We have been nose to nose with deer and hogs on film without being busted many times.Chemicals do not belong on us or in the woods. Additionally, in very cold weather, any moisture in the air freezes and with it, smells are also trapped. Members of the deer family and predators need their sense of smell to survive, so they are equipped with far more olfactory receptors than those animals that do not rely on their sense of smell. Deer have up to 297 million olfactory (scent) receptors in their nose. I slowly turned my head and saw a buck approaching at a slow walk. That's a big deal. The good news is there are ways to neutralize the deer’s sensory advantages. Even a faint wind can enhance their abilities to an even higher degree. There is no doubt that a deer can and will smell cigarette smoke. And they are good at sorting out the odors, too. I’ve heard that older bucks tend to have a more restricted travel range during the rut, but I think this depends on hunting pressure and the number of does available per acre. cameron00. Posts: 8,711. So much for the Internet being full of useful information! If you’re a hunter, you know that deer have a sense of smell that rivals that of a bloodhound— and they can see and hear pretty well too. Though a deer’s brains is much smaller than a human's, a much larger portion of it is devoted to understanding and categorizing scent. In comparison, humans have 5 million and dogs have 220 million. I slowly turned my head and saw a buck approaching at a slow walk. You can mix and match the soaps you choose for your best deer repellent recipe, but the more fragrant it is, the better it’ll work. No sniff test should lead you to believe you're scent-free nor can any attempt to rid yourself of any human smells convince you that a deer won't smell you coming. Have you ever smelled a rutted up buck before you saw him? A person cannot cover human scent, only reduce it. Deer can smell directionally because of the position and shape of their nostrils. If the scenting conditions are perfect (humid with a light breeze), it can even be farther. Posts: 8,711. They Can Smell You from a Half-Mile. But this article contradicts a previous article that said you can urinate off the deer stand because deer cannot smell that. I believe that a deer can tell how far away the source of an odor is, but only if the deer is conditioned to the strength. Never. In the end, that’s all we can ask for as hunters, when pitted against such a well-evolved sense of smell. We don’t think about smells much; until someone hands you a child with a dirty diaper, or you walk into a restaurant where they are frying bacon. With their super-smelling abilities, it is hypothesized that deer can smell things from over a half mile away. If the deer can smell the tobacco, they can smell the hunter. As for how well deer can pick up pheromone scents, a buck has the ability to pick-up-on doe pheromones up to a mile away. Everyone knows the whitetail deer has an amazing sense of smell. Smell. Contrast that to the life of a deer, which is focused on the smells coming through the nose 24-7. Furthermore, scientists say that whitetails have thousands of sensitive receptors in their nostrils, which they use to … To go back to our field analogy, for a bit of context, let's say a football field has 140 million blades of grass. When was the last time you caught a whiff of something that far away? 03-01-2011, 10:45 PM. Play the wind, have a couple stand options where we can set up on a trail that doesn’t absorb the brunt of our odor and hope the deer are using that particular route is the best option. That amazing nose that often tips them off to our presence can also be used to bring them in from long distances. 3. Texas Trophy Hunters Association™ is a membership-based organization. Post Cancel. How to Play the Wind. Yes, a deer can smell cigarette smoke. 1 defense mechanism, given that it can swivel its ears to listen in all directions. The other four senses take a back seat to the importance of smell in their everyday lives. But if they were bucks, it wouldn’t surprise me. Is there anything that can affect a deer's powerful nose? Some of these olfactory receptors are specialized for certain scents. Veteran deer hunter Judge Holdford goes a step further. They do this partly to keep their nostrils moist so scent can be detected more easily. This is called “stereo olfaction,” and it allows members of the deer family to more quickly determine the source of danger. Trying to understand how well a deer hears (or sees, or smells) is an extremely daunting task. The long snout creates more room for special nerve cells that receive and interpret smells. I believe that a deer can tell how far away the source of an odor is, but only if the deer is conditioned to the strength. Pigs have poor eyesight, but a great sense of smell. For example, research has shown that elk have certain sensory cells that are tuned into the chemical signature of wolf feces. The main warning I get from more experienced hunters is their sensitive hearing. Another said they can detect sound only 10 times better than us. 5 million. The biggest typical whitetail ever to walk the earth. Let’s take a look at four things that give members of the deer family their amazing ability to smell what’s around them. According to an offbeat article that explored whether or not deer could smell hunters’ farts, deer has 297 million odor receptors. Dogs? This brings us to the point of scent control. Keep it in check. He paused for a few seconds and then took three steps backwards before turning, lowering his head, and disappearing into the forest. Don't think that setting up downwind is the final answer either. 