Conditioning Deer to Human Odor/Scent

[Marlin308]

After getting constantly blown out last season in my favorite stand during the rut, I've been thinking about trying something different this year. This spot is in a deep funnel that is notorious for swirling winds no matter what the prevailing winds are doing. It's also the primary crossroads between the crop fields and bedding areas used by the majority of deer on this particular farm. They practically have to go through this funnel or very close to it in order to reach their bedding areas due to manmade and natural boundaries including a road and a river. It seems no matter what is done regarding scent control (I'm pretty anal about it), I seem to get busted more times than not and I'm growing weary of having my hunts ruined.

So, I've been thinking of an alternative strategy. Is it possible to condition deer to human odor in the wild? Especially in a funnel where they have to pass through at least twice a day? Has anyone every tried this or are there any studies available (BSK, etc.)? I realize it wouldn't work out in the open woods or field edge where deer have other options to travel, as it would likely drive the deer away from that location which defeats the purpose. But in a tight funnel, I'm trying to figure out the downside. I don't want to screw up their travel patterns since it's taken me awhile to figure them out, but I'm also tired of hearing the blowfest crank up nearly every hunt at 7:30 when they get there.

Here's my plan...buy a 5 or 10-pack of cheap t-shirts and wear them around while working in the yard or working out or whatever. Get them good and sweaty and make sure they are loaded with human scent. Then tie one of these shirts to my stand every week, or after a heavy rain. Reload as necessary to keep a "fresh" shirt tied to this stand over the next couple of months, so when the deer make their daily trek through the funnel to the fields at night, then back to their bedding area in the mornings, they will smell human scent at this location. Now, I'm sure it will be a blowfest the first few days but once they work their way through the funnel with nothing bad happening, they would be "conditioned" to no longer blow and be on alert when passing through the funnel. Then when I show up to hunt and they smell my scent, it's nothing new to them and they don't freak out.

This plan is mainly to condition the does, as I realize the bucks change patterns once the season starts. Most of the blowing comes from the old b*#tches anyway, so that is the goal. The bucks will be following them anyway during the rut, and usually have other things on their minds.

So tell me...am I crazy or stupid for trying this? Waste of time? Let me have it...interested in opinions.

 

[MusicCityCajun]

Interesting thought that could either work like a charm or completely push the deer out of that area. If I were doing this I would add an incentive (corn pile) to keep them coming to that area long enough to get used to the smell. They may even begin to associate the smell with corn deliveries.

 

[BSK]

Marlin308,

I eagerly await the results of your experiment!

However, on the question of, "Can you condition deer to your personal scent?", I think the answer is, Yes. I say this after years of running trail-cams in out of the way places from early August through January, visiting them weekly. I've been doing this on my property for over 20 years. I firmly believe this activity, in combination with working in my food plots off and on throughout the year, with my ability to "get away with more" than the other hunters on my property. Now will deer still spook at my scent? In very close proximity, yes. But I have witnessed a freakish number of occurrences where they did NOT react negatively, even when I KNEW they could smell me (directly downwind, and/or crossing my obvious scent trail).

Now I still wash all my hunting clothes in scent reducing soaps, and do much to keep my scent trails down (never wear my hunting boots inside a vehicle where they can pick up oil and gasoline smells), and I won't place a trail-camera where I can't drive my ATV right to it, but I'm still in the woods A LOT outside of deer season. I ABSOLUTELY believe all this activity when I'm causing the deer no harm gives me an edge come deer season. The deer still smell me when I'm on stand, but my scent is ever-present everywhere on the property year round, and 99% of the time causes the deer no harm.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Marlin 308,

Your experiment sounds interesting. Look forward to hearing how it works. If your going to go forward with it I'd get started ASAP so the deer can adjust.

Another thought (that would require some investment)....can you set up an enclosed shooting house in this bottleneck/funnel? ...I only mention this because many times I've gotten away with a bad wind direction or with deer getting too close to me by being in an elevated shooting house.....helps contain scent and movement. Also over time the deer absolutely get conditioned to permanent shooting houses that are out year around.

