Does smoking in a deer stand really affect your success?
QUESTION: I have shot many deer over the years, and generally every time I had a cigarette hanging out of my mouth. However I have only shot does. My question is, does smoking really affect seeing deer? — Quentin B.
ANSWER: That’s a good question. An acquaintance of mine, who is a very accomplished bowhunter, told me he’s had similar experiences and has even taken several nice bucks while smoking.
Intuitively, you would think that any foreign odor, especially one that deer commonly associate with humans, would be detrimental to your deer sightings. As it turns out, that’s not always the case. Several commercial products marketed as curiosity scents contain odors like vanilla or anise oil, which whitetails are certainly not familiar with. And most hunters have probably gotten away with being a bit lax on their scent control from time to time.
However, much depends on specific circumstances like temperature, humidity and wind direction, and the personality of the individual deer. If you’re looking for consistent success, especially on older deer, you’ve got to blend into your surroundings as much as possible in terms of sight, sound and smell. Quite often you’ll never see or hear the deer that smell you. They simply slip away undetected and can learn to avoid permanent stands.