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Hunting >> Hunting in Africa & hunting dangerous game

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NitroX
.700 member

Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39680
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...

Use of scent when hunting
#48583 - 30/01/06 07:40 PM

A topic not confined to hunting in Africa.

But has anyone here ever used scent while hunting, ie your own nose? Has it helped you get the animal you could smell?

Some examples:

* Recently in India while trying to view tigers I could definitely smell them from time to time. In these instances it did not help at all.

* Foxes, yes it has helped. I have been able to smell where a fox has passed (and pissed!) and while it is not possible to track them - like a dog - I have found foxes in the vicinity

* "Stinkies" otherwise known was feral goat rams. You can find them if they are close enough by smelling them if they are upwind of you!

Maybe primitive man is not so far away afterall.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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EricD
.416 member

Reged: 27/02/04
Posts: 4636

Re: Use of scent when hunting [Re: NitroX]
#48594 - 30/01/06 08:57 PM

I can't say that smelling has helped me bag an animal in Africa or at home for that sake, but I will say that smell has often helped make me aware of their presence, regardless of if I've subsequently shot the animal or not.

I had the bad habit of smoking cigarettes some years ago, and can also say that smoking definatly affects the ability to smell. I noticed a huge increase in how sensitive my nose became once I quite, and have since then noticed smells when out hunting that I didn't back when I smoked. One thing is intense smells like elephant, which a noseless person would have a hard time not smelling, but I now often smell the faint scent of moose (not in rut!) or other animals at home too, which are not as obvious.

So I would say that there is indeed still a bit of primitive man hidden inside us. And maybe it will help me get an animal one day!

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shakari
.400 member

Reged: 09/02/03
Posts: 1107
Loc: South Africa

Re: Use of scent when hunting [Re: EricD]
#48607 - 31/01/06 12:39 AM

I find I can often smell Buffalo and/or Elephant before I can see them...........very useful in the very thick stuff.

--------------------
Steve "Shakari" Robinson
Kuduland Safaris (Africa) Ltd
info@kuduland.com
www.kuduland.com

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Charles_Helm
.333 member

Reged: 09/11/05
Posts: 337
Loc: Dallas, Texas

Re: Use of scent when hunting [Re: NitroX]
#48653 - 31/01/06 07:33 AM

In reply to:

A topic not confined to hunting in Africa.

But has anyone here ever used scent while hunting, ie your own nose? Has it helped you get the animal you could smell?

My kids thought I was kidding when I told them I smelled this guy coming before he showed up. Apparently I am not crazy as he stepped out shortly afterwards.

I would say that the smell let me know he was there but we would likely have seen him anyway.

--------------------
Some pictures from Namibia

Some pictures from Zimbabwe

An Elephant Story

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AspenHill
Sponsor

Reged: 08/01/03
Posts: 1528
Loc: Vermont, USA

Re: Use of scent when hunting [Re: Charles_Helm]
#48676 - 31/01/06 10:46 AM

Once we found a waterbuck bull I shot by just getting down wind of him rather than just go willy nillie into the pucker brush acacia thickets. Saved us from a lot of scratches.

Giraffe bulls leave a lot to be desired and are easy to find via scent. Again same with buff and ele. Moose wallows are pretty stinky.

I try to mask my own scent when hunting such as using vanilla soaps, this acts as an attractant as do certain spices like anise, allspice and cinnimon. Peanut butter works too.

--------------------
~Ann

Everyday spent outdoors is the best day of my life.

Aspen Hill Adventures

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Bakes
.375 member

Reged: 31/01/03
Posts: 589
Loc: QLD

Re: Use of scent when hunting [Re: AspenHill]
#48831 - 01/02/06 11:06 PM

Sooooo you cover yourself in peanut butter hey?

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EricD
.416 member

Reged: 27/02/04
Posts: 4636

Re: Use of scent when hunting [Re: AspenHill]
#48842 - 01/02/06 11:55 PM

That is interesting Ann, I've never thought about smearing myself in peanut butter (and especially not in the kinky way that Bakes is thinking!

).

I've never tried the vanilla etc scented soap trick you mention either, but have instead intentionally not used any soap at all when hunting. Just rinsing myself off in hot water. I've found that this at least makes a differance when it comes to spooking animals, as most animals seem to avoid normal soap smells.