 

[Popcorn]

I have not done a study or test as you describe but have watched for years during my personal encounters. As BSK discusses above I am in certain areas very often, some almost daily and it seems like with the does and young deer there are some that will acclimate to my presence and eventually appear to ignore me. Others will even after years always go on alert but no make significant changes in their route or activity. Then there are those that will "over react" every time even after years of what could be called habitual activity. The one thing that stands out is older "mature" bucks and some old does will not over react but will calmly change activity, route etcetera upon smelling or seeing me. I will add that I really should just hunt from the tractors.

 

[timberjack86]

Sounds interesting, I hope they don't quit using the area all together

 

[Marlin308]

Thanks for the feedback fellas. Yes, I'm concerned about blowing up my favorite rut stand and changing their movement patterns altogether. Or worse, making them all go nocturnal and only using the funnel in darkness and just shifting their timing to and from the fields due to the human scent.

I don't really want to use corn since I can't during the season. BSK...that's interesting about the personal scent. If this works, I can always tell my hunting buddies sorry, you can't hunt that spot because it's only conditioned for my scent...BSK said so!

The funnel is a thick drainage between two ridges with heavy cedar thickets to the north and hardwoods to the south. I call it my dark timber stand because even when the sun is up its still dark in there. The only way an enclosed shooting house would work would be on the ground due to the tightness and low canopy of the area, and I don't like hunting from the ground in the woods, especially in a low-lying area.

I think I'm gonna give it a try. The secret will be making sure the stand has constant, steady human scent. Consistency is the key IMO if this has any chance of being successful. If I have time, I'll run some cameras of before and after the experiment to see if patterns change, but I don't want to wait too long to get started.

Oh, and if this works, be looking out for the latest new deer hunting product on the market. "Marlin308's Human Scent Towels" that guarantee your hunt will never be blown out again! Only $49.99 for five scented towels at your local BassPro!

 

[DoubleRidge]

Thanks for the feedback fellas. Yes, I'm concerned about blowing up my favorite rut stand and changing their movement patterns altogether. Or worse, making them all go nocturnal and only using the funnel in darkness and just shifting their timing to and from the fields due to the human scent.

I don't really want to use corn since I can't during the season. BSK...that's interesting about the personal scent. If this works, I can always tell my hunting buddies sorry, you can't hunt that spot because it's only conditioned for my scent...BSK said so!

The funnel is a thick drainage between two ridges with heavy cedar thickets to the north and hardwoods to the south. I call it my dark timber stand because even when the sun is up its still dark in there. The only way an enclosed shooting house would work would be on the ground due to the tightness and low canopy of the area, and I don't like hunting from the ground in the woods, especially in a low-lying area.

I think I'm gonna give it a try. The secret will be making sure the stand has constant, steady human scent. Consistency is the key IMO if this has any chance of being successful. If I have time, I'll run some cameras of before and after the experiment to see if patterns change, but I don't want to wait too long to get started.

Oh, and if this works, be looking out for the latest new deer hunting product on the market. "Marlin308's Human Scent Towels" that guarantee your hunt will never be blown out again! Only $49.99 for five scented towels at your local BassPro!

Running multiple trail cameras in the area before and after is a great idea....even though there are many other variables it will be interesting to monitor activity and compare with heavy human scent vs without.

As for your "Scented Towel" product line ....I'm certain someone would buy it.....kinda like many fishing lures....they catch more fisherman than fish.....good luck with your experiment...keep us posted.

 

[Omega]

I would say yes, for much of my 21 years in the service I hunted on military bases , and you could sit in a tree drinking coffee and smoke (I don't smoke) and they would still pass by. I suspect deer know when something has changed, and are wary when something does. I don't know if you could get them used to it in one season though, but it may work on one or two individuals.

 

[Ski]

I've heard of people piling dirty laundry in their stands. Even once read where a guy put dirty laundry on a manikin and sat it in his stand. Keep us posted on how it goes!

 

[backyardtndeer]

Much like BSK, up until the past 2 or 3 years, I used to walk my property a lot and even walked to my cameras. I don't know that the deer ever really got conditioned to me walking in their turf.

One thing I see with this that I would question is your breath. Even with the clothes scent becoming somewhat accustomed to, you still will have breath odor that no doubt in my mind deer can smell. Might help, will be curious to hear your results.

 

[BSK]

I suspect deer know when something has changed, and are wary when something does.

