Hunting my most active stand near a power line.There clearing land about 400 yards away and burning wood.A stand that had 5 bucks coming in daylight,plus does is now useless.The smoke is like fog and see ash floating by.Was a really good stand not far from bedding,hope they finish soon.
I've found out that smoke doesn't bother deer at all.
Infact, it's a good cover sent.
I have used cheap incense ( pine ) and have had deer come in down wind of me while I'm burning them.
This
Here too - smoke doesn't seem to bother deer at all. Controlled burns or campfires no problem.
Yup, use smoke as a cover scent all the time.
Lots of people around where I hunt heat their homes with wood stoves so the deer are really used to it.
i've had deer come to my cigarette smoke as i was leaning against a large tree to hide my out line several times over the years,,,,they would eat the cigarette butts after i would leave as there wouldn't be any the next day when i came back.
Some old timers swear by using smoke as a cover scent...some campfire smoke, others would take a lighter with them and light up a bundle of damp leaves to smoke themselves up when entering the woods. Seemed to work for them.
Smoke imo won't scare deer. Imagine though some guys sitting around a campfire each night, smelling like smoke every morning n spooking deer. Say shooting them in the ear, ham, etc. or just allowing the deer to associate the smell with something to be afraid of? They'd be dumb not to heed their noses towards smoke here.
Imagine a campsite nearby, or where I live everyone burns wood stoves. The deer born into that automatically wouldn't associate the smell w danger. It's all about association.
Now please forgive me guys and I hope he chimes in. I watched one of Barry Wensel's newer videos. He's one guy I pretty much agree with so nothing I say is against his teachings.
He spoke about saliva n spitting. Spoke about dipping too. He said it doesn't bother deer. Maybe that's true but play out the scenario where a bunch of dippers kept wounding or somehow scaring deer. Do you really think they'd outright ignore the odor when they smelled it?
I believe it's all association. I def believe smoke on its own no way no how spooks deer. And I hope no one thinks I'm disrespecting Mr Wensel cause I wasn't.