Ground Scent Question

[AR Hunter]

As far as ground scent goes, have any of you ever noticed or felt that the wind can blow your ground scent trail, or do you think the deer has to pretty much be on it to smell it?

[Dewey]

If they are downwind of it they will smell it. Ground scent lingers way longer than you think especially if it’s on tall grasses or brush. How the they react to it will depend on the individual deer. Some don’t react others will totally freak out.

[Mathewshooter]

I know this isnt popular opinion around here but I havent had a deer that Ive observed smell my entry/exit trail in nearly 20 years. IMO there are things you can do to keep them from smelling your trail. In fact, a couple years ago I cut a trail through some thick pines to my spot and the deer took over my trail. If they smelled me walking in and out of that trail, I highly doubt they would be using the trail.

[dan]

As you shed scent it drifts down wind... Ive watched deer react down wind of scent trails.

[dan]

I know this isnt popular opinion around here but I havent had a deer that Ive observed smell my entry/exit trail in nearly 20 years. IMO there are things you can do to keep them from smelling your trail. In fact, a couple years ago I cut a trail through some thick pines to my spot and the deer took over my trail. If they smelled me walking in and out of that trail, I highly doubt they would be using the trail.

Every single trail I ever made, or took over had deer using it... I doubt your trails get used solely cause of lack of scent. Trails I cut thru the marsh and swamps where I hunt are still there after more than 20 years cause the deer take them over and keep them open. 18 deer crossed my scent trail this year, 1 spooked. 1 briefly smelled the trail. The rest walked up and down my entrance freely.

[Mathewshooter]

I know this isnt popular opinion around here but I havent had a deer that Ive observed smell my entry/exit trail in nearly 20 years. IMO there are things you can do to keep them from smelling your trail. In fact, a couple years ago I cut a trail through some thick pines to my spot and the deer took over my trail. If they smelled me walking in and out of that trail, I highly doubt they would be using the trail.

Every single trail I ever made, or took over had deer using it... I doubt your trails get used solely cause of lack of scent. Trails I cut thru the marsh and swamps where I hunt are still there after more than 20 years cause the deer take them over and keep them open. 18 deer crossed my scent trail this year, 1 spooked. 1 briefly smelled the trail. The rest walked up and down my entrance freely.

I'm just giving my observations from my hunting experiences.If I stunk to high heaven or the deer were skittish of ground scent, I dont think they would be using the trail. Maybe they just dont care about ground scent? Until someone can communicate with deer, we'll never know for sure.

[Grizzlyadam]

My belief is that we leave very little human scent on the ground when we walk down a trail. I believe the disturbance we create to foliage and the ground releases much more scents than we deposit there. Deer detect the disturbance we created going through and due to their natural curiosity will often inspect to see what made the disturbance. If they catch your scent there they may or may not freak out. I have had deer walk my trail investigating right to the base of my tree before losing interest and wandering off. Others have picked out my human odor and became edgy or took off altogether.

Just like everything else the reaction of a deer to a human odor or a disturbance in their area will vary greatly depending on that particular deers previous experiences. Big mature bucks will not tolerate much intrusion so more often than not if they cross your entrance trail to a stand or tree they will not disregard it.

[tgreeno]

I know this isnt popular opinion around here but I havent had a deer that Ive observed smell my entry/exit trail in nearly 20 years. IMO there are things you can do to keep them from smelling your trail. In fact, a couple years ago I cut a trail through some thick pines to my spot and the deer took over my trail. If they smelled me walking in and out of that trail, I highly doubt they would be using the trail.

Many times I've had deer walk right down the trail I walked in on. I think the specific area & deer make a big difference, if they have a reaction. Deer on land that see alot of foot traffic may not react at all. While in a staging area, they may go crazy. We used to rake paths in the woods up to our turkey blinds on private land I used to hunt. It was down to the dirt so we could enter silent in the mornings. It would always be hammered with deer tracks going up & down every year.

[brancher147]

It depends greatly on moisture. If it is wet or light rain or high humidity, then your ground scent will be greatly intensified and last for a longer duration and sure a deer could smell it downwind. If it is dry or rocky ground and high pressure low humidity your ground scent is very minimal and I rarely see deer react to it at all, and have never seen one spook downwind in these type dry conditions.

