I tend to overthink it. Deer are definitely simple minded. Still amazes me at how a deer can just appear sometimes seems from thin air. After you just walked through 6 inches of dried leaves. That was so loud it's insane. Then other deer make a ton of noise when walking through them. Guess they are simple minded. But like people some are smarter than others. I do like the simple minded hunters quote though. Lol
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Human scent
- Thread starter flankston
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woodsman04
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I am far from a great deer hunter. I'm not sure how long it takes to go away. But for a deer I'm sure it's a few days.
Anyways, one thing I have noticed is that I am fairly certain they know what time you walked through. I've hunted a long time and have observed this countless times….
Deer are more comfortable at dark as we all know. One instance I have seen this is running cameras. I can walk past one headed back home after my evening hunt. Just a few minutes later, which it's dark, I will have pictures of deer. Not just does and young ones, but mature ones. No doubt that they could smell me, but they are comfortable at night.
Another observation that is even more interesting. I always try to get to my stand and leave no ground scent in an area where I think I will see deer. But hunting in the south where it's more woods than fields it's inevitable that it will happen many occasions. I always try to be in my tree at latest 30-40 minutes before daylight, preferably an hour. But I have many times seen deer go through my ground scent from pre-dawn and not spook. Maybe just smell out of curiosity. They know it was there before dawn. But if I'm late to my stand and they smell it they spook. Same as an afternoon hunt. It doesn't matter if I get in my tree 5-6 hours before dark and they get my ground scent an hour before dark they seem to spook.
Their noses are incredible. You may get by with band wind with does and young ones. But unless a mature buck is following a doe in heat he has no tolerance for human scent. If they see you or hear you you might get a second chance at a shot. If he winds you it's over.
Anyways, one thing I have noticed is that I am fairly certain they know what time you walked through. I've hunted a long time and have observed this countless times….
Deer are more comfortable at dark as we all know. One instance I have seen this is running cameras. I can walk past one headed back home after my evening hunt. Just a few minutes later, which it's dark, I will have pictures of deer. Not just does and young ones, but mature ones. No doubt that they could smell me, but they are comfortable at night.
Another observation that is even more interesting. I always try to get to my stand and leave no ground scent in an area where I think I will see deer. But hunting in the south where it's more woods than fields it's inevitable that it will happen many occasions. I always try to be in my tree at latest 30-40 minutes before daylight, preferably an hour. But I have many times seen deer go through my ground scent from pre-dawn and not spook. Maybe just smell out of curiosity. They know it was there before dawn. But if I'm late to my stand and they smell it they spook. Same as an afternoon hunt. It doesn't matter if I get in my tree 5-6 hours before dark and they get my ground scent an hour before dark they seem to spook.
Their noses are incredible. You may get by with band wind with does and young ones. But unless a mature buck is following a doe in heat he has no tolerance for human scent. If they see you or hear you you might get a second chance at a shot. If he winds you it's over.
DeerCamp
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We rarely (if ever) knowingly get busted from scent at my the home farm. I think this is why.
I suspect the fact that our kitchen and bathroom vents all vent directly outside of our house, which sits on the high point of the property, directly North of our primary food plots and stands just constantly bombards the woods with our scent.
Probably not optimal for wary, mature bucks living directly on the property, but possibly optimal for seeing lot of other deer that don't ever seem to care about scent.
I wouldn't say they're simple minded. Their brains just operate differently than ours, so we have trouble relating to them. I see it as a mile in their shoes kind of way. Without being a deer it's hard to understand what happens in a deer's head. Since they allegedly don't have an ability to rationalize, we assume that means they're stupid. They're not. A 5yr old buck anywhere outside of captivity is arguably the most wily, difficult to hunt animal on the planet. They learn quickly & have amazing memory.
It does seem some of the best big buck hunters are a few crayons short of a full box, though. So maybe there is something to the simple minded hunter thing. Maybe we could call it the Forrest Gump strategy
We're all sitting around trying to figure it all out while the Gumps are just walking out into the woods and punching tags. So easy a caveman can do it.....literally.BSK
Well-Known Member
I'm in my food plots year-round, always doing something. Deer pay little attention to my scent in the plots. But back in the woods, where I only going during hunting season? Yea, they're not happy about that! Get some real negative reactions! 
