Smoke as an odor killer

[titan23_87]

I know there is nothing to beat a deers nose. But with most of us hunting on "just off" winds I was wondering on what people have experimented with to fool (or at least by you some time to get a shot of) the old beast. Has anyone experimented with "smoking" their gear with a bee smoker using hickory or other hardwood? Results?...

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[Tufrthnails]

No hardcore evidence, but we have a little firepit on the back of the huntcamp that we burn every morning when we get up before heading to the stand while having our morning gojuice. i can say it hasn't hurt my hunts that I know of and I have some good encounters where deer have came in on that bad angle and some get ancy some bolt and some calm down after a min or two if I don't move.

[sojourner]

In my experience, it does NOT fool a deers nose. The only thing it is good for is to inhibit my hunting clothes getting funky after one wearing. Doe snort and bucks beeline away when in the scent stream of a hunter who is "smoked up" and smelling like a fire pit.

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[Tufrthnails]

In my experience, it does NOT fool a deers nose. The only thing it is good for is to inhibit my hunting clothes getting funky after one wearing. Doe snort and bucks beeline away when in the scent stream of a hunter who is "smoked up" and smelling like a fire pit.

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I don't think it fools their nose either in a sense that it kills the hunter scent, but more along the lines of a cover scent that adds another mix to the fire that is stronger and more over powering. Like I said no hard evidence, and yep I've had some blow out at mach 3, but I've had others settle back down after getting alarmed and move in the extra distance I need for a shot opportunity. Bad wind is a bad wind and only on very young deer have I had them stay put directly down wind of me in any case.

[JoeRE]

I have played around with it, mostly because I have read plenty of accounts about native american hunters smoking themselves before a hunt.

I would say it caused more harm than good though, deer noticed me just as much - probably more so. I don't know, maybe its because I didn't want to strip naked and stand in the smoke, just did my clothes.

I also think it might be that smoke = humans for most deer in the eastern half of the US anyway.

[titan23_87]

Those that don't use smoke, have you tried other scent control measures like a Ozonics in the field or ozone machines on gear prior to going to the field? I know you can't beat them, but if you can give them a doubt that you're that close or buy you that split second, I figure it's worth a try.

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[Jrichard]

I think if you get a deer that is curious enough it could work. I mean if you play the wind nothing is going to even smell it either way. But anything different usually puts the deer on edge unless it is a constant scent in that area. I mean take that video that was just posted about that deer walking up to a guy for some head scratches haha. I have a local deer around here that wears a pink collar. Someone that lives around here conditioned it enough to get a collar on it. And now people around here have videos on there phones that show this deer walking right up to them to get a good petting. lol. If youre huntind deep woods its unlikely that that deer is not going to like the smell of smoke. Smoke means fire. Fire means danger. idk.

[Jrichard]

Those that don't use smoke, have you tried other scent control measures like a Ozonics in the field or ozone machines on gear prior to going to the field? I know you can't beat them, but if you can give them a doubt that you're that close or buy you that split second, I figure it's worth a try.

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I will be honest with you titan. I am very new to this. I was going to go out and buy an ozonics and a scent free container that filters air in and out of the container to keep the clothes scent free. I posted it on here and asked what people thought. They all said play the wind and dont waste your money. So I took there advice. I washed my clothes in scent free detergents on opening day and I played the wind. Opening day I shot and missed. The next week I had another shot but I couldnt take it she busted me. Now 3 weeks later and I have not washed my clothes at all, I have left my clothes in the trunk of my car everyday for over 21 days, and a ton of sweat from wlaking to and from my stand. And I go to one of my spots and I kill a decent 8 point. Then i gut him and pretty much role around in his blood. Then the next week i put on the same clothes with out washing them and two does walked right by me at 20 yards and one of them is dead.

