Smell Good Foo-Foo.
Whitetail Deer
I had a thought-open for discussion. Some years ago, I heard a story-have no idea if it is true-about a guy, somewhere up North, who was feeding deer. This was before the fancy feeders and he was putting in the feed a standard, wooden bunker. Anyway, each time he fed, he doused himself in Aqua Velva, after shave. The deer in a Pavlovian response, came to associate the smell of Aqua Velva with food.
So, a couple weeks before the season, he quits feeding. Then, opening day, he douses himself in Aqua Velva and goes hunting. Killed a huge deer. He said they came running. To me, that sounds plausible.
Deer get use to anything. That I know for a fact. So, why not try this. Hang a couple rags by each stand-maybe in June-soak each one in some scented cologne or something and freshen regularly. Then, when you go to hunt, cover yourself with the same stuff. No, it won’t cover human odor, nothing will. But I think it is worth a try. After all, the deer will not be spooked by it. And let me mention, I do not approve of baiting or supplemental feeding. That is why, I did not mention that.
What do ya’ll think.
I think there's some merit to it. My farmer buddy where I hunt wears the same coveralls that reek of diesel, hog poop, and Winston cigarettes. When he deer hunts and because the deer smell him 364 days a years with no ill effects and a lot of the time there's food involved for them, he usually has one on the ground in the first 10 minutes of the gun season opener in a field right above his house. They also DO NOT run off if he drives his pickup down the gravel lane next to the picked cornfield. If I or any of the other guys drive in there they run off like satan is after them.
I think it’s his own, unique human odor that the deer are used to smelling. He is familiar to them in a non threatening manner, for most of the year. That’s why he shoots a deer so soon. Before they have recognized him as danger.
The problem with this strategy is it will not work on cruising bucks. If you're trying to kill a "home range" deer it may work, but if you're hunting the rut, you are likely looking for a deer that is out cruising, outside of his usual home area.
The local deer are accustomed to the smell of wood smoke, because many locals here burn wood to heat their homes. Thus my brain-storm was to soak all of my hunting clothes in wood smoke and thereby "blend in" while on stand. If you've ever been saturated in wood smoke, you know it is one of the most overwhelming, dominating odors imaginable. It sticks to clothes like glue and lasts a long, long time. So it's virtually guaranteed to work, right? I tried it a few times (treated pants, mid-layer, jacket, face-cover, gloves, and hat) but it didn't work for me. Even with otherwise meticulous bathing and human scent control, mature does passing downwind would still pick me off. With the same ease they would if I'd used no cover scent at all. My conclusion is that deer can sort through any mixture of scents with no problem, determine the approximate range and direction of the source and, with mature does especially, have the knowledge and experience to respond appropriately.
Take it one step farther. Every time your feeder dumps the corn, have it ring a dinner bell. When you go hunt, just ring the bell and they'll come running!
sticksender,
I do the same thing, but I make sure to get the smoke on my skin too. The chemical properties of the smoke also help prevent bacterial growth/decay that causes odor.
You have to use hardwoods though. Soft woods do not have the same chemical properties and are much less effective. I prefer hickory, but mesquite also works. I tried using birch one time, but it didn't work as well as the other two types of wood.
I've been "smoking up" for four or five years now. I would say that one out of ten deer have ever winded me and freaked out. More often than not if they do wind me they'll sniff the air for a bit, maybe get a little suspicious, but typically calm down and go about their business.
There was an article in "Outdoor Life", I think, in the 1980's. About a hunter that use Brut aftershave when he went hunting.jeff
Thunderflight, I used green Hemlock boughs to increase the smoke. Might have to try your hardwood idea. I know the smoke smell is stubborn to remove....even with several washings.
I think I'll start hunting from my Kubota. They don't scare from it too much.
One of the areas i hunt they have a large number of smoke barns for tobacco. I often think I should go stand next to one before going to my stand.
Drycreek, I need to start practicing shooting from a moving combine. During harvest here, they will stand there looking at you as you go by.
"Take it one step farther. Every time your feeder dumps the corn, have it ring a dinner bell. When you go hunt, just ring the bell and they'll come running!"
I saw a call one time years ago that was supposed to sound like a feeder going off. ;)
I would never try to recondition a deer's brain to override their natural instincts using such a manufactured product. Any harvest photo I post, you can assume I shot it with normal scent control techniques. Just thought I would mention.
This isn't smell related but it's still "bait and switch".......
Years ago I heard about duck hunters on the Atlantic coast hunting the endless, monotonous, expanses of the tidal bays. They would bait a specific spot for weeks before the season started and they'd use a tree branch or other marker on the spot. The day before the season opened they'd move the marker a few hundred yards, or whatever distance would make it legal, and they'd set up their decoys there.
LOL-as an aside, related to the waterfowl deal. Two guys here got caught hunting ducks over corn. Except, it wasn't corn. It was gravel painted yellow. I wish I could remember how that came out.
I think it was Cabela's years ago that sold what they called "quack" corn. It was plastic cobs of corn. Today all they'd have to do is label it as "Non-GMO" and they'd sell a ton of it!
I try to use wind direction as much as possible, but if the wind blows my scent towards a deer, it will smell me. The deer may spook, or it may not spook...I keep things simple.
Yes, air leak, you are correct. I think quite a few missed the point entirely.
I heard the smell of Ben Gay brings in the mature bucks and if you are looking for a freezer filler, the smell of Axe cologne brings in the young does :)
My brother had a coworker ask him if he hunted that she had some problem deer on her property. He was thrilled to have a place to hunt. He showed up one day and asked how far into the woods she owned. She told him to just sit at her picnic table in the backyard. He was thinking "what??". She whistled and the deer walked out of the woods. Being a more urban neighborhood he packed up his gear and went home. Apparently her neighbor was feeding the deer and would whistle to them. When the food was gone they would mosey to her yard and eat her landscaping.
That will probably be the next "high tech" gizmo that the baiters will use! Have a way to play a certain sound when the feeder starts and then play that sound when you go hunt that area. They'll probably have an app for that too that so you can use your smart phone to play it.
Except for that only works for the deer you have conditioned. Come Late October that won't work. Early season maybe. Everyone does it every year visually with blinds.
never have I used scent killer or paid any attention to my hunting clothes. I buy them off the rack and hunt. if the wind is wrong, they will smell you, period.
deer smell so good - why didn't they just recognize his odor with food ?
I was cutting wood on my property. I turned off my chainsaw, sat down to take a break. Within 15 minutes of sitting down, a couple deer came in and started nosing around, and then started eating the fresh Maple leaves that were in the newly cut tree tops. I started to get up and the deer spooked. The next day I went in with my stand, bow and all, started my chainsaw while I got the stand all secured to the tree, let it rev for a bit, then turned it off and got up the tree. I had a nice doe on the ground 25 minutes later.
