Pipe Smoking in the Deer Stand...

[cosmicfolklore]

Come and hunt on my land if you're worried about it. The deer here act all tough and aren't afraid of anything, which makes me afraid to shoot them. They tear up the trees near my house while looking at me like "what you are you gonna do about it." If I send the dog out they just do that cough/hack noise and lazily walk back to the forest.

Yeh, they act all tough, but the moment you have a rifle in your hand... poof... they're gone.

 

[Magpiety]

Yeh, they act all tough, but the moment you have a rifle in your hand... poof... they're gone.

In all seriousness, I don't know how they're not scared away by things. I regularly shoot starlings with a .243, which is really loud and basically vaporizes them. My tractor is an old 4020, which is really loud too.

 

[Old School 3319]

Come and hunt on my land if you're worried about it. The deer here act all tough and aren't afraid of anything, which makes me think they're tougher than me, which makes me afraid to shoot them. They tear up the trees near my house while looking at me like "what you are you gonna do about it." If I send the dog out they just do that cough/hack noise and lazily walk back to the forest.

I don't want to start an inter-species war. They give me that look like "if you shoot at me, you better kill me."

I have stepped out of the front door and had a buck stare me down

 

[SoliDeoGloria]

Come and hunt on my land if you're worried about it. The deer here act all tough and aren't afraid of anything, which makes me think they're tougher than me, which makes me afraid to shoot them. They tear up the trees near my house while looking at me like "what you are you gonna do about it." If I send the dog out they just do that cough/hack noise and lazily walk back to the forest.

I don't want to start an inter-species war. They give me that look like "if you shoot at me, you better kill me."

I'm game!

 

[Gecko]

I remember my grandfather's hunting team back in the 80s, those guys smoked like chimneys while hunting moose and deer. They claimed the tobacco scent unlike human scent did not scare the animals.

 

[SoliDeoGloria]

I remember my grandfather's hunting team back in the 80s, those guys smoked like chimneys while hunting moose and deer. They claimed the tobacco scent unlike human scent did not scare the animals.

I have heard this, as well. In fact, I wonder if it actually serves to *mask* human odors in a sense?

 

[Magpiety]

I'm game!

If you're serious, let me know if you're ever in the KCMO area. I live on a quarter section of good Cavinist land that is 2/3 wooded in the back, I'll just tell my kid to stay near the house when you're out there lol. Come get you some!

Don't worry, the deer are all arminians

 

[Tommy Boy]

I have heard this, as well. In fact, I wonder if it actually serves to *mask* human odors in a sense?

Native American Indians used fire and tobacco smoke to mask human odor. They seemed to fair just fine with the Buffalo, deer, elk, bear.... they hunted.

 

[mso489]

My wife's family are farmers and deer hunting is an important food source, stored in freezer lockers in town. They also have a system of sharing meat with families in need, since you aren't allowed to store beyond the limit from year to year. Since the population of people has thinned, the population of deer has exploded, and causes some hazard to drivers. Humans are the only predators left, so the deer are everywhere, up there in northeast Missouri.

 

[Swampy16]

My buddy and I were grouse hunting in PA during the rut. He was pushing a cover to my right and I heard him say my name and that he has a problem. I said what now? He said he has a buck staring at him and won’t move. It’s not afraid of me and he’s pawing at the ground. I said if he charges shoot. Well it false charged him and he took off running. He never fired his gun, he was scared shitless. I’ve never had a deer do that to me and I’ve spent my entire life in the woods.

 

[docrameous]

I take a pipe with me when I am elk hunting. I don’t walk and smoke, but rather when I stop for coffee or eat some lunch I’ll light up while watching a trail or meadow. When I do, I do pay attention to the direction of the wind and make sure that I am downwind from where I want to take a shot. I also will smoke a pipe while fly fishing. The great outdoors with a pipe is something special!

 

[anotherbob]

my neighborhood deer seems to think that if he doesn't move I can't see him. Like it's running through some yards making a ton of noise gets into my line of sight and just freezes until I'am out of sight. I think there is something wrong with that one if I'am honest.

 

[warren]

Unless I'm stalking something really shy and I'm wearing a ghillie suit, I smoke. Pipes or cigarettes, doesn't matter. In areas where the wildlife is more or less inured to humans I find smoking isn't a problem. But, if I have to mask my smell and body lines, no smoking. So, smoking in a deer stand shouldn't prevent the pipe.

I'm told by a cousin, an avid deer hunter, that they only seem to be hard to find during hunting season. He said it's like they send out a "Code Red" or something. Off season he said all you need is a car, evening light and a bit of bad luck.

 

[Gecko]

I think I recall our dear friend and seasoned hunter @alaskanpiper mentioning in another thread that he doesn't smoke when hunting moose as to not scare off the animals with the smell.

 

[warren]

"City moose", those out and about in the city are inured to everything human. Get out in the bush and if your on two legs, that'll spook most of them. On horse back a moose will just star and go back to browsing, Just like cattle. Critters on two legs can spook 'em.. Critters on four legs well, I suppose they think they belong. I've also found a brazen noisy approach often works where a stealthy approach will spook 'em. Just gotta figger it out at the time. With bears try to figger right on the first approach. Same during the rut.

 

[aquadoc]

I have never used camo for hunting. And I have killed my fair share of deer. As for smoking...nope. No way. Deer will spook on any odd smell, much less one that they might associate with humans...burning tobacco. And as for sweet smells attracting deer....maybe not.

 

[alaskanpiper]

I think I recall our dear friend and seasoned hunter @alaskanpiper mentioning in another thread that he doesn't smoke when hunting moose as to not scare off the animals with the smell.

Yep. Not worth the risk. As warren said, moose in town aren’t scared of shit, but once you’re in the bush all it takes is a foreign smell, a foreign noise, or a couple seconds of not being able to tell what you are and they’re outta there.

Of course there are exceptions to every rule but I try to eliminate every risk I can control. Which at the end of the day sometimes ain’t many ?

 

[carlomarx]

My Grandfather swore that deer were attracted to the smell of Half & Half and he usually had a pipe going while on stand. He was a very successful hunter, so he might have been on to something.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

My Grandfather swore that deer were attracted to the smell of Half & Half and he usually had a pipe going while on stand. He was a very successful hunter, so he might have been on to something.

Had to be the deer tongue..

 

[krizzose]

I’ve never done it and I really doubt I will. It can’t help, and I bet on most occasions it could hurt. That being said, I’ve gotten away with all kinds of movement and inadvertent noise in a blind with no response from deer within 25 yards or closer, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it just didn’t matter.

A duck blind, however, is a great place for a pipe.