Scent pool

AFISHN · Post by **AFISHN** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:13 pm

I just read in another post that if there is no or little wind that you build up a "scent pool "under your stand.I really didn't know this

Is this true?Wouldn't some fox or racoon pee dropped down below your stand eliminate this problem?
Tom

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:23 pm

Probably smell like a coon peed on a human to the deer

And yes, the scent will pool if there is no wind. About the only way to combat it is to be as clean & odor free as possible, and get the stand as high as practical. I've found thermal currents are a big factor on those days with little or no wind, too. If you hunt hilly country be sure to take the flow of heating or cooling air into the game plan. I'd much rather see a steady mild wind to hunt in than no wind, or swirling wind currents. But if it's the only time I can hunt I'll go anyway. Never had much luck with cover scents, though. Been thinking of trying skunk! There's a few of the odorus little critters where I hunt, and it might help??? Just hope I don't get a bottle of mating scent!

The Pistoleer · Post by **The Pistoleer** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:53 pm

Wabi, years ago I use to use skunk but then someone told me that the only time a skunk sprayed was when in danger and deer took skunk smell as a sign of danger. made sense to me. I use raccoon because they climb trees. I also use milk weed puffs as wind indicators.

Pete

tkstae · Post by **tkstae** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:09 am

That's a great idea using milkweed pods for checking wind currents pistoleer. I'll give that one a try. Thanks.

DOXNUT · Post by **DOXNUT** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 9:28 am

heres something I was told about scent, on my recent moose hunt. I was told that scent will rise in the morning, and it will start falling as night comes. Is this true?

Digger · Post by **Digger** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 9:34 am

Warm air rises in the morning, cool air decends at night, this would be the reason.

DOXNUT · Post by **DOXNUT** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 9:39 am

Thats what I figured DIGGER. As night comes the dew point gets closer and closer......................Make SENSE to me.

The Pistoleer · Post by **The Pistoleer** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:09 pm

Bob, I was going to correct you but then you did it yourself. ( I would have done it off line)

The way I remember it is thermals follow the sun. Up in the morning. Down at night. This uplies in hilly country like I hunt. On the plains thermals go up into the sky.

The worst hunting wind is a swirling wind but I get those often in the valleys I hunt. That is why I like the milkweed puffs because they show you exactly what the wind is doing. I have seen them go 20 yards in one direction, take I right turn for another 5 or 10 and then come back towards me.

Makes it tough.

Pete

Hi5 · Post by **Hi5** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 9:51 pm

I suspect this "scent pool" thing may be a bit more complicated tahn it seems.

If the ambient air temperature was lower than air molecules that have been in contact with your body, the air molecules carrying your scent, should rise, at least for a time. They should rise until they reach the same temperature as the air surrounding them. In the absence of a downward thermal, they should not settle to the ground unless they for some reason become cooler than the air surrounding them. I question whether downdrafts are a liklihood to occur every evening. I think we would need to know more details of exact climatic conditions when these downdrafts would happen and how severe they would have to be, before worrying too much about them.

This fall, while elk hunting, when it cooled down in the evening, I had a doe and fawn WALK OFF the game trail, and come over to the base of my ladder stand. They sniffed the rope that I had left dangling after hauling up my equipment, and the doe looked up, right at me, without recognizing danger. My stand was 15 feet off the ground!! She obviously didn't smell me, and I had been sitting there for at least three hours. I don't believe in cover scent or charcoal clothing, and because I had been camping, I hadn't had a bath for a couple of days. There was no shortage of human scent.

One example does not make this a rule, but this is not isolated in my experience. (Maybe that's a function of climate and terrain in my area, but I'd be curious to hear form others.)

GaryM · Post by **GaryM** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 6:37 pm

Here's a trick I've used successfully many times. In the afternoon, try sitting on the ground with or wothout a blind (or in a tree stand) with a creek or ravine at your back. It doesn't have to be too deep. If the last of the days breeze is in your face, your scent pool will settle into the creek behind you and stay down there.
Another variable is the pressure. If there is high pressure and light winds, the air will sink. If there is low pressure, the atmosphere has lift and the air is rising. This is the worst time to hunt as far as your scent getting moved around.