deers sense of smell

[twsted21]

I was wondering if a deer can smell a freshly broken branch and cause them to spook? No more than 10 minutes after i got in my stand and cleared a couple branches i had 4 does come in stopped 10 yards behind me (where i didnt have a shot) smell a broken branch and back track out of there. what are your thoughts, do they care or does it make them cautious??

[mbucks27]

They probably smelled your scent on the branch and thats what made them nervous.

John

[Paula]

its hard trying to figure out what they smell and what they sense.

[nyantler]

a good tracking dog can smell scent 4 ft under the ground.. and a deers nose is about 5 times better than a dogs...just like a dog.. anything you touch with any part of your body can be smelled by a deer... the older the deer the harsher the reaction to what it smells.. it has had plenty of time to learn what smells absolutely mean danger... and will not tolerate that odor..

[Doc]

Actually, from what I have read, you don't even have to physically touch stuff out there. Your body, breath, clothing, and such are constantly shedding scent bundles called "rafts" which travel through air and attach themselves to anything that they hit along the way. Scent molecules are capable of being deposited on branches, weeds, dirt, leaves, or any thing that they come in contact with. How long those scent clusters stay attached in a strength to be detected is something I have not yet been able to find any info on, but apparently it is a function of scent strength, time, distance from the source, wind speed (turbulence), and weather/atmospheric conditions. It's a whole science that few researchers are willing to write about. It's too bad because we hunters sure could use a complete understanding of that sort of thing. I have been wandering around the internet trying to find info on the subject and have found that it is pretty darn sparce.

[ncountry]

I read an article in one of the hunting magazines not long ago. They used a police dog(I think it was a German Shepard) to find a guy hiding in a box mixed in with a bunch of other boxes ,I do not remember the #s. The 1st time he hid he paid strict attention to reduce his scent. 2nd time he just dressed in his regular clothes showered normally etc.. 3rd time he didn't shower ,basically stunk.It did not make any difference to the dog ,as a matter of fact the dog found him the quickest when the person was the most scent free. A deers sense of smell is much better than a dogs.

[nyantler]

Here is a good article written about deer and their sense of smell

http://www.imbmonsterbucks.com/info.php?id=243

[Doc]

One of the best articles on the science of scent occurs at:

http://www.uspcak9.com/training/scent.pdf

This Article doesn't mention deer at all, but relates to a dog's sense of smell, and more importantly eventually deals with the physics of scent and it's movement at the body and beyond. Of course they could have gone even further, but it is the first information that I have found that actually talks about the physics of scent movement, and dispersal and effects of weather, aging, etc.

The whole discussion leaves me wondering just how wrecked a stand might be when that wind takes that temporary detour in the direction that a deer comes from. Some of the things talked about in this article really make you wonder.

There is so much more to learn about this aspect of scent, and it seems that dog owners and breeders are the only ones interested enough to do some serious research. And so that is the direction that my searches for scent articles will be going toward from now on.

[Doc]

Here is a good article written about deer and their sense of smell

http://www.imbmonste...info.php?id=243

This is one of the better articles on a deer's sense of smell. It concentrates on emphasizing the amazing sense of smell that the deer has, to the point where it seems impossible to fool that old nose if your wind is taking a direct path to their nose while they are coming in. The real mystery for me though is what scent warnings do we leave when the wind no longer is blowing in their direction even though at some point during our stand there was a quick swirl in the direction we are hoping the deer will be coming from. We have all felt that temporary back-flow hitting the back of our head for a few minutes before going back to its primary prevailing direction. We know that for those few minutes, a stream of scent molecules went out into the woods in a very unfavorable direction. We know that that scent gets deposited on natural items along the way. What we do not know is how far it goes, what strength do these scent bundles have, and are those deposits enough to warn a deer. In other words, just because the wind is in our favor 90% of the stand, is that enough or are there scent bundles far enough out and at adequate density to mess things up? Another question that might be asked is, "are these little incidental deposits of scent responsible for what some people swear is a case of deer having a sixth sense?" Sometimes I wonder.

[ncountry]

Here is a good article written about deer and their sense of smell

http://www.imbmonste...info.php?id=243

Excellent article. I will have to show some of my hunting buddies. They all think I am crazy for hunting 30 feet in the air.

