Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

    Too much beans the night before???  ;-)
    

    That's a good one, but I don't think so.  May be my belching, trying to
    imitate a grunt?  But seriously though, I just don't get it.  They are
    keeping there distance from me.  I just remembered as I am typing this
    note, when I bring my rifle up to look through the scope, I can still
    smell a little bit of gun cleaner.  Could that be it?  If so, how can i
    get rid of the smell?
    
    bob
    

    
    Bob
    
    75 to 85 yard shots, boy that's like an open field compared to were I'm
    hunting.
    
    About your smell, are you sure it was you, or something else in the
    enviroment?  Seriously. I really don't believe that gun oil would cause
    it, to many close encounters on my part for that.  Where you hunting
    from a stand or ground hunting?  Could they see you?  From a personal
    experience, hunting in the bush has taught me a whole lot.  How still
    were you, what type of hunting clothes do you wear?  Trying to put this
    in perspective without getting verbose.  When I wore the nylon hunting
    vest rarely nothing, and when some came close they would hear the vest. 
    Wore cloth clothing and saw more etc.., I don't believe this to be a
    matter of circumstance, but a matter of the clothing type.  Cloth as
    opposed to nylon.
    
    Cheers
    Leonard
    

    
    Bob,
    
    First, let me state what I'm about to say does not dis-credit the scent
    theory.
    
    Here in the New Hampshire, Maine, area, and I use these states to give
    all readers an idea of where in the U.S. I'm speaking of, we 20 years
    ago and further, never heard of using grunt calls, ratteling, U.V,
    camo, Camo-Breath(Geez), tree-stands, etc.....What we mostly did is
    dry-cleaned our hunting clothes a month or so before the season, then,
    packed them in a cardboard or wooden box stuffed with the bows from
    Spruce or Hemlock branches. Every-morning just before entering the
    woods we would freshen our clothes with a branch of the tree mentioned
    by rubbing it all over yourself...you would actualy smell like a
    Christmas-tree. Ofcourse, a good shower every morning with Ivory soap
    (it's non-scented) and a good pair of rubber-bottom boots you were all
    set to take on the Whitetail.
    
    I've seen to many big bucks and deer taken thru the years to agree
    fully with a lot of this high-tech garbage that's going around, so
    what am I saying? All I'm saying is I feel we are putting to much hype
    into how we smell and becoming very complex about Deer-Hunting. I think
    some hunters should take a step back and think about the basics that
    have successfully taken deer before all this high-tech stuff hit the
    market.
    
    Scents, yes will help, but what scents? Which manufactuer is truthful?
    How many deer are needed to supply certain makers with the thousands
    of gallons it sells every-year? Who have these deer? I don't know about
    you, but these questions make me think real hard. You say you used that
    U.V. stuff, Well, I never heard of such a thing and I bet the deer
    hav'nt either....Not the one's I know that were shot anyway.
    
    Maybe this U.V. stuff has a odor or something...Do yourself a favor,
    Re-Wash your clothes in Ivory-Flakes, Wash youself with Ivory barsoap,
    Pack your clothes in a bag or box stuffed with hemlock or spruce bows
    and let us know how you make out. Get Back to the Basics! Utilize
    natural ingredients from your local hunting area and stop sending these
    manufactuers on world-wide hunts while you only get to hunt a few weeks
    a year if that.
    
    Also, If you want to know how to really cover/mask your scent? Call
    your local Trappers Assoc and talk to an old-timer who's been trapping
    for years....You'll be shocked at what you will learn from these
    masters of illusion.
    
    Sorry of the long reply!
    
    Good-Luck!
    
