Bug spray and deer

UnlistMe
Tennessee Deer Sporting & Deer Hunting Community Forum

Help Support TNDeer | Tennessee Deer:

CritterGitter

CritterGitter

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
Joined
Oct 26, 2016
Messages
1,398
City & State/Province
Memphis TN
With bow season approaching, i dont own a thermacell . Do deer spook from the smell of mosquito spray ? Just thought about this and was curious what i should get or do differently
 
O blood type here, and the mosquitos and deer flies harass me terribly. Thermacell just doesn't seem to do much with these skeeters in this swamp. They seem immune to it. And yes deer can smell Thermacell if they get downwind, but won't typically spook them.
 
Any thing down wind will smell you regardless, so hunt comfortably and keep wind blowing to what you ain't hunting. I used cutter off spay this morning and have a thermacell. I don't put on till at stand don't want smell getting on my paths in . Because I feel it could spook them?each Just my opinion on smell.
 
I was scouting the other day and didnt spray worried about the scent , of course found some ticks on me before they settled in thankfully . I guess a thermacell will be purchased! Could use it turkey season as well
 
Weber Hickory Wood Chunks Outdoor Cooking Fuel, 4 lb – Premium BBQ Smoking & Grilling Chips for Rich, Subtly Sweet Flavor – Ideal for Beef, Lamb, Poultry & Pork – Long Lasting
See price on Amazon
Weber Hickory Wood Chunks Outdoor Cooking Fuel, 4 lb – Premium BBQ Smoking & Grilling Chips for Rich, Subtly Sweet Flavor – Ideal for Beef, Lamb, Poultry & Pork – Long Lasting
Old Potters Smoker Wood Chunks 13-16 lbs for Grilling, Smoking, and Wood Fire Cooking ~ 2 x 3 Inches, (Hickory, 790 Cu in.)
See price on Amazon
Old Potters Smoker Wood Chunks 13-16 lbs for Grilling, Smoking, and Wood Fire Cooking ~ 2 x 3 Inches, (Hickory, 790 Cu in.)
Hickory Pizza Oven Wood 6 Inch, 15 lbs Box – Kiln Dried & Bark-Free Firewood for Pizza Ovens, BBQ Smoking & Grilling – Premium Hickory Wood Logs for Ooni, Gozney, Solo Stove, Bertello
See price on Amazon
Hickory Pizza Oven Wood 6 Inch, 15 lbs Box – Kiln Dried & Bark-Free Firewood for Pizza Ovens, BBQ Smoking & Grilling – Premium Hickory Wood Logs for Ooni, Gozney, Solo Stove, Bertello
Firewood Central Kiln-Dried PA Hickory – 8” Splits (Approx 39.5 lb) – Bold Smoking Wood for Pizza Ovens, BBQ & Fire Pits – Easy Light, Low Smoke, USA Sourced
See price on Amazon
Firewood Central Kiln-Dried PA Hickory – 8” Splits (Approx 39.5 lb) – Bold Smoking Wood for Pizza Ovens, BBQ & Fire Pits – Easy Light, Low Smoke, USA Sourced
Firewood Central Kiln-Dried PA Hickory – 6” Splits (Approx. 42 lb) – Bold Smoking Wood for Pizza Ovens, BBQ & Fire Pits – Easy Light, Low Smoke, USA Sourced
See price on Amazon
Firewood Central Kiln-Dried PA Hickory – 6” Splits (Approx. 42 lb) – Bold Smoking Wood for Pizza Ovens, BBQ & Fire Pits – Easy Light, Low Smoke, USA Sourced
Inkbird ITC-308 Digital Temperature Controller 2-Stage Outlet Thermostat Heating and Cooling Mode Carboy Homebrew Fermenter Greenhouse Terrarium 110V 10A 1100W
See price on Amazon
Inkbird ITC-308 Digital Temperature Controller 2-Stage Outlet Thermostat Heating and Cooling Mode Carboy Homebrew Fermenter Greenhouse Terrarium 110V 10A 1100W
Greenworks 24V 6in BL Pruning Saw w/Auto Oiler, Tool Only
See price on Amazon
Greenworks 24V 6in BL Pruning Saw w/Auto Oiler, Tool Only
Old Potters Kiln Dried Firewood - Cherry, 1100 Cu. in, 16-18 Logs ~ 8" x 2.5" Logs. Solo Stove and Cooking Wood for Grilling, Smoking, and Firepits, Cherry.
See price on Amazon
Old Potters Kiln Dried Firewood - Cherry, 1100 Cu. in, 16-18 Logs ~ 8" x 2.5" Logs. Solo Stove and Cooking Wood for Grilling, Smoking, and Firepits, Cherry.
Heritage Smoke Wood Hickory Pizza Oven Wood with Fire Starter - Kiln Dried Firewood 6" Hardwood Logs for Brick Fire Pizza Ovens & Grills, 6 lb, Low Smoke, High Heat, Competition-Grade Clean Burn
See price on Amazon
Heritage Smoke Wood Hickory Pizza Oven Wood with Fire Starter - Kiln Dried Firewood 6" Hardwood Logs for Brick Fire Pizza Ovens & Grills, 6 lb, Low Smoke, High Heat, Competition-Grade Clean Burn
39" Fire Pits with Wood Storage for Outside, Large Wood Burning Outdoor Fireplace with Chimney, Mesh Spark Screen & Fire Poker, Idea for Backyard, Patio, Party, Camping, Picnic
See price on Amazon
39" Fire Pits with Wood Storage for Outside, Large Wood Burning Outdoor Fireplace with Chimney, Mesh Spark Screen & Fire Poker, Idea for Backyard, Patio, Party, Camping, Picnic
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change.
Obviously you want to be as scent free as possible but the reality is no matter what you do if you are down wind of a deer they are going to catch your scent, especially a mature buck. I use bug spray sparingly and I have used a net over my head to if it's really bad. Hard to enjoy a good sit with bugs chewing on you.
 
