Does rain cover up our scent ?

[dreaming bucks]

I would like to hear more what everyone thinks about rain washing our scent away...

Someone else pointed out in another thread how cadaver dogs can find body's that have been underwater for several days...... So lets say we were out hunting, and we walked into the woods when it was dry yet, but not long after we get into the tree, it starts to rain pretty good for a half hour or so.... Do you guys think that rain washes away our scent trail walking in ? I'm not talking about our scent we are giving off sitting in the tree, but the scent trail we left on the ground walking in.....

I know Dan has brought it up before about how rain washes our scent away, I guess I'm just wondering exactly how it can, if dogs can still smell a dead body that is completely submerged in a river and the current is constantly taking away the scent.....

It's just something I have been pondering here on a boring sunday afternoon...

[Dewey]

That's a great question and one I have been wondering myself!!

If a deer's sense of smell is as good as they say it is I have a hard time believing that rain will completely wash your scent away. Sure it may weaken your scent but from what I learned here that doesn't matter to deer since they smell it regardless with their unbelievable noses. How is this any different than taking a shower before you go hunting? I'm sure the answer to this is that we are constantly losing fresh skin cells.

I am interested in hearing other's opinions as well.

[Buckfever]

On the public land that I hunt human scent is a given so the objective is to minimize the scent footprint of your particular set. So making your set as early as is allowed, just before or during a rain, help to minimize the scent impact is going to give you an advantage. I've had expereinces where I've made a set during the rain(really Thunderstorm) and just 2 weeks later I had deer bedding just under my set.

[dan]

I do believe it washes most of your scent away. I have seen deer react to human scent trails after light rain, but not heavy. As far as the cadaver dogs, Dogs can be trained to pick up on certain odors and those dogs are trained to pick up on gas given off from a decomposing body. The body is under the water yes, but its giving off gas that floats to the top.
I have seen whitetails find corn that is completely under water too... The thing is the corn is there under the water.
I don't know where your scent goes when it rains, but I have observed deer not reacting after a rain, or after a week, so there is some sort of break down.

[GRUD]

I think scent is oxidized and rain has a high dissolved oxygen content. The water probably dilutes it too and breaks it down.

[kenn1320]

Dogs can be trained to pick up on certain odors and those dogs are trained to pick up on gas given off from a decomposing body. The body is under the water yes, but its giving off gas that floats to the top.

Exactly Dan. I'm not sure what the affect of the rain is on the scent, but there are good conditions and bad conditions when it comes to hunting with dogs that track. I can tell ya I was shocked when the guy told me a dog can go into a burnt building and if an accelerate was used, the dog can find it. I would "assume" it would be irrelevant if the fire department had soaked the building to put out the fire or not.

[dan]

True, but I think the excelerrant soaks in and the oder is absorbed. There is good argument that your odor remains, but observations have shown me that if its a heavy rain deer don't spook on ground scent from before the storm...

[Hodag Hunter]

I will say this.....during the rain it is probably a high humdity content in the air....this will make scent easier for a critter to smell.

Guys with dogs will agree. Cold dry days, little to no moisture in the air dogs will struggle with cold trails.

Try this test......take a "rip" while in the shower.....the high humidity will intensify the smell. yeah gross.

No scientific proof, but if deer are smelling skin particles off your body (they are) this is what is being "washed away or diluted" on the ground. Airborne scent, in my opinion, is intesified in rainy conditions.

[ah110]

i am a firm believer that rain covers up ground scent. not sure about scent in the air...

[dan]

deer are smelling skin particles off your body (they are) this is what is being "washed away or diluted" on the ground. Airborne scent, in my opinion, is intesified in rainy conditions

I agree. But intensified or not, they get downwind they smell you.

[jlh42581]

I dont know if this could be why or not but lightening produces ozone which kills bacteria and scent. what the explanation would be when there is no lightening but even after most rains that dont have lightening you can still smell ozone. Maybe there is some minor form of lightening we cant see. I have no clue, just throwing it out there.

[Schultzy]

I believe rain does wash away your scent, a good rain that Is. I always try to check my trail cams before a rain storm Is coming for this very exact reason.

[kenn1320]

I just googled does rain affect a tracking dog. First hit was this.

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/bulletins.read?mnr=334673&pagen=1

While some say there can be issues, most agree it does not stop the dogs in the least.

I found this guys answer interesting.........

Actually they can track very well in the rain. The scent seems to stay down more in the rain. It makes it easier for my dog.

Or this guy...

Dog's nose is amazing. It never sees to amaze me when I see a dog to hit a track under 90* and within sometimes fracture of a second and sometimes within 1-2 feet or less dog determines which way the person walked. Think about that!

Or this guy...

Yes, I've tracked in light rain and heavy rain and the dogs worked fine. A light rain often helps scent.

OK, so anybody still believe the rain is washing away your scent?

[dreaming bucks]

Hmmmm, sure makes you wonder, don't it ? I'm sure it matters just how hard it's raining also....

[dan]

Interesting Ken... I am going to have to study up on that!