[cwhite]

^{I've handled a human detecting canine for several years and I can tell you one thing... The only way to beat his nose is to have the wind in your favor. A person can climb 50 feet in the air and that just means we will find the scent from further out. It will be harder to follow your scent to you, but the dog will definitely know of the human presence from much further out. Scent is heavier than air and drops. Wind speed will dictate how far out your scent will travel before it is at ground level. The faster the wind the further it will be before your scent drops. Makes me wonder how many times a person is winded before they see the deer because their scent is dropping off further than their view. At ground level with no wind your scent will not travel too far away from you before it stagnates and pools on the ground. Obviously the longer you are there the further it will travel. The only fool proof way to beat an animal who depends on its nose for survival is to be downwind.}

^{As far as the broken branch; it was full of your epithelial cells. That is what the deer smelled and caused them to spook.}

[nyantler]

although we all know how well a deer can smell.. I believe that they have learned to tolerate some smells based on how often and how strong the smell is... a faint human scent may not alarm them as much as a strong scent... seeing how they probably smell human scent nearly all the time in varying degrees.. I'm sure it depends also on what defense mode they're in as well.. if they've been pressured hard.. i'm betting they won't tolerate much human scent at all. Residual human scent left on things probably doesn't alarm them to the point of fleeing for their life, but will cause them to avoid that area just to be safe.

[cwhite]

I agree with you on that Joe. An animal can distinguish the difference between residual odor vs. when there is a source of odor. Not to mention age of odor. I'm sure deer classify danger and how close it is. On several occasions I've seen coyotes on one end of a field and deer on the other. The deer keep a close eye on the coyotes and then once they are gone they go back to feeding.

I'm guessing the only help the scent suits and sprays provide is, in theory, they can reduce odor to a point that deer think the human threat is further away than it actually is. Completely eliminating odor isn't possible.

[Doc]

Ok here's something else to add into the discussion..... Just about every year, right after gun season has concluded, I will see deer or see their tracks where they have walked within a few feet of our front door and fed on the hedge there. The various human scents that come from around that doorway don't seem to bother them a bit. I have even seen where they graze on the lawn right over where the dog has taken a leak. They just don't care. And this right after having been harrassed in the woods by gangs of hunters for the past bunch of weeks. So if proximity is the key, they just couldn't get much closer to the origin of hazardous scents than these pretty blatant examples. Just the other afternoon I had 5 deer milling around the yard casually grazing, and once again, they weren't a very long ways from the front door. And this before the season was even over. I think there is a lot more to this deer alarm vs. scent proximity that we even have a clue about. And I think some of it might be the fact that they understand when scent is in a dangerous location or in a place where they are quite accustomed to encountering it without any harm. So not only do we need to understandmore about the science of scent, but apparently there is a bit of deer psychology relative to reactions to scent that we don't completely understand.

[cwhite]

Doc, after working with a dog for the past several yeard, I understand how scent works and travels. I know enough about scent to know that there are several myths and wives tales in the hunting world. I know what makes a dog work and I'm certain it is similar to a deer. I'm certain that a deer recognizes a difference between something that has been there vs. something that is there. My dog can. You put 10+ cars in a line. Lay in each trunk for a length of time and then hide in one. My dog will nail the one with you every time even though your scent is in all the other vehicles.

Just curious, how many times have you been outside in your yard and seen deer while the wind blowing at them?

[nyantler]

I think deer tend to learn safe spots where human scent doesn't bother them.. kinda like a war vet that knows it's safe around guns at his gun club... but isn't going to trust a man with a gun in Afganistan.

[Doc]

Doc, after working with a dog for the past several yeard, I understand how scent works and travels. I know enough about scent to know that there are several myths and wives tales in the hunting world. I know what makes a dog work and I'm certain it is similar to a deer. I'm certain that a deer recognizes a difference between something that has been there vs. something that is there. My dog can. You put 10+ cars in a line. Lay in each trunk for a length of time and then hide in one. My dog will nail the one with you every time even though your scent is in all the other vehicles.

Just curious, how many times have you been outside in your yard and seen deer while the wind blowing at them?

