How close do you figure you ought to be when you smell a Buck?

[TheObserver]

Smelt a Buck scaling some cliffs that lead to these benches where I know Deer are, was heading up in the Morning and thermals were coming right to me.

Out of nowhere got a nose full of Buck stench, it reeked. Strongest Buck I have ever smelt in my life and it was like I was right ontop of him, made me step back.

I immediately glassed hard then let out a few grunts, went a little further quietly then rattled I didn't want to get too much closer and push him, all this is happening when the wind is starting to change figures lol.

Then I smell it coming from below me half hr-hr later. Not sure if it was a different Buck or he tried to cirlce to get my scent, or if he got my scent and left that way.

Anywho all the live Bucks i've smelt have been in thick stuff and never laid eyes on them, but I always wonder how close they are if your smelling them and immediately try to see if I can sneek. I know it's hard to say for sure but what do you guys think? I couldn't see us smelling them past 100, maybe out to 150 yards (almost think they would have to be 60 yards or closer) but i could be wrong has anyone smelt them and seen them and what distance or how close do you think they got to be?

I figure this one couldn't have been passed 20-30 yards from me

[Spy]

This is a great thread to read, might be what you are smelling. You want to see where shit with Dannyboy started, read this thread.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?59995-Sasquatch-Sighting/page5

[Keta1969]

I've smelt a few over the years. It's one of the senses I try to be real conscious of. Distance away can depend on so many variables. I think you can pick up the scent from further away than you think if the conditions and terrain are right. I got a whiff once and we sort of paralleled each other going uphill. He was in a draw and I was on a bit of a ridge. After about 20 -30 minutes he popped into view with 2 does about a 80 to 120 yards away. He never knew I was there and paid the price. He was sure rank but tasted fine. Island blacktail.

[Dannybuoy]

This is a great thread to read, might be what you are smelling. You want to see where shit with Dannyboy started, read this thread.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?59995-Sasquatch-Sighting/page5
Do you have to derail every thread with your nonsense ? The mods or Marc need to decommision this clowns account .

OP , I have smelled scrapes from quite a distance , 20 -30 yards is not out of the question . Usually whitetail in my case

[markt308]

I think so much depends on what the wind is doing, how fast it's blowing. But I smell bucks and bulls often when walking. I usually imagine them being within 100 yards but who really knows! it always gets me excited, though

[Bugle M In]

I have smelt rutting bucks and bulls.
But I think it is usually when I am walking past a spot where they have been resting/bedded.
And those beds can smell for days if not weeks.
I know I have smelt a bull before he showed up, but can’t say about the distance?
Maybe 100 yards.
Thing is, bull elk tend to “swing around” you if you are calling and as they get pretty close to get to your downwind side.
Probably why we don’t small then as often.
For us, probably has to be close.

Thinking about it, if you are close to a bedded bull/buck, the scent might be very strong and thus smell them fro further away already.
While a buck/bull that is walking into you has not scented up the area, so it would be much closer.
IMO

[hawk-i]

How far can you smell a McDonalds restaurant in a unfamiliar area?

Being able to recognize what you are smelling is probably more than half of it.

[Ron.C]

Ive smelled a few (blacktail) before I saw them. In my experience, they were full rut and not far away (within 30 yards) standing still letting me walk past them watching me. Was only able to arrow 1.

It wasnt anywhere near as obvious as a bull elk for sure.

[Ourea]

Humidity is a big factor as well

[HarryToolips]

Smelt a Buck scaling some cliffs that lead to these benches where I know Deer are, was heading up in the Morning and thermals were coming right to me.

Out of nowhere got a nose full of Buck stench, it reeked. Strongest Buck I have ever smelt in my life and it was like I was right ontop of him, made me step back.

I immediately glassed hard then let out a few grunts, went a little further quietly then rattled I didn't want to get too much closer and push him, all this is happening when the wind is starting to change figures lol.

Then I smell it coming from below me half hr-hr later. Not sure if it was a different Buck or he tried to cirlce to get my scent, or if he got my scent and left that way.

Anywho all the live Bucks i've smelt have been in thick stuff and never laid eyes on them, but I always wonder how close they are if your smelling them and immediately try to see if I can sneek. I know it's hard to say for sure but what do you guys think? I couldn't see us smelling them past 100, maybe out to 150 yards (almost think they would have to be 60 yards or closer) but i could be wrong has anyone smelt them and seen them and what distance or how close do you think they got to be?

I figure this one couldn't have been passed 20-30 yards from me

I would guess you're right that it was probably within 30 yards...my nose ain't great so I've only smelled them when I've harvested them...elk on the other hand..

[Ajsawden]

My buddy smelled a buck a couple weeks ago, my nose was all stuffed up so I couldn't smell anything. I was walking, probably 45 minutes later, near where he'd smelled buck and I spotted one feeding in the timber. I dropped it right there. While dragging it out I went right past its bed maybe 50 yards below. The buck had probably only walked a hundred yard circuit that morning before meeting me. Buddy had probably walked by about 80 to 100 yards away. I suspect it was still bedded when he walked by, but I could be wrong.

