Deer smelling your trail

[roll tide]

I have a tower stand looking down a logging road. There are only 2 ways to get to the stand and both of em are walking down the road. I base my entry on which way the wind is blowing at the time. I have several hundred hours of observation on deer smelling where I walked in but have never once had a deer put his nose down and then take off due to the back trail. I`ve seen them get nervous but never blow or stomp and they almost always settle back down pretty quickly. More times than not they will follow it for a little ways. I am very careful about my boots but I don`t wear all rubber boots. I only wear them while I am hunting and religiously take them off the rest of the time. I also spray them with scent killer as well as a cover scent before walking in. I`d like to hear others experiences with this either good or bad. Thanks in advance!

 

[knightcustomworks]

I've had deer walk the same path I've walked, walk right under and all around my stand. I spray with some scent away after I get out of the truck and walk about half a mile. I've worn rubber boots and leather boots. During the cold months, I only have on a light shirt and pants, then put on the rest at the stand so I'm not pouring sweat after the walk. I have my gear and clothes all over the ground before I get in the tree and they still walk all around after I'm up.

 

[GT-40 GUY]

I spray Tink's 69 on the bottom of my boots every 50 yds. and walk directly to my stand. Many times I have watched deer walk from other directions to cross my trail. When they smell the Tink's 69 they turn and walk right to the bottom of my stand where they DIE!!!

gt40

 

[The Longhunter]

I normally don't worry about it BUT

Way back I was hunting a swamp where I had to walk across a dried up slough. When I got up in my stand (a blown down tree) I could clearly see my tracks in the mud of slough. No big deal.

A while later a deer came down the slough eating tulip poplar berries. Great, he's not looking for me. As soon as he got to the tracks (which I could clearly see) he took a big whiff, and set out for parts unknown.

I don't know if the mud made the scent more intense, or if he just got a bigger snoot full because his nose was right in it, but that was a least once incident that I had visual confirmation of what happened.

I try to vary my route to the stand, but if the deer is going to smell it, I don't know that there's much you can do.

 

[GTHunter007]

The more moisture (aside from rain washing away) the better they will pick you up because of your scent particles hanging where they land. Dry leaves or road, far less likely to pick you up.

I am a firm believer in Scent-Away. I have had more negative results without than I have with it. Good enough for me. I put my boots on before walking into the woods, spray the parts that will touch the ground or weeds until dripping and go. I will never change that approach.

 

[oops1]

If a mature deer hits the trail.. The jig is usually up.. Went to a stand years ago and just had to walk by all the scrapes to check them prior to climbing the tree.. Soon as big boy hit where I'd walked.. Game over. Sometimes it's unavoidable but I try to take the least intrusive route I can.

 

[harryrichdawg]

Best buck with a bow crossed my trail, nose to the ground, and didn't smell me. I was wearing rubber bottomed boots and had sprayed all the way to my knees with ScentAWay spray. The grass right there was about 6" high. I thought the gig was up.

 

[livetohunt]

Wear rubber boots and spray them well before going to the stand..Especially the bottoms...Then walk down the middle of the logging road to your stand..If a shooter stops momentarily to smell your trail he will be right in the middle for a good shot..

 

[ripplerider]

What is a tulip poplar berry?

 

[riskyb]

I spray comeer deer on my boots curiosity gets the best of em

 

[The Longhunter]

What is a tulip poplar berry?

Fruit: Narrow light brown cone, formed by many samara-like carpels which fall, leaving the axis persistent all winter. September, October.[3]

The fruit from the tulip poplar is 2.5 to 3 inches in length, and shaped like a cone, composed of single-winged samara that shed in the fall.

http://udel.edu/~prodrick/IronHill/FieldGuides/tulippoplar.htm

 

[triton196]

i wear muck boots and spray dead down wind on them and then i spray some bfo on my feet ive never had a deer run but i have had them smell my trail and they just kinda check it out for a sec and carry on. since using that combination ive never had a deer run and blow at me from any direction

 

[tree cutter 08]

I try to walk where deer ain't using. Never had a good buck hit my trail and keep coming. They know something is up. Don't use any scent products anymore. Just play the wind and try to avoid where deer will be using

 

[HOGDOG76]

I had this problem ten years ago and it made me anal about scent control. I always try to avoid crossing a deer trail but that is not always possible. So I do not change into my camo until I park the truck to hunt. My rubber boots have never seen anything other than hunting land dirt. Think about the contaminants you step in every day then get on your mats and pedals, then you get in saturday with your hunting boots on and contaminate them.

 

[The mtn man]

I had this problem ten years ago and it made me anal about scent control. I always try to avoid crossing a deer trail but that is not always possible. So I do not change into my camo until I park the truck to hunt. My rubber boots have never seen anything other than hunting land dirt. Think about the contaminants you step in every day then get on your mats and pedals, then you get in saturday with your hunting boots on and contaminate them.

That's good advice, If I'm stand hunting , I don't put my hunting boots on until I'm headed to the stand

 

[DaddyFatracks]

Just my opinion, but I think the freshness of it plays a role in it too. If you just walked the trail and a deer comes a few minutes later, it's obviously going to spook it. Get to your stand sooner.

Think about it. Besides us, they are also the prey of other predators like coyote and such. They share the same woods and bound to cross paths. The deer would avoid a fresh scent, but likely ignore an older scent.

But like I said, just my opinion

 

[Mako22]

Deer could care less about crossing your trail, forget about it, keep your money and enjoy the hunt.

 

[Mako22]

I had this problem ten years ago and it made me anal about scent control. I always try to avoid crossing a deer trail but that is not always possible. So I do not change into my camo until I park the truck to hunt. My rubber boots have never seen anything other than hunting land dirt. Think about the contaminants you step in every day then get on your mats and pedals, then you get in saturday with your hunting boots on and contaminate them.

Big fat waste of time, enjoy changing outside your truck in the cold for no good reason at all.

 

[GTHunter007]

Anyone who has ever run rabbits knows what I am talking about as far as moisture goes. SOme days are better for the dogs than others, and it has to do with humidity and moisture on the ground. Dry days with very low humidity, our scent dissipates quicker than if there is a layer of dew on the ground.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I've never seen deer spook from my trail but maybe a couple times over the years, and I have seen many walk right across it or right along with it. I don't take any special magic scent precautions on my boots except maybe stepping in a cowpie if I see one, and walking in from the opposite direction from where I expect the deer to come from, if possible. I have pumped gas in those boots before and had deer cross right over it an hour later. Sometimes they'll stop a second if it's fresh, so I try to walk in in the right direction sometimes so that if a deer stops for a second when it hits my trail, it'll give me a shot.