Wood smoke as a cover scent

[Wolfer]

I’m sure I have posted about this before and wrote an article for Varmint hunters magazine years ago but I had an incident yesterday that reconfirmed it and thought I would share.

Daylight finds me setting in a brush thicket watching a well used trail about 20 yds away. The full moon is still up not going to set for a couple hours. While the temp was not bitter cold my soda froze on the ground beside me.
Being the sissie that I am I built me a fire. Something I nearly always do whether it’s cold or not. The fire I build is very small. It would easily fit in your hat but it lets me warm my hands and covers my scent.

Right after the moon set I saw a small 8 pt buck meandering down the trail from my right. He had nowhere to go and wasn’t in any hurry to get there. He wasn’t a shooter for me even if I had a buck tag which I don’t.

Eventually he got far enough left to hit my smoke which was laying right on the ground. You can bet that my scent was right there with it. He never raised his head or showed any sign of alarm. He just meandered along about his business.
I have seen similar situations many times and am firmly convinced a small fire is better than anything you can buy to cover your scent.

[bdicki]

I met a farmer in the woods that used diesel fuel as a cover scent. He was dressed in a brown Carhart jacket.

[ikarus1]

I just tend my fireplace before I go hunting and it seems to descent or cover my scent well enough. I've had deer downwind of me at 35yds several times this season

[RU shooter]

Don't know about smoke from a fire but I had a small buck about 15 yds down wind from me this year when I had a cigarette lit . He paused for about a half second and kept on walking .

[JBinMN]

Looks like the posts so far, bear out that it may help, and doesn't seem to hinder. I agree with that.
;)

It may matter where folks are in their & the deer environment and what is "natural" for them to smell. Although I have lived & hunted in other places, I have lived in rural S.E. MN for some time, where we have plenty of woods as well as farm fields. So most of my experiences for deer hunting are here. The deer smell things & associate them with either danger, or of no concern. In regard to wood smoke, if folks burn woodburner stoves for heat in the Winter, so the smell wafts thru the air, and other than during deer hunting season(after it is usually too late for them to associate the smoke with danger, they just associate "man" with danger then.) they pay it no mind since it is not dangerous to them, then they just consider it a natural smell on occasion. No different than many other smells they encounter. Although, if the deer are not associated with a smell, they are likely to be more concerned about danger from what it may bring & so if they live in an area where some smell like wood smoke is not common, then they would likely be a bit concerned about that uncommon smell. Think in areas that have little human population & the smell of smoke may be less, unless it is a wildfire that brings danger.

Anyway... It has worked for me in the past here in this area of S.E. MN.. I have had fires & smoke has gotten on my clothes. As well, I have used cedar & pine boughs rubbed on my clothes or put into a plastic garbage bags with my clothes overnight. I have even rubbed damp soft dirt on my clothes since the smell of earth is natural to them. All things that are common to my area.

I have been a "still" or "stalk" hunter for deer most of my life & even though keeping downwind is important, using a cover scent that the deer are used to smelling is helpful on occasion for those times when the wind goes to them. Most deer I have shot were within 40-50 yards or less, and I was on the ground just like they were. I rarely have used an elevated or tree stand. It is my thinking that is helps & doesn't hurt one bit. Besides, I like the smell of all I have mentioned.

Some farmers I know hang their hunting clothes out in the barn by the cows or pigs, since the deer are used to that smell in their area. One I know, Old Man Zimmerman, told me when he was running his dairy herd, he stood near his manure spreader, in the field , but parked next to the woods & pond or sat on some stacked bales next to it, when deer hunting, and had success.

This opinion is based on "my" experiences & is my opinion after many years of successful hunting. Others may disagree, but they were not with me for me to demonstrate that what I say has worked for "me".
We have eaten natures bounty for many years.
;)

[Shawlerbrook]

I have read that native Americans used smoke as a cover scent, but don’t know how true it is. IMHO the best cover scent is a wind blowing your scent away from your quarry.

[country gent]

We had an old-timer here who would burn sandalwood incense as a coves and attractant. I've never tried it. But he said deer would follow that right to him. He almost always filled his tag every year.

[Smoke4320]

As JBinMN said I have seen smoke work well as a cover scent If is a normal scent in their area > Around here many use wood stoves as winter backup heat so smoke works very well

[Hardcast416taylor]

I knew an old time hunter that did just that, make a small smudge fire in his blind for cover scent. Must have worked since he got a deer, or more, from that blind every year. He just made the smudge, smoky material, in an old galvanized pail and put the fire out every evening.Robert

[M-Tecs]

One of my dad's hunting buddies smoked a pipe. I preferred cherry flavored tobacco. His tree stand was about 500 yards from mine. If the wind was right I could smell it when he lit up. When I was down wind I could watch how the deer reacted. When the deer smelled it they never spooked and some would get curious and follow it up.