They may recognize a "difference between something that has been there vs. something that is there", but the question is how do deer process that information and do they associate danger to both circumstances. I believe they do.

Here is an example that I have seen more than once. On my way into the stand, I step across the trail. Not the best thing to do, but in some of the multiflora rose thickets, My entrance path in is not always optional. The deer comes along, and encounters where I crossed the trail. The deer imediately bolts and leaves the area. No, my scent was not blowing in that direction at that particular time, but I had been there. That was all the deer had to know to get the heck out of there.

Example two: I go to a stand and decide the wind is not at all what was advertised and move to another stand on the other side of the trail. As oftens happens, the deer doesn't use the trail at all, but rather comes in from another direction. Gets near the stand that I had just vacated and immediately focuses on that direction, complete with the foot stomping and head bobbing and all, totally aimed at where I was, not where I am. Eventually, the deer ran off snorting and carrying on like a crazy thing, without ever offering a shot.

Example three: I use a fairly well used trail (heavily tracked) to reach a particular stand. After several days, I notice that the trail now seems abandoned. I never encountered the deer, but they obviously reacted to the fact that I had been there. That is something that I have experienced many times to the point where now I am very careful not to use deer trails as any part of my travel to a stand. Also, I have read countless times about deer patterning hunter movements and perfectly good areas being screwed up because of that. That is not a result of the deer spooking from your direct presence, but simply the fact that you have been there one too many times and left scent telling them that.

Example four: Several years ago, I decided to use one of my junk arrows to take a practice shot from my stand ........ just to stay limbered up in the cold, and maybe I have to admit to breaking up a bit of the boredom. Of course I avoided shooting to the trail that I was watching and picked a spot off to the side. Shortly after, a tiny doe came along, and veered off the trail and headed straight to the arrow. A couple of sniffs on the arrow, and she almost turned herself inside out trying to get out of the area. Of course she was snorting all the way warning every other deer in the area .....lol. But the point is that the reaction couldn't have been any worse if I had hollered at her or been actually spotted. The scent on that arrow was enough to tell her to get the heck out of there.

Example five: Ever get one of those deals where you would swear the deer had a sixth sense and just got the hell out of there in a hurry for no apparent reason? You were completely concealed. The wind was straight in your face while the deer was coming in. You made absolutely no sound. And yet the deer stopped. Ears started working. Nose went up in the air while he was testing the air currents for scent. And finally off he went without even getting close enough for a shot. I have had this happen a couple of times, and I have heard quite a few others relate that same scenario. Sixth sense or was it just a reaction to some scent-laden goldenrod from a time or two when there was a quick back-blast of air that swirled a while ago?

So anyway, I am convinced that they do react to older scent. These few incidents have shown me that it doesn't have to be scent going directly from me to their nose in order to serve as a clear warning.

And so it does make me curious about why deer would even consider grazing casually in my yard. And by the way, in answer to your question, yes I have had situations where direct confrontation in my yard was almost ignored by deer. A couple years ago I had 4 deer that were munching on some expensive shrubs in the yard, and I opened the door expecting them to get the heck out of the yard. But instead they stood there staring at me like a bunch of dummies. I waved my hand around and they still ignored me. Finally I started talking at them and they acted like they were just putting up with me until I went away. Finally I took a few steps in their direction and that did it. They all finally took off, but didn't go all that far before they stopped and stood there looking back toward the yard. This was right after gun season had just finished. If they had been in the woods, there is no doubt in my mind that they would have bounded away the first time they were aware of my presence. So, I have to believe that they do get an understanding of where scents are safe and where they are not. And some of that has to be instinctive since I have seen yearling deer react in those same ways. It doesn't seem to be that they have to have countless episodes of reinforcement to learn these things.

So some of this weird deer behavior sure does make one curious about what goes through their minds (and why). I am convinced that not only do we have to understand the science of scent, but we also have to understand how deer process those scent messages. It's not always all that obvious.

[GreeneHunter]

I hunt about 30 feet up in my tree stand and the deer always approach the area cautiously . They seem to know that something is different but are not sure what . They dont see me or hear me but they know somethings up ( get it ?) !