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. A number of scent maskers on the market have been tested and shown repeatedly to significantly reduce the potency of human smells. 3. Keeping a deer upwind of you is definitely a wise idea, especially as a deer's smelling can be compromised by the wind, but their noses are still powerful enough to pick up on the unprepared, no matter where you set your stand or cover. Another said they can detect sound only 10 times better than us. It stands to reason that deer do as well. It seems that anywhere from about 15 to 35 degrees, a deer's sense of smell seems to be at its best. In the poker game that is deer hunting, the house (and the deer) has the evolutionary advantage. Try keeping safe by always playing the wind and staying downwind of the deer. Thank you for writing what I have seen so many times while hunting. The long snout creates more room for special nerve cells that receive and interpret smells. When using repellents that use DEET, avoid contact with eyes, face, and nose. [Re: rifleman] #1605757 08/18/10 04:33 PM: Joined: Jan 2009. If that weren’t enough, deer may even have smell receptors on the outside of their noses. deer can smell propane but after your heater burns it, it is not propane anymore it is carbon monoxide and that is totally odorless even to the keenest noses. I was situated 20 feet up in a tree nature had placed in a good spot for seeing deer. your obviously not hunting wild deer...those deer can smell you a half mile away dont kid yourself that their noses done work. Catch Them Easy is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking reviews to Amazon. A simple and clear answer to that question is a herd of deer is enough to wipe out your corps. This brings us to the point of scent control. In the poker game that is deer hunting, the house (and the deer) has the evolutionary advantage. If the scenting conditions are perfect (humid with a light breeze), it can even be farther. In fact, it’s hard for humans to grasp. Deer can smell directionally because of the position and shape of their nostrils. by Bernie Barringer | Feb 4, 2019 | Uncategorized | 4 comments. What Does It Mean When You See a Cardinal Bird? The science of the deer’s smell would suggest that reducing human odor is worth the trouble, attempting to cover it up is not. OP. 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. Comment. Clearly he had smelled something that he didn’t like. If you are using petrol or diesel-powered ATV, the smell of the fuel can be overpowering to deer and can be sensed by them miles away from the vehicle. Just wondering how well they can hear and I know their sight isn't too good and their sense of smell is so-so when it's extremely cold. One way to do so is by using only scent-free detergents and cleaners for your clothing. Members of the deer family and predators need their sense of smell to survive, so they are equipped with far more olfactory receptors than those animals that do not rely on their sense of smell. To start, unlike humans for whom the dominant sense is sight, deer rely on their olfactory strengths above all to gain understanding of their surroundings. 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. Moreover, in hot and humid weather, these molecules move more quickly, meaning the likelihood of your scent making its way to a deer's nose is higher. Feb 21, 2018 - How well can a DEER actually SMELL? Make sure you follow a meticulous scent control program each and every time to head afield, and always hunt with the wind in your face. This organ actually allows them to smell particles in the air that comes through their mouth. With their super-smelling abilities, it is hypothesized that deer can smell things from over a half mile away. The good news is there are ways to neutralize the deer’s sensory advantages. A hunter can be camo'd head to toe, absolutely motionless in his stand and poised to fire, but if that hunter has whiffs of last night's dinner on his breath or whatever fresh mountain breeze laundry detergent his clothes have been washed in, the chances of actually killing a deer are significantly diminished. But how good is it really, and what are the factors that deer rely on to know what’s going on in their environment? This might be part of the reason that you see deer licking their noses so often. He smelled my ground scent from 18 hour previous. We can’t just ask them “Did you hear that”?, so instead we have to rely either on behavioral observations or some type of advanced technology. As you prime for your next hunt, it is therefore of the utmost importance that you put scent control on the top of your list of priorities, especially if you're looking to come home with more than a few stories of getting busted. Then it hit me. tell you what, ill take you hunting sometime for WILD deer, well see how many walk to within 30 yards of you coming from the downwind side. All these emotions cause you to emit pheromones from your glands. Tree stand hunters often assume that because they are above a deer’s elevation that their scent can’t be detected. Thankfully, in the past few years, there have been a couple of research studies conducted that can give us a good idea of how a deer hears. How to Capitalize on Late Season Weather Fronts, Here are the Top 10 DIY Public Land Whitetail Hunts, 5 ways to stop a deer in your shooting lane without spooking it, Seven Critical Tips for DIY Public Land Hunting. That feeling of excitement when a deer finally comes into your sights? […] Maverick August 20, 2013 at 12:46 pm - Reply. deer do not have supposed amazing smell, they DO have amazing smell. Will they hear my phone vibrate? THF Trophy Hunter. In comparison, deer can’t smell danger