The Smoker

[cotty16]

Just wanted to throw this out there... The night before I tagged out with my buck, I smoked up my Scent Lok clothes and put them in a bin.
This is one of those deals where I don't know if it helped, but I know it didn't hurt. There was absolutely no wind the morning I got him, so I can't say he came in downwind or anything, but I had 3 doe standing right by me before, plus he came in and he never had the slightest hint I was there. He even stood where I walked in (I smoked my boots as well). According to my IPhone weather channel app, there was a slight breeze from the North. He came in from the South. However, like I said, I felt no wind.

I know the scent smoker was something where some people believe it works and some say no way. Well, I can say it helped me go unnoticed.
For the record, I also sprayed down with Scent Shield.

Maybe some of you guys can chime in and talk about successes or failures of the smoker. The reason I say this is because I got the smoker during Muzzleloading season last year. So my field testing has been very minimal. Muzzleloading, a few late season bow hunts, and one day this season.

With my son still looking to go, I was wondering if others have felt the smoker was good or bad.

 

[DJK Frank 16]

I started using it at the beginning of the season last year, I can honestly say i've never had a deer blow and run because of being winded since. I've been picked off in the tree and they seen me and all that, but never have been winded.

But with that said, I also hunt stands according to the wind and try to hang by stands so I can hunt smart with the wind. But we all know that there is always that time when we look down and say "Oh shit where did he come from and why did he come from that way". For those types of moments I feel the scent smoker really does help.

 

[rgecko23]

I will tell my best scent cmoker story.. Last year I was sitting on this field edge waiting for the does to come out to the beans. After a while I jsut had this feeling that they where in the other field. So i snuck out of my stand and began a really slow walk to the other field. I went into the creek, got back up on the trail and as soon as I popped around this bush there they all where. There was about 6 of them. The closest one to me was the biggest and about 15 yds away, maybe less. I got back behind the bush and drew my bow stepped out and stuck the ol G5 through her. The wind was blowing my scent straight out into the field and they had no Idea I was standing there. Even when I was at full draw and made sure I was on the mark, they had no clue.

 

[Dannmann801]

That's a great story RG\

I smoked the crap outta my clothes the night before opening day....smoked myself just before going out...
had a deer within 4 ft of me who wasn't alarmed
Now, the little breeze if any was blowing from him to me, but even as he walked past he didn't wind me.

I'm a believer.

 

[formerbowhunter1023]

I could go on and on, but I'll try to be short and sweet...

I have not had a deer snort at me since the 2007 season. I killed a 6.5 year old buck down wind of me at eye-level in a 10mph breeze after he'd been there for over a minute. I've killed 3 mature does after coming in, or standing down wind of me. I just had a 4.5 year old buck down wind of me for over 5 minutes. Smoking up works. I've seen it time and time again. Those who say it doesn't are either haters or scared to try it. It might not work everywhere, but here in SE Ohio, it is deadly effective. And don't be fooled into thinking they "don't smell you" because they do smell you. They just can't smell the part of you that makes them run away. Smelling like a wood stove covers the bad smells and simply fools them. I was a carbon suit and scent spray fanboy before I began smoking up. I'll never hunt without smoke for the rest of my career. IMO, it is the single most important tool in my arsenal outside of my bow, release, and arrows...

 

[RedCloud]

All I know is this....If I had the $34 I would by one of the kits right now .

 

[cotty16]

Awesome proof guys. I'm a believer, but as I said, I didn't have enough proof. I would say you guys have driven the nail home.
I will continue to use it in the quest to get my son a crack at a nice buck. Plus, I'm sure he'll enjoy dancing around in the smoke.

 

[formerbowhunter1023]

Awesome proof guys. I'm a believer, but as I said, I didn't have enough proof. I would say you guys have driven the nail home.
I will continue to use it in the quest to get my son a crack at a nice buck. Plus, I'm sure he'll enjoy dancing around in the smoke.

I set out to intentionally prove the smoker wrong, and I know that Joe did that same thing. I had opened my big ass mouth about how it wouldn't work and all the other BS we have all heard. So when my buddy came down to hunt with me who was one of the first on the bandwagon, I decided to debunk the smoker. I intentionally hunted my best stand with the wind straight at my back blowing right down the middle of a food plot tucked in an oak flat. I wish I could upload the video from that hunt!

I videoed two mature does with three fawns in tow, feed in that plot for over 8 minutes. In the video, you can see the powder from my wind checker drifting over the first does back. The lead doe was an OLD doe and she stood at 40 yards the entire time checking the wind and keeping watching while the others fed. She never once acted nervous. That was all I needed to convert to the smoker and it's literally made me a more effective hunter. My stance is simply: It works and if its not for you, that's fine. Just don't tell me it doesn't work because I know better...

 

[badger]

If I hang around here long enough you guys may convince me to give it a try.

 

[Kujo]

Last year was my first year hunting, and I asked the guys from walleyerun to give me some tips that could help me out. Swantucky and HB told be about the scent smoker. I asked a few others what they thought about it, and all of them said they wanted to try it, but hadn't done it in the past. So I order my scent smoker, and I believe that is what helped me have a successful rookie season last year.