BSK
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DeerCamp
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I read an new study recently on animal intelligence that I thought was cautiously fascinating.
edit: Just found it.
One algorithm to rule decision-making
The geometry of decision-making in individuals and collectives.
www.mpg.de
The study reveals that animals cope with environmental complexity by reducing the world into a series of sequential two-choice (binary) decisions — a strategy that results in highly effective decision-making no matter how many options there are.
I am not directly extrapolating these results to deer, but in contrast, humans might take a simple scenario - should I go out to get dinner with friends? Its a simple yes/no really. But then we start thinking about it... "Well, there's COVID, and I didn't sleep good last night, I dont really feel social today but I don't want Jenny to think I'm mad at her. And I do need to pick up some last minute gifts. I also need to call my parents. And crap, the kids are due for the dentist, need to make that appointment. Maybe I'll drink some wine and scroll through facebook."
In the animal world - that human is gonna die. Too much overcomplication.
Deer is probably like: "Hungry. Green field taste good. Smell/see/detect danger? Yes. Run."
Deer lives.
Great topic.
And very involved.
There ate MANY variables.
Every deer has different personalities. I equate a deers reaction to human scent to a humans reaction to spiders.
Some freak out, some don't. Snakes too. Mice too.
Depends on the deer .
But human scent lingers for weeks in the right conditions.
Also, as we walk through an area our scent molecules drift off us and land on nearby foliage, objects, ground.
Draw a x op a dry erase board, draw your access/egress path, and repeat every time you hunt that stand. Also add the downwind areas that were affected by the scent molecules.
Probably the most important aspect of deer hunting that there is.
And very involved.
There ate MANY variables.
Every deer has different personalities. I equate a deers reaction to human scent to a humans reaction to spiders.
Some freak out, some don't. Snakes too. Mice too.
Depends on the deer .
But human scent lingers for weeks in the right conditions.
Also, as we walk through an area our scent molecules drift off us and land on nearby foliage, objects, ground.
Draw a x op a dry erase board, draw your access/egress path, and repeat every time you hunt that stand. Also add the downwind areas that were affected by the scent molecules.
Probably the most important aspect of deer hunting that there is.
BSK
Well-Known Member
Carl from sling blade would be a great hunter or would that be to simple minded lolI wouldn't say they're simple minded. Their brains just operate differently than ours, so we have trouble relating to them. I see it as a mile in their shoes kind of way. Without being a deer it's hard to understand what happens in a deer's head. Since they allegedly don't have an ability to rationalize, we assume that means they're stupid. They're not. A 5yr old buck anywhere outside of captivity is arguably the most wily, difficult to hunt animal on the planet. They learn quickly & have amazing memory.
It does seem some of the best big buck hunters are a few crayons short of a full box, though. So maybe there is something to the simple minded hunter thing. Maybe we could call it the Forrest Gump strategy
JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
My brother has more book size bucks under his belt than any other hunter I personally know. And we all him Jack Links because he exhibits the same personality as the bigfoot in those commercials. Anything he may lack in the strategic planning dept., he makes up for in straight forward horse blinder thinking. If there's a big buck on the property, he hangs a stand & shoots it. It's uncanny. I wreck my brain trying to figure out where it beds and why, which way and at what times does he come & go, etc. Then I hang a dozen cameras, hang a dozen pre-set stands, and spend some more time strategizing which stand & when. My brother doesn't do any of that. He just walks in, hangs his stand, and shoots the buck. It works for him. It seems easy for him, as if the buck sacrifices itself to him. But it never works that way for me. He tells me I overthink it, but then when I do try things his way I just mess up the place. I can't explain it. Some guys just seem to have the Midas touch, and some of us do not.
DeerCamp
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I've got a buddy like this.
Now - devils advocate, he has several huge farms that he pretty much hunts by himself - so he is strategic in where he hunts.
But if I had to put my money on one guy to go into the woods and come out with the biggest deer in that timber, it would be him.
