Woodsmoke as a cover scent

[Woody roberts]

I just wanted to tell you all about some of my experiences. Some people will agree and some will disagree. I just know what works me in the area where I hunt in south central Mo.
While new to bow hunting I’ve hunted with a 45 colt revolver for several years. I need to hunt close. Several years back I got home from deer camp 30 min before dark. Grabbing my pistol I jumped the fence and very carefully slipped back in the brush. The brush is very thick around the house here. As I sat down I could hear a squirrel or something rustling around behind an old downed tree behind me. After a bit I decided that was not a squirrel. As I eased around I could occasionally make out a coyote just a few feet away. As I sat there waiting for an opening to shoot I could feel the breeze on the back of my neck. Twice I could make out the coyote sticking it’s nose in the air and smelling. Each time it went back to mousing. In a bit I saw it’s shoulder through a 2” hole in the brush and lit the fire. It dropped on the spot about 4 yds away.
Being an avid coyote hunter and having great respect for their nose I was curious as to why it didn’t smell me. After showering and going to bed the next morning I gathered up the clothes I had worn for several days at camp. The stale smoke smell would knock you down.
Now I knew why the coyote never smelled me. The smoke overrode the human smell.
Since then when arriving at deer camp I make it a point to stand in the smoke and absorb all I can. If its cold I often build a very small fire to keep my hands warm. I no longer pay any mind as to which way the wind is blowing. Which ever way the swirling breeze is taking my scent the smoke is already there. Ive seen deer come up the trail and hit the smoke and pay it no mind whatsoever with me setting upwind 15 yds away. It’s a pretty rare event for me to kill a deer anymore that I don’t have a small fire going just for cover scent if nothing else. I rarely hunt from a tree stand anymore. The fire thing wouldn’t work well in that situation.

Your mileage may vary but this works for me.
Woody

[Hawkdancer]

Interesting!  Sure beats skunk, urine or dung! .  I think I will give it a try this year!
Hawkdancer

[Fox]

Deffinatly giving that a try! Do you build a small smoky fire in your blind like?? Or just get real smoky before you set out to your hunt?

[Ed Brooks]

I put my otter quiver in my smokehouse for cover scent. I like it better than buying a commercial product. Ed

[Woody roberts]

Deffinatly giving that a try! Do you build a small smoky fire in your blind like?? Or just get real smoky before you set out to your hunt?

I don’t have a blind. Sometimes I try to pile some brush to hide behind. Ive found deer eyes while decent are nothing compared to their nose.

This will be my first year bow hunting. I’ll probably have to change my style a little.

One spot that has consistently produced for me has a large rock in front that I can see over yet only my head and shoulders are exposed to the trail. Another is a large tree that has fell over and the stump hole is where I get. It’s on a very steep hillside and the deer use a trail 15 yds in front to get from the river bottom to the brush thicket on top where they like to bed.

[Hawkdancer]

Every one post hunt results and stories' with or withou pics, I have a good imagination!  And I need to get back into some photo posting mode!
Hawkdancer

[Fox]

Okay thanks woody Roberts... Hawkdancer ill post a story for sure (if i get a story this season)  not sure about pics... just somthin about bringing a smartphone on a primitive hunt doesn't work for me 

-Fox

[Pat B]

It certainly won't spook the deer but if you are upwind from a deer they will smell you. If it makes you more comfortable then use it. Your best cover is hunting with the wind in your favor.

[Woody roberts]

Every one post hunt results and stories' with or withou pics, I have a good imagination!  And I need to get back into some photo posting mode!
Hawkdancer

A few years back on the first day of rifle season I got bored setting in my stand. So I decided to go slip around. As I’m easing along I spy a deers hindquarters sticking from behind a blowdown stump at about 60 yds. Reading my rifle I waited for it to feed into sight. When it did it was a 6 point buck.

Not willing to burn my only buck tag on a 6 pointer on the first morning I held my fire. As I watched him feed along a though came to me. If I could stalk to 30 yds and shoot him with my pistol it would be ok. I can kill a deer at 60 yds with my pistol but I limit my game shots to 30 yds.

When he gets his head behind a tree I began my stalk. Halfway between us was a big tree. I got the tree covering his head and as he would move I just tried to keep his head behind the tree. At about 30 yds I was about 3 yds from the tree which had a fork coming off the right side. I decided I was going to shoot through the gap rather than come around the tree. I can nearly touch the tree when the wind swirled around on my back.
With a snort you could hear for three ridges away he left there. He may be running still for all I know.
He had been inside my 30 yd limit for several minutes so I guess I really didn’t want to shoot him.
For me the fun is in the stalk,not the kill.

It was a good hunt, Woody