I use bug spray. I've never noticed that it increases my chance of getting busted. Last season I had both my bucks by mid October and had bug spray on every hunt.

This past Saturday I took my bow out for an evening hunt and like an idiot didn't spray down with bug spray. I'm paying for it now with a million chigger bites. I'd take getting busted by a deer any day over this awful torturous itch!
 
Ski said:
I use bug spray. I've never noticed that it increases my chance of getting busted. Last season I had both my bucks by mid October and had bug spray on every hunt.

This past Saturday I took my bow out for an evening hunt and like an idiot didn't spray down with bug spray. I'm paying for it now with a million chigger bites. I'd take getting busted by a deer any day over this awful torturous itch!
Click to expand...
I'm fully convinced that chiggers are the devil himself!!!!
 
Here's the deal guys…there has never been a deer in history killed by bug spray, thermacells, permethrin or cigars. Therefore the deer aren't "scared" of that smell. They have been killed for millennium by humans! They are petrified of your smell. They can become conditioned to a smell if it's constantly associated with human scent however. If they smell whatever foreign odor you have on then they smell you also. That's why they spook! Deer are inherently curious, even big bucks, though to a lesser degree. Often they will come and investigate a "foreign" smell to see what's going on, usually big bucks will only do it under the cover of darkness but they will do it. The problem is when they come to the foreign smell, if they catch a whiff of Bubba, then the alarm is sounded and the game is up.
 
As others have mentioned, I spray all of my clothes down with Repel Permethrin days before the hunt making sure I get all entry areas really well. (waste band, pant cuffs, socks and boots). And I carry my Thermacell along with extra pads and butane. I've had deer directly beneath me with a Thermacell going and have never seen one spook.
 
Mag said:
As others have mentioned, I spray all of my clothes down with Repel Permethrin days before the hunt making sure I get all entry areas really well. (waste band, pant cuffs, socks and boots). And I carry my Thermacell along with extra pads and butane. I've had deer directly beneath me with a Thermacell going and have never seen one spook.
Click to expand...
I have both items and will definitely use them this year. However, I'm a cold weather person so hopefully, little critters will be gone.
 
Bugs are one of the many reasons I no longer bow hunt. Nothing worse than mosquitoes whining around my ears while I'm in stand. Now I've had that into late Muzzleloader a few years, but not like early bow season, when the can form a cloud around your face.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top