I believe you are correct Omega. I have seen on many, many occasions deer notice even the smallest change in their environment. Move a branch off of a trail and they notice. Cut some saplings for a shooting lane and they notice. Hang a stand and they notice. Put a trail-camera on a tree and they notice, even in daylight without a flash, they notice the tiny little box on the tree. Now if these "changes" cause them no harm, eventually they stop caring. But the first time they encounter the change they notice and become temporarily wary.

 

[BSK]

Much like BSK, up until the past 2 or 3 years, I used to walk my property a lot and even walked to my cameras. I don't know that the deer ever really got conditioned to me walking in their turf.

That is an interesting observation I agree with. As much as I can condition deer to me scent in the woods, they tend to react negatively to my walking trail scent. Even after all the years of running trail-cameras, pictures will decline at a camera site if I walk to the camera, but they will not decline if I drive my ATV right up to the camera.

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

I'm just curious, but have you tried an ozone machine? I think I'd give nose jammer or maybe evercalm plus an ozonics machine a try in this situation.

 

[BSK]

One thing I see with this that I would question is your breath. Even with the clothes scent becoming somewhat accustomed to, you still will have breath odor that no doubt in my mind deer can smell. Might help, will be curious to hear your results.

This is probably the most interesting of the "scent conditioning" questions. Although designing a research project to answer this question would be extremely difficult, I'll just mention what I have seen anecdotally. Of importance, I quit smoking about 8 years ago, and I quit by switching to vaping. I like vaping better because I can control how much nicotine I'm taking in, as well as the fact my lungs cleared up dramatically once I switched to vaping. In addition, with the right flavors, vaping can actually smell pretty good to people around you who are non-smokers. However, I'm still a nicotine addict. I still vape (at a very low nicotine level). In addition, I've been vaping the same flavor for years (Vanilla Hazelnut). I mention all this because I vape on stand, and vaping can produce a pretty huge cloud of vapor that has a very strong smell. People - and Humans have the worst sense of smell of any mammal - can smell my vape a hundred yards away easy. Deer must be able to smell it a half mile away. But because I vape on stand, whenever I'm working on my property, especially while checking cameras, I make a point of hitting my vape at each location, in the hopes of conditioning deer to that smell.

Normally, when I'm on stand and want to vape, I visually check downwind to make sure there are no deer in visual range. But every so often I'll miss seeing a deer until after I exhale a big cloud. However, on several occasions I've actually watch as my big vape-cloud floats downwind right into a deer. I've even watched as my vape cloud completely enveloped a big older buck. And their reaction? Every time, a sudden flinch when the the cloud hits them. Then they sniff it, and go about their business. Not one violently negative reaction. And if my vape floats over them, so does my personal scent. Yet the smell of the vape, which is commonplace on the property year round as I work there, doesn't produce a negative reaction. Cigarette smoke absolutely DID produce negative reactions, by the boatload!

 

[BSK]

I'm just curious, but have you tried an ozone machine? I think I'd give nose jammer or maybe evercalm plus an ozonics machine a try in this situation.

I would caution people against using these machines. Constant close association with high levels of ozone is very bad for ones health.

 

[Rakkin6]

I would say yes, for much of my 21 years in the service I hunted on military bases , and you could sit in a tree drinking coffee and smoke (I don't smoke) and they would still pass by. I suspect deer know when something has changed, and are wary when something does. I don't know if you could get them used to it in one season though, but it may work on one or two individuals.

See I was going to say the exact opposite. You would think with all the training that goes on within post they would be really used to human interference. But they take off on me on post quick. Now I mainly do 99% of my hunting on base and have so for a while now. So maybe I forget how skittish deer on private land and national forests are.

 

[Marlin308]

I'm just curious, but have you tried an ozone machine? I think I'd give nose jammer or maybe evercalm plus an ozonics machine a try in this situation.

To each their own, but I have no desire to purposely breathe ozone into my lungs. I'm not arguing whether they work or not, I'm just not taking that risk for a deer.

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

To each their own, but I have no desire to purposely breathe ozone into my lungs. I'm not arguing whether they work or not, I'm just not taking that risk for a deer.

Plenty fair enough. I've never used one personally, but have read enough positive stories to believe they work.

 

[BSK]

Plenty fair enough. I've never used one personally, but have read enough positive stories to believe they work.

Will they block scent? Oh yes! Are they dangerous to be around? Oh yes...