 

[Jackalope]

Yep. I originally purchased it to debunk the thing. I too intentionally hunted a hollow that I had been busted countless times. The wind just swirls in there something awful. I shot a nice doe that morning after watching 15 deer all around me for about 10 minutes. When I released a feather floater and it landed almost right by a does nose that was in the leaves i took the shot.. I've killed numerous deer down wind of me since then. One last year was in some thick stuff directly down wind for like 30 minutes dicking around. She eventually stepped out and i drilled her. I haven't had a single deer blow at me while on the stand the past 3 seasons. I have been seen moving in my stand twice though. But until we find a wood chip that makes you invisible that can happen. Once was my fault I was 40 yards off a ridge top to get closer to a trail further down. I knew any deer up there might see me as i was eye level with them. But figured as long as they were walking the ridge i could see them first.. I could hear a stomp, like a walnut hitting the ground.. I turned slowly to see only a does head peeking above the ridge.. She was going to crest the ridge right even with me but saw me at eye level. All she did was the old head bob, stomp, look away fake, then fed off. That wasn't the smokers fault. Bad stand is all.. I've shot deer on the ground, Shot one doe at like 4 feet. I've had deer try to see in the blind window from 5 feet away in the morning darkness before shooting light. I've stalked in pines with the wind over my shoulder and still seen deer bedded.. Guys... I had to eat crow after i bought one and i was the biggest shit talker their was. Now.. I will be late to my stand rather than go in without smoke or half smoked.

 

[rrr]

I believe ya'll and getting into the bow hunting thing I'm going to invest in one...soon!

 

[Mike]

I used the smoker all last season and did not get busted by being winded. I smoke my clothes in the open first and then put them in a Rubbermaid container, crack the lid and pump smoke into the container. My stand and other bulky stuff go under a tarp and then I just place the smoker under the tarp.

 

[huntnfool]

I started using it at the beginning of the season last year, I can honestly say i've never had a deer blow and run because of being winded since. I've been picked off in the tree and they seen me and all that, but never have been winded.
But with that said, I also hunt stands according to the wind and try to hang by stands so I can hunt smart with the wind. But we all know that there is always that time when we look down and say "Oh shit where did he come from and why did he come from that way". For those types of moments I feel the scent smoker really does help.

How can you say this for sure. If they busted you in the tree then something got there attention. Smoke, scent, movement something.

 

[Jackalope]

How can you say this for sure. If they busted you in the tree then something got there attention. Smoke, scent, movement something.

They smell the smoke.. Time and time again i have seen downwind deer throw their nose in the air and whiff around.. Then lick their lips and look around.. Then sniff the wind again.. Downwind they smell the smoke, no doubt about it... They will usually only check this smoke smell at first and will be done in less than a minute. Then they just go about their business doing what they do and completely ignore the smell. They have determined it's not a threat. This is the typical reaction of a deer downwind of a smoked up hunter. Like I said, seen it time and time again.. Now with a deer trying to smell something like that, obviously they are also looking for the smell. It is at this point that if you didn't see them (like they snuck in on you) and you are moving around, odds are good they will see you moving. But truth be told, without the smoke, that same deer had a good chance of winding you.

 

[hoot gibson]

i smoked up with some megs county last weekend . but couldnt hunt . the hippies kept coming in down wind from me and scaring the deer.

 

[swantucky]

They smell the smoke.. Time and time again i have seen downwind deer throw their nose in the air and whiff around.. Then lick their lips and look around.. Then sniff the wind again.. Downwind they smell the smoke, no doubt about it... They will usually only check this smoke smell at first and will be done in less than a minute. Then they just go about their business doing what they do and completely ignore the smell. They have determined it's not a threat. This is the typical reaction of a deer downwind of a smoked up hunter. Like I said, seen it time and time again.. Now with a deer trying to smell something like that, obviously they are also looking for the smell. It is at this point that if you didn't see them (like they snuck in on you) and you are moving around, odds are good they will see you moving. But truth be told, without the smoke, that same deer had a good chance of winding you.

That right there is the KEY to the smoke!! You can fool mature deer with the smoke, but if you don't do your part you are still fugged. It does not make you invisable, it just covers your scent better than anything I have used. You can fool them but if you are break dancing in your stand and they see you they will begin to associate the smoke with your dumb ass. They will like any other stand that you have been busted in will start looking for you in that tree, they see you every time smelling like smoke they learn to associate the smoke with you.
Smoking up does not free you from good hunting technics.

 

[DJK Frank 16]

How can you say this for sure. If they busted you in the tree then something got there attention. Smoke, scent, movement something.

I'm talking busted for movement as I said in my post andyou highlighted when you copied my post "they seen me", like drawing at the wrong time or not noticing a deer come in behind me and them seeing me before I them, that kind of busted. It is easy to tell when a deer sees you and when a deer smells you if you pay attention.

If a deer is grazing and all the sudden I draw my bow and now the deer is alert, chances are it was either sound or sight that got me busted.

Am I saying it's fool proof no, but I used to have deer hit my boot print and damn near do a flip flop and take off due to scent. Not now!

 

[formerbowhunter1023]

Had work again last night. Big old doe stood 30 yards downwind of me for almost 10 minutes testing the wind before she went back to milling around. She could smell me, and I could see she wanted to be nervous, but she never put it together. She spent nearly an hour on my downwind side. I even sweat kinda bad getting that stand hung. Smoke is the real deal...

 

[Gern186]

So if I open the door on my outdoor wood burner that heats my home and let my hunting clothes absorb as much smoke as possible, would that be doing the same thing as the scent smoker is doing for you guys and your gear?

I usually burn Oak, ash and maple, and there is plenty of smoke to be had when the door is first opened.