SCENT

W16OEN

Well-Known Member
I am aware that deer can detect smells up to a mile away and that smell and sound are their main senses.
I stalk one area where I lie up on a valley side with great views but the wind is always on my back. I cannot approach into the wind due to the terrain and some of the ground downwind is not on my lease.
Sometimes the wind blows my scent over the valley and I am able to take animals in the bottom other times it swirls around.
If deer relate human scent with danger and flee, could I mask my stationary presence with say an aniseed spray onto a nearby bush? Might the aniseed mask my scent or would it pin point my exact position to the quarry?
Just a mad thought
 
The Americans have been trying to develop scent lock clothing, like fishing flies , I think these items catch more of us out than deer.

You will find that you can "bluff" or chance your hand with the other scenses like sight and sound but never with smell.

My advice is that you have try and plan your stalking trips around a change of wind or try using cross winds , coming in at different angles, it's hard to say without seeing the ground

I think that you'll just get chased by pheasants if you cover yourself with aniseed :D
 
Since discovering deerhunter etc and not wearing tweeds all the time, I must admit my stalking clothes go in the machine every night and are out the tumble and on next day.
I assure you no stalking client wants to sit in a motor with a stalker stinking worse than a stag.
If deer smell the persil they smell you :( , If they smell your unwashed clothing then they smell you :lol:

The secret is Don't wind deer.

If you learn to stalk in Caithness No hills] you'll soon learn that if you winded deer on Monday [at 2 or 3 miles] you were going to have a blank week unless your neighbour made the same mistake :p
 
I'd second bambislayer on this.

When I'm downwind of my good friend and mentor who I've stalked with for the last 7 years even I can smell the Persil, so heaven knows what the deer would think. :)

However, by judicious use of the wind he guides a lot of his clients onto deer, averaging a deer about every 1.5 outings if not better. If he was out culling on his own his average would be a lot higher.

I have no faith in Scent-Lok or suchlike so far as it's masking capabilities, they're designed with the wallets of the hunters in mind, not the quarry.

willie_gunn
 
If its a deep valley then sometimes the wind will go over the top, otherwise you need to go around it, the scent lok stuff could only be american :p
 
I dont believe in the scent stuff either, the scent will still come off your hands and face if they are uncovered.

I really wouldn't worry too much as when the wind gets into gullys, they can do a whole multitude of things, but if there is a definate wind going up or down, then you need to get down wind of the deer.
 
I can tell you the scent lock stuff..................dosnt work, waste of money. And quite honestly whether you wash your clothes or not in persil or leave them on until they are minging :rolleyes: will make little difference, deer will still pick up the scent of human, especially if you have walked a fair bit and are sweating like a pig.

All stalking success depends on wind direction as a rule, although I would not advocate washing clothes in perfumed washing powder or wearing after shave if you are stalking.

Funny though some stalkers I know smoke and I think thats a big give away as well, as my sense of smell is not good, but you always know when a stalker is a smoker as you can smell it on them straight away. Heaven knows what the deer think?

I have no doubt there will be some on here that will now make remarks about smoking :oops:
 
Deer are just as likely to smell you as your cig smoke unless you use the wind properly - but they'll also see the smoke itself as movement on a still-ish day.

I agree on that scent lock stuff by the way. The only things it deceives are the people buying it.
 
Why not knock on next door, explain the situation and ask permission to cross their land to get to yours and while your at it, ask if you can go get a deer that runs and dies on their land. You strike up a conversation and you never know they might let you do the stalkin and it don't cost you nothin.

Wind problem solved ;)
 
when we were out last saturday there was a doe about 60yrds in front browsing in the hedge the wind was going straight across us so we thought happy days if she shows from the hedge which she did and straight away the wind turned to the doe and she winded us in a split second.on about wind fester played a bloody tune from under his duvet both nights in the digs im glad the window was next to my bed :lol:
 
i had to delete them photos off my phone they frightened me :lol: .i dont think that lads wired up right :lol: :lol:
 
The answer is easy go on to your neighbours ground and walk right round it coming in from the other direction when you get you the perimeter of your ground you will not have disturbed it and bingo ps dont shoot from your neighbors ground you could get into trouble. Wait till you get over the boundary ;)
 
6.5 x 55 said:
The answer is easy go on to your neighbours ground and walk right round it coming in from the other direction when you get you the perimeter of your ground you will not have disturbed it and bingo ps dont shoot from your neighbors ground you could get into trouble. Wait till you get over the boundary ;)

Don't think that is a good idea. If you are carrying your rifle and you are there without permission it is armed trespass and although not a legal beagle I understand that is a pretty serious offence? You get seen .... quick call to old bill ..... armed response unit....... you face down in the mud with an MP5 up your arse..... blah, blah, blah .... more media column inches about armed nutters roaming about at will etc etc.

My vote is for the talk to your neigbour approach.
 
BD What you talking about it is quite with in your rights to walk your neighbors ground to gain a good access to your ground .I do it all the time and have even gained some good permission doing it ;)
 
I think 6.5 is quite correct when it comes to Scotland, but I would not like to try the same thing south of the border.
 
If your rifle is in it's case and not ready to use you can walk along any public footpath just as a matter of simple courtesy ask first, very few people are that odd they wouldn't accomodate such a reasonable request.
Your neighbour prob has the same trouble and it would help him if he could go via you land in exchange. Always better to be on amicable terms.
 
for the avid stalker a small drying room in a shed or out building is a must
noting as bad as a guy arriving in the yard smelling of the mornings fry .
a drying room keeps house hold smell off your gear and your back hall clean.
 
That you can stalk in from someone elses land is a myth and it gets people into trouble.

In s.2.1. Scottish Outdoor Access Code published by the Scottish Parliament no less, you are told you are not allowed to carry a fire arm (covered or not) on private land where you do not have permission to be with it except where you are -

"crossing land or water to immediately access land or water, or return from such, where shooting rights are granted, held or held in trust or by any person authorised to exercise such rights."

The key principle here is 'to immediately access land' . Point is - you go straight from A to B, for access only, and even then when it is essentail for access and there is no other reasonable way.

That excludes choosing to take a long way round or crossing a boundary or taking a non-essential route to take account of wind direction and improve your chances of making a kill.

The second point is that altering your route in such a way is actually part of stalking, and you are not allowed to stalk without permission, gun sleeved or not. No more, no less. Even if taking the most direct route scatters the deer, you must take it.

It's the same argument that because you haven't caught a fish then you are not fishing, even though your line is in the water.


The crime of aggravated tresspass could also be eaily proven if anyone came face to face with you and you were armed. There is a general principle that anything which could be construed as causing alarm or annoyance, negates your right to roam/access and moves you definitely into armed tresspass and aggravated tresspass.

Get permission.
 
Back
Top