marko@hutch (Mark O'Shea) (05/07/91)
As I stated in a previous posting this will be my first year bow hunting for deer. I am interested now in scents, the book I have by Chuck Adams spends five pages on scents. His general conclusion is that the stronger masking scents are useful if not mandatory. What are your ideas, thoughts, etc? What do you use and recommend? Hoping the sun is at your back and the wind in your face the last 100 yards, Mark O'Shea Marko@ijf1.intel.com
rigg@osnome.che.wisc.edu (Tim Rigg) (05/07/91)
Last year was my first season deer hunting, but I collected one scent
story...
I set up a ground blind along a well used trail and sprinkled a little
"Indian Buck Lure" at the point in the trail corresponding to my
shooting lane. I chose this scent for very scientific reasons - it
was the cheapest and I liked the slogan on the bottle ("Indian Buck
Lure - The oldest and the best: Dead Bucks don't lie").
back to the story... A nice buck came walking rather quickly down the
trail. When he reached the scent. He stopped dead in his tracks
(perfect broadside angle to me), put his head down, and checked out
the scent. Any hunter could have easily shot the buck. Without the
scent, the buck would have kept walking and only presented a moving
shot.
However, I was NOT any hunter. It was my first season and buck fever
made me drastically rush the shot, and miss. I plan on using the same
scent on the same trail during bow season this fall. Hopefully I will
get another chance at that buck that has been laughing at me all
winter. Missing a broadside buck from 23 yards with a rifle is a VERY
humbling experience.
Which brings up another point... Last fall I read everything I could
find and learned all about scat, scrapes, rubs, food, and the rest.
However, NOTHING mentioned the panic of seeing your first deer within
shooting range. I have since learned a few techniques to reduce this
factor. Most center around ALWAYS using a set routine. I have
started using the following routine during all my bow practice, "full
draw, aim, release, follow through". I try to mentally check off the
steps on each shot. Hopefully, when I see a deer this fall, I will
concentrate on the steps and not panic so much. I am curious to see
if more experienced hunters use similar techniques.
timroa@davinci.acc.virginia.edu ("Robert O. Anderson Jr") (05/08/91)
>Mark O'Shea writes: >As I stated in a previous posting this will be my first year >bow hunting for deer. I am interested now in scents, the book >I have by Chuck Adams spends five pages on scents. His general >conclusion is that the stronger masking scents are useful if not >mandatory. >What are your ideas, thoughts, etc? What do you use and recommend? I've had older does spook when using "Tink's 69". The yearlings seem to be a little curious....cautious, but curious. I've had bucks walk by "Tink's 69" scent bombs, H.S. Scent wafers, and tarsal glands >from previous years' doe kills(kept in the freezer) and not seem interested at all(all three were out at the same time). I've had does come to H.S. Scent apple wafers while hunting in an old apple orchard. H.S.Scents honey wafer didn't bother the does, but the bears didn't flock to me, either. I tried "Cover Up" one season. Didn't kill a thing. Have been using Scent Shield religiously for the last couple of years. I even brought some in to work and looked at it with a scanning electron microscope.....1 & 1/4 ounces of baking soda to 1 quart of water....I'll make my own now. I read where one of the "pros" said," No scent is the best scent." I think there's something to that... Ricky(huntin' partner) and I have settled to: baking soda to wash our clothes, baking soda sprinkled over our clothes that are kept in a large double plastic bag(shoes,gloves,longhandles,etc), our own "scent shield", and plastic bags over our shoes as we walk to the stand. Oh, and we don't dress until we're out of the car..where we're hunting. And maybe a quart of urine....nice and fresh*. Let's hear from other hunters....... Bobby * Still experimenting.....
keith@clodii.columbiasc.NCR.COM (05/09/91)
Robert Anderson writes: >I've had older does spook when using "Tink's 69". I used Tink's years ago when I used to bowhunt. I never had an experience that proved that it helped or hurt me but I have had friends swear that it helped them at times and other times it spooked deer like you stated. I simply quit using lures and instead tried concentrating on always out thinking the deer by guessing where I would see one or more at and which direction they will come from. If you think about it, these are the two main factors which will determine a chance at getting a deer. If you can put yourself in a spot that you feel will attract deer and be totally alert then you will have the advantage most likely if one comes your way. I do use a grunt call because I have proven to myself that it does work but I use it sparingly as a last resort because you cannot depend on *any* lure to work the way you want it to. > other stuff about baking soda, plastic bags, "scent shields". I have a few "rituals" that I go through during deer season too. I always use the unscented detergent to wash hunting togs in, I use unscented soap and shampoo to shower in, and I like to hang my clothes outside the night before I hunt to help air them out. My goal is to have as nuetral a scent as possible and to pick up no other scents. Hence, I don't smoke or chew and I don't eat heavy breakfast before going in the woods. I must be doing something right because I have harvested 45 deer since 1980. Just my input on the thread. Later!! Keith Boyd --- | Keith M. Boyd (NCR E&M Cola.) | Nothing could be fina' than huntin' and | | 3325 Platt Springs Rd. _______| fishin' in South Carolina! -Me- | | West Cola., S.C. 29170 | Std Disclaimers | keith@clodII.columbiasc.NCR.COM | | ph: 803-791-6419 | From uunet: !uunet!ncrcom!ncrcae!sauron!clodII!keith |
patvh@vice.ICO.TEK.COM (Pat Van Hoomissen) (05/09/91)
In article <1991May7.064908.25011@doug.cae.wisc.edu> rigg@osnome.che.wisc.edu (Tim Rigg) writes: >draw, aim, release, follow through". I try to mentally check off the >steps on each shot. Hopefully, when I see a deer this fall, I will >concentrate on the steps and not panic so much. I am curious to see >if more experienced hunters use similar techniques. > My technique is to keep shooting until it the deer stops running... I shot at my first buck 5 times, and watched the little forkie trot away untouched, only to later walk within twenty yards of a 4 point broadside, and realize I was out of shells. I still get the shakes during an after shooting, just like when I've got a really big fish on, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
roa@davinci.acc.virginia.edu ("Robert O. Anderson Jr") (05/10/91)
>Keith Boyd writes: >I simply quit using lures and instead tried >concentrating on always out thinking the deer by guessing where I >would see one or more at and which direction they will come from. If >you think about it, these are the two main factors which will >determine a chance at getting a deer. If you can put yourself in a >spot that you feel will attract deer and be totally alert then you >will have the advantage most likely if one comes your way. That's what we do....You just can't get in the woods anywhere and expect to see deer. Of course, that's how you learn. But Ricky and I "know" where the deer families(generally a doe and two little ones) bed down and "know" where they will feed. We just set up to intercept them. The bucks ?? They'll be hawkin' the does.... >I have a few "rituals" that I go through during deer season too. I >always use the unscented detergent to wash hunting togs in, I use >unscented soap and shampoo to shower in, and I like to hang my clothes >outside the night before I hunt to help air them out. My goal is to >have as neutral a scent as possible and to pick up no other scents. >Hence, I don't smoke or chew and I don't eat heavy breakfast before >I must be doing something right because I have >harvested 45 deer since 1980. Just my input on the thread. Later!! > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Keith Boyd Man, that's something! Virginia was basically a two deer per year state. This year they're opening it up some. Early and late doe seasons, 7 deer limit*, two a day, and youths <16 yrs. may shoot does ALL season. *bow,blackpowder,gun Keith, it takes alot of "work" to kill a deer, doesn't it? But isn't nice to look down that gun barrel?? Bobby ======================================= bobby@virginia.edu (Internet) bobby@virginia (BITNET) =======================================