Can deer smell you in a tree stand?

More often than not, a deer will smell you before seeing or hearing you when you're in the tree stand. One of the most tried and true hunting tips is to play the wind when you hunt. If you're always downwind, they can't smell you. But sometimes you can't avoid it.

Do tree stands help with scent?

Today tree stands aren't as necessary for help in dissipating scent. While some hunters (and many advertisements) exaggerate the ability of today's cover scents and scent-blockers, such products actually do minimize our foul stench.

How far can deer smell you in a tree stand?

ANSWER: Under normal conditions, a deer can smell a human that is not making any attempt to hide its odor at least 1/4 mile away. If the scenting conditions are perfect (humid with a light breeze), it can even be farther. So they are pretty impressive.

How long does it take for deer to get used to a tree stand?

I think it depends on a few factors, but on average I would say 2 weeks. I have a few over food plots that deer seemed to be used to in a week, but most of those deer were younger deer.

How far can a deer smell away?

They Can Smell You from a Half-Mile away .

Researchers at Mississippi State University found that a deer's sense of smell, like a dog's, can be anywhere from 500 to 1,000 times more acute than a human's.

Can You Believe This - Tree Stand

Will deer come back after they smell you?

Spooked deer will return to their bedding area, but when they return depends on how much the intrusion frightened them. If they can't pinpoint the threat, they'll likely return sooner than if they saw or smelled you.

How long does human scent stay in the woods?

Scent stays on the ground and on the things we touch for about 2-3 days. When it rains, it is mostly washed away.

Do deer Notice tree stands?

Despite a few ladder-stand-haters, the majority of the hunting community is of the opinion: no, deer do not notice ladder stands. Or rather, deer do notice ladder stands, but they don't really care. Far more important things to consider include reducing noise, not getting seen and not getting winded.

Do treestands spook deer?

You Leave Less Scent Behind

Checking trail-cameras, scouting for rubs and scrapes, hanging treestands, dumping out corn (if that's your forte) and any other task we might do in the field applies pressure. Even if you don't spook a deer firsthand, you're leaving scent behind that will spook deer once you leave.

How often should you hunt a stand?

Hunt a stand one time and, on average, bucks will avoid it for three days. Bucks also changed their behavior relative to food plot use in the stand area. At the onset of hunting season, bucks visited the food plots one of every three times the stand was hunted during legal shooting hours.

How early should you get in your deer stand?

Try to be in your stand and ready to go at least an hour before shooting light, which often means leaving the truck a solid 2 hours before shooting light. This gives you time to cool off from that extra-long hike, get your gear ready and let the woods settle back down before the sun peaks over the horizon.

How high should I climb in my tree stand?

Often times 20 feet is the benchmark. This will get you up high enough to be out of direct line of sight for any deer in the area and is not so high that a hunter feels uncomfortable climbing to and getting into the stand safely. If you're using a climber, you are limited based on the shape of the tree.

Can deer recognize humans?

They first recognize you at a distance when they see you, then verify your smell as you get closer, while listening all the time. They tend to ignore you if you're on their “safe” list, and move away if you're someone who hassles them.

Does human urine spook deer?

H. Koerth, human urine does not frighten deer. On a large lease, mock scrapes were created and different lures were used to attract deer. Scrapes are spots where bucks paw the ground down to bare earth and then urinate in them.

Does peanut butter attract deer?

Deer love peanut butter, so it is an excellent bait. You can use peanut butter alone or in a mixture to lure deer into an area for hunting or just to enjoy watching them. Peanut butter is much cheaper than most commercial deer attractants and works as well or better.

Should you hunt the same stand after killing a deer?

As long as you have an efficient way to recover the deer you kill, you can go back to hunting the stand quickly. The key is to keep the recovery down to one quick, quiet effort. Sneak out after you kill the deer by the same route you would use if you didn't shoot one and wanted to hunt the stand again the next day.

Do deer avoid permanent stands?

A recent study showed that permanent stands that have been hung in a tree and left there for years can quickly destroy a great hunting spot. “Studies have shown deer will go 60-100 yards out of their way to avoid treestands when they know they are there” Winand said.

How long can deer smell ground scent?

In 6 hours your scent can dissipate to an unalarming amount. Also keep in mind ground scent on a windy day ground doesn't go up to the bucks nose it is off to the side. Same way with thermals, rising thermals bring the ground scent up to the bucks nose. If you are walking through tall grass forget it, your busted.

Do deer avoid ladder stands?

With a ladder stand, you are more likely to be in the open than with other stand types because the nature of the design requires that a branch free part of the tree is required. Setting up on the backside of the tree is a big part of assuring that deer won't see you.

How long after can deer smell where you walked?

Estimates state that a whitetail deer can detect human scent for up to 10 days after it's left.

Can deer smell your breath?

Scent compounds also come from the human body itself when it breaks down molecules to make energy. The odors are emitted through the skin and breath. These substances — the VOCs — evaporate into the air and can spook deer when you're hunting.

Why do deer keep blowing at me?

Deer Communication

The deer forcibly expels air through its nostrils like a greatly magnified sneeze. The deer blows when it detects danger at a distance. These blows are drawn-out “whooshes” repeated several times. Snorts are single, very short, explosive sounds given as the deer turns to run.

How far can a deer hear you?

But hunters should never forget a deer can actually hear sounds better than humans. Back to the scrape of an arrow on a bow's rest. A hunter can hear it up close, for sure, and maybe as far as 10 feet away. It would be hard to hear for a human to hear it from 10 yards away.

Do deer remember being shot at?

“Gunshots, especially one shot, scare deer far less than many hunters believe,” says Kip Adams. He says a buck clipped with a bullet will likely be back in the same area where you missed him at some point in the season.