[merlin101]

My hunting cabin is located on the side of gully and depending on wind and weather sometimes the smoke settles in a layer along the sides of the gully, I've shot a couple deer when the smoke was like that and never gave it much thought. I will be paying more attention now!

[fatnhappy]

My hunting cabin is located on the side of gully and depending on wind and weather sometimes the smoke settles in a layer along the sides of the gully, I've shot a couple deer when the smoke was like that and never gave it much thought. I will be paying more attention now!

just out of curiosity, where do you hunt? other than the adirondacks, I'm usually in Pavillion or Hemlock.

[Winger Ed.]

Something not mentioned: Cover scents are fine, but it makes sense to be clean also.
Just as we can smell someone who needs a bath, and just puts on cologne, a deer probably can detect BO also,
and move away from the distinct 'human' smell.

[Geezer in NH]

Better than BO but I will try and stay upwind or use a very heavy cover sent like Skunk!!

As skunk smells like fresh coffee to me I use that. [yep several in my family feel the same on the scent]

Where I live smoke from heating a home is very common.

[Texas by God]

I met a farmer in the woods that used diesel fuel as a cover scent. He was dressed in a brown Carhart jacket.My brother says hi.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Tom W.]

Don't get caught doing that in Alabama. You can have smoke scent on your clothes, but the regs say it's illegal to hunt with the aid of smoke or fire, whether man-made or natural.

[10x]

Scent rises due to body heat.
Having sat and watched mule deer - both upwind and downwind - I have discovered that a deer either is unfazed by human scent at 10 yards or less when they are down wind, or the scent has risen due to body heat, or the scent has been diluted enough by the breeze. Deer spook at unusual sound and unexpected movement long before they are near enough to catch your scent.
Most deer have not been in contact with humans enough to recognize the scent of a human as something to be afraid of.
Deer do spook from white fabric, blue fabric, and the sound of metal on metal.
And bucks will walk right past a lure with doe in heat without checking it - tracks in the snow tell all.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
What do deer like to eat... one thing is apples at least where ever I have lived.
Been using apples well over 20 years now in corn country. Half rotten work very well to get a good smear on my outside layer but especially my boots.
I have been tracked by corn crunchers. Have had them walk up to my stand and lick the juice off the climbing pegs.
This feller this year crossed my trail 75 yards away from where I was sitting in a tree with a bow. As soon as he hit my walk in trail he stopped, smelled both directions and slowly ambled along following my steps. Came to 20 yards and licked the spot on the 2 foot thick log I stepped onto to get across to get to my tree. That is where he turned broadside. During the whole 5 minutes I watched him he kept looking back over his shoulders so I thought he was watching another buck behind. So I let him go.
Stuck this same bean eater 4 days later.
His rack had been broken off early on so just had the 3 spikes sticking out. Good eater !!

232862

[luvtn]

Seems to me cover scents are bogus. Be aware of which way the wind blows, and hunt accordingly.
Good luck.
luvtn

[Wolfer]

Where I hunt, and most anywhere I’ve hunted my entire life the wind would be one way and two minutes later the exact opposite. Ive heard the term ( hunt the wind ) for years but have always found it to be impossible where I was at the time.
Perhaps in a different area it may be different.

[trapper9260]

I use no cover sent.I just use 2 different deer lures on some strips of rags.that I hang for how far I want to shoot.I use the brown work insulated cover all .I use some indian lure and also some apple lure all for deer. Works for me.

[Tripplebeards]

For bowhunting practices I just bathe in scent shield or similar products right before walking out the door to head to the woods. I also wash my clothes in scent shield or similar products frequently and spray myself with the same type product on my clothes and self before walking to my stand. Deer can still smell me in my tree stand when under 20 yards a good part of the time. Have had them staring at me for minutes at a times with their noses in the air making snorting noises like pigs. Then they just get bored and move on as long as I didn't flinch or move during the shake down. If they get really nervous I've had them bound or trot 10-20 yards and stomp their foot trying to get me to move and once again they either give up or figure it's nothing and continue grazing or walk off.

I still do it for gun season since I sit in my same tree stand and normal average shot is in bow range but in reality if your gun hunting most will shoot before a deer gets close enough to smell you anyways so it's probably not as nessasary for the average Joe.

[MyFlatline]

For the 35+ years of smoking, I can't recall how many times I had to butt out a cig. to take the shot. Been thinking about starting back up, haven't seen much lately..:)

[crowbuster]

lots of wood burning round here. I've done the smoke for years, It works.

[curioushooter]

Good idea. I solemnly proclaim the efficacy of White Castle sliders as a deer repellent. Wish mosquitoes were so affected.

[M-Tecs]

Good idea. I solemnly proclaim the efficacy of White Castle sliders as a deer repellent. Wish mosquitoes were so affected.

