One of the key elements that can cause a deer to stay far from your area is any odd smell they detect regarding you and your presence in the woods. Research suggest genetics are involved, essentially coding scent receptors to recognize certain smells. He stated that as the scent is deposited on the ground, you should replenish the lure often so the buck doesn’t follow the trail the wrong way. Most of what we know about whitetail senses comes from observing the animal and trying to interpret its behavior. Chronicles: Grunt, Rake, Thrash, Charge, and Twang! The age of the scent is a totally different concept than the strength of the scent. Here are related posts to help you hone your skills and mask your unsavory human stank. Sounds good on the surface, but that’s flawed logic. In fact it is estimated that a typical species of deer will possess an ability to smell that is 1000 x greater than our own and as such are capable of smelling a human at distances in excess of one mile! Deer lick their nose to keep it moist, which helps odor particles stick to it, improving their sense of smell. Human, meet deer. While we don't know the number of olfaction genes a deer has, we do know the number of olfactory scent receptors. |, Best Airgun Rifles for Hunting Urban Predators, How to Choose Between Night Vision Or Thermal Optics, Explainer: the science behind a deer's sense of smell, Scents: The secret art of deer attractants. Fortunately, we have products at our disposal that help reduce and control our odor. We can strive for scent control and scent reduction, but don’t get fooled into thinking that any product will allow you to ignore the wind. The BAREBOW! Please enable JavaScript to view the comments. By following the doe’s scent just a few yards, that buck knew which direction she was travelling by determining which way the scent was older. While they also smell scents through their nose, this sense is heightened by a pair of organs located at the roof of their mouth. It’s called the Jacobson’s organ and it can sort out smells that come through the mouth. Deer hunting often comes down to one thing, beating this keen sense with scent control tactics…but how good is this sense and can it be beat? "Among this group they identified more than 10,000 different genes that code for scent receptors," cites the report. This may be why they tend to lick their noses to moisten them, which helps them pick up scents and smells. An hour before dark, a doe casually walked from behind, using the trail to enter the field. He writes that not only do deer have at least 2,000 percent more scent receptors than humans, they also have more types of receptors. Their ability to smell danger probably sends more bowhunters home empty-handed than any other of its great senses. Yes, a deer can smell cigarette smoke. Not long after that, a buck came trotting along the field’s edge right in front of me. Deer Smell. Deer have up to 297 million olfactory (scent) receptors in their nose. For example, if deer smells corn, cells in the nose dedicated to corn smell get activated. After about three steps, he spun around and ran the opposite way, trailing that doe. Scent Killer spray has been tested to significantly reduce human odor. Activated carbon is very good at adsorbing odor, but it may not have the longevity that we once thought when added to clothing. This makes controlling your own odor very important when hunting deer. In fact, there are probably thousands of groups of cells in the nose, and each group can detect one odor. For instance while elephants — which rank No. If the scent is getting weaker and weaker, wouldn’t the buck follow it the wrong way every time? We have a small patch of olfactory receptors in each nostril, they are connected to a part of the brain that we use to interpret the smells that pass over them. They do this partly to keep their nostrils moist so scent can be detected more easily. The odor particles, drifting by on the breeze, stick to the moisture on the deer's nose and are then drawn into the olfactory organs. Antibacterial soaps and laundry detergents have been shown to help reduce the bacteria that is responsible for most human odor. You name the odor, and a deer has a group of cells located in one tiny region of the nose that can smell that odor. Therein lies the key to how deer get you. "Most animals had a nearly unique repertoire, with only three genes in common amongst all the species.". Deer have a sense of smell that humans can barely even begin to imagine! Those that interfere with a deer’s sensitive sense of smell, which it uses to sense danger, include the popular aromatic soap bars. In one study, it was determined that deer could separate at least six different odors when they are mixed together. Members of the deer family and predators need their sense of smell to survive, so they are equipped with far more olfactory receptors than those animals that do not rely on their sense of smell. That event was an “Aha!” moment for me and it changed the way I viewed a deer’s ability to smell. If you’ve ever observed a whitetail up close, you will notice they are continually moistening their noses with their tongues. Furthermore, scientists say that whitetails have thousands of sensitive receptors in their nostrils, which they use to … Furthermore, scientists say that whitetails have thousands of sensitive receptors in their nostrils, which they use to sort out up to six smells at one time. The next time the deer smells a dog, the deer flees. We would be a fool to think we could mask our scent to the point which that buck couldn’t smell us. Smell is affected by wind speed – fast wind can make it harder for a deer to sense predators or locate where the scent is coming from. It’s likely you’re busted at either multiplier if the wind carries your scent to Old Otis’ schnoz, whether he’s blinded by the rut or not. They can detect odors much better and from considerably longer distances than humans. They are hardest to fool in areas where the deer are hunted but where there aren't any people nearby. We lack that advantage in our sense of smell. If you don't hunt deer, then you're happy for a deer's smelling abilities. Once that odor hits those receptor cells, it triggers an area of the deer's brain. But