Tobacco use while hunting.

[Clipper]

My uncle, who was a heavy smoker, told me a story about hunting in the U.P. in the 'forties. He was sitting under a cedar on a warmish morning, when it started to snow. You know how relaxing that is, and he fell asleep, only to be awakened by an 8-point buck that walked up to his smoke-smelling self, stuck his snout almost in my uncle's ear and gave a loud snort. He wasn't sure which one came farther off the ground!

 

[wolf_from_wv]

I've had to stop firing at a local rifle range, while the deer walked across... (5-6 different days)

 

[koja48]

We usually have fire-breathin' chili at least one night in both deer & elk camp, plus the "after hunting hours" occasional beer & a shot or two of smooooth whiskey (for medicinal purposes only) during a cribbage game/liars' session. I do believe that the game would prefer the smell of 'baccy the next day my own self . . . spicy buffalo jerky doesn't do much for what's left of the ozone layer either . . .

 

[scubie02]

meh, I don't think they care. My brother always smokes and gets more dear than most folks I know, and I used to smoke, and don't really see a difference either way. An old timer I knew used to smoke a pipe and swore it ATTRACTED dear, and he ALWAYS got a deer, every year. he claimed they smelled it and were curious what it was and would come to him from great distances.

I also once read about one method they used to use back in the day where they would just go out in the woods and build a big bonfire and just sit around talking and whatever and wait for the deer to show, and apparently they often did--same principle I guess--curiosity.

Like I said, it never seemed to make a difference with me--saw any number of deer WHILE I was smoking.

 

[Pigspitter]

Real men don't spit from their chaw.

Man, that reminds me of earlier this month. A guy on our team was dippin in the locker room when the coach walked in and the guy swallowed about of quarter of a can of grizzly. I witnessed my first miracle when he went the whole practice without puking.

 

[coelacanth]

I think sm nailed it. . . . .

most wildlife get used to their environment pretty quickly. No matter what is present in that environment be it smoke, diesel fumes, vehicles, or what have you. You will never see more game than when you are out in the bottomlands plowing soybeans or corn. You could limit out in 5 species from the tractor seat in 30 minutes. Fire up another one son, the deer don't care.

 

[Kurt S.]

I have been smoking a cheap, smelly cigar in a stand and had deer approach within a few feet from both upwind and downwind.

BTW, I am not a regular smoker, the cigars are just something that seem to go along with my personal outdoor experience.

 

[MCgunner]

How selfish, I mean, givin' them deer cancer with that second hand smoke. Jeez, people!

 

[sm]

Nice thing about being able to chaw tobacco / dip Skoal , and sip coffee with out getting the two mixed up - other folks get a series case of the weebie-jeebies and can't hit squat.

They miss deer, birds, small game, whatever, and been known to miss a whole truck tail gate and take a hard seat onto the ground.


Y'all come back - ya hear?

 

[littlegator]

Just a little statistic, don't remember the source, but I heard that 75% of deer populations have reported an increase in second-hand smoke causing lung cancer. Afflicted deer can only run 100 yards and then fall over dead from a heart attack. Ended the debate on which caliber to use on deer.

 

[sm]

Here is my take.

If something begins life, someday it ceases life.

I am disposable, always known I was, and just accept it.
Wouldn't do much good to worry or fret, that cuts into living time.

Natural Order means, Universe did its thing before I showed up, when I die, Universe going to continue on.

I've seen the 26 year old male , that ran, jogged, ate healthy and work out, die of a heart attack just upstairs from the OR in a hospital.
Seen the 96 year male - that still liked a cigar, and nip of whiskey, breeze through knee surgery.

It is in the Genes.
I don't give a Rip what anyone says, when it is your time to exit, you exit.

Deer, any game is the same way.
Old Bucks get found, really old and just died of old age.

Young bucks get nailed early.
Does, get shot in Doe Season, and the Fawns are going to either make it or not without her. Natural Order of things...
Like that Mother of three and raising another child, just up and died in Car Crash. Fell asleep at the wheel she did.
Kids come on up with her...

Smoke, drink , chase women . Deer don't care, I don't care.
Some wimmin smoke, drink , and chase guys, Doe don't care they don't either.

Just don't breath while I smoke .

Sometimes folks get out to hunt, to have a good time, pass forward to another , kids, families and all.

Some get out to screw around on husbands and wives.

Some just get out to fuss.
That ain't living, that ain't hunting, that ain't even "existing".

Hunting for something to stick one's nose in - is not hunting, and for sure not sportsman's like.


Marlboro Red, currently works fine for me.
Then again Lucky Strike and L.S.M.F.T never let me down either.

 

[45Badger]

I quit smoking a few years back. I used to be paranoid about smoking in a treestand. My best hunting (chain smoking) buddy poo-poo'd my worry for years. I finally broke down and smoked while gun and bow hunting. Nothing changed, killed nice deer every year.

The BIGGEST deer either he or I ever took was a HUGE 10 pointer on his dad's farm in upstate NY (northwest of Utica). My buddy was taking a crap, leaning against a tree about 20 yards from his stand, smoking a cigarette, when the bruiser walked right up to him, stopped and stared. He shot the deer in the chest at about 10 yards. That ended all my nuttiness about scent control.

