A good friend goes to great lengths each year to make sure his treestand and the area around it are free from any scent that may alarm a deer passing his way. He often takes a doe for meat early in the season and then cannot understand why that stand location does not continue to see action. He will early on descent (if there is such a word) his stand by washing it with baking soda and being careful to not have any oil smell on the working parts. He places the stand with the predominant wind in his face. He cuts shooting lanes.
All the time he is working on the stand, he does not smoke at the location and wears a scent proof suit. He often sees deer in the area and knows that there is a good crop of mast close by as well as water and bedding areas. Well worn game trails indicated good travel routes past his stand.
After taking his doe, he is careful to load it on wheel barrow type of contraption he invented and carries it out of the woods before field dressing.
We have often discussed why the stand suddenly goes cold after taking of only one deer during bow season. It was not until I spoke with Ron Bice, Wildlife Research Center, that I found what I believe has been his mistake.
Wildlife Research Center makes the Scent Killer spray that he has been using. Ron gave me a booklet that they produce. The first thing that struck me was a chapter called “Keep Your Stands Smoking Hot.”
The booklet stresses the importance for a hunter to avoid leaving human odor molecules at the stand or the route to and from it. The theory is that if the level of human odor molecules is low enough a deer may not notice them. As time passes the level becomes lower and the deer are even less likely to notice.
Human odor can be left behind from boots where the hunter walks and left on vegetation where he brushes again it with hands or clothing. I think my friend’s problem was the lingering human odor molecules he was leaving behind.
He should also choose his path to and from the stand with an eye to not crossing areas where he expect deer to pass. I suspect that he was using one or more of the shooting lanes as an easy path to the stand.
We will find out for sure this fall.
If you are interested in more information about scent control, contact the Wildlife Research Center at: www.wildlife.com.
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