I'll see if I can find some vanilla smelling soap this moose season, and try it out (althought the other guys will probably have a good laugh when they smell me!).

Erik

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Charles_Helm
.333 member

Reged: 09/11/05
Posts: 337
Loc: Dallas, Texas

Re: Use of scent when hunting [Re: EricD]
#48855 - 02/02/06 02:00 AM

In reply to:

...but have instead intentionally not used any soap at all when hunting...

I would recommend an unscented soap rather than no soap.

My wife makes me some soap that does not make you smell like a perfume counter.

--------------------
Some pictures from Namibia

Some pictures from Zimbabwe

An Elephant Story

Edited by Charles_Helm (02/02/06 02:08 AM)

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AspenHill
Sponsor

Reged: 08/01/03
Posts: 1528
Loc: Vermont, USA

Re: Use of scent when hunting [Re: Bakes]
#48898 - 02/02/06 10:26 AM

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You put the peanut butter on trees to draw in the deer. You sick, sick men! Shame on you all!

Bad! Bad!

No self respecting huntress does that, how would she draw her bow if she was slimed with PB?

I do put allspice in my shirt pockets and anise on the ground. Bears really like that stuff too. They can't resist it.

I also use peanut butter in my traps for possums and coons.

Once I caught a crow in my live trap that was set for skunks. That was one unhappy crow. I let him go since the crows keep the hawks away from my chickens.

--------------------
~Ann

Everyday spent outdoors is the best day of my life.

Aspen Hill Adventures

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Bakes
.375 member

Reged: 31/01/03
Posts: 589
Loc: QLD

Re: Use of scent when hunting [Re: AspenHill]
#49172 - 04/02/06 08:52 PM

Yeah right Ann, if you say so

. I'm just about to have tea. When I get back I'll post something about scent.

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mehulkamdar
.416 member

Reged: 09/01/04
Posts: 3688
Loc: State of Ill-Annoy USA.

Re: Use of scent when hunting [Re: NitroX]
#49227 - 05/02/06 05:36 PM

This is a little off topic but what food do you take with you when you go hunting? Many years ago in India I was taught to take dried fruit like raisins, nuts etc in my pockets and nothing that was cooked because we were told that animals, and boar in particular could smell cooked food much faster than natural uncooked stuff. Over here I have seen hunters on deer stands with hot flasks that were most probably filled with coffee.

Was what we learned a kind of hunting superstition? Or would it really make a difference?

Thanks for the responses in advance!

--------------------
The Ark was made by amateurs. Experts built the Titanic.

Mehul Kamdar

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AspenHill
Sponsor

Reged: 08/01/03
Posts: 1528
Loc: Vermont, USA

Re: Use of scent when hunting [Re: mehulkamdar]
#49256 - 06/02/06 02:17 AM

Mehul,

If I am going out in the morning I will take my coffee. Most of the time in that situation I am deer hunting out of a portable ground blind, the ones that pop up. They pretty much contain scent so I pack for the day with food and drink as needed.

Most of my at home hunting is done after the work day and I normally take an apple or two and mint chewing gum to the stand. I'll toss the apple core to the ground in my shooting lane. In the early season I am hunting from a tree and there's only a few hours of day light left so no need for food at all.

--------------------
~Ann

Everyday spent outdoors is the best day of my life.

Aspen Hill Adventures

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NitroX
.700 member

Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39680
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...

Re: Use of scent when hunting [Re: AspenHill]
#49920 - 14/02/06 10:06 AM

If an animal can smell your food that you are carrying they probably can smell you too. I would have thought the same for soap scents etc as humans would have a particular smell irrespective of their hygiene (or lack of it

) practices.

Your firearm probably gives off a real reek of gun oil and burned powder smell anyway. At least my dog thinks so and gets excited as soon as he picks up its whiff.

A bow ..... ?

I think wind and scent direction is far far more important.

Some ideas to ponder on however.

***

Talking about woman coating themselves in peanut paste ....

I knew a girl once who used to put her whole hand into jars of peanut paste and/or vegemite and then slowly lick it off.

It did look disgusting too though she was very pleasant to look at.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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