how good is it really, and what are the factors that deer rely on to know what’s going on in their environment? Here are a few things you probably didn’t know about a deer’s ability to smell. Learning to work your offense to beat this incredible defense can be done by understanding and utilizing wind and thermal currents. You can’t hunt an oak woods reeking of cedar cover scent and expect to fool an animal with a sense of smell as strong as a bloodhound. There is no doubt that a deer can and will smell cigarette smoke. Of the various methods that surprise or offend their senses from smells, tastes, hearing, or touch, odor repellents are quite popular. The whitetail deer has an organ on the roof of the mouth that also interprets smells. Comments on this site are submitted by users and are not endorsed by nor do they reflect the views or opinions of COLE Publishing, Inc. For example, when a deer smells an acorn, that activates the acorn nerve cells in the nose and that then sends a message to a part of the brain which leads to a pattern of behavior. Deer can smell 1,000 times better than you can Depending on which study you read, deer can smell 100 times, 1,000 times, or even 10,000 times better than that of the average human. Follow Bernie’s bowhunting adventures on his blog, bowhuntingroad.com. The whitetail deer has an organ on the roof of the mouth that also interprets smells. When he hit the trail where the doe had entered the field, he skidded to a stop and turned toward me, following the trail with his nose in the dirt. I was situated 20 feet up in a tree nature had placed in a good spot for seeing deer. I have also seen this a number of times in the wild. Skills: Exceptional senses of hearing and smell are crucial to a deer’s survival, as they allow deer to seek food, sense danger and locate other deer. The following discussion represents the thinking of prominent deer biologists. And they are good at sorting out the odors, too. But how good is it really, and what are the factors that deer rely on to know what’s going on in their environment? When you understand that concept, you suddenly realize that complete “scent elimination” is impossible to attain. Not only can a deer clearly smell you, usually it can smell where you’ve recently walked and how long ago you were there. Odor repellents can be placed into two groups. What You Didn’t Know About a Deer’s Sense of Smell, The 8 Most Realistic Hollywood Gun Scenes, Dave Genz Brings Ice Fishing to Open Water with His Holey Boat, Photos: Lancer Systems Brings High-tech Innovation to Modern Firearms, 9 Priceless Hunting Reactions That Will Make You Smile, Brief Father-daughter Elk Hunt Delivers Lifelong Memories, The 3 Things That Make a Successful Pheasant Hunt, The Center of Every Target is Exactly the Same Size, The BAREBOW! In comparison, humans have 5 million and dogs have 220 million. Deer (and most other game) have an amazing sense of smell and can wind you in a heartbeat. Researchers at Mississippi State University found that a deer’s sense of smell, like a dog’s, can be anywhere from 500 to 1,000 times more acute than a human’s. Let’s look at the physiology of the deer’s nose to help us better understand what we are up against. But what exactly makes a deer’s nose so good? The good news is there are ways to neutralize the deer’s sensory advantages. Researchers at Mississippi State University found that a deer’s sense of smell, like a dog’s, can be anywhere from 500 to 1,000 times more acute than a human’s. Nope. Because we see colors deer can’t know, we can test how well – if at all – they can see into those color ranges. Some scientists estimate that under perfect conditions, a buck can smell a doe’s sexual pheromones from a mile away. 1. A whitetail deer’s sense of smell identifies fruit and reacts by trying to find it, because it has tasted it before, and no harm came to it. If they rely on this sense above all else to survive, it must be outstanding. Deer use their sense of smell to locate food and predators. To put into perspective how a deer’s sense of smell compares to ours, consider these numbers: The human nose has about 5 million olfactory scent receptors, a dog has roughly 220 million, and a deer has nearly 300 million. The amount of moisture in the air determines how well a deer can smell. Here are a few things you probably didn’t know about a deer’s ability to smell. Pursuing that idea further, if a deer grows up in an urban environment (as millions now do), then the odors it smells related to humans won't trigger a negative response. There may be olfactory receptors on the outside of the deer’s nose as well. The nose also plays a role in communication. How can we ever think we could fool a nose that can work miracles like that? Every time some odor hits their respective cell receptors, it causes some trigger in the deer’s brain. Which is why it is critically important for hunters to do everything they can to minimize their scent. Jeff Foster’s 2011 Albino Mule Deer Buck, October Brings Big Bucks to Michigan Bowhunters, 5 Hunting Video Games You Have to Check Out, Lost Canyon Cave & Nature Trail: An Astounding Adventure, 9 Questions with RMEF Ambassador Kristy Titus, 5 Reasons Why Everyone Needs to Experience Michigan Upland Hunting, Inside Bohning Archery: One of the Biggest Names in Bowhunting, A Comprehensive Guide to Making Your Own Crimson Trace Lasergrips, Video: The 10 Craziest Ways to Have Your Fish Stolen by a Hungry Critter, Sometimes, You’re Just in No Mood for Hunting, 7 Strange Aquatic Creatures Caught This Year, South to Kentucky: “Future Gun” Highlights from the 2014 Bullpup Convention, The 4 Largest Bears Ever Taken by Hunters. The article also cites an excerpt from “Bows, Swamps, Whitetails,” a book authored by Tim Lewis. It has hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of nerve cells. Over the next 20 minutes, she fed over a small hill and out of sight. SMELL. For example, when a deer smells an acorn, that activates the acorn nerve cells in the nose and that then sends a message to a part of the brain which leads to a pattern of behavior. Use wind and thermals to your advantage to stay undetected by deer, elk, bear, wild pigs and anything with a great sense of smell. Deer produce … The