Will a small fire interupt game

[BigfishCanada]

If camping in a spot where you can see a view of the perfect spot, in a sleeping bag alone, would having a small fire the evening before you awake cause game to move out during the night?

Thoughts?

[Dannybuoy]

I would think it would depend on what game you refer to .... I doubt it would scare off deer or moose ( not sure about the wise old bucks ) and it might depend on if there has been much slash burning in the area . That's my thoughts .

[adriaticum]

I wouldn't camp anywhere of an eye or ear shot of where I plan to hunt.

[Dannybuoy]

I wouldn't camp anywhere of an eye or ear shot of where I plan to hunt.

So you walk /drive a few hundred yds when you get up in the morning ? :-D Atta boy !

[E.B.]

The game animals have been smelling smoke all summer in BC and they haven't left because of it. Smokey clothing is probably a good cover up scent .

[JIL_24/7]

Last fall two guys with moose draws pulled their truck and camper into the middle of a cut block, set up their whole camp, cooked, had fires, showed no care in keeping quiet and within a week shot two moose without ever leaving their campsite, and it wasn't even the rut. Not saying I would do that, but it sure did make me laugh at one point when I was sneaking around on the ground trying to judge the wind and keep quiet while I was approaching a small lake.

[Big Lew]

I've often seen deer and moose, as well as mature bucks, standing in or around smoldering slash piles.
I would think that if they can smell the smoke from your little campfire they also can smell your presence,
so I would be more concerned about that.

[TPK]

I've often seen deer and moose, as well as mature bucks, standing in or around smoldering slash piles.
I would think that if they can smell the smoke from your little campfire they also can smell your presence,
so I would be more concerned about that.

x2 to Big Lew's post, seen lots of Deer in the same scenario .. just figured they like to get warm once in a while too ...lol

Last years campsite was a bit of a "tent city", lots of folks coming and going, lots of campfire time and on several mornings and a couple of afternoons, lots of fresh deer track very close to us (within 100 ft).

[M.Dean]

I was camped out at Andy Lake a few years ago, had the quad, trailer, tent etc and a big fire, and in the morning I seen where about 4 Deer had walked within 30 feet of my tent, and fire, and a good sized Bear track was in the mud too. So, I'd think you should be just fine, wake up before day light, keep the noise down, and start glassing all around before you leave camp, if there's animals around you have a good chance of spotting one, good luck Chris!

[russm86]

I too have found them standing near burning slash piles. I have also had it snow over night and woken up to find obviously fresh tracks right through the middle of camp. I have also actually heard of some old timers that swore on making their hunting clothes smokey before going hunting. It really is a mystery on exactly what things will or will not scare animals. It seems there isn't always a rhyme or reason some you can walk right up on making noise and moving around working or whatever and with no scent cover or anything. Others, you take a breath and they take off like bolt of lightening. You have to think about all the noise and smells there can be in the bush at anytime. With their hearing and sense of smell far better than ours, it could probably become overwhelming. At the end of the day, I don't care what anyone says, there is a lot of luck involved, right place at the right time type of thing, as there is a lot of bush out there and you can only cover so much at any given time.

[Big Lew]

Forgot to mention....during this first week of September my wife, dog, and I were sitting by our campfire about 3/4 hour past legal shooting when a 2-point came walking toward us. It wandered back and forth about 70 yards away as it tried to figure out how to get past us and into the swale behind us.

[Sofa King]

well, my biggest buck to date was shot almost in spitting distance of my camper.
but, my camp had been set up for over a week already, so had maybe been gotten used to.
and opening day, a couple days ago, I camped a cutblock back from where I was planning to hunt.
as the darkness is fading in the early morning, a gunshot goes off just back from my truck.
the guy comes by a couple minutes later, he just missed on a 4point that was with two does right in that block.
myself, I don't often have fires when out.
but a definite thing I do is avoid camping in sight of where I plan to hunt.

[pg83]

I've seen deer and moose within 50 yards of camp the morning after a camp fire. Bears too.

[rcar]

Doubt a small fire will matter much but when they look toward the fire and see your butts stoking it you can kiss goodbye a bruiser of a buck.

[Sofa King]

it won't necessarily spook the game, but it will definitely alert them to your presence in the area.
I take all precautions to avoid that.

[Darksith]

I find big game animals around burning or smoking slash piles all the time. Also know of a guide would would send his clients out 100yards from the lake they were sitting on to start a fire and warm up. I wouldn't be concerned with it, and I also wouldn't be concerned camping close to where I was hunting, especially if I was alone...unless you shout at yourself a lot...then its a different story...but if thats the case your crazy anyway and are probably camping/hunting in downtown vancouver

[Chopper]

I too have found them standing near burning slash piles. I have also had it snow over night and woken up to find obviously fresh tracks right through the middle of camp. I have also actually heard of some old timers that swore on making their hunting clothes smokey before going hunting. It really is a mystery on exactly what things will or will not scare animals. It seems there isn't always a rhyme or reason some you can walk right up on making noise and moving around working or whatever and with no scent cover or anything. Others, you take a breath and they take off like bolt of lightening. You have to think about all the noise and smells there can be in the bush at anytime. With their hearing and sense of smell far better than ours, it could probably become overwhelming. At the end of the day, I don't care what anyone says, there is a lot of luck involved, right place at the right time type of thing, as there is a lot of bush out there and you can only cover so much at any given time.

Yep me too x4


In the winter when its raining and snowing blowing sht ... Ive rolled in to new slash that have waste piles burning. Ive seen many times deer and small herds of deer bedded right beside the fires keeping warm ... No monster BT's but decent 2 point bucks

Id camp a couple clicks away myself if I was hiking in the mountains

[hunter1947]

No it won't the animals will be close to where the small fire was..

[Jrax]

on one stone sheep trip in spatsizi we were camped in a small valley that was holding 2 different large groups of rams and one small group of 3. Because of wet weather we had a large fire smack between the two larger groups to dry off clothes and keep warm. We spooked off one group on a very close stalk and second remained after two days of fire, that group was only 300m away. On the morning downed a ram, it was roosted on a rock overlooking our camp with two others and the remainer of the group not much farther upslope. The fire was very smoky!

[hoochie]

had deer walk into camp when the fire was going, had deer gather just down the mountain from us where the smoke was blowing right at them.

[Chopper]

had deer walk into camp when the fire was going, had deer gather just down the mountain from us where the smoke was blowing right at them.

Sometimes I wonder if they are attracted to the smoke ? It really is a naturally occurring element in the forest. I wonder if they think they can get warmth when they smell it