Busted today

I would. I've been caught before and still killed a deer out of the same stand 30 minutes later. As for scent control, I don't know. I have never been convinced that you can mask your scent, but I have never tried a scent blocker suit. It is best to hunt with the wind in your face and have found it helpful to put up 2 stands in the same area so that I can handle the changes in wind direction. The use of scents has helped pull deer into range many, many times. I buy Buck Stop 200 Proof by the case. Three or four bottles for me and the rest for friends who I have converted.

The wind will bust you every time. I've had deer walk by me at 10 feet and never knew I was there. Thats with no cover scent and I'm a smoker.

Just because you spook one deer doesn't mean much. White tails flip out over the slightest thing sometimes. If other deer avoided areas where one had snorted there soon wouldn't be any place left for them to travel! I also am not convinced scent blocker clothing helps a great deal. Never used it and have no intention of doing so. The studies debunking scent lock effectiveness seem a lot more convincing than the ads that try and prove it works.

Odd are you got busted because you moved and the deer was watching. Not because it smelled you. “ScentBlocker” style clothing is for hunters. So is most camouflage. It’s something like 70-80% of your scent comes from your breath. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve had to put a cigarette out to shoot a deer with my bow. I do this only because I learned that shooting a bow with a cigarette in your mouth either results in a burned jacket, or a broken smoke. Could also burn the string. Any or all of that = Bad.

BigBore44 said:

Odd are you got busted because you moved and the deer was watching.

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I'd say odds are probably 50-50 whether it was movement or scent. I've had deer snort at both. IMHO, A snort is more like a deer's What the Heck, than a OMG!. They think something is wrong but are not sure. Many times the snort is to get you to move again in order to verify you're not another tree and/or to alert other deer in the area to a possible threat. Many times they combine a snort with a foot stomp standoff. If you were truly busted, the deer woulda been gone without snorting and taken the others with it. I've had deer snort at me on bow stand only to have other come in just a few minutes later. I've seen them snort at other animals like coon and turkeys and seen them snort at other deer.

As for hunting the same trail again.........why not? Deer have fairly short memories and are spooked all the time by various things. It when they constantly or regularly get spooked/bothered at the same place they tend to avoid it. I've missed/spooked bucks from a stand in the morning and then shot/saw the same buck from the same stand, later that same day. If it's a good trail and there is a good population of deer in the area, odds are, other deer besides the ones you may have spooked will be using it. Most times, when one gets busted when still hunting it's because they are moving to fast. When I spook deer while still hunting, it's a clear sign to me to slow down.

Yeah, why not hunt the trail again?

To expand on what buck460XVR says about memory, deer don't have short memory so much as not necessarily associating a particular location with being dangerous just because they got spooked once there. Deer, and many other animals, live their lives where they assess the situation that they see right NOW. If they feel safe, no problem. If not, they move on. If they avoided every place where they got spooked, there would not be many places they could be.

Deer will feed out in my field and get run off several times and still be back there when I visit again.

Also keep in mind, the deer may not have spooked because of you. Lots of things can spook deer. Sometimes you get to witness it happen. Sometimes it will be you. Sometimes it will be other stuff.

You shou,d never believe that all deer are created equal.

Bucks are much more wary than does. Old does are much more wary than young does. Young does can do really stupid stuff.

Scent control depends. Most whitetails live very near humans. They are used to our scent and most of them are not alarmed by it. In western states where shots are often 100 yards or farther it isn't nearly as important as a bow hunter at 25 yards. Deer are used to people smoking cigarettes and just because a deer wasn't alarmed by it doesn't mean they didn't smell it. But the big bucks are much more wary. And deer in wilderness settings don't smell humans every day. When they do they know something is up. You don't see many of the guys who take the really big ones that don't do something about scent.

And none of it is perfect. The difference between using a cover scent and not is a deer being able to pinpoint your exact location by scent from 100 yards away or doing it at 25 yards. Cover scents aren't perfect, but can improve your chances in some settings.

Hunters have been using cover scent of some type for as long as history has been recorded. Native Americans used various techniques to try to cover their scent or even attract game for thousands of years. Deer are naturally curious. I've read of guys using some really odd smelling items with strong scents to attract deer. They smell something they cannot identify and investigate.

