Smoking

[crotch horn]

My buddy Ed was hunting in Ohio and ran across a group of bow hunters who were taking plenty of really nice deer. Nice group of guys and this has gone on for a couple of years. Ed was talking to them around a campfire and they told him they all smoke themselves before hunting. They say the deer never negatively react to it and don't seem to smell them at all. Interesting thing about the area is that almost everyone burns wood there. Theory is you just blend in. Anyone else hear of this or try it? Just wondering.

[wollelybugger]

Shot my first buck over a fire my Father built to keep me warm. Didn't seem to bother him any.

[Tom]

Just had a conversation with another member about this same thing and he swears by it. Also he learned from some guys in OH. Must be something in the water.

[59Alaskan]

I know a guy who lights a fire somewhat frequently while hunting.  He's shot deer over the fire more than once as I recall.  Never saw or heard of this until I moved to OH, but I also didn't hunt as much until I moved here.

[Cherry Tree]

this might be a good thing to know.

[Rodd Szmania]

I doubt that it could help. So why do it?

[59Alaskan]

I have never done it myself, but I suppose if you've had deer come in close enough to shoot while doing it and it's cold....why not?

In the example above, I would light a fire to keep a child comfortable through the hunting experience and risk not seeing deer. For wollelybugger he kept warm and got his deer.

All that said, I still haven't convinced myself I would do it.

[Mudd]

If you read about the way some Native Americans prepared themselves to hunt, it was by smoking their clothing prior to the hunt.

It has always made sense to me as to the why of it. Its as natural a smell in the woods as any other and sure beats smelling like a skunk or some other modern cover scents they are marketing to the hunter who needs every edge he can buy.

I've never heard of building a fire as an attractant  before but hey who am I to say it won't work since I've never tried it. I can tell you that standing in the smoke of a good campfire then going hunting hasn't ever hurt the hunting.

God bless,Mudd

[crotch horn]

Maybe I should add more. They came up with the method after many hunting trips. What they figured out was that they spooked lots of deer in the first part of the trips but as the hunts went on they saw more & more deer. After the hunt they would come back and sit around the campfire to talk about their days hunt. What they realized was the more they sat by the campfire in their hunting clothes the more deer seemed to ignore them and not spook. Soon they would bring a hunting blind and make a smoking chamber of sorts and just like that they had good luck right from day 1 instead of the hunt getting bvetter as time went on. Most of these guys are not from Ohio but love the hunting there. My buddy and I thought it was quite interesting. They dont have a fire going in the woods, just back at camp.

[jhg]

I know a guy that never wears a hat when he hunts deer. Very successful. I might try it. The deer don't seem to smell him or know he is there.
There is no magic arrow for deer hunting. Success is a combination of preparation, location, and good fortune.

Just sayin'

Joshua

[walkabout]

back in pennsylvania where im from every morning we hunted we would stand aside a coffee can of burning twigs to get the smoke stuck to us, had deer come crazy close. my grandpa had a small fire every day he hunted and had deer all around him as well. even when the deer were spooked from a ton of hunters in the woods in rifle season the smoke seemed to help us blend in. also makes sense as carbon/charcoal/soot will absorb impurities

[jhg]

I have to admit this thread has sparked (sorry) my interest in the subject. I may try it this fall on mule deer, but not on Elk. And why not? If it works, fantastic. If not, nothing lost for the experiment.

J-

[buckeye_hunter]

Here is a couple links to a few similar threads posted some time ago.

  http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=065806

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=087099

[Ragnarok Forge]

Think about activat4ed charcoal scentless suits for a bit and the reasonit works come right to you.  You are saturating your bodyw ith tiny molecules of activated carbon.  They help absorb your scent all day long minimizing your scent signature. The deer are used to smelling smoke around human habitations.  It is a comfortable common scent for them.  The end result is a deer that is relaxed and just moving thru when they smell the smoke scent

[Winterhawk1960]

Originally posted by Tom:
Just had a conversation with another member about this same thing and he swears by it. Also he learned from some guys in OH. Must be something in the water.

I "might" know of whom you speak.......Tom

For those of you that have ever "smoked" your own meat for preservation, think about exactly "WHAT" it is that actually "inhibits the growth of bacteria" on or within the meat.

Now, give a thought or two to exactly "WHAT" it is that causes "body odor". The growth of bacteria is what causes the odor.

I was very reluctant to try this.....I argued (internally) with myself for a couple of years before actually giving it a try. I took the plunge and smoked up all my hunting clothes with a hyped up bee smoker. I can honestly say that after two seasons using the "smoked up" method that the deer seem to pay it no mind. I'm quite sure that they can smell it.......but it isn't a smell that triggers alarm for them.

That being said, I am also quite sure that they can "learn" to associate the smell with "fear" if they have enough bad experiences around it.

I have had deer directly down wind.......less than ten yards away on numerous occasions. They just don't seem to pay any attention to it. I am and have been a "believer" in this for the past two seasons, and until something happens that changes my mind about it.......I'll keep on smokin'.

Winterhawk1960

I have shot two deer while making tea over a fire at the exact same place, the only thing different was the bow.  Over the years I have shot deer while smoking cigars and pipe.  Take the pipe out of your mouth before you shoot.  My older brother, that I do not associate with, tried to shoot his neighbors cat once.  His pipe and his upper plate came closer to hitting the cat than the arrow, that is what is called pay back for misbehavior.
  I do not have any intentions however of smoking up my Filson wools however.  Although that has to smell better than the guys that put their hunting clothes in a plastic bag full of pee.

[Old York]

Well it seems logical to smoke oneself up. I mean deer really aren't  expecting  a
bunch of hams to go after them. Yes, outwit the buggers at every turn.

[Hoyt]

I've always believed in it. It's a very strong smell, that's why I don't use it. I don't like walking around smelling like a burnt log. I also heard as Mudd said, that the Indians smoked their selves up before a hunt.

I personally think cigarette smoke is one of the best cover scents one could use. Smoke is a natural smell and when it's up a deer's nostril it would be hard for it to smell anything else.

[Izzy]

Ive had deer spook and sometimes not spook when my clothes were smokey smelling and Ive had them come in from downwind the time my gracious landowner threw my clothes in the dryer with a floral dryer sheet.My point,,, its up to the individual deer as you all know.

[Hopewell Tom]

OK I like the sound of this. Some questions for the "smokers" out there:

Oviously this chore is done outside and I like the bee smoker plan, do you then store the clothes in a plastic bag or somesuch?
After the season, does the smoke scent dissipate enough to have the clothes in the house? Or wash/dryclean is necessary?
With the bee smoker do you give yourself (not only your clothes) a smoking? Each time before going out?
Can you build a homemade smoker or have to get a real bee one?