# Thoughts on smoking in woods



## hailtothethief (Jan 18, 2017)

I wondered how many of you light up while waiting for a deer to wonder by. Do you get em with a cigarette in your mouth or does the scent spook the deer?


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## TheKing (Apr 15, 2004)

That's funny. I know a guy or three that say it helps. But I think that in the rut full-on mode (this year), it might not matter.


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## Zach216913 (Dec 31, 2017)

I think there's so many variables to put into play in this scenario. But I have dropped a few deer while smoking in the stand. One from the ground even. I try not to but sometimes when I do that's when I shoot one lucky? Coincidence ? Idk lol


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## James F (Jul 2, 2005)

Remember, Only you can prevent forest fires!


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## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

I know lots of folks who smoke in the woods and kill deer...the deer may be comfortable with the smell...most deer aren't.


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## Fishstix (Aug 16, 2005)

My dad's hunting buddy use to smoke in the woods all the time. He shot a bunch of big bucks. He also had some of the craziest stories. Guess he often had luck on his side.


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## G.lock (Apr 1, 2014)

Have a good friend who smokes like a chimney, he always points out it's about wind direction wether it's tobacco or scent. He also has many big bucks to his credit.


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## hailtothethief (Jan 18, 2017)

Deer walk against the wind to smell whats in front of them. If you smoke wont the wind blow the smoke in their face? Is it best to smoke on windless days?


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## jamesbalog (Jul 6, 2011)

I dont smoke anymore but when i did i saw more deer then i see now.

Maybe the woods changed, maybe its pure coincidence or maybe they actually are curious to the smell of tobacco...


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

hailtothethief said:


> Deer walk against the wind to smell whats in front of them. If you smoke wont the wind blow the smoke in their face? Is it best to smoke on windless days?


i've taken as many deer up wind as I have down wind. deer cant always walk into the wind to get where they want to go. where I hunt now I have mostly a west or north west wind. I get most of my deer from the south east. but if the wind changes the deer travels the same trails to get to there bedding area. in the afternoon the deer travel with the wind and in the morning there facing the wind where I hunt. but I do hunt out of a stand now but killed a few deer from the ground. I smoked in the woods for over 30 yrs. then about 6 or 7 yrs ago I switched to vaping. I took at least 1 deer with a bow gun or ml every yr but 2 until 4 yrs ago when I only hunted 2 of those yrs. and didnt get to hunt but opening weekend on 1 other yr. the had a big kill off 3 yrs ago where I hunt that really thinned the herd out.
sherman


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## undertaker (Jan 20, 2013)

Killed many deer over the years with cigarette in my mouth or I would sit it down an shoot. Been busted more by deer smelling where I spit my chew than with cigarettes. I dont do scent lock clothes, keep clothes separate an where earth scent wafers. Dont smoke anymore.


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## hgbjr (May 15, 2008)

One observation I can share on the subject is that if I had been smoking and saturated the area with smoke before a deer entered the immediate area. the deer alerted to it but did not run off even if I was still smoking, and eventually calmed down, and began browsing as normal. But if a deer had entered the area without my noticing and I lit one up, he blew and off like a shot and I was pretty much done for the day. Thank the Lord after over forty years I was able to quit with the Lords help. Amen JB But that's a whole other story....


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## PromiseKeeper (Apr 14, 2004)

hailtothethief said:


> I wondered how many of you light up while waiting for a deer to wonder by. Do you get em with a cigarette in your mouth or does the scent spook the deer?


I can remember years ago when my Grandpap was teaching me to hunt. By day 2 of gun season, he would smell like a bottle of Absorbine, smoke King Albert like a chimney, and stand around rattling 12 gauge slugs in his pocket. ALWAYS got his deer. But he also knew every deer on the farm, where and when it would cross a fence line or where it was feeding.


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

It's okay as long as you rake the leaves from around your stand first....lol!


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## ICENUT (Apr 29, 2008)

If you had people shooting and trying to kill you you wouldn't care where u ran.


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## squid_1 (Jun 2, 2005)

No problems for me. But being smart about it can help. Don't blaze away during prime time but after the first hour of daybreak and when you first get into the stand in the evening and you should be good. Seen deer react more to Tinks than smoking.


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## G-Patt (Sep 3, 2013)

I work with a guy who smokes ciggies and drinks coffee from his tree stand and kills at least 2 deer each year. He wears that really cheap green Speedstick deodorant too. He hardly hunts all that much and loves to brag about his Speedsticky armpits and smoking habits in the tree stand. You should hear him tease us about our pre-hunt scent-free showers and changing into our scent-free hunting clothes in the field, etc... He's a trip!


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

Not relative to smoking but me and my buddy where sitting in the ground blind, after having morning coffee and both of us had to piss like race horses, we didn't want to because we would have to either get out of the blind and or dump it outside we only had one empty tea bottle. Needless to say we both took a piss, dumped it outside the blind and said oh well. 10 minutes later I killed a buck with a crossbow.


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## TheKing (Apr 15, 2004)

K gonefishin said:


> Not relative to smoking but me and my buddy where sitting in the ground blind, after having morning coffee and both of us had to piss like race horses, we didn't want to because we would have to either get out of the blind and or dump it outside we only had one empty tea bottle. Needless to say we both took a piss, dumped it outside the blind and said oh well. 10 minutes later I killed a buck with a crossbow.


I agree. I have never noticed an impact. But I do walk 50 yards and pee on my nephew's tree stand.


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## threeten (Feb 5, 2014)

I watch the wind and my stand is always downwind of where I expect the deer to travel. Usually never works to the plan though.I smoke 5-6 cigarettes a day in the stand it’s usually not a problem. I think thermals work for/against us as much as wind direction. As the air warms up from the sun the air rises and takes scent with it. A cold front coming with colder air and the air goes straight down. I can watch my smoke and tell what is happening with my scent too. A cold front and a variable wind and your done no matter what you do. A steady wind in warming temps and you can bbq in your stand and still kill deer. Jmo


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Never worried about pissing out of the stand or blind. Killed plenty of deer.


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## CRPPIE PARIDISE (Dec 27, 2014)

Zs


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

Years ago I developed a habit of smoking about pack a day. I smoked for several years before I quit. I had way more deer wind me during those several years that I smoked. I can smell cigarette smoke from 50 yards away when I’m at a traffic light with the windows down, I know deer can smell it from further than that.


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## James F (Jul 2, 2005)

I think it makes no difference, as long as you are in the right place at the right time. My cousin smoked a lot, and we always took plenty of deer. He would put on a one man drive, and all I can say is... you'd better be ready!! The fact that he was half Cherokee didn't hurt either, there wuold be as many as eight of us on stand and he would slowly walk the deer right to us. Not bunch of panicked deer running for their lives, until the first shot! Weather or not one was taken 20 to 30 minutes later he would position us and approach from another angle. we have taken up to eight deer in one day, and he would smoke several cigs, on the way. I really miss him. He was my best hunting and fishing buddy, and no one can fill his place in life.


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

it’s a stupid habit, no matter where ya do it....


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

I was bow hunting one morning and had to take a cra^. got down walked about 70 yrds downwind and did my business. covered it with leaves and forgot about it. about 45 minutes later this big doe and 2 yearlings came in about 50 yrds and started browsing. she never got closer than 40 yrds and was just browsing around. the 2 young deer got close to where I did my business but never got alarmed. once the big doe got close she started snorting and took off down the ridge with the young deer right behind her. I guess you could say that hunt stunk, LOL.
sherman


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## PromiseKeeper (Apr 14, 2004)

moral of the story: never eat chili the night before you go hunting


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