Interesting Picture
Whitetail Deer
Contributors to this thread:
An interesting photo if you are a deer hunter. Keep in mind, I hunt in tennis shoe-type hiking boots and use no scent killer. Here are two of the five deer that came by this morning, three does, two bucks. I could have shot one of the bucks-a four or six. The does stayed just a tad too far. But notice in the dew-soaked grass, my trail where I walked in. They walked all over it, never raised a head. The other picture is the stand I was in and you can plainly see my trail. The deer i the picture are about 60-65 yards out. I had the small camera. That stand is on the edge of the woods. I had been seeing deer out in the pasture just after daylight and they did not fail me. Then, just to make me feel good,the land owner on the property I was not hunting, just sent me a picture of three bucks, browsing where I park my truck. But...I did see a shooter in the truck headlights about 250-yards from where I hunted this morning. This afternoon, I shall see if he is still hanging around. He was less than 50-yards from my newest stand. I am guessing he was an 8 or 10 with about 18" spread and good height.
I've hunted many different places in the short 20 years that i've bowhunted. I've hunted places that i coulda walked barefeet with dirty sweating feet abd not had to worry about young deer busting out because of it. Ive also hunted places that no amount of scent prep would have kept the deer from busting. I also know that scent prep of my trail in will result in way less deer busting me in the places i hunt. They will always know where you walk, but the less offensive the better off you are no matter where...
Different situations equal different results. No absolutes in hunting as different areas with differing people-deer conflicts results in some extremes both ways. I know that i will continue to spray my footwear with scentkiller and that wont change....
I believe that " different situations equal different results ". The deer behind my house aren't nearly as concerned with my scent as the deer on the other places are. The pigs however, are the same. They won't tolerate any human scent whatsoever.
I'm still careful though, hunt the wind, and use every little advantage that I can, because I don't want to ruin a semi-good thing !
I have decided that the buck in your video is not one if the deer that Bowriter referenced in his original post, lol. And helps make my point that isnt really ground breaking info. INTERESTING Video, thanks for sharing
Well, I guess you draw that conclusion from the video. My conclusion is, if they get enough of your scent, they spook. But it seemed to me like it sure took him a heck of a lot of it. Then, add in the fact, it was still dark. That's a different ballgame. What I was showing in my post was simply this. Deer smell where you put your hands far more than they do where you put your feet and rubber boots are not one but better than tennis shoes. Seems your video showed that as well.
I have no doubt that some deer are all but oblivious to human scent. Some deer are very spooked by the least bit of a trace. The point I am trying to make is that a "Mature Buck" that has had hunting pressure put on him will react to the presence of human scent several days later. Even when you are no longer there he will still react to it in a negative way and the Buck will avoid that area for sometime. Maybe even a couple of weeks or more. (Especial close to the bedding area.) Yes the video was at night when deer are most comfortable but it was 4 days after I hung the camera when you would think all trace of scent would be gone. I use gloves on the camera and I had on rubber boots. He even smelled the tree I climbed up. I thought it was very impressive that his sense of smell was that remarkable. (I do agree with you 100% that a deer will react more negative to the touch with your hand than with your feet in rubber boots) Even tennis shoe type with a rubber bottom. My line of thought is that if your hunting pressured bucks you can not be concerned enough about scent control.
Like you I hunt in a brown colored like tennys & have worn these same shoes (until snow flies) for over 20 years. I also have had hundreds of biggame animals cross my path in my now 60 years of bowhunting. I have Deer come into my yard & they tolerate scent but nothing else. I have come to the conclusion IF I've been in the stand 15 min. my scent trail means nothing as I've had to many animals pass right next to my stand & a few times when I'm hoisting my bow up on my rope. I do pay attention to wind constantly when going into my stands but once I'm in the stand (12 & 15 foot ladders now) I have no worries. I've had tons of Deer, Bucks & Does pass down wind & never knew I was there. NOW, that being said, everything is out the window if swirling winds.. Photo-These two were going to get it on & the smaller one walked within 15 yds of me down wind toward the big boy. He (bigger) never got within 65 yds & followed a Doe that walked by my stand at less than 10 yds. All these Deer were down wind of me & I was 10 ft. off the ground. Oh, & this was my honey hole public spot. I realize every place has animals that react to human scent & noise in so many different ways & I guess we just need to understand/learn their ways in our area. Good luck to all this year.
