloves. Once you use your bare hands to tie your boots, put on your hunting jacket, etc, leaves your scent at every thing it touches.
My recommendation is to scout your area less frequently and always use gloves and try to be as scent free as possble. There's nothing wrong in spending time in the woods you intent to hunt but I alwlays remind myself the deer will know I was there, epecially if I am loud, and leave my scent in their woods. It's easy to control our movement to help avoid being detected and keeping the deer from smelling us is the most important of all. IMO, if I am downwind of any deer they will smell me every single time no matter what kind of scent control I use. But if I am upwind of deer, it will be very difficult for deer to pick up my scent. That's why I always hunt the wind as much as possible and have no use for any scent eliminator products.
Good Luck!
The problem with scouting the same areas too often is that the deer will hear you, see you and most important, smell you. They will know you are in their home. Your scent that you leave will dicipate in time after you leave. The biggest concern is leaving your nasty, human scent molecules on branches, leaves, etc. Wearing a pair of light gloves goes a long way in helping. Also, hunters that try to be scent free as possible, ignore the fact that their scent will be on their clother, boots, ect if they fail to use gloves. Once you use your bare hands to tie your boots, put on your hunting jacket, etc, leaves your scent at every thing it touches.
My recommendation is to scout your area less frequently and always use gloves and try to be as scent free as possble. There's nothing wrong in spending time in the woods you intent to hunt but I alwlays remind myself the deer will know I was there, epecially if I am loud, and leave my scent in their woods. It's easy to control our movement to help avoid being detected and keeping the deer from smelling us is the most important of all. IMO, if I am downwind of any deer they will smell me every single time no matter what kind of scent control I use. But if I am upwind of deer, it will be very difficult for deer to pick up my scent. That's why I always hunt the wind as much as possible and have no use for any scent eliminator products.
Good Luck!
09-14-2009, 01:33 PM
#12
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Eldred, PA
Posts: 1,667
If you hang a camera, DO NOT go back and check it all the time. I did this with a monsterrrrr a few years back, and by the time season rolled around he got out of there real quicklike. Put your camera up and leave it as long as you can. Dont stink the area up all the time with your scent. How would you feel if everytime you left the house someone came into your house and rearranged things..? They dont take, steal, or harm anything, but it would still spook you after a while.
09-14-2009, 05:48 PM
#13
Dominant Buck
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Ramsey , Indiana
Posts: 22,545
Humans emit a unique chemical, a compound called L-Serine, which give us our signature scent. It has been shown through testing to make nearly every species that encounters it wary, which means that they recognize it as either a predator or otherwise threatening. When an animal the size of a grizzly encounters our scent and considers it disturbing it's a pretty good bet that hiding it is a good idea.
09-15-2009, 11:50 AM
#14
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: ELK GROVE CA USA
Posts: 1,251
I have tested your exact question (only on blacktails). I hunted earlier in July (opening of our archery season). I went back 3.2 miles in and found a great bowl with a few bucks and some does. On the opener I went to the bowl and decided that even though the wind was not right, I would risk it. My mistake. When I got up on the ridge and the wind shifted within 2 minutes every deer down there (3 bucks, 6 does and 2 fawns) blew, snorted and busted out of the bowl. Now this bowl was about 500 yards wide by 1000 yards long and 250 yards high (if that makes sense). Those deer had good water and food in that bowl and after they blew out of there I DID NOT!!! see another deer in that bowl all season. I never even went into the bowl, I was only at the top of the ridge and my scent went down into it. Something else you have to remember is that when deer bust you and know a human is close when they leave they also emit a hormone or phermone around to let other deer know of the danger. So I would suggest being safe and stay as scent free and frequent it as less as possible...Do your "scouting" during the deer season if your in a new area.
I mention the 3.2 miles because where I was at there were no other hunters...i never saw a one and i was back in there 7 times during the season. So those deer are not going to " get use" to your scent like a park deer does. Those deer know that your scent means danger.
I mention the 3.2 miles because where I was at there were no other hunters...i never saw a one and i was back in there 7 times during the season. So those deer are not going to " get use" to your scent like a park deer does. Those deer know that your scent means danger.
09-15-2009, 01:39 PM
#16
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: grottoes,va.
Posts: 764
of course it will,i like to put up my ladderstands the day before a good rain. i know my hunting areas very well and the deer will use the routes year after year. i don't go into the woods but one time before bow season. i put my stands up where the trails are worn. this year its very dry,so water holes will be great. i will watch my hunting areas from a safe distance in late evening near food sources. i have a 609mm lens on my digital camera and will take pics and then enlarge them . our season starts oct 3 .i'll be putting up stands next week.