Now I just spray on the odor eliminator, and drop some doe urine on my boots and walk in to my stand. Seems to work fine.

 

[sm]

Like I said,
critters will show up when you least expect them.

Ducks for instance. Flights will stop, or not come your way.
I assure you, if you have to pee, and are in chest waders, that is when the ducks will cover you up.

Funny is hearing the gals in the blind next to yours "Oh come on , surely one of us has to pee, with all this water and drizzling rain".
"NO"
"Well somebody is going at least pretend they are to get the ducks to fly, who has a quarter so we flip for it".

Three gals in a blind...

MY buddy and I cracking up. Ducks started coming in, and "Hey- ya'll gonna shoot or look for quarters?"

"That is my gun!"
"Oh shut up and and shoot mine, we got ducks in the wire".

My buddy and I would have paid good money to have seen these 3 looking for something to flip, and "rock, paper scissors" and all they were carrying on
about.

 

[MCgunner]

Yeah, every time I pick up to go thinking the birds have quit flying, well, you know.....:banghead:

 

[sm]

Critters have a checklist on "How to spot a new hunter".

-Check for tobacco.
-Fancy Camo clothes
-Scents.
-Gun oil that has No Scent, or smells like some kind of spice
-Under all that crap hanging - there is a gun attached to it.
-Expensive Truck, and it don't leak oil.
- Copy of "101 Excuses for how come you missed"
-Copy of " 52 Excuses to tell your wife how come all this hype you had to have, did not result in game being brought home"
-Spare Key to Brother-in-Laws house to sleep on the sofa.
-Thin wallet.

 

[MeekandMild]

One thing about it I've seen and shot a lot more deer in nonsmoking years than when I was smoking. Plus now I can smell them, which I couldn't do when all I could smell was my own smoke. Can also smell the doe pee that newby hunters like to dab all over them.

 

[NDGeek]

I'm with the "It doesn't make a difference" crowd.

The deer I hunt every year probably don't see many people at all through the year. Which might explain why they are so dumb

They probably don't have a clue what it is when they smell it. Just another smell. If they smell it, then get shot at.. well you would hope they wise up quick.

I smoke constantly while walking up and down draws, never had a problem filling the freezer.

 

[22-rimfire]

I have to admit that this thread is a real surprise. I do what I do, but I didn't expect others to do it to. I honestly think deer like the smell of the vanilla flavoring in some tobacco's and will actually move toward it.

 

[Shadow Shock]

It doesn't make a difference. 90% of the time when my dad kills a deer, he's smoking. We only wash our camo a couple times a season, only when it gets real bloody. I've shot a doe while taking a dump. White tails are too curious for their own good. Smell doesn't matter for them. At least not anywhere were I've hunted (Texas and Louisianna).

 

[willp58]

I have one bud that hunts deer standing/sitting/yapping/eating/smoking on field edges.
He *insists* on building a fire (this is during PA season -usually on snow) all the time cracking limbs with his rifle standing up against a tree and the guy always gets a buck! LOL

He maintains that the noise actually helps..

 

[unreal45]

Tobacco use while hunting gives you cancer.

 

[Soap]

I agree that it doesn't really matter even though I don't smoke myself. Last season though, about 10 minutes after I shot a small buck, I could smell cologne coming from behind me. About 20 minutes later this guy walks along the ridgeline on some adjoining property about 75 yards away. I wonder if he bagged anything that day...

 

[Glockfan.45]

I have a big zippered bag that our bed spread came in. I wash my hunting clothes in plain water, and store them in that bag with leaves, sticks, and other assorted natural items. I shower in the morning before hunting, but don't use shampoo, soap, or any other smelly things. First thing I do when get in my stand is light up a smoke .

I take my two deer every year, and every year this has been my ritual. One year I put a broadhead in a buck while I still had a cigarette hanging out of my mouth. The one thing I don't do is smoke while hiking to the stand. Hell last fall/winter I even smoked while out on coyote hunts with much success. My thoughts are tobbaco doesnt bother critters.

 

[target1911]

Great thread.....I expected to see more 'DONT do its than It dont matter. I to believe that it is what they get used to.

The last 3 yrs I have been hunting a 75ac plot. We camp there too. Camp fire, talking, trucks, all kinds of noises. 23 bucks were taken on that land in one season. The only thing that ever effected the hunting there was last year when my hunting buddy got mad at me and went out there with an ATV the day before I got there. He run all over that land and tore it up. It was an act that the deer were not used to. I did see a huge buck, but he was in a dead run and I never had a shot.

 

[birddog]

I've seen the 26 year old male , that ran, jogged, ate healthy and work out, die of a heart attack just upstairs from the OR in a hospital.
Seen the 96 year male - that still liked a cigar, and nip of whiskey, breeze through knee surgery.

Those are the exceptions, not the rules. Kid yourself all you want. Lots of good people in my life are not here -- due to smoking.

That said, in the spirit of the thread, it really doesn't seem like the deer care one way or the other.