Ground scent retention in snow

[Buckless Yooper]

Getting ready for MI muzzleloader deer season and the fact that I'm going to have to hire a snow plow for the family camp in da U.P. got me thinking about snow and scent retention.

Anyone have any scoop on how much snow (say 4 inches or deeper) retains ground scent?

I was presuming even with rubber pac boots, or rubber knee boots a hunter still leaves ground scent,but didn't know how it compares to rubber boots on bare ground....

[KPnorthdakota]

I sat tonight and left my stand at 5:15pm in a different way than I entered...different from the deer’s main trail.. I just got a cam pic of a nice 8 pointer walking right over my trail. Go figure.

We currently have 3-5 inches of snow on the ground.

[dagger]

I don't know for certain but we had snow here this rifle season in NH and every time I went in the woods I had deer walk my tracks. I tracked a corker 2 different days and both times we ended up back on my boot tracks multiple times. According to what I observed the deer had no clue I was there as far as ground scent goes.

[Buckless Yooper]

I sat tonight and left my stand at 5:15pm in a different way than I entered...different from the deer’s main trail.. I just got a cam pic of a nice 8 pointer walking right over my trail. Go figure.

We currently have 3-5 inches of snow on the ground.

Appreciate the input KP.

Everyone has different experience in this situation.

I might step out on a limb and say the snow may camoflague a hunter. Scent some,but would like to hear more about others experience with this situation.

[KPnorthdakota]

I sat tonight and left my stand at 5:15pm in a different way than I entered...different from the deer’s main trail.. I just got a cam pic of a nice 8 pointer walking right over my trail. Go figure.

We currently have 3-5 inches of snow on the ground.

Appreciate the input KP.

Everyone has different experience in this situation.

I might step out on a limb and say the snow may camoflague a hunter. Scent some,but would like to hear more about others experience with this situation.

For sure. I usually find deer tracks in my tracks once the snow hits the ground and stays. The example I shared previously was just one example of my experience and the buck was walking in my tracks within an hour.

But, the more people that share the better picture you get.

[stash59]

All I know is my lion hunting friends hated "dry" snow. This snow condition, with less moisture content, made it harder for the dogs to find/pick up the scent. Snow depth had very little to do with it.

[swampnovice31]

ive coyote hunted some in the past with a group with dogs, and like stash said.. dry snow is harder for hounds to track .. wet snow is better.. fluffy snow as apposed to packable snow.. either way I never want a deer to cross my path if I can help it.. too many bad experiences for me

[Lockdown]

Me and Tyler hunted a set Saturday morning. Sunday evening when I accessed there were buck and doe tracks on top of ours. Low and behold a good buck and 2 does showed up that night...

[hambone]

I've had deer bust my scent off of wet snow. On the otherhand I've had them follow my tracks. I always figured that was either from curiosity or following the path of least resistance, whether they smelled me or not.

[treeroot]

I'm not an expert by any means, but I've found the deeper the snow the more they walk right down my path. I posted it in another thread but for general non big buck hunting I've used a snowmobile to create my own funnel/ pinch points between bedding and food.

[greenhorndave]

Deer love the path of least resistance. I think this trumps scent in the snow. I recall helping build bike trails in the snow-free woods. Finish building about half of a new trail loop one day, come back the next day to finish it and the half from the previous day was already loaded with tracks. It literally did not exist two days earlier, but the lure of a trail free of sticks and leaves was too much to resist for the deer. And zero thought was given to scent reduction.