Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Help getting to my stand, please

You're always going to alert some deer while moving through the woods. I would think that on public ground, the movement of other hunters would be more of a factor than the stink you make going in. Unless the deer are taking the same path to your spot you do, I don't see a problem. It also occurs to me that a sweaty guy hiking half-nekked is going to lay down more stink than if he was covered up a bit.

Like somebody said, only hunt your spot on a good wind, and try very hard not to alert any deer with sound or sight while you're there. Hunting in the rain, when possible, would be a good strategy too.

During hunting season, deer encounter hunter scent all the time. It might put them on alert, but they don't go running off in a panic every time they run across a spot where somebody peed, or leaned on a tree. If they did, they'd die from nervous exhaustion. Unless your area is a very small one, with "safe zones" nearby the deer can flee to for the duration, the deer will deal with hunter pressure by lying low and going nocturnal. When that happens, it's the movement of other hunters that's going to run something past your stand, and they'll likely be moving quickly, so you've got to stay alert and be ready to shoot.