[Sitkaspruce]

I was sneaking through the timber one day when I got a great whiff of buck in rut. I did a couple of can calls and out walked a big 4x4 mule deer at about 50 y along with 2 does. At the shot, he went 20 yards and as I got closer, the smell became over powering, like nose pinching, vicks vapor rub needed smell! Strongest buck I have have ever smelled.

Got the skin off that buck asap and even after that, the meat smelled. It was so bad that it was not allowed in the house and my BIL, who is a meat cutter, would not deal with it! It is the first and only animal that went back into the bush.

I also shot a doe with 1" antlers that was really ripe, I could smell her as I approached her. She had barley visible antlers, teats and really strong tarsal glands!! Tasted Ok though

Cheers

SS

[TheObserver]

I usually imagine them being within 100 yards but who really knows! it always gets me excited, though

Hahah yeah man does it ever! Thought I was going to see a Buck there for sure!

[TheObserver]

I would guess you're right that it was probably within 30 yards...my nose ain't great so I've only smelled them when I've harvested them...elk on the other hand..

I think I got a better nose than i'm aware of, smelt 1 WT buck this year and 4 or 5 BTs. Smell at least one every year it seems.

[TheObserver]

I was sneaking through the timber one day when I got a great whiff of buck in rut. I did a couple of can calls and out walked a big 4x4 mule deer at about 50 y along with 2 does. At the shot, he went 20 yards and as I got closer, the smell became over powering, like nose pinching, vicks vapor rub needed smell! Strongest buck I have have ever smelled.

Got the skin off that buck asap and even after that, the meat smelled. It was so bad that it was not allowed in the house and my BIL, who is a meat cutter, would not deal with it! It is the first and only animal that went back into the bush.

I also shot a doe with 1" antlers that was really ripe, I could smell her as I approached her. She had barley visible antlers, teats and really strong tarsal glands!! Tasted Ok though

Cheers

SS

Brutal lol, reminds me of the old man and his buddy both got 4 points on one trip back in the day and the one my Dads buddy got attacked him almost gored him (big old 4X3) it stunk so bad and the meat was so horrid he couldn't even give it away.

That is weird man was that a WT or a Mulie Doe with small stubs?

Must of been a confused vancouver Deer did it have blue hair? Lol kidding

[TheObserver]

Humidity is a big factor as well

I was reading this the other week in a book I bought but can't remember the just of it, think it was something like if it is heavy humid air the scent will stick low to the ground?

I could be wrong meaning to read it again

[ACB]

I'v only smelt live bucks in the bush twice, one in Sask. and the other up the East Kettle hunting whitetails, both times I never spotted them but you could sure smell them. Years ago a buddy of mine shot a nice 4 pt. mule deer up that same East Kettle when you could still hunt mule deer in the middle of Nov. in that area. We were hunting a ridge, one guy on one side and the other on the opposite side, my buddy had this deer walk right into him, we think it was slinking away from me because it was coming away from where I would have been. After he shot and I heard the whoop, I started working my way over to where he was, we were calling back and forth for direction but when I got to within 100 yds or so I told him no need to call because I could smell the buck and walked right to him. LOL

[blackbart]

So if you can smell them at a distance think about how far away they can smell you....

[TheObserver]

Smelt another one today pulling cards.... different area

[elimsprint]

The strong smell is not necessarily a buck, I find that MD does smell earlier and some smell just as strong as bucks. They also smell really strong if they go into second estrus which would be around now.

[TheObserver]

The strong smell is not necessarily a buck, I find that MD does smell earlier and some smell just as strong as bucks. They also smell really strong if they go into second estrus which would be around now.

You don't find they have a different scent though as far as pheromones/scent during the rut? Last year I smelt a BT Buck then 10 mins later smelt a Doe that smelled like she was in Estrous could definitely differentiate the smells.

I am very familiar with Buck stench from all the Bucks killed over the years, but have only killed one Doe myself a long time ago and she didn't really smell been on a couple other Doe hunts with others and didn't smell either so my experience with them is limited, most of experience with them is with Doe scents

[elimsprint]

I have both around me from early Sept. on and to tell the truth I can't really tell the difference in smell but maybe my nose isn't that good. I have does that will make your eyes water and others that are not that strong but the same goes for bucks as far as I can smell.
A few of the herd, they let me get pretty close
https://i.imgur.com/KSTyz3v.jpg
One of my close up bucks
https://i.imgur.com/MfEMACH.jpg

[TheObserver]

I have both around me from early Sept. on and to tell the truth I can't really tell the difference in smell but maybe my nose isn't that good. I have does that will make your eyes water and others that are not that strong but the same goes for bucks as far as I can smell.
A few of the herd, they let me get pretty close
https://i.imgur.com/KSTyz3v.jpg
One of my close up bucks
https://i.imgur.com/MfEMACH.jpg

Very cool man, blessed to have that right in your backyard pretty awesome.

Well, only one way to test it out for myself. More time spent out there learning and maybe a couple WT Does in late Oct to test it out lol

[Deer_Slayer]

If you lift the tail you don't need to be too close8)