Good post and good question. I mostly hunt elk. When I’m hunting big public lands and not focusing on any particular spot day after day, like a wallow, I don’t worry much about residual scent except around any place I am setting up to ambush. But if I’m using the same area over and over, I have for many years seen elk just quit coming there after a couple of days — animals I’ve not busted or knowingly spooked. I’ve always thought that rather than boots, the biggest scent we leave behind is from our hands touching stuff as we move along — move that piece of limb or brush out of the way, or lean on that tree going down a hill. So I work hard to keep my hands to myself. So far as boots I have only one very memorable experience when I was wearing GoreTex type nylon boots and walked a few feet on an elk trail while crossing then had a whole herd spook, panic and thunder away a couple of hours later at exactly that spot in the trail. Since then I’ve worn Bean hunting shoes (boots but they call them shoes) or in colder weather Schnees. If I were hunting from one or a few treestands, I’d sure wear rubber boots and try not to touch anything. Moose, as you mentioned, don’t seem to care much about anything.

If you’re as big as a moose, would you care about much? I almost hit a bull one year, about 3 years ago, coming down an old logging road. He took his time crossing the road while I slid to a gravel-grating stop just yards from him. Had I hit him, his belly would have cleared the hood on my Bronco, and he would have come right on through the cab to sit on my lap. Glad I got stopped. LOL.

Michael.

Good question. I have often wondered how much it matters myself. I have been turkey hunting, and with more concern of the turkey seeing me rather than smelling me I proceeded to my spot and had deer come as close as 10 yds and not notice I was sitting at the base of a cypress.

I’ve had deer follow my path and have seen them turn inside out when hitting my trail. When in the whitetail woods, I wear high top rubber boots and can walk quite a ways without discomfort. Beans shoes/boots are a favorite for stalking.

My observations lead me to believe it is a matter of circumstance and intent.

On the east coast, deer smell people every day. They can’t get away from it. But deer can tell old scent from new scent. And they can sense intent.

So if you hunt a heavily travelled area, leaving scent behind is not really a problem. Deer can tell it’s old scent and they don’t care.

They can also tell fresh scent that just came off the back of your neck. That’s the scent that bothers them. Especially if you are all focused and intent on killing.

I went through the cover scents and rubber boot thing for several years. I bought scent lock this and carbon that. And I have to say that the rate at which I got busted never changed.

I wear comfortable boots. That way I sit more still, or walk more steadily. And I shoot better 8) I don’t have any real good answers. I don’t know if anyone does. But for me, I find that if I am comfortable, pay attention to the wind, and don’t radiate evil intent, then I can do pretty well.

Never underestimate a deer’s ability to detect evil intent. Try not to think about killing until you absolutely have to.

I have experienced most of what others have said as well. Spring turkey hunting, I will have deer within 20 yards on a regular basis not paying much attention to me or my scent. I chalk that one up to deer knowing when they are threatened by humans. How many times have you been out cutting firewood in the summer to come back the next day and find the area littered with deer sign? no doubt the area is saturated with human odor, not to mention all of the gasoiline vapors. They know when theyre being hunted. Deer go through a complete 180 come say early November. They know their hide is on the line, and any amount of scent will put them on alert. I practice a very strict scent control program and use rubber boots. I do own some carbon lined clothing, and I can say that I have gotten away with a little more by using them, BUT… without a strict scent program, they will not be very effective. Alot also has to do with the amount of hunting pressure in the area you are hunting.

Don’t know how this fits with what has already been said but here goes.

Firstly stating the obvious, when hunting we adopt a different attitude, way of moving, slower more defined. We also have a degree of anticipation or excitement that will increase body temperature and raise adrenaline levels.

Moving more slowly will allow time for this ‘thicker’ adrenaline tainted scent to settle about you. Adrenalin plays a big part in animals as we know are they recognising this scent as that of an aggressor and is this what makes bears and other large carnivores actively pursue some hunters?

Is this what Steve G refers to as intent or sixth sense.

I don’t have any scientific basis for the above it’s just a theory, interested in your comments.

Mark.

Most of my experience is with whitetails, so I will limit my response to hunting them. I like leather boots and never wear rubber boots. I have dedicated hunting boots I do not use them for anything other than hunting. I only put them on when I arrive at my hunting spot and keep them in a scent lock boot bag when they are not on my feet. I never wear them when driving to and from. I have never had a deer spook on my trail when I do this but in the past when I would wear my boots deer busted me constantly. I think they smell gas from the gas station we stopped at or grease from the diner from lunch etc. These are very strong long lasting odors that are completely unnatural to their enviroment.

I have noticed this sixth sense as well. If I am picking berries most Deer give me a wide berth but will stay within sight, and do not seem overly concerned. If I am hunting they bolt without a second glance. Your “thicker” scent theory makes more sense than anything else I have ever come across.

I agree with what Steve Graf has stated. WHitetails typically here in the east have to put up with scent quite a bit. So the theory of old scent vs newer carries some weight. HOWEVER, fresh human scent in the fileds and woods along travel routes etc., where there has been no human activity for 7 or 8 months is bound to catch a whitetails attention. It has been my experience that it is always the Matriarchial Doe that will bust you first, even if other deer are in the area. I have watched Matriarchial Does react with great suspicion and nervousness even over other “deer scents” (in a bottle).. no matter how 100% the manufacturer said it was, it still wasn’t an animal these deer recognized from the local population and weren’t buying it.

I think deer are growing suspect to rubber over time. Just like they now often look up in the trees. I have found too, that keeping separate hunting boots and only putting them on at your hunting destination, goes a long way. No gasoline, asphalt, tar or anything else stinking up the bottom of your boots.

For me.. no off the shelf scents.. and being as scent free as possible works best.

Moose.. here in the east they just look at you like “Go Ahead Make My Day!”. I suspect in places like Alaska and the west where they have real potential predators, they would pay attention to any strange scent more.

I like the LL Bean hunting shoe too. They keep you dry in all but the wettest conditions, & are quiet to walk in.
Frank

My thoughts: For most 4 legged creatures, if a particular stimulis (sound, smell, even taste) is out of place and/or moving they will alert. Everything now becomes more difficult for the 2 legged creatures attempting to “touch” those now, alerted, four legged creatures. Immpossible to touch, no, but why make it harder?

I use the rubber bottomed boots (LLBean)more because I can feel what I’m walking on without having to look down so much. To me the scent thing is secondary. Comfort like Steve Graf suggests and staying scentless as Stephen has said works for me too.
For your rubber boots to be scent free, they would have to sterile and you would have to wear exam gloves to put them on. But you are the source of the scent and a pair of boots or scent blocking clothing will only reduce that to some extent.
Keeping the wind in your favor while on stand and picking a route to your stand that is in your favor are the best remedies aside from just keeping clean and scent free as possible.
One other thought is that immature animals will make all kinds of mistakes that a mature animal will not make. I have seen a human scent trail stop a mature buck in his tracks and then go about the business of getting a fix on the hunter.

I’ve always been very cautious, and especially after I had a lapse once (this was quite a few years ago) and had a four-point whitetail come walking along his trail, just about to hit my shooting lane when you’d swear he walked into an invisible wall. That invisible wall just so happened to be where I had crossed the trail to get to my tree stand earlier that morning.