    Rick
    

    Leonard,
    
    I know that it is not my appearance.  I wear cotton cammo, no sound. 
    It is of the traditional grey realtree pattern.  The only part of me
    that is not cammo is my face.  HMMMMM!  Maybe my ugly mug scares them
    off.  I am so still, I have literally had squirrels within 5 feet of me
    and not be scared off.  I have had a flock of turkey walk within
    grabbing reach of me and not see me.  I am still.  I move as slow as
    molasses in the winter time.  I am good!!!  Ground vs. tree stand, they
    blow both ways.  Last year, like I said, no problem.  This year I
    experimented with the natural way to go.  When I said that uv crap in
    the first note, i meant that sportswash.  I have washed my hunting
    clothes in just water and arm and hammer baking soda.  Back to basics.
    I took a pinetree branch and broke it, rubbing it on my clothes. 
    There, Bob the towering pine.   Well, that's what my girlfriend says.
    Am I using the tinks #69 to early in the season?  Should I throw it
    out?  I know they don't see me.  I have had does walk within 15 yds at
    me in my cammo in full view, and keep on feeding on the acorns.
    Rick is right, last year i did the basics, and for the remainder of
    this season, back to basics.  What did Daniel Boone do, he didn't even
    have cammo?  To hell with all the commercialism and hype.  Another long
    note from the towering pine.
    
    bob
    

    .4 said it all.
    
    Jeff

    RE .5 Yes, I think you're using rut lure too early. The stuff is
    only really effective close to or during the rut, and *only on
    bucks*. Does, not having itchy ummm, parts like the bucks do, are
    'thinking' more clearly and become alarmed by the 'wrong' smell
    of a doe in heat at the wrong time. I've had a young buck come to
    rut lure early in October but don't care to use it until November 
    when the rut is on here (Massachusetts.) I honestly think it 
    alerts/alarms the does when used at the wrong time. I'd hold off
    until mid-November if hunting in the South. 

    Dana
    
    PS I do like 'regular' non-rut doe urine as a cover scent for my
    boots. I've watched deer cross my tracks with no alarm reaction
    when using it. (and it ain't as nasty as fox urine :-) )

    re. .4:
    
    Rick -- Bravo!  Well said.
    
    Mark (who has used scents during the rut with success)

    This is a bit off the subject, but does relate a bit to scent prep.
    
    When my brother and I went moose hunting in Maine, I toosed my bottle
    of fox urine cover scent in my box of misc. junk to bring.  At the end
    of last season I transferred the liqiud to a washed, empty blackberry
    brandy bottle.  
    
    One night, after hunting, my brother came to me with a look of horror
    on his face.  Seems he took the bottle, removed the cap, noticed it
    didn't quite look like blackberry brandy, put the bottle to his lips,
    and just before taking a gulp, caught a good wiff of the contents. 
    That wiff saved him from a mouthful of the stuff.  The look on his face
    was priceless; had me literally rolling on the ground.  (I've since
    relabelled the bottle.)

    
    RE:9
    
    HA,HA!!!
    
    Now that's "Camo-Breath"! A-yup.
    
    Rick
    

    re .5
    
    A flock ot turkeys walk by, huh?   
    
    By the way, where do you hunt?   :^)
    
    Don

     In my opinion, I don't care how much you wash, what kind of cover sent
    you use, ect.  If the wind is not in your favor, if a deer is close
    enough, he/she is going to smell something out of place (soap, oil,
    breath, gas (both from the station and bean supper).  I'm sure most of
    you have heard this statement "You can fool a deer's eyes and ears, but
    not there noes".

    Rick,
    
    Thought our conversation would be more appropriate here than under
    the treestand note.
    
    I use scents sparingly, and only when they are appropriate... I have
    used a sex scent in the past with great success, as well as few other
    types of "attractor" scents.
    
    When I was refering to scent, I meant their sense of smell.  Now i'm
    not saying that a "cover" scent is foolproof... it may mask the human
    smell to some degree... but they can still pick up something that isn't
    quite right in their domain.
    
    I think were in agreement about movement when stalking... what I was
    refering to however was the slight movements necessary to shoulder 
    a rifle or draw a bow.  This I really believe is of no concern to
    deer, they may notice it but will soon go back to whatever it is they
    were doing.
    
    But then again, I have had occasions where i've had deer walking and
    see me sitting there (no movement whatsoever) and start to stamp their
    feet at me.  Someone else mentioned someplace, where deer know when
    something is out of place or not supposed to be there, basically their
    smart bastards... ;^)
    
    I've said it before and i'll say it again, Nut'n beats the wind at your
    face, but your right, it dosn't seem to stay there long enough in NE.
    
