motorbreaker
*Supporting Member I*
Ive only used smoke a few years. Myself and all my buddys who have used it all believe it works. Never had any deer spook while using it yet.
smoking doesn't work??
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Hogmister13
Junior Member
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I dont want nobody to hate me for not jumpin on the smoker bandwagon but it just simply doesn't work for me. Maybe the neighbors has used it so much and has spooked the deer that they know what it's about, maybe it's the deer have caught a glimpse of me in the tree but I have 3 busts with it. Maybe it's my chemistry as some say but like I've said I have 3 160's on the wall from my own ritual so I'll prob stick to that. I'm kinda thinking that Mikes theory is the case.
Not at all. You were skeptical. You still tried it. Personally, I give you credit. Not many get outside their comfort zone.
As to why it didn't work for you? I have no clue. I don't want you to feel like I am grilling you. I'm sure most guys here would feel the same. I am curious (maybe I missed it), did you use a Scent Smoker or bee smoker? I don't remember reading how you smoked up.
I have noticed early season I can't smoke up heavy at all. Freaks them out a little and they get jumpy. Until the fireplaces and outside furnaces get rolling I think it puts them on edge. Sucks it's not working for you hog but maybe try your old way early season and give the smoke another try later this month or after the rut? I know some areas have more smoke in the air then others do that may also play a part. Hard to say what the reason is but if it's not working it's not working and at least you gave it a good try.
Heck no man, it's not personal.
Everybody has their routine that works for them. Stick to it.
I can say one thing for sure in regard to the smoker... I have not heard deer blow at me in quite a few years. I used to try the scent free method and could hear deer blowing way down the hollow. That hasn't been happening since I started smoking up. I've seen a lot of deer come in downwind and hang around. I will admit, on the days I don't see anything I question if it is the smoke. But I always second guess myself in regard to tactics, stand locations, etc...
Either way, you still have to hunt smart and play the wind.
Smoker works for me. after first hunted for few year not knowing about the smoker....had a hard time finding the deer. Now that I found out about the smoker....I bagged 2 deer last year. Smoker works for me, it should work for you.
If you are happy with your proven results, go with it. Nobody can fault you for that. Good luck the rest of the season.
Joel
Senior Member
Yeah I don't think anyone is busting your balls about it not working. I'm just a little surprised and like some of the others kind of puzzled why it isn't working for you. The last three deer I killed were at 25 yards or less and they had no idea I was there. My wife can smell the smoke as soon as I walk in the house from hunting I put it on so thick. Year before last I was sitting in a plastic lawn chair up against a tree and my target buck came out of the woods broadside at 20 yards looking around at everything but me. That was the first time I was ever able to get that close to a deer that big so I've been sold ever since.
Been using smoke for about ten years now it seems. Was very skeptical about it at first. So I made a make shift one and just used leaves.
I could definitely see the theory of having different body chemistry playing a role. If you think about it often the same perfume on two different girls will not smell the same.
Although my second sit this year I had a doe dead down wind blow at me on two different occasions a hour apart. Dead downwind and it was so thick and she was far enough away I know for a fact she couldn't have seen me. This is honestly the first time I had a negative experience while using the smoker. Can't say for 100% it was due to the smoker, but can say for 100% that she didn't like me being there.
I could definitely see the theory of having different body chemistry playing a role. If you think about it often the same perfume on two different girls will not smell the same.
Although my second sit this year I had a doe dead down wind blow at me on two different occasions a hour apart. Dead downwind and it was so thick and she was far enough away I know for a fact she couldn't have seen me. This is honestly the first time I had a negative experience while using the smoker. Can't say for 100% it was due to the smoker, but can say for 100% that she didn't like me being there.
If you have an actual scent smoker, I will buy it from you if you decide to not use it anymore. I could use a spare.
Ricer2231
Senior Member
I fired up my first smoker this year tonight. I forgot how much I love the smell of those hickory chips. Got her cookin for a possible hunt Sunday morning.
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Had one of the guys from work with me yesterday. He hopped in my truck and took a deep breath then asked if I smoked cigars. I laughed and told him it was hickory smoke. Might have a convert on our hands after a long discussion about the powers of smoke!
bigten05
*Supporting Member*
went and checked a cam last night where the big ones been staying the whole woods smelled like smoke, i shouldnt have a problem getting winded if there gonna be burning from now on.
Big_Holla
Senior Member
I'm wondering if this is something to consider. I spend the week before a hunt pre-smoking everything I have and some things twice. Maybe there is such a thing as too much? OR perhaps too much too early? One thing I want to make sure I have with me next time my son and I make it down is Evercalm. Kicked myself in the ass for not getting it and thinking about it til we were down there.
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I have been busted, without a doubt, two times in the last 15 years or so. The first was in 2009, the day before I was scheduled to leave to film a hunt in WI. I was supposed to head up there and convince this group how effective smoke is. I went hunting with a buddy here close to the house. I had a 1 1/2 year old bust me by scent without a doubt. It shook my confidence horribly. The timing of the thing was awful. However, a week in WI with deer (sometimes dozens) all around me and the camera man put those fears back to rest. I killed a nice one on that trip too...
The second time was just me and Mason hunting together a few years back. He was about to shoot a small buck (there were 4), and just as he readied to shoot, they came unglued. No doubt they winded us. They were only 10-15 yards away. Mason was furious, gave me heck about smelling like smoke and getting busted. He had NEVER been winded by a deer before, and it shocked him. Heck, the deer he shot down at MREX's place were both dead down wind, eye level, at 10-15 yds and 20 respectively.
Looking back on both of those occasions, I had over-smoked. I usually just smoke up before I go. In preparation for my trip to WI, I had soaked my gear in a baking soda solution for a day, air dried, and hung 'em in the yard barn to smoke for hours. I had smoked the heck out of our gear similarly a day or two before Mason and I were busted, but I had not done the baking soda soak. I firmly believe you can over do it.
The second time was just me and Mason hunting together a few years back. He was about to shoot a small buck (there were 4), and just as he readied to shoot, they came unglued. No doubt they winded us. They were only 10-15 yards away. Mason was furious, gave me heck about smelling like smoke and getting busted. He had NEVER been winded by a deer before, and it shocked him. Heck, the deer he shot down at MREX's place were both dead down wind, eye level, at 10-15 yds and 20 respectively.
Looking back on both of those occasions, I had over-smoked. I usually just smoke up before I go. In preparation for my trip to WI, I had soaked my gear in a baking soda solution for a day, air dried, and hung 'em in the yard barn to smoke for hours. I had smoked the heck out of our gear similarly a day or two before Mason and I were busted, but I had not done the baking soda soak. I firmly believe you can over do it.
Big_Holla
Senior Member
This past weekend when we were down we put a pop-up blind in my little field between two crab apple trees. The wind was forecasted to be out of the NNW which would make it perfect since there was about 10 yards to the treeline behind us and another 10 yards was a steep drop off which would all be downwind. Didn't think about the wind swirling any though and Saturday morning we saw a dandy out in the sanctuary so I decided to grunt a few times. Within a few minutes we had a deer blow right flippin behind us there. So we may have educated a deer on the smell of smoke, a pop-up blind and grunt call all at one time. I really think it may not have smelled us but the sight of the blind from that angle probably had it put 2 & 2 together that something wasn't good. Saw a couple more deer after that and that evening from the same spot though so it wasn't ruined.
I'll be christening my new smoker at Stroud's this weekend, couldnt think of a better place to break it in. Brock, I'll have your money when you get in camp.