[Babshaft]

Another important factor for ground scent that I observed last year is something that a lot of beasts have mentioned in podcasts - particularly Dan and JoeRe. The proximity of that ground scent to a deer's bedding area, or safe zone if you will, has an impact on their reaction in my opinion. I believe it is the biggest factor in their reaction to ground scent based on two particular observations (obviously not a large sample size).

Last year I had a small 6 pointer and a large 8 pointer cross my scent trail on camera, on separate occasions. They literally walked down an hour after I had (both took the same route weeks apart). The camera was on a normal human traffic area, 350 yards from the suspected bedding area. The camera took multiple pictures of them at a time - they were not in a hurry and they didn't appear "spooked".

When I hunted the bedding, I saw the large 8 pointer first. My setup wasn't perfect, he was much further than I thought he'd be and skirted around me. He made it to my access trail, hit it and froze. He stayed still for 5-10 minutes, slowly turned around and made his way past me, back to the bedding.

I hunted the bedding the next opportunity I had, and saw the small 6 pointer. He took my original expected route (I of course adjusted to the large bucks route haha). He hit within 10 yards downwind of my access trail, snorted, and took of like the devil himself had grabbed his tail.

Both bucks had an adverse reaction to my ground scent when it was in close proximity to their bedding (~100 yards in this instance); however, different. I believe that they need to be somewhat close to it to smell it, but what I couldn't even begin to estimate is what that distance would be. These two observations will be with me moving forward, as I try to correlate the proximity of my ground scent to bedding and how close they'll tolerate it. I know two instances isn't enough to qualify anything, but it's enough to get me started.

Hope this helps!

[Horizontal Hunter]

Both bucks had an adverse reaction to my ground scent when it was in close proximity to their bedding (~100 yards in this instance); however, different. I believe that they need to be somewhat close to it to smell it, but what I couldn't even begin to estimate is what that distance would be. These two observations will be with me moving forward, as I try to correlate the proximity of my ground scent to bedding and how close they'll tolerate it. I know two instances isn't enough to qualify anything, but it's enough to get me started.

Hope this helps!

I agree.

When it comes to scent I believe that :

The location of the scent matters. Especially how close to bedding/core areas it is.

The strength of the scent. They stronger the scent is the more likely that they are going to react to it.

Different deer will react differently. Typically the older and more experienced the deer is the more likely they are to react negatively.

There are no absolutes in the deer woods.

Bob

[MikePerry]

I go out of my way to not leave ground scent on any trails I expect deer to come down while I’m hunting. In areas that deer are conditioned to human scent like suburban areas I’m sure they are not to alarmed by human scent on the ground but in the remote areas of public land I hunt in PA I can guarantee you ground scent is not tolerated by a wise old doe or a mature buck. I’m not taking any chances. I’ll wade down edges of swamps to hunt a beaver damn crossing before walking down or across any deer trails near that crossing. I also try to find setups where I either cross a creek and only have to walk a short distance to my tree or where I can walk a feeder creek to my tree. In my 30 plus years I’ve observed some dee not give a care about my ground scent when they have encountered it and I’ve also had doe and mature bucks literally turn inside out when they encountered my ground scent and I’ve always tried to keep my cloths as clean as possible and stored in a tub and I store my waders and rubber boots in a tub also. You can fool some of the noses some of the times but you can’t fool all of the noses all of the time so I’ll continue to be paranoid about leaveing ground scent on the ground from now on.

[AR Hunter]

I sure appreciate all the great responses. It sure reinforces the need for good access to and from stands. That is one thing I sure need to get better on.

[ghoasthunter]

hears my take on ground scent. deer will pic up on it but if its controlled it will help. most human odors on form of ground scent is from the oils on your skin I layer in shingles put your socks on and pants tuck your pants into rubber boots tuck your shirt into pants and wear a hat. the skin cells will fall down threw into your boots. try not to touch anything with your bare skin walking in and walk easy. imagine being covered in dust the faster your movement the more dust will fall off. anybody that tucks there pants and has had smelly boots is witnessing this the bacteria and funk from your skin is falling down and festering in your boots making the extra funk. when I approach I try to not disturb soil and leaves I walk threw water down logs or rocks just like a cat bear or coyote. predators do this for a reason. you cant remove ground scent completely but if you minimize it so its less likely to get blown around you may cause a better reactions.