Smoke cover?

[Pine]

I have used smoke to de stink my clothes before hunting and I was just wondering, why wouldn't a sage incense work good in a blind for a cover sent?
I have had a small fire before and deer came in down wind of me with no alarm at all.
I'm thinking of trying this sometime. I don't know why it wouldn't work.
 Have any of you tried anything like that?

[kevsuperg]

I used to use the scent sticks along time ago. Basically  deer scented incense.
 Don't see why sage or other scents wouldn't work.
 Good luck

[YosemiteSam]

During the summer, I spent too much time covered in citronella oils that any scent control was pointless.  Had to play the wind.

As the weather cooled, I was religious about using pine shavings in my bee smoker on all my clothes.  I'd smoke it up before leaving & again at the trailhead.  For my late season hunt, I'd make a fire at camp & burn oak & bay laurel to help with the scent.  In all cases, I got busted just as easily when the wind swirled or changed as if I was wearing insect repellent.  Most of those mishaps were within 100 yards.  Granted, those were all after the rifle season so the deer were particularly jumpy.  But, although it makes sense that it would work, I'm now skeptical that it makes much of a difference.

Regarding sage, we have many kinds of sage and even sage brush (different species entirely).  I don't have a deer's nose.  But I mostly smell sage brush when walking through it as I break or crush the leaves, stems, etc.  By late summer or fall, our sages are done growing and only really smell much when being trampled.  So as much as it could be a cover scent, it could also be a warning that something is coming.

But there's only one way to find out for sure...

[Sam McMichael]

I have used many scents over the years and have come to the conclusion that deer downwind are going to smell you, period. So, don't ask me why I still use them, as I have no rational answer.

[YosemiteSam]

Originally posted by Sam McMichael:
So, don't ask me why I still use them, as I have no rational answer.

This is about the most honest answer I've ever heard.  Maybe it's all just a mental process to keep us alert to smells & the wind in general.  If it keeps us mindful of the wind and our senses, then maybe there's some indirect help.

[KeganM]

Been using a bee smoker for a few seasons and it seems to help sometimes. Old does and bucks won't tolerate anything, natural or not, but the young ones seemed to ignore wind swirls after smoking.

[Texoma]

Another bee smoker here.I have had good luck with it,granted the deer still smell you but they settle back down after they hit my wind.

The smoke has carbon in it naturally and the smell helps to weaken your scent.So the deer can still smell you but your scent is weak and to a deer that means old.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I think next year I will make a fire and invite the deer over for dinner.    

[Doug Treat]

I have had great luck intentionally letting wood smoke saturate my clothes before hunting.  Years ago I heard that native Americans used to sit in smoke before a hunt so I started doing it.  It seems that the carbon tends to trap my scent. I have been under 10 yards and upwind of too many elk, deer, and bear not to think that smoke helps. I don't use anything else for scent control-no sprays, ozonics, etc. I'm sure that animals can still smell me but my experience says that smoke probably reduces human odor by at least 50%.

[Broken Arrows]

I am not sure where I got this information. A smoke bath will kill the bacteria that creates the human order, so if this information is true one should stand in the smoke of a naturel wood fire then dawn their clothing before hunting.
I still say use what ever method you like play the wind and hope if the wind changes the smoke will lessen your smell enough to not alarm the game.

[Texoma]

Yep smoke kills bacteria and keeps it from growing
that is why meats are smoke cured.

[degabe]

When I was a kid and didn't warn clothes I would build a fire to stay warm. The deer would often come right up close to watch the fire. The problem is I always got caught feeding the fire and if you stop they run.