Successful hunt report - things that worked and things that didn't...

[5MilesBack]

Manage you food and water, have a compass,map, cigarettes is the best odor cloak, do your home work.

In 2008 my buddy and I were hiking back to the truck using my GPS in a straight line approach. We were 1/3 of a mile from the truck when I suddenly smelled cigarette smoke. I immediately started looking around for the smoker but couldn't find anyone. Kept hiking and it got stronger and stronger all the way to the truck where we found a guy standing next to his truck smoking. If the cigarette smoke puts me on edge, don't you think it might put the elk on edge?

The most odd time though was when I smelled pipe smoke on a rifle hunt, the really sweet smelling kind of tobacco. It was strong. But there was about 8" of fresh snow on the ground and I NEVER cut another human track that entire day. I searched all over that area and no tracks or smoker that I could find.

 

[OneRingTrTa]

In 2008 my buddy and I were hiking back to the truck using my GPS in a straight line approach. We were 1/3 of a mile from the truck when I suddenly smelled cigarette smoke. I immediately started looking around for the smoker but couldn't find anyone. Kept hiking and it got stronger and stronger all the way to the truck where we found a guy standing next to his truck smoking. If the cigarette smoke puts me on edge, don't you think it might put the elk on edge?

The most odd time though was when I smelled pipe smoke on a rifle hunt, the really sweet smelling kind of tobacco. It was strong. But there was about 8" of fresh snow on the ground and I NEVER cut another human track that entire day. I searched all over that area and no tracks or smoker that I could find.

Don't mean to sound rude but i do a lot of read and found out the the ancient Indians used smoke to cloak their odor while hunting but i didn't think must of it till i met an old guy, he would about 87 years of age. i met him at the hospital and we talked. he was a marine and he also enjoyed hunting... he swore to me that Cigar smell helped he mask his scent... i was hold enough to try it and i found out that it works.

Now deers have a very sharp sense of smell but they don't react to anything and everything. the cigarette smoke smell is unusual to them so they pay no mind to it. You as a adult human know what it is so you react to it. its as simple as that. Just sharing what works for me Sir. i have hunted deers a lot and this is how i do.

 

[T28w]

Saw this thread and was going to share the thoughts of someone familiar with camping but not western hunting.

Before reading this, if I were to throw up a camp 100 yards from someone I would feel that im giving them PLENTY of room. I’ve only ever camped in parks or on trails and people tend to setup pretty much wherever there is room. I know this may not be the Same as what you are referring to but in all honesty if I set up 100 away from u I’d think I was being courteous lol. Just trying to see it from a view of the folks may not have had any ill will at all but just not familiar with what is considered giving someone space out there.
What would you consider too close? U say 1/4 mile so that’s like 400 yard?

Also love me an old guy smoking a pipe. I remember when I was young at the baseball park, could always tell when my buds grandpa was there cause of that sweet smell. This was a big park and u always knew when he was there.

 

[Newtosavage]

Manage you food and water, have a compass,map, cigarettes is the best odor cloak, do your home work.

??? strange post. Sorry but you won't catch me using cigarettes to cloak my odor from "deers" but thanks anyway.

 

[Newtosavage]

Saw this thread and was going to share the thoughts of someone familiar with camping but not western hunting.

Before reading this, if I were to throw up a camp 100 yards from someone I would feel that im giving them PLENTY of room. I’ve only ever camped in parks or on trails and people tend to setup pretty much wherever there is room. I know this may not be the Same as what you are referring to but in all honesty if I set up 100 away from u I’d think I was being courteous lol. Just trying to see it from a view of the folks may not have had any ill will at all but just not familiar with what is considered giving someone space out there.
What would you consider too close? U say 1/4 mile so that’s like 400 yard?

Also love me an old guy smoking a pipe. I remember when I was young at the baseball park, could always tell when my buds grandpa was there cause of that sweet smell. This was a big park and u always knew when he was there.

Clearly, everyone has a different threshold. When I'm camped on hundreds of thousands of acres of public land in a dispersed camping area (no designated sites like in a park), I do feel it is rude to set up within several hundred yards of anyone else. I mean what's the point? Why do it when you have thousands of acres to choose from and literally miles upon miles of road access? I just don't get the point. I honestly think some people are uncomfortable camping out of view of others. That's all I can figure based on their choices.

Like I said - a big reason I make the 18 hour drive to NW Colorado every year is to get some peace and quiet. So far, I've had people sleeping closer to me in remote areas of NW Colorado than I do in my own bedroom back home! I mean, my neighbors back home in my subdivision are at least 70 yards away in their beds, plus they are inside their home so I don't have to listen to every conversation they decide to have at 10:00 p.m..

I don't mean to offend anyone but the notion that it's okay to set up within view of another camp, and then to talk loud enough that they can easily hear you, is just foreign to me. That's okay when there literally are no other options, but on vast tracts of BLM and FS land, there ARE other options. So why do it? What's there to gain? What the hell is so hard about just moving down the road?

 

[T28w]

i understand your frustrations, i was simply attempting to answer your questions about, why do it? what is to be gained? etc. my point was just simply they may do it not knowing they are offending anyone and literally are not trying to gain anything, just where they thought they would set up shop in a area and if someone else was there then give them some room.

im hopefullly heading out there next year and honestly the thought had not even crossed my mind about what i would do if someone is in the area i plan on camping. i would have set up about 100 yards away lol....i will be looking for some backup spots now though.