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how many smokers are in the woods

skyzmine

By skyzmine,
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Doc Experienced

Doc

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I just passed the two year mark back in February. As far as I know, my smoking never cost me a deer. .....That's as far as I know. I've got no way of knowing how many deer never came through because of a wayward drift of cigarette smoke. I do believe that cigarrete smoke is a lot stronger than human scent and probably hangs together a lot longer and farther than just the incidental human scent, but I have never seen any experts address that particular issue. In fact nodody really wants to talk much about the actual science of scent and how it all interplays with our environment and the critters we hunt.

Anyway, I must say that cigarettes are one of the toughest addictions to get rid of. How I ever did it I don't know. In fact, I really can't say that I have dumped the addiction because even after more than 2 years, I still have occasions where I crave a cigarette. I know better than to give in, but it is truly amazing that after all this time I would still get that feeling like I should be lighting up. I had an uncle who hadn't smoked in 20 years tell me he still got the craving to light up. Man, that is one powerful addiction!

Doc

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Geno C Newbie

Geno C

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This topic is one thing i NEVER did get... i always hear guys say they smoke and see deer which is probobly true. i mean luckily i dont smoke but i take scent control to such a maximum that i hate to even share timber with guys who smoke in the woods. scent control during hunting season is my biggest petpive! its a daily grind for me with scent control, i take every step to eleimnate as much human oder, that i would never want to ruin my hunt.

no offense to the smokers in here! lol im sure it works for you.

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WNYBuckHunter Experienced

WNYBuckHunter

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This topic is one thing i NEVER did get... i always hear guys say they smoke and see deer which is probobly true. i mean luckily i dont smoke but i take scent control to such a maximum that i hate to even share timber with guys who smoke in the woods. scent control during hunting season is my biggest petpive! its a daily grind for me with scent control, i take every step to eleimnate as much human oder, that i would never want to ruin my hunt.

no offense to the smokers in here! lol im sure it works for you.

Scent control alone does not make you scent free, so you still have to play the wind. If you really, honestly think about it, how many deer (record book deer) were taken before the day and age of scent control and modern camo? Back in the day guys were taking big bucks by playing the wind. Dont get me wrong, I try to minimize my scent as much as possible, but it makes no difference how much time and money you spend on it, youll never completely get rid of it.

Like Doc, I cant say for sure how many deer I didnt see while I was smoking, but I can give you good estimates of how many I did see.

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SteveB Enthusiast

SteveB

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I am lucky enough to have never smoked - I say lucky cause I know I'm not that smart, or certainly wasn't as a kid when everyone I knew and my whole family did.

If I did, I think I would be more concerned with all the extra movement required then the actual smell.

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Geno C Newbie

Geno C

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This topic is one thing i NEVER did get... i always hear guys say they smoke and see deer which is probobly true. i mean luckily i dont smoke but i take scent control to such a maximum that i hate to even share timber with guys who smoke in the woods. scent control during hunting season is my biggest petpive! its a daily grind for me with scent control, i take every step to eleimnate as much human oder, that i would never want to ruin my hunt.

no offense to the smokers in here! lol im sure it works for you.

Scent control alone does not make you scent free, so you still have to play the wind. If you really, honestly think about it, how many deer (record book deer) were taken before the day and age of scent control and modern camo? Back in the day guys were taking big bucks by playing the wind. Dont get me wrong, I try to minimize my scent as much as possible, but it makes no difference how much time and money you spend on it, youll never completely get rid of it.

Like Doc, I cant say for sure how many deer I didnt see while I was smoking, but I can give you good estimates of how many I did see.

oh i agree completely BUT every little bit helps... hunters were harvesting big bucks before all this scent control came about. However now with the technology we have out now that can minimize as much human scent as possible and help capitalize on a nice deer or even deer in general, why not do it right? There are plenty of guys who have smoked a cigeret and propboly killed a huge buck while doing so, but whats the odds? does it happen everyday? probobly not. It only takes one buck in the zone runnning through on a hot doe who can careless of his surrounding becasue hes got one thing in mind and that hunter can be doing anything at that given moment and he might just be lucky enough to take that animal. Anything is possible... thats the beauty about deer hunting, you never know when things can happen and it can happen quick, even if the hunter is moving around alot, smoking a cig, going #2, talking loud on the phone. These occurences could happen once in alife time tho to any hunter. I just do what i can to maximize my hunt and give myself an edge on seeing more deer. But yes wind is a very big factor and you may not ever be able to kill human scent 100%. but i will tell you right now, i havnt had a deer down wind catch wind of me in a very long time since i have been controlling my scent. i cant even remeber the last time i was winded by a deer, well atleast that i could visually see in eye shot.

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WNYBuckHunter Experienced

WNYBuckHunter

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I hear ya, Ive watched deer directly downwind from me just hang out before when Im up in a tree stand. Ive also been winded after doing all of the scent free steps as ususal, but it has always been when I was on the ground and the deer were within 50ish yards with the wind moving directly to them.

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Doc Experienced

Doc

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I never worried about how my smoking effected my hunting and certainly that had absolutely no part of my decision to quit. I guess I probably do not take my deer hunting as seriously as some do, but I have always treated hunting as something that I want to enjoy myself at, and not get so uptight about the results that I lose sight of the fact that it is really recreation and is supposed to be fun (usually, that is ..... lol). So when I smoked, I simply accepted that as a handicap that I was willing to bear. After all, my livelihood and ability to eat does not count on getting a deer. So I use that reasoning to allow myself and others a little slack in terms of hunting regimen and activities and restrictions. Others can take it all to what ever level they want, and that's an individual choice.

My smoking is still recent enough so that I can vividly recall the strangle-hold it had on me. So when someone tells me that they smoke on stand, I don't find that anything to get too shocked at. And of all the reasons to quit smoking, interference with hunting is probably at the very bottom of the list.

Doc

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Fairgame Newbie

Fairgame

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I really dont think it bothers them.  I shot my eight pointer last year buring bow season at 20 yards with a cig seconds earlier in my mouth.  I went out for the afternoon hunt and shot a bear.

We have a brick oven behind the house and we fire it up in the early morning so that we can make pizzas in the afternoon.  This is a wood buring brick oven that makes smoke and heat and we still see deer walking near the house when it is burning.

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Geno C Newbie

Geno C

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i am not shocked about people smoking in stand at all... i know plenty who have and do. its not surprising how many hunters actually do tho. but a topic is brought up for other to chime in there experiences / opinions. the good and the bad....

its not a bad thing, im sure there are plenty hunters who dont and wont. i wonder if there are any hunters who smoke but put that crave on hold while in stand and then light up after?? does anyone do that? just curious.

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