    When i'm bowhunting, being winded is my biggest concern, after that
    movement is secondary...
    
    We basically agree...  i'm outa here for a week of rifle in VT starting
    the 10th of Nov... can't wait, we've seen many bucks, just a matter of
    getting lucky and having one walk by.
    
    When are you heading up, or are you?
    
    Fra

>    I have a question.  I am perplexed with a problem I have this year
>    hunting.  Last year, I washed my hunting clothes in regular detergent,
>    wore them at camp, and had no problems with the "scent" in the woods.
>         This year, was a different story.  I washed my clothes in that UV
>    crap(free sample).  Hung my clothes outside for a couple days.  Put
>    them in a plastic bag with leaves and branches for storage.  I kept
>    them away from the smell of camp.  I was clean.  Yet when I went out to
>    my stand, I heard more deer blowing and smelling at me than ever
>    before.  What is it?  Now, when I say I was clean, I did not smell like
>    a bottle of Mr. Clean, but I didn't stink, or at least I don't think
>    so.  The property I hunt is so thick, there is no such thing as a shot
>    beyond 75-80 yds.  It doesn't matter if I am on a tree stand, or
>    hunting off the ground, they smell SOMETHING!  

    I only have deer blow at me when i get too close & they sense me,
but don't know what i am. Look at it this way, previously you stank &
the deer avoided you discretely. Now you don't, and you are getting
much closer before the deer suspect something is amiss. If they
smelled you it's usually the white flag.

 mark    

    Re: 830.11
        i hunt in jasper county Georgia.  About 3 miles out of a little
    town called Monticello.  Alot of thick area, hardwoods, pine, creeks,
    etc.  Plenty of doe.  Where's the bucks?  In the thick?  Ready for the
    rut!!!
    
    bob
    

    
    
    RE:13
    
    Fra,
    
    I'll be taken the weeks of Thanksgiving and the week after. Going to
    spend 1 week in central N.H. and the following in Ipswitch Mass.
    
    Last Sunday with the smoke-pole I had a mature Doe about 20yds away in
    the open hard-wood while I was still hunting, Problem, she seen me
    first. As I very oh so slowly raised my gun to my shoulder I was only
    able to get half way before she bolted off.
    
    No matter, it was only the second day of the season, if I tagged out,
    what would I have done the rest of the month, probably-house-work yuk!
    Afterwards I was able to walk up onto a Red-Fox...so I knew I was
    stalking correctly anyway.....Though I did'nt manage to bag a deer that
    day it still was a successful hunt...Don't you think?
    
    Rick
    
    

    Rick,
    
    Anytime you can get into the woods is a pleasure, if you see deer it's
    successful... if you take one thats frosting on the cake!
    
    The last weekend of the archery season in VT, i stalked up on 3 deer in
    a field, got within what I thought was 40 yards (turned out to be less)
    actually got a shot, right over it's back... course at the time I
    thought I hit it, so I went back the next morning only to find my arrow
    covered with nothing bu frost.  Those deer never saw me, even after I
    shot...  pays to be covered head to toe in camo ;^)  Also, These deer
    were out in a field just before dusk on a very windy day (very
    windy)...  and this is not the first time it's happened, just a little
    food for thought if you happen to be hunting during a hurricane ;^)
    
    Needless to say i'll be hunting the fields more often during bad
    weather.
    
    Fra
    
    good luck during the remainder...  Archery opens monday in MA, can't
    wait!
    

    
    
    Hey Bob
    
    I like what one of the noters said, now not only can friends not figure
    you out, but the deer are having the same problem.  Its an interesting
    concept though, the day after bagging the buck, wearing the same
    clothes out the next day a deer (buck I believe) walked right pass me.
    So as a result, I've decided if I bag another one the clothes will not
    be washed again, then the deer will be able to figure out what I am,
    and won't hesitate to walk up to the stand, sure will make life a lot
    simpler for me.
    
    Cheers
    Leonard