Do deer recognise your footprints? (and other questions)

[deerless]

I plan on being in my blind (I made a little brush-blind under a big spruce tree) by 7:30 tomorrow morning. Another day of trying for whitetail

I'm obviously going to leave footprints in the snow leading to the blind. Will deer pick up on that?

More Last minute newbie questions:
A) Also, no matter how stealthy I try to be, I'm gonna make a bunch of commotion getting to and into the blind. How long after I get in it should I start calling and rattling (I know it's probably too late for that, but it can't hurt to try)

B) How long does your scent linger in an area after you leave?

C ) How often do you wash your hunting clothes / spray down all your gear? Washing them in scent detergent every day doesn't seem feasible, but hunting in stale, sweaty clothes also seems like a bad idea

D) Do you hunt multiple days back-to-back? Hunting all day plus drive-time too and from my spot is about a 12 to 14 hour day. By the time I get home, I'm too wiped to re-wash and re-pack everything for the next day. I've been hunting every other day instead, but I've just got the next three days to fill my tag. Any tips?

[mike780]

This is what works best for me...
i have deer walk my trail or in my footsteps... so no i dont think it matters.

i start calling soon as i get into the blind, if they see you your busted anyways if they hear you alot of time they will get curious and when you start calling might peak there interest

i use to really get worried about scent and sweat but i am more worried about wind direction now... i get deer walking about 10ft infront of me but the wind is hitting my face i know they cant smell me at all. Pay attention to wind direction.
I wash my clothes that i use for hunting after every weekend and then i try to hang around my fire and get the scent of smoke on me because in my area the deer are use to that scent from forest fires and such.

i hunt constantly threw out the day... i have had most of my success late morning.

[Dick284]

Been hunting the same two stands all rifle season, the one stand you are walking through the deer corridor.
So far they don't seem to mind one bit.

That is from today, about 3 yds left of the picture is my trail in. These two deer crossed my tracks without even putting a nose in my tracks.



That's yesterday, all 4 deer danced around and did deer stuff right on the trail I walk in on, they carried on without any concern.

I wash my hunting cloths in hunting laundry soap, I shower with hunter body wash, but lets face it the floor mats in the truck get regular use, and I don't quarantine my hunting boots.

[catnthehat]

Not sure if they do but it would not surprise me in the least .
I know walking on a well used trail doesn't bother them unless they get an sir scent of you- that is a different matter!
Cat

[bessiedog]

Recently we've built ground stands out on a spot we hunt.... And we make good trails in the snow that go by out stands..... The deer prefer the easier walking of our snow cleared trails so no.... They don't seem to care much about footie prints.

The wind direction however..... Yea... That's big.

I used to wash my hunting clothes separately and bag them in spruce-pine branches....
But then I realized I wuz being silly.

[NSDucknut]

I don't do anything special except play the wind.

Shot both my deer this year at 20 yards as I sat leaned against a tree.

As far as tracks, when I hunt with no snow on the ground I make a point to step through a cow flop so I'm just another cow going through the area.

When in snow, ie. The rut, I put doe in estrus scent on my boots and tromp around. Shot a buck on Sunday that walked my trail like a bloodhound

[El-Brento]

Had a WT doe cross our tracks this year and immediately follow it all the way to within 5 or 6 yards of us. Nose down the whole time. Once she saw us she huffed for a bit before bolting. Was a strange experience for sure.

[deerless]

Thanks! I'll beeline it to my blind tomorrow rather than circling around and worrying about footprints. And I'll start calling and rattling my bag almost right away.

I've heard that curious deer will loop around down-wind of you when you call, to first sniff at the noise before showing themselves. Is there any way to account for that? Should I make my racket upwind of my blind, then run back to it and wait for them to come?

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by deerless

Thanks! I'll beeline it to my blind tomorrow rather than circling around and worrying about footprints. And I'll start calling and rattling my bag almost right away.

I've heard that curious deer will loop around down-wind of you when you call, to first sniff at the noise before showing themselves. Is there any way to account for that? Should I make my racket upwind of my blind, then run back to it and wait for them to come?

Their eyes and ears are excellent but their noses are phenomenal.
They often will come from upwind they try and get downwind to check it out- not always, but often!
Cat

[3blade]

Yes and no. In farmland where the deer are used to seeing/smelling people, it doesn't matter as much if you walk on a trail (though I try not to) and I don't think they recognize tracks. That being said big deer get that way by patterning and avoiding hunters. I wear scent free gloves for setting up blinds or climbing into stands, and spray my boots every time I get out of the truck.

A) if I'm going to call, i do it as soon as I get setup. Makes it seem like it was deer chasing around. As above, if they saw you it's over anyway

B) airborn scent: not long. I had deer tracks right under my stand this am, and on a trail downwind of where I was last night. I have a feeling that buck was one that ducked an arrow in sept and was scent checking to make sure I was gone before he came out. But like I said, I'm careful about keeping surfaces scent free. I don't think you can mask the smell coming directly from a human.

C) I change out the inner layers/thermals if they get sweaty, but more for warmth than scent. Usually wearing at least two inner layers this time of year, have a few pairs. Only wash the outer layers of they get really dirty or bloody.

D) hunt the wind. If that means every day or once in a month, so be it. You will not kill a deer if it smells you first.

Get organized, have your stuff set up in plastic bins or whatever, eat oats and drink energy drinks (as long as they don't make you shake). Think about how long it's going to be before the next time you get to do this. Make it count. Who cares if you're tired.

[HunterDave]

Are you bow hunting or rifle hunting? When rifle hunting I don't do anything special for scent and just hunt downwind of where I think the deer will be.

I don't think that footprints matter in the least. In fact, if you want to better your chances I suggest putting a couple of drops of Doe in Heat on the back of both heels of your boots, just two drops, don't over do it. I've had deer come across my footprints and follow them with their nose to the ground right up to my stand. Especially bucks at this time of year but does as well. Sometimes they might follow your tracks the wrong way though.....lol!

[Masterchief]

last week, I pulled up to my blind on the quad, unloaded, stashed the quad and 20 min later a deer walked 20 yards past me. This happened twice. The wind was in my face so that helps