smoking

[Dan92]

ok so me and a buddy were having a debate.. he says smoking a cigarette in a stand wont effect the deer.. i say they will absolutely smell it and you wont see anything all day.. anyone have an answer to this?

[Renegade Hunter]

I'm not a smoker but I did just read a thread on here that had a guy telling a story about he just got done smoking a cig and this nice buck came in... I would think they would be out of there but apparently it worked for him.

[Doc]

It's been a few years since I smoked, but I can tell you that I have killed quite a few deer where I had to butt-out the cigarette before shooting.

Certainly smoking does not help your odds of success, but you either have the wind right or you don't. However, Having said all that, I do believe that cigarette smoke is is a strong scent that goes out in a dense configuration and hangs together for a lot longer distance that the usual human scent. So bearing in mind that wind directions are not always consistant and that it is normal for wind to cycle back and forth, there is always the possibility that the strong scent of the smoke may adhere to vegetation and such if it blows to the trail that you are watching. That can't be good.

I would add all that to all the other line-items on a list of good reasons to quit smoking.

[fishuntrapper]

my grandfather smoke all the time. camel chain smoker. from the time i can remember, he always killed a buck on opening day in asp. always had a butt in his mouth when i had the chance to go with him. fill the party permit on the 2nd day. always said the deer where attracted to the smoke. curiosity i reckon??? and when he fished, he would spit in his hands and rub his bait in the spit. he did this no matter what bait he was using, minnows, chubs, worms, artificials. he always caught more and bigger fish than all of us????

[TreeGuy]

I dont smoke during archery, but on my doe hunts during gun season ill brake for a cig.... same thing here, have tossed many a cig to shoot a deer. I wouldnt say they are attracted to it but they def dont get spooked.

[biggamefish]

Hey if your in the stand enough time of course you will see deer while smoking. Would I try my luck at smoking absolutly not. If you are playing the wind right and the deer comes up wind he wouldn't even smell it I guess. I have hunted alot of public land and I can tell you I can pick up a cigarette along ways away. I don't think deer say damn there is a guy smoking over there it would be more like man something is outa place here and they could be spooker or just not come in. Then again they are curious animals so who knows you might draw them in.

You could always start smoking and see what happens.

[verminater71]

if they get downwind they will smell a non smoker just as fast as a smoker...so the smell don't matter

however

the real problem is all the movement, when you smoke, you are always moveing

i have shot deer with a cig, still burning on my treestand seat, but i always notice just how much i'm moveing

if your stands are high you can get away with the movement, but lower stands and ground hunting, bad combination

I am currently struggling with quiting, and that is the real hell

[tughillhunter]

im a smoker, and yes, i see as many deer when im smoking, or if im not. I think maybe in remote areas where the smoky smells arent around, it may be a red flag, but thats just my thoughts.

[Guns&ReligionCop]

I don't believe they associate the smell of smoke with humans thus not scaring them but certainly not attracting them. I wouldn't screw around with though because like others have stated the movement and not to mention the biggest reason, Its bad for your health!

[13BVET]

I've never had a problem seeing deer while smoking. After all, the deer around here are used to chimney smoke, and even charcoal grills. Hell, just last week I had the grill going in front of the house. Went to check on the laundry behind the house-had two does just feeding there. I use a charcoal grill, so the smoke was pouring out. Didn't phase them at all.

[ants]

I haven't smoked in 29 years. but I have shot deer while smoking. The first buck I got was when I was around 17. I had a Pal-Mal non filter in my mouth. Thought I was cool!! Some Jack off red neck, road hunter, stole him on me !!! but thats a different story.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I smoked between the ages of 15 and 33. Shot alot of deer in that time, some during or right after having a smoke.

[PWGUNNY]

Last year while rifle hunting in Cobleskill, I was leaning against a tree watching 4 does play around. I was waiting for a buck to show up. After about 20 minutes of observing from about 60 yards away, I decided to do a little experiment. I lit up a Marlboro and waited to see their reaction. Nothing, they enjoyed themselves and I enjoyed my cig. Another 10 minutes past and suddenly they left the area quickly. A minute later I spotted another hunter walking up the slope from below where they had been hanging out.

Smoking did not seem to have an effect. I'm also pretty sure the other hunter was oblivious to the fact that a group of does had just evaded him.

[joe12]

my grandfather was a Lucky Strike chain smoker. During rifle season my spot was about 150 yards from him and I would know every time he light one up. The man killed more deer in his lifetime than I can ever hope to. Also, he wore a red woolrich suit, used no scent block, sprays, scents, or sounds. If he were alive today, he would be laughing at me taking scent free showers and spraying my boots with scent blocker.

[biggamefish]

Gun hunting is totally different than bow hunting. At 60 yards who knows where the sent has gone and if it is even reaching the deer. Bow season at 12 to 20 yards I bet those deer smell it if the wind is right. If the wind is going the oposite direc tion then of coarse they wont smell it.

[sits in trees]

Despite what big tabacco tells you, smoking is no good for your health or for deer hunting..

[sidewinder]

im a smoker and i have taken deer while cig is hanging out of my mouth... i will agree with the movement part however it may smell weird too a deer but you moving your arm and hand to take a drag will get that deer's attention a heck of alot quicker.

[pawle76]

I'm a smoker but I really try and cut down while I'm hunting. We all have gotten deer while smoking but I would think that if you want to get the bigger class older bucks consistently it would be wise to not smoke while hunting. By consistently I mean year after year. Anyone can get lucky one season but to do it every year you really have to eliminate any chance of alerting an old bucks nose.

[crappyice]

Hell I smell my neighbor's cigarettes through my closed window and our noses suck in comparison to a deer's. sure having the wind right helps by any foreign mell must raise awareness ofth game