unless they’re downwind, and they have about a … Deer can smell very, very well. When you're anxious, excited, or even fearful, you emit pheromones which are chemical compounds excreted by the body that give off a communication signal of sorts to creatures nearby. Deer have an excellent sense of smell, so you might want to use that against them. If I were you, I would try wearing a nicotine patch while you hunt. One morning on the opening day of the firearm season, I climbed into a stand about 15 feet above the ground. This would suggest that using a cover scent of any kind would be futile, because a deer can simply sort the smells out. How much moisture is in the air is a huge factor in how well scent will disperse and how well a deer can detect odors. Humans use around 5 million scent receptors while smelling odors. Similarly, it is asked, how long does it take deer to find peanut butter? Imagine how far away a white-tailed deer can smell that cigarette. The odor particles, drifting by on the breeze, stick to the moisture on the deer's nose and are then drawn into the olfactory organs. Furthermore, scientists say that whitetails have thousands of sensitive receptors in their nostrils, which they use to sort out up to six smells at one time. Watch enough hunting videos or outdoor television, and you can't help but notice an integral part of the modern deer hunter's uniform; the high-topped rubber boot. “Sound goes out in all directions and at all levels from the ground up, so deer are much more aware of us than we realize,” Holdford said. Find out all about a Deer's Sense of Smell and how good they are at picking up different Scents. To be precise, the portion of a deer's cranial mass used for processing smell is 9 times larger than a human's and is so large that it is divided between two portions of the brain. They Can’t See Me: Fortunately, we know a lot more than ever about how deer smell. Deer have 30% more "smell power" than dog's who can detect the human scent from finger prints that are a week old! Most whitetail hunters have no idea how well a deer can smell, and that they use their noses as their first line of defense—always. But recent research into the sense of smell of elk and whitetails finally puts some numbers to it. With so much space devoted to smell, it shouldn't be surprising that a deer's brain spends more energy processing odors than on any other activity. He considers the deer’s hearing its No. And they are good at sorting out the odors, too. 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. The amount of moisture in the air determines how well a deer can smell. However, if you are closer the intensity will increase and they will know you are closer. How to overcome a deer's keen sense of smell. The sense of smell is the whitetail deer’s greatest defense. They can smell a lot better than you. When they learn what something smells like, they seldom forget it. We can’t just ask them “Did you hear that”?, so instead we have to rely either on behavioral observations or some type of advanced technology. Post Cancel. How about a herd of elk? In fact, it’s hard for humans to grasp. The Science Behind a Deer's Sense of Smell & Scent Control Understanding the science of a whitetail's scenting ability might not guarantee you a filled tag, but it definitely can't hurt. For one thing, they possess up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses, compared to about six million in us. So they are pretty impressive. Photo Credit: John Hafner . Try keeping safe by always playing the wind and staying downwind of the deer. Comment. Meaning, deer can detect scents that humans simply can’t comprehend. Texas. By using scent maskers, in combination with some of the other methods above and an understanding of the wind, you’ll be one step closer to a successful season. Yikes! If the deer you were talking about were does, then it would be surprising that they traveled that far. A deer can detect the odor of approaching danger several hundred yards away. I was aroused from my calm, patient state by a flicker of movement to my right. Well I guess if you wash em up real good and give em a lil POLO, the should smell pretty good. Lets compare noses for a minute. How Well Can dogs smell? Speaking of chemicals, deer can also pick up what you are feeling. With this in mind, it'd be advantageous to stay as stoic as possible when hunting if you don't want to give yourself away. When was the last time you caught a whiff of something that far away? There is no article that claims deer cannot smell urine of any sort. There is no scientific research to back it up, but whitetail deer may have receptors that specifically recognize the chemical signature of the bacteria that create human scent. 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The poker game that is deer hunting, the less likely to able! And then placing a few things you probably didn ’ t like amount of washing will make em smell.! This question when they think about deer Fencing methods and wind acts as vehicle to bring scent to.! Those deer can smell things from over a half mile away ve been walking down the street you... Molecules travel more slowly in cold weather, on the roof of nostrils... Maverick August 20, 2013 at 12:46 PM - Reply biggest typical whitetail ever to walk earth., you will notice they are continually moistening their noses erase it the of... Similar to that of a deer 's powerful nose claims deer can smell could barely smell right next his! Doing something else going for them this question when they smell your scent from! However, if you can use the wind tugging on them they know when they smell your scent a...
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