Arrowhead. I agree 100%. I was not saying that deer do not react to human scent. of course they do. The point I was making is simply that rubber boots are no better than anything else in terms of a deer smelling where you walk. That is a myth started by the rubber boot industry and fueled by unknowing hunters. It is not what you have on your feet, it is what you have on your boots. I honestly cannot remember the last time i saw deer react to where I walked. It was always, where I used my hands to push something out of the way. Now... Deer who live in close proximity to humans, are far less concerned with "FAINT" human odor-even mature bucks. I have photographed many bucks over 3.5 who were directly downwind of me or standing in my tracks, who were completely calm. At the same time, I have had does nail me at 150-yards. Deer, quite quickly, learn to discern pressure. Many times, I have had to stop and wait for them to cross a local gun range. Deer are not afraid of man. They are afraid of man, the predator. So what do we do when hunting season opens? We put on funny clothes, paint our faces and go sit on the side of trees. We sneak and we carry odd things in our hands. In short, we become predators. Just something to think about. This does is 120-yards away and she has me nailed. I am 12-feet up a tree and she cannot smell me.
I wear rubber boots because I don't want my sneakers getting wet and muddy from walking across a field wet with morning dew or a brook outlined in mud. I am warm and dry, but keep enjoying your sneakers :)
I walked down a dirt path to my stand with rubber boots on and 20 minutes later a beagle followed my boot scent to the bottom of my stand. Rubber boots being scent free is horse crap. I only wear them if I'm going to cross a stream. Just like Bowriter I've had deer follow my footsteps up the path I just walked up with no sign of being on edge.
I walked down a dirt path to my stand with rubber boots on and 20 minutes later a beagle followed my boot scent to the bottom of my stand. Rubber boots being scent free is horse crap. I only wear them if I'm going to cross a stream. Just like Bowriter I've had deer follow my footsteps up the path I just walked up with no sign of being on edge.
Same experience with the rubber boots. Sometimes they care sometimes they dont. Just something to try to avoid.
Where I hunt the deer are used to human scent as people are constatly walking around in certain high traffic areas. If I set a cam in these type areas I will get pics of deer mostly at night and the human scent will not really change much how they use the area. However there are areas that are just off the beaten path so to speak. I will occassionally stick a cam in one of these areas to see what might be travelling. The first day or two after setting it I will get good pics of some nice deer. But they are all unconfortable as you can tell they seem caught off gaurd in the pics and will usually stop using the area almost immediately. In these areas now that I know them I will stay out until I decide to hunt. Then go in and set a stand and hunt immediately. I will likely get an encounter the first or second day and then its done and I move out.
I have used leather boots, rubber boots and gym shoes over the years.
I have climbed into my stand just as the first faint glow of light was breaking in the eastern sky and had many, many, deer come within a few feet of my stand and never spook or be alarmed. On the other hand I have been on stand well before light and had deer spook and be alarmed. I have climbed into my stand well after daylight and had deer come by / under stand before I could pull up my bow.
I guess it just depends on the day, the deer and what ever they have on their mind at the time.
If some one has figured them out please advise.
:^}
Buc-many years ago, I started going to my stand only after I could see to walk without a light. As far as I can tell, it has never cost me a deer.
Bowriter,
I am in agreement.
The " late arrivals " to my stand have never seemed to matter one way or the other. (safer also)
"Rubber boots being scent free is horse crap"
I agree, you body is always dropping scent particles as you walk, so it doesn't matter if you are wearing rubber boots or no boots, you body is still leaving ground scent... About the only way to avoid that would be roll to your stand in one of those kid's plastic bubbles...8^)
after 45 years of chasing whitetails I have come to the conclusion they are bout has hard to figure out as my wife... just when you think that you have it made they surprise ya again and again... oh and my wife tells me all the time how much I stink.