I was SO uneasy about no scent control. I dont even use the spray... But after seeing this I dont even care anymore about scent control. I just play the wind. I went out when everyone told me to play the wind and I found more spots that I could hunt on different winds. The find people on this site saved me well over 1000 dollars.

I was a skeptic. But my words of advice are, play the wind, and save your money. One day your bow may break down. And that 500 dollars you spend on ozonics and all that spray will be gone. Save it for the things that matter. The only thing you need to kill a deer is a bow, arrows, a license, and tags. I know people who tag out every year leaning against a tree smoking a cigar with a bow. IDK just wanted to give you a recent example of money saved and deer down.

BTW IDK how long you have been hunting but this is only my second year. That 8 point was my first deer ever. And honestly it was nice just jumping out of the truck running up the hill and getting him and not worrying about screwing this this into the tree turning it on and making sure its on the "right" setting. I was one of those guys that hated the whole scent free ritual. I agree with a lot of the guys on here. It used to ruin the hunt. Its time consuming. And your brain washed to the point where you think just cause you touched your camo too much that the deer is going to bust you no matter what.

My rant is done. Just wanted to share. Listen to the guys on here. Most of them all agree on this topic. But if ozonics makes you more confident then go for it. I still wash my clothes in scent free detergant because it gives me piece of mind.

[Whitetailhunter63]

there was just a thread on archery talk about this that just got brought back up again, it has pages and pages of comments but it sounds like it goes both ways. Some people think it does and others dont. In that thread a lot of guys talk about a smoker (like the one they use for bees) thats actually advertised towards hunter. I cant remember the name of it but they went as far as talking about the different kind of wood chips to burn for different scents.

[Matty]

Tried it many moons ago, because I'll try almost anything once and an old friend swore by it. I believe its a foreign odor to them and no better than your own scent, maybe worse if associated with fire. Maybe if they smell a lot of wood stoves it might work. My opinion is not to bother though. Waste of time you could be scouting or shooting your bow.

I gave up scent control some years ago. Best thing I ever did. I hunt more often and I no longer stress about getting in my truck with hunting clothes or boots on or anything like that. I don't go out of my way to get man made scents on me, but I don't freak out if I do. I haven't washed most of my hunting clothes in a couple years now and they get a musty smell. Smells almost like rotting leaves. For a little while I was almost a fanatic, but its too much.

I'll probably get laughed at, but I actually get winded less when I start to stink really bad. If I'm on a hunt for a week or more without a shower, I start to take on the musty smell of a bear or something. You can laugh, it's ok. lol I've actually had animals get downwind and act more confused though than when I used to shower with all the scent free soaps and stuff. They still bust, but they actually seem unsure of what I am.

Anything that makes you more confident though, go for it.

[Tufrthnails]

Tried it many moons ago, because I'll try almost anything once and an old friend swore by it. I believe its a foreign odor to them and no better than your own scent, maybe worse if associated with fire. Maybe if they smell a lot of wood stoves it might work. My opinion is not to bother though. Waste of time you could be scouting or shooting your bow.

I gave up scent control some years ago. Best thing I ever did. I hunt more often and I no longer stress about getting in my truck with hunting clothes or boots on or anything like that. I don't go out of my way to get man made scents on me, but I don't freak out if I do. I haven't washed most of my hunting clothes in a couple years now and they get a musty smell. Smells almost like rotting leaves. For a little while I was almost a fanatic, but its too much.

I'll probably get laughed at, but I actually get winded less when I start to stink really bad. If I'm on a hunt for a week or more without a shower, I start to take on the musty smell of a bear or something. You can laugh, it's ok. lol I've actually had animals get downwind and act more confused though than when I used to shower with all the scent free soaps and stuff. They still bust, but they actually seem unsure of what I am.

Anything that makes you more confident though, go for it.

This brings up a little more in my story I guess. We are hunting KY farmland there are wood stoves and burn piles everywhere up there. So fire is no threat to them in the middle of all that farm land. Smoke is an everyday occurance.