Unreal.
THEdonkey0515
Well-Known Member
I've killed my two biggest bucks with a ATV parked right beside a tripod.
I use to think I had to walk the long walk in. it was actually my dad that told me a few years back after I made fun of him driving all the way to his stand, That I was probably doing more harm walking in that area every hunt leaving human scent everywhere then ridding the ATV right to the stand. that the deer are use to ATV scent/sound all year around in that area.
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My opinion is they can tell if you were just passing thru or spent prolonged periods in one spot. Such as walking thru an area or you stayed in one spot such as a blind or tree stand. The longer you're there, the more skin cells and odor molecules are left behind
catman529
Well-Known Member
Here is a curve ball...
A few years back, after many years of being a "scent FREAK", I finally decided to try something radical.
BSK and I got in very heated (friendly) but public discussions (years ago) about peeing from the stand. I suggested that during the rut, it made little difference. During all other times, it is NOISY from 20 feet up, it is smelly and alerting to mature does.
He argued that it simply didn't matter. That he'd had many deer come running to the noise caused by pee hitting the leaves from elevation.
Well, (and I hate to admit it...) he was probably more right than me.
Sooooo....a few years back I decided a different strategy. I decided to double up my scouting efforts in February/ March,befire leaves green up, and find multiple stand locations in multiple doe group areas (spell this MILES apart, sometimes STATES). When September bow season begins:
1-Throw scent caution to the wind, literally, and hunt only fresh spots. Scout most places on the way into the stand location (thanks On X). Still wear rubber boots and try to touch as little as possible while walking into stand.
2-MOVE! A BUNCH. Rarely hunt the same tree twice. BOUNCE around. AND ONLY ON THE BEST WINDS. This means have MANY different spots based on wind.
I've hunted in street clothes more than ever this season with great success using this technique.
The wind/thermals are PARAMOUNT.
I pee from the stand.
And have had several deer run up to investigate as the leaves made the noise.
The past two seasons alone...so far with a month to go...33 deer at close range by bow!
Almost all public or permission access.
A few years back, after many years of being a "scent FREAK", I finally decided to try something radical.
BSK and I got in very heated (friendly) but public discussions (years ago) about peeing from the stand. I suggested that during the rut, it made little difference. During all other times, it is NOISY from 20 feet up, it is smelly and alerting to mature does.
He argued that it simply didn't matter. That he'd had many deer come running to the noise caused by pee hitting the leaves from elevation.
Well, (and I hate to admit it...) he was probably more right than me.
Sooooo....a few years back I decided a different strategy. I decided to double up my scouting efforts in February/ March,befire leaves green up, and find multiple stand locations in multiple doe group areas (spell this MILES apart, sometimes STATES). When September bow season begins:
1-Throw scent caution to the wind, literally, and hunt only fresh spots. Scout most places on the way into the stand location (thanks On X). Still wear rubber boots and try to touch as little as possible while walking into stand.
2-MOVE! A BUNCH. Rarely hunt the same tree twice. BOUNCE around. AND ONLY ON THE BEST WINDS. This means have MANY different spots based on wind.
I've hunted in street clothes more than ever this season with great success using this technique.
The wind/thermals are PARAMOUNT.
I pee from the stand.
And have had several deer run up to investigate as the leaves made the noise.
The past two seasons alone...so far with a month to go...33 deer at close range by bow!
Almost all public or permission access.
catman529
Well-Known Member
I have pretty much thrown scent control to the wind the past couple years myself. I used to buy the spray, detergent, body wash etc and I still would get busted if they crossed my scent. I still get busted, but I've learned a whole lot more about how the wind works. And still have a whole lot more to learn. Location and timing is everything, especially during the rut. I focus mainly on food sources during bow season, and I have spots that I save for the rut in November. Killed the oldest buck I've ever killed on the first day in one of those spots. I was wearing a brown jacket, blaze orange and was covered in old spice. Shot him at 30 yards. He actually caught me off guard about midday when I went to change batteries in a trail cam and decided to sit down for a while. Wind was sketchy too, not blowing in a straight line. But that deer is the reason I saved that spot for the rut.