[noahmstone]

I think they learn where certain scents should be and shouldn't be. If a scent is somewhere that it shouldn't be they get nervous. a couple examples are I have been on smoke break at work and had deer walk about 5 feet from me and just stand the and watch me smoke my cigarette and it not bother them but they have learned that they are safe there. I have had yearlings follow my path to my stand with their nose to the ground in early muzzleloader and when they reached my stand they just stood there and watched me for 15-20 minutes. I have never had a mature deer follow my path without the use of a drag line.

deer learn to associate certain sounds and smells with it being good and bad for them. I have seen deer running toward the sound of a chainsaw and they will stand there and watch you cut trees. it is like a dinner bell to them.

I have tracks in my backyard all the time so I set a trail cam. deer pattern everything and learn the safest times to go certain places. what I learned from my trailcam is the deer would literally come out into my yard 10 minutes after I left for work and would come and go all evening and would leave with in minutes of me getting home.

[Jennifer]

Based on my own unscientific observations, I too think that deer process scent information along with many variables, and react to it correspondingly, the way that Doc, Cory and Joe have mentioned. Here's an example: when I am out doing yard work, or tending my chickens, or whatever, I often have deer in my yard. I have hundreds of photos I've taken of them, some at less than 12 yards. The wind sure does blow at my back and into their faces and they don't care one lick. Their posture and body language is totally relaxed. I've even got some videos of this. We've gotten to where we can even recognize a few individual does.

Now, if I walk 200 yards back into my woods, where I (nor anyone else) frequently goes, in the thick swampy areas, and a deer scents me there, she will snort and stomp and crash off, totally put out. I actually watched one doe that we call Goldie browse my yard while I was tending to the chickens. I was walking back and forth across the yard, she could see me and smell me for sure. About 30 minutes later I took my camera for a walk in the woods and ended up in a thick area, where the same doe scented me and was spooked away. Same doe, and I am the same human with the same scent on the same day. Different situations changed her reception of the scent from 'not dangerous' to 'dangerous'.

I am not suggesting that it's an active line of logic running through their heads-- science hasn't done enough to prove or disprove anything that grandiose, but I am suggesting that their experiences with scents (or sounds or sights) in repeat situations can really dictate how they react. I think that anyone that's spent much time watching or hunting deer probably realizes that, though!

So in the end, I will openly admit that I don't get crazy about scent control. I don't buy special clothing nor do I use cover scents or do anything special to my hunting clothes. I think that if the wind and conditions are against me, they'd smell me even if I did 'extreme' scent control. I just try to work the wind in my favor, and in the end just hope for luck!

[the blur]

How many days in the woods I have seen NO DEER. I know their out there, but they are just smarter than my hunting skills. They sniff me out, they hear me stepping on leaves, whatever.

Then on 2 occassions, they followed me in, on my trail, less than 10 minutes behind me. Then they see me climbing in, and bolt.

Last day of rifle, I get to my stump, where I sit every weekend, and there is a big mound of turd there. They left it for me purposly.

[nyantler]

"I am not suggesting that it's an active line of logic running through their heads-- science hasn't done enough to prove or disprove anything that grandiose, but I am suggesting that their experiences with scents (or sounds or sights) in repeat situations can really dictate how they react"

I would say this hits the nail on the head

[Doc]

It's all pretty amazing isn't it. We think we understand deer behavior, but every year I learn a little more about how little we really know.

[nyantler]

It's all pretty amazing isn't it. We think we understand deer behavior, but every year I learn a little more about how little we really know.

Kinda like people..lol

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Doc, after working with a dog for the past several yeard, I understand how scent works and travels. I know enough about scent to know that there are several myths and wives tales in the hunting world. I know what makes a dog work and I'm certain it is similar to a deer. I'm certain that a deer recognizes a difference between something that has been there vs. something that is there. My dog can. You put 10+ cars in a line. Lay in each trunk for a length of time and then hide in one. My dog will nail the one with you every time even though your scent is in all the other vehicles.

Just curious, how many times have you been outside in your yard and seen deer while the wind blowing at them?

It blows my mind when I had hunting dogs. My springers never went the wrong way on a pheasant he was trailing. How could he know when he cut the trail? I guess just that small difference in age or strenght is "visible" to them