Acclimating the deer to human scent?

[Genesis 9:3]

Do you guys have any thoughts on acclimating the deer to human scent? The thought is that I can spend all sorts of effort making sure I use cover scent, washing my clothes, etc… and they might still smell me and get spooked. On the other hand, I can take an old shirt, get nasty and sweaty in it, and put it out in the woods near where I want to hang my stand… then just leave it there.

I see two potential outcomes… the first is that they smell that smell every time they come through and get used to it… no big deal. The other option is they get freaked out and never come back. I would compare it to putting a dummy up in a tree stand… I could swear I read about that somewhere on here!

[mrbb]

I agree the two outcomes can happen
either they adjust and stay, or they leave for other places
over the yrs I have done the dummy up a tree, posted it here before too!

deer did get used to the dummy, and in that stand I could stand about in it and they paid no attention to me after a few months
BUT the problem was getting rid of the dummy when I wanted to hunt it , had to lower it and kinda hide it, ended up leaving a big camo burlap cover to cover it when I was in the stand
I hung it so it would move with the wind too, so they got used to it moving

I have also over the yrs tried leaving sweaty shirts
about the food plots, seemed to work great, never seemed to stop deer from coming in in day light


BUT in stands I tried it far back in the woods
deer stopped using trails they did before I added the sweaty shirt, they went about 75 yrds away and made a new trail they used

Next
since I seen how the sweaty shirt moved there travel routes
I then tried , using that
by placing a sweaty shirt away from a stand, to try to steer them to a stand

had mixed results with that
some deer did alter there travels, but some still prefered to use the one's they had, but ONLY now they only used them at night!


which made them non huntable(based on trail cam's)
after that I gave up!
and just prefer to practice the best scent control I can

unless you really hunt in remote places
I think deer already are used to human scent
how much they tolerate and where they tolerate it
is the issue to beat them on! LOL

[Genesis 9:3]

Well that's a pretty good answer... maybe I'll try doing all that starting out in the spring to see if they get used to it, such that by the time season opens, they aren't bothered by it. I'm pretty sure they love that mineral block whether there's a sweaty shirt over it or not, but no since in risking it.

[zachc]

I could definitely see both results being possible. I would think hanging a sweaty shirt, eventually a lot of the scent would "wash" out of the shirt due to rain, sunshine, etc. I have heard of visiting your hunting area frequently to "lay down" your scent. If you visit it 1-2 times a week the deer will somewhat get use to your scent being there and not associate it with danger.

[mrbb]

I used to spend a good 4 days a week at my hunting grounds, as it was a farm, that I took care of, managed it!
I do think deer got used to me due to all my time there
BUT I truely believe they know the difference between me working about the farm, and when I was hunting them
any pressure you put on deer, makes them smarter I think
even if they are ONLY looking to see where your at
they are LOOKING
if you can NOT spend time in your hunting area, I think that is always the best bet
same as getting in and out without being seen

once deer patteren you
they have the upper hand LOL
better sense's to work with
some times its not avoidable
but I do think the best attack is sneak in and out till you kill!
low profile as possible

[zachc]

I agree with deer knowing the difference between you farming the property and hunting the property. But that said its all up to you as far as them being able to know of they're being hunted.I think as long as you go to and from your stand without being detected and never get caught red handed in your stand I think you are good, most of it boiling down to scent control.

[PSEhunter]

I think a lot of it depends on the deer herd in the area itself.. I have several farms I hunt and my style/tactics in the early season are different at each. At my Gpas in Nelsonville Ohio, I only put new minerals/corn down about once every two weeks, and will ONLY go in between 1-3pm, so I'm least likely to spook any deer. However, a farm I hunt closer to home near Parkersburg WV, I go AT LEAST once every 96 hours or 3rd to 4th day.. I will jump deer away from my mineral site at lets say 6:05 pm.. at 6:08 I will be seen dumping the lucky buck and corn, and then at 6:19 that same 8 point and two does are back in eating the corn within 10 minutes of me leaving.. I will upload trail cam pics later as proof.. This area is extremely thick, and I personally feel (could be way off) the deer just feel safe enough to step out into the opening where the corn is, feed, and slip back into the thick woods.. Problem is.. all my "shooters" and bucks scoring 125-145 are up in ohio.. I have 3 eights on cam at my farm in WV and the biggest is maybe 115 inches lol... that may play into it also.. regardless, I truly feel the deer have crown accustomed to my scent in me being in the area, and ran just far enough to be hid until I leave, and will return almost immediately to continue to feed..

[Big_Holla]

Lee Lakosky talks a lot about this as to some of their success. They are not cautious on their scent during the spring and summer and they feel that helps them when fall comes around that the deer don't suddenly notice human scent in the area.