Does specific ground cover affect human scent?

[Buckeye Bow]

I was curious as to whether or not different ground covers (grass, leaves, mud, gravel, etc.) have an affect on the amount of time human scent could be detected or the intensity of the smell. If you were to have an option of walking a muddy creek bottom, or say a gravel path, to a stand, which would be better? I'm assuming the deer will detect it either way, but maybe scent will last a day on one and a week on the other? I would like to know if there is any science behind this.

[brancher147]

Wet or moist ground will intensify ground scent and hold it much longer than dry or rocky ground. I have worked with tracking dogs and hunting dogs and dry rocky ground is much harder to find or follow a scent track.

It also depends on air temp and humidity. Cooler moist air will stay closer to the ground and warmer air will rise. More humidity equals more scent.

[Grizzlyadam]

I believe that ground scent is more the disturbance to vegetation and the ground itself that releases more scent than that which is left by a hunter. I believe more often than not deer smell the disturbance of vegetation and earth before they smell the human scent. I've witnessed it over and over where a deer picks up on scent of where I came into my stand and then investigates. Often times calmly following the trail right to the base if my tree before it actually smells my scent and flips out and tears out if there.

No real science to back it up , and I'm not exactly sure if I'm answering the question. But I fully believe that the disturbance we create to vegetation and earth is more what gets us figured out than the actual human scent left behind. The disturbance to the natural landscape releases odor which leads to the deers natural curiosity to investigate only then picking up on what made the disturbance, humans. Repeating myself here.

Mature deer, be it a buck or doe have much less tolerance for any disturbance in their area. Especially if it is a part if their area known to them to be used by hunters. So yeah, walking over rocky terrain will definitely yield less scent to attract unwanted attention than mud, dirt, and vegetation. Also a deer encountering a disturbance during shooting light vs middle of the night are two different things. During night time activity they will definitely be more likely to investigate even after smelling human scent just to try and figure out where you are going to in the area so they can take a mental note on where to avoid during day time. Just one more reason why the first sit is the best and every sit after that just further educates the deer in that particular area as to where and how you hunt. I love hunting just before a good rain to wash away any disturbance I have left there. Feels like I get a reset to go hunt the same spot again soon.

[PK_]

Absolutely. Full sun exposure makes a difference as well. Dry sandy soil is your friend.