Is it the smell of the sliders or the smell of the after effects?

[waksupi]

No scent cover will fool a buck or bull's nose for a second. Just watch the wind.

[Wolfer]

I once killed a coyote with my 45 colt at 12’ downwind. That’s feet not yards. I had been in deer camp for several days. No bath, wearing the same clothes. Weeds/brush was really thick between us. Twice I could make out the coyote raised it’s head and sniffed the air. I could feel the light breeze on the back of my neck at the time blowing right toward it. After several minutes I saw it’s shoulder through a 2” hole and broke the trigger. It dropped in its tracks.
Ive hunted/ called coyotes a considerable amount. Ive found they are far superior to deer when it comes to winding you.
After showering that night when I picked my clothes up the next morning I knew why this dog didn’t smell me. My clothes were so rank with stale woodsmoke it overwhelmed its nose.
I also believe smoke will lesson body odor but that’s just my opinion.
This works for me. Everyone else should hunt as they see fit.

[curioushooter]

Regarding sliders it is the after effects. Pretty sure it will scare away fish, too.

[Tom W.]

If you want to keep mosquitoes away get a prescription for iron sulfate pills. You won't have any odor to humans, but the biting bugs will avoid you. I had to take them for a while and when Lori and I were out walking or even just sitting on the back deck she would be bitten unmercifully while I wasn't harassed at all.

[C-dubb]

I feel that scent plays a very small part in hunting whitetail, at least in my area. While turkey hunting, with my face hidden by a mesh cover, I have had deer walk up to me and sniff me. Usually they will startle and jump when they sniff me but if I stay completely still they will generally not even leave the area.
Sad thing is, I can't move to take a picture.

[richhodg66]

For bowhunting practices I just bathe in scent shield or similar products right before walking out the door to head to the woods. I also wash my clothes in scent shield or similar products frequently and spray myself with the same type product on my clothes and self before walking to my stand. Deer can still smell me in my tree stand when under 20 yards a good part of the time. Have had them staring at me for minutes at a times with their noses in the air making snorting noises like pigs. Then they just get bored and move on as long as I didn't flinch or move during the shake down. If they get really nervous I've had them bound or trot 10-20 yards and stomp their foot trying to get me to move and once again they either give up or figure it's nothing and continue grazing or walk off.

I still do it for gun season since I sit in my same tree stand and normal average shot is in bow range but in reality if your gun hunting most will shoot before a deer gets close enough to smell you anyways so it's probably not as nessasary for the average Joe.

This pretty much me, I tend to shoot close.

Not sure how well it really works, but I figure you have to wash yourself and your clothes with something, might as well be scent free. I have a pretty keen nose, and virtually all soaps, shampoos and laundry soaps I can smell some kind of perfume in them if I try. A bottle of the scent free laundry detergent lasts more than a year. I always use Ivory soap because I can't stand to smell perfumey.

I have a lot of deer come in close every year. One thing I am a believer in is knee high rubber boots that I don't use for anything else. If you're wearing boots you mow the yard in, work in, etc., you will leave a trail on the ground they can smell if they cross it, have watched this a few times before I figured it out.

[Petander]

An open fire used to be a normal thing during a hunt day over here. Not anymore,hunting is busy and efficient with all the latest technology. No time for a fire. I do not like the high tech trend...

Moose or deer didn't mind the smoke at all, some folks say it helps with covering the human scent. I remember shooting a moose without putting down my Camel. No Camels anymore though.

[Dancing Bear]

just out of curiosity, where do you hunt? other than the adirondacks, I'm usually in Pavillion or Hemlock.

Never noticed members from here (Rochester) before. Nice to know. I hunt a little further south of you, Filmore/ Hume area.

[Bazoo]

I agree smoke helps. One trick I use is to scrub my boots on some deer scat when on my way to where I'm going to hold up.

[fatnhappy]

Never noticed members from here (Rochester) before. Nice to know. I hunt a little further south of you, Filmore/ Hume area.

My wife’s cousin Delaney took the largest buck taken by firearm in NY this year. She lives in Churchville. She’s 17.

Might as well take up checkers, she’ll never top this one. After drying, he grossed 180 1/8. Net 172. 6.5 years old.

I camp down to Pike

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=235583&d=1549673711

[izzyjoe]

When I was younger, my dad joined a deer lease, and we hunted with those guys for a long time. Now most of these old guys were ww2 vets, and they were just average ole country boys that bathed on Saturdays. There was a woods stove in the cook shack, and most times a fire outside as well, none of them had any camo mostly overalls or just old work clothes, and none of us had any trouble killing a pile of deer. And all but a few had rifles, the majority used older 12ga pumps. As a young man I loved to hear those stories of days gone bye, and deer hunting tales. As a middle aged man now, I reflect back on all that and sure do miss that, most all of fellows we hunted with are gone now. Deer camps nowadays are just silly to me, guys pull up in fancy campers, and hardly socialize with the other members of camp, seems it's become to high tech! Sorry to ramble on, but I still like it old ways!