Another technique old hunters used was to stand in campfire smoke and let your hunting clothes soak up the smoke smell. Fires are not unusual in the woods and not necessarily alarming.

buck460XVR said:

I'd say odds are probably 50-50 whether it was movement or scent. I've had deer snort at both. IMHO, A snort is more like a deer's What the Heck, than a OMG!. They think something is wrong but are not sure. Many times the snort is to get you to move again in order to verify you're not another tree and/or to alert other deer in the area to a possible threat. Many times they combine a snort with a foot stomp standoff. If you were truly busted, the deer woulda been gone without snorting and taken the others with it. I've had deer snort at me on bow stand only to have other come in just a few minutes later. I've seen them snort at other animals like coon and turkeys and seen them snort at other deer.

As for hunting the same trail again.........why not? Deer have fairly short memories and are spooked all the time by various things. It when they constantly or regularly get spooked/bothered at the same place they tend to avoid it. I've missed/spooked bucks from a stand in the morning and then shot/saw the same buck from the same stand, later that same day. If it's a good trail and there is a good population of deer in the area, odds are, other deer besides the ones you may have spooked will be using it. Most times, when one gets busted when still hunting it's because they are moving to fast. When I spook deer while still hunting, it's a clear sign to me to slow down.

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First, I don’t doubt your knowledge, or experience. You usually expand in more depth on what I’m trying to say. And sometimes, we have differing opinions. However, all deer are different. I’ve busted deer that had no clue I was there just to mess with them.

Just a couple weeks ago I had a doe walking about 60 yards to my west headed due south. She stopped at my 9 o’clock and turned due East. Yes, I was smoking at the time.

When she turned I snuffed my cigarette out and stood up and grabbed my bow. Threw my release on and waited. Went to full draw on her at 20 yards. My next thought was “I should see just how close she can get and video it with my phone”. But I was at full draw and didn’t want to risk blowing her out. So I held full draw until she got to 10 feet. Bear in mind I’m only up about 10 feet in my Summit Razor. At 10 feet she stops and looks up at me. At full draw I tilted my head and said “Well good morning!” She blew once and wheeled so hard she almost fell over trying to get away. She ran back almost to the exact spot she turned my direction, lowered her tail, and started feeding again headed south like nothing ever happened.

As for why they blow and stomp, you’re 100% spot on.

I’m of the opinion that camo and scent control are more of a confidence thing for hunters than for deer. And I also believe that having confidence, raises your odds of success. It’s only an opinion. But I’ve seen guys try so hard to kill a deer and can’t figure out why they aren’t. And I always tell them to stop trying to figure out stupid animals. Trying so hard isn’t working. Just hunt.

Cover and attracatant scents do seem to work to a certain extent. I have used them In the past and seen deer do unexpected things when encountering them. Not all of the things were good lol. As jmr 40 pointed out many white tails live in close quarters with humans. The ones behind my house , in the state park, are very tolerant of human scent. At my dad's place they go bat crap crazy if they get a good smell of you or cross where you have walked recently. One thing that doesn't seem to bother them is human urine. I have taken a leak and a couple of hours later seen small bucks pee there just like a dog will.

Way I see it is,cover scents don't hurt. I don't use scent lock clothing. However I got the scent lock package for Xmas two years ago and I use it. Shower wash, cover scent and laundry detergent. I shower with the stuff before every hunt. And I have a cheap scent free deodorant . Anything I can do to help maximize not being winded by deer. It may not make me invisible ,but doesn't hurt . As for camo. I think anything that breaks up your outline helps,weather it be the latest and greatest real tree/mossy oak, plaid, or something else. I use Cabela's outfitter camo and it seems to work great.

If you are trying to cover your sent I suggest trying to smell like something the deer like to eat.
I never use anything. I just go into the field smelling like a human being.

Unfortunately, we are at the mercy of a deer's great scenting ability. AFAIK, there is nothing that can defeat that, totally, except a steady wind direction and you are downwind.

If we had all the answers, we would score every time.

mainecoon said:

Would it be worth it to hunt this same deer trail again, with good scent protection?

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Sure, but more important than scent blocker products is the wind. The wind can be your best friend or your worst enemy. When it's blowing the right way you can have deer within arms reach and they'd be none the wiser. If the wrong way you can spook them hundreds of yards away. Keep the wind in your favor, and spend as much time as you can in the woods. As a new hunter you have much to learn, and deer are wonderful teachers. All you have to do is show up for class and do your homework. It's a wonderful subject.

Having said that, I wouldn't put too much pressure on one spot. If you blow deer out of an area you might let it rest a few days before going back. If you keep getting busted in the same area you can ruin it.

Also know that the wind can be fickle. It might shift throughout the day, it might swirl around terrain obstacles, always pay attention to it.

Good luck.