Ground Scent from Bicycles

[AvidHunter88]

So I have access to a piece that would allow me to get to most of my stands on a bicycle. Does anyone have any idea or experience with if that would actually reduce/eliminate ground scent? The property isn't huge so I figured if it actually helps control your ground scent I may be able to get away with a little more as far as aggressiveness or how much I could sit it. Any input is appreciated. Thanks.

[backstraps]

The bike will definitely cut diwn on human ground scent

I have used a bicycle for access, but it was due to such an easy access 2 miles in!!
They’re a great tool and handy if you can make them work

I think they spook deer less too. Seeing a human walking vs riding by. I have ridden rite passed bedded deer.

[greenhorndave]

Lost a reply...

I mountain biked a lot in the past. Saw deer all the time. They'll usually bound off a few bounds and then stop and watch. They don't stay wired for too long.

And scent is rubber on ground and fleeting human scent trail. Probably a fraction of boots on the ground.

I say ride on.

[Ranger Matthews]

I posted a topic “entry exit strategies” in the articles. May have some information you would find interesting. It is about how tracking dogs have been studied dating back to WWI. Goes into the two ways dogs relate to tracking odor and most likely relates to how deer respond to cross tracks.

[Grizzlyadam]

There will still be disturbance to vegetation which will release scent to indicate to a deer that something went through. I believe more often than not this is what they key in on first even when we walk through. Then after some investigating they will eventually pick up on our human odor deposited on the trail and react accordingly. This is why sometimes you will see a deer cross your trail and stop to sniff then it ends up following the trail right to the base of the tree then when they eventually smells our human odor on or near the base of the tree they go on full alert and bug out.

I think on the bike you will be able to get away with a little more by leaving less human scent, but they will still be aware that something went through and if they are curious enough will eventually figure it out. The biggest advantage is that you can cover a lot of ground very quickly and quietly.

[Tennhunter3]

This year I've started using a bike over a atv. The bike spooks way less deer.

[Elite]

I've been using a bike for the last 2 years to get to several stands on one property. It's definitely more efficient than walking, but if your pant legs are brushing up on vegetation, it's no more effective as walking.

[hambone]

I used a mountain bike years ago, to access some of my hunting spots. I can't say if any deer were ever alarmed by the scent from the bike tires. I do know this:There was no human ground scent left behind. If the bike did, in fact, skeer the deer, it did it way less than an ATV. I used to ride by bedded deer on my bike all the time. If I looked out the corner of my eyes and dint break stride, they would just lay there. I've yet to see a deer from atop an ATV that wasn't in flight or soon fixin to be.

[Ranger Matthews]

Tracking dogs were extensively studied by the Germans dating back to WWI. Dogs track by one of two methods. Commonly a dogs tracking method is described as ground disturbance or trailing/human odor. Two tests were set up. In one test a wooden wheel with wooden feet attached and no human odor was rolled over vegetation. In the other test a chair lift type apparatus was used to transport a human over an area without touching the ground. The Germans discovered that most dogs were successful at one method but not the other. They could find the quarry by tracking the ground disturbance but could not find the quarry by tracking only the human odor, or vise versa. Todays police dogs are normally trained to track with a combination of methods. Urban environments with pavement and concrete dictate that dogs need to have the ability to trail human odor but in areas with vegetation the dogs are trained to take advantage of that additional odor. I assume deer natural gravitate to one method or the other or a combination of both. Either way a bicycle would most likely give you an advantage over walking

[Dewey]

Riding a bike likely reduces your ground scent but there’s no way it eliminates it. Unless your completely sealed in a plastic bubble your body is constantly giving off scent molecules. If you right a bike through an area and a deer gets downwind it WILL know you were there even on a bike.

[greenhorndave]

Riding a bike likely reduces your ground scent but there’s no way it eliminates it. Unless your completely sealed in a plastic bubble your body is constantly giving off scent molecules. If you right a bike through an area and a deer gets downwind it WILL know you were there even on a bike.

Agreed. But, in my experience, especially on a relatively regularly used bike trail, they don't care all that much. They might if a trail or area hasn't had a bike on it, but bike trails (almost always the path of least resistance) are used all the time by deer even after being used by the stinkiest of stinkers (this guy!). From a visual standpoint, they might run a bit, but don't get too wigged out by bikes. I saw the biggest doe of my life (had to go at least 180) about 20 yards off a trail after sundown and she barely reacted. I don't think a bike is a magic wand, but I wouldn't shy away from it.

[Dewey]

Riding a bike likely reduces your ground scent but there’s no way it eliminates it. Unless your completely sealed in a plastic bubble your body is constantly giving off scent molecules. If you right a bike through an area and a deer gets downwind it WILL know you were there even on a bike.

Agreed. But, in my experience, especially on a relatively regularly used bike trail, they don't care all that much. They might if a trail or area hasn't had a bike on it, but bike trails (almost always the path of least resistance) are used all the time by deer even after being used by the stinkiest of stinkers (this guy!). From a visual standpoint, they might run a bit, but don't get too wigged out by bikes. I saw the biggest doe of my life (had to go at least 180) about 20 yards off a trail after sundown and she barely reacted. I don't think a bike is a magic wand, but I wouldn't shy away from it.

I use a bike all the time. Rarely does a deer see me and not bolt almost immediately. I use it more for the convenience than for scent reduction. It’s not like I ride my bike right to my tree so the scent reduction really means nothing to me. Usually I’m hiking another mile or so beyond that point.

[cspot]

My guess is at least in my part of the country if there is a road or trail suitable for bicycles, it already sees a fair amount of humans along it. Smelling humans where they normally smell humans usually doesn't bother them much.