[Bazoo]

Izzyjoe, I appriciate your sharing that story. I prefer the old ways myself, and I'm only 35!

[JBinMN]

When I was younger, my dad joined a deer lease, and we hunted with those guys for a long time. Now most of these old guys were ww2 vets, and they were just average ole country boys that bathed on Saturdays. There was a woods stove in the cook shack, and most times a fire outside as well, none of them had any camo mostly overalls or just old work clothes, and none of us had any trouble killing a pile of deer. And all but a few had rifles, the majority used older 12ga pumps. As a young man I loved to hear those stories of days gone bye, and deer hunting tales. As a middle aged man now, I reflect back on all that and sure do miss that, most all of fellows we hunted with are gone now. Deer camps nowadays are just silly to me, guys pull up in fancy campers, and hardly socialize with the other members of camp, seems it's become to high tech! Sorry to ramble on, but I still like it old ways!

Memories... I have some of the same...

Thanks!
;)

:drinks:

[JBinMN]

My wife’s cousin Delaney took the largest buck taken by firearm in NY this year. She lives in Churchville. She’s 17.

Might as well take up checkers, she’ll never top this one. After drying, he grossed 180 1/8. Net 172. 6.5 years old.

I camp down to Pike

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=235583&d=1549673711

VERY Nice!

Yup, braggin' rights for sure!
;)

:drinks:

[ElCheapo]

My wife’s cousin Delaney took the largest buck taken by firearm in NY this year. She lives in Churchville. She’s 17.

Might as well take up checkers, she’ll never top this one. After drying, he grossed 180 1/8. Net 172. 6.5 years old.

I camp down to Pike

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=235583&d=1549673711

Holy Moley!

[fatnhappy]

Holy Moley!

Yeah, she did OK

[richhodg66]

My wife’s cousin Delaney took the largest buck taken by firearm in NY this year. She lives in Churchville. She’s 17.

Might as well take up checkers, she’ll never top this one. After drying, he grossed 180 1/8. Net 172. 6.5 years old.

I camp down to Pike

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=235583&d=1549673711

Wow! If I ever kill a deer like that, I'll put the rifles away and go buy a bass boat or something. Good on your family for not raising their daughter to be a Barbie Doll. I had sons, no daughters, but I like to think I would have had any daughter of mine out doing things like that too.

[KCcactus]

Awesome deer!

I don't think smoke would work too well in our area. Most years we are in a burn ban for most if not all of the year. There are also very few neighbors, so I almost never smell smoke out there. My hunting clothes get washed in scent free detergent. My base layers are all anti-microbial/scent control with silver fibers included in the cloth. Before I started wearing them, anything that crossed down wind smelled me and took off for the next county. Now, they rarely notice me and the few that do don't run very far. I've even had mature bucks completely circle my blind without knowing I was there. When I got my buck this year, there were three smaller bucks from 10-30 yds straight down wind of me when I shot. Another advantage to scent control clothing is my clothes and I don't reek when I get home after hunting.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I recall on our family farm when we would be clearing and burning brush from fence lines that we would quite often have white tails come quite close to us working to see what was going on. This is why we would have a small smudge pot in our blinds when hunting, and it worked many times.Robert

[missionary5155]

Good afternoon
That is one big Corn Cruncher ! Congratulations young lady !
Mike in Peru

[bigted]

In Alaska I have seen first hand how ol humpy acts with scent.

They always come in from the down wind direction when called. The only time the come straight in is when there is lotza bulls around and the cow gathering contest is fierce. ALL mature bulls will ALWAYS come in from down wind.

While I smoked and had cigarette smoke in my clothes, the big bulls would come in in very thick brush AND down wind and I could hear them snort n stomp and wrack the brush ... ON THEIR WAY AWAY FROM ME when they scented me.

After stopping smoking and being in a smokey camp for a couple days before season began, we began having the bulls come within 20 or 30 yards. I also have seen them scent another hunter further up wind with their fancy camo and all, and whirl about and sneak away after smelling them ( as I later discovered ) .

Wood smoke is a natural Alaska scent and WILL work as I have seen. Works for the bears too. Their sniffer works better then almost any other animal. Wood smoke from the natural wood in the area just works.

[Castaway]

Not a firm believer in cover scents. I smell a Big Mac; a dogs smells two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and a sesame seed bun. A deer’s nose is comparable to that of a bloodhound and I always tell my buddy a passing deer will think a fox peed on him, smelling both a human and fox urine

[giz189]

Ah well, to each his own. However, I do believe I will let you believers that use cover smoke to do as you want without any arguments. After all, none of my business what others use. However, I think I will pass on the smoke cover scent