Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Fleatrap1 on September 26, 2013, 09:54:00 PM
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Years ago i was able the travel to West Virginia to deer hunt on a very close family friend's land. It was a great trip. The old timers there smoked everything by campfire each night before hunting to mask human odor. I have done this ever since when hunting deer. I tend to get very close to deer using only this tactic and playing the wind the best i can. Does anyone else have any experience using smoke to mask their scent?
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Can't say I used that, but I smoke a pipe, and I've had two instances of deer coming up darn close to my ground blind when I've give up for the morning, lit a pipe, to relax a while for mid-day (when the deer aren't SUPPOSED to be moving). While I wasn't looking, one poked his head right up to the opening of my blind. I could have burned the forest down I jumped so high!
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Yes I have used the smoke method quite successfully for years. I don't always use it, but it does have it merits. I believe some deer could pattern you if over used on the same deer.I like to use this method when camping and hunting whether here on home turf or DIY hunts elsewhere. I consider it the easiest, single best method of natural scent control. I believe it kills scent,as well as cover it.
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I forgot to mention the guys in West Virginia at the time were all rifle hunting! Not near as much scent control needed as getting within 10 yards on the ground! However, as I said I have had deer walk right in front of me. Maybe it was just luck I really don't know.
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May be a dumb question, but with what kind of wood? Any certain wood " mask" better than another?Thanks
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Never used any particular wood, just what ever is there to burn. Most of what I have is maple or oak. I have never really gotten into using scent killers and such but a lot of guys around here do. Heck, maybe I would see more deer if I used them! I'm pretty happy with my results from the campfire though.
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The discerning deer here seem to prefer English blends (see above reply) for those who know pipe tobacco; a friend reported that Peretti BCP (burley) had the same effect!
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Greybark, Any wood will work. You don't need a big fire, just enough to start a nice little pile of fallen leaves and or pine, spruce, or hemlock needles. Put enough on to smolder the fire. Heavy thick smoke is what you want. Just use what is natural to the area you are hunting. The possibilities are endless and fun to experiment. I sometimes use a more open fire and smoke clothes for hours and then air them out a little. I leave the outer worn garments well smoked usually. Not a fluke- it works!
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Fleatrap, I use both commercial scent killers and natural such as wood smoke. The combination can magnafiy the effect greatly. I use HS products because they work.
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OH, I also smoke a pipe. :goldtooth:
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I've been thinking about trying smoke for the last couple weeks since I read this thread. (http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=131585#000007) Also, I found an ohio-based hunting forum where there were quite a few people who swear by using smoke to reduce and cover up scent. I plan to buy a beekeepers smoke pot and give it a whirl!
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I was talking with a fellow tradgang member this past week and we had the "smoke,no smoke" conversation when he shared some information he had gathered from somewhere suggesting how different animals smell things differently.
Maybe animals may smell differently from the same way we smell things.
Single vs layered smelling.
Example: If we walk into some place that is cooking a good stew what we smell is "good stew" and to the contrary animals that depend on their noses for personal safety smell carrots,potatoes,onions, ect ect.
I think we may have some residual abilities to smell in layers as well.
I know when my ex would come out of the bathroom having sprayed some pine scented cover scent all I thought was...It just smells like someone pooped a pine tree in here...lol
Something to think about....or maybe not...lol
I use smoke...sometimes.. but not often enough to make any real observations that satisfy my questions about it's effectiveness.
I do however think that if you believe in something (anything) that elevates your confidence level then you're going to have a better chance at being successful.
God bless,Mudd
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Trails End 307 works very well. You can get it a wally world
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Mudd, it very well may be that we smell "stew" because we have learned that that particular combination (of carrot, potato, meat and spice) meant "stew". I am guessing we can smell much better than we give credit for, we just need to use the gift more and trust in what we smell.
That said, we don't have the physical means to compete against certain critters (like. . hmm. . nearly all of the others).
ChuckC
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Buckeye Cam sold a smoker on their website
Not sure if they still do or not
I tried smoking my clothes one year
Didnt see any deer so Im not sure if it helped.
I can tell you that the odor is hard to get out.
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Just go spend $300 on an Ozonics machine. :biglaugh:
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I don't think smoke alarms deer at any rate. Several years ago, my cousin and I were hunting in a timber together. His stand was about 150 yards upwind of mine. It was getting late in the day and I suddenly smelled cigarette smoke. Moments later I saw four deer walking through the timber toward my cousin. My first thought was, "Crap! Frank's going to get busted because of the smoke smell." They were out of range for me, so I just waited to see what would happen. About five minutes went by and my cell phone began to buzz. It was Frank, "Hey, I just shot a big doe, so you'd better wait a few minutes before you get down." His stand was between me and the truck.
Obviously, if I could smell the smoke, the deer did, but he shot that doe about 12 yards from his tree and she was directly downwind. He had to put out his cigarette and pick up his bow to shoot her.
I have read that Indians (or to be politically correct, Native Americans) used smoke as a cover scent as well. With the equipment they had, they definitely had to get close. I think I may give it a try this fall, especially when I plan to hunt from the ground.
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Here is the system I use with great success and some good reading on this site:
http://www.scentsmoker.com/
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I believe Trumpkin the Dwarf had a thread about smoking his clothing then slipping through a herd of Elk...I'll see if I can find the title...It was a great read.
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My dad and I have smoked before our hunts as long as I can remember and it has great results. Like others have said, just pile up some pine straw and then keep rolling it where it doesn't flame up and get all in there.
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Originally posted by shirikahn:
I believe Trumpkin the Dwarf had a thread about smoking his clothing then slipping through a herd of Elk...I'll see if I can find the title...It was a great read.
One of the threads involving that story was already linked once on this thread(first page).
I did indeed surround myself with elk, and got multiple shot opportunities on animals after they got a snout full of Trumpkin obstructed wind. I ended it by killing the bull in my avatar. Smoke works on elk. I haven't tested it on deer yet.
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Give it up Trumpkin, it was the thermals - always the thermals that save the hunt don't you know! LOL :saywhat: :biglaugh:
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I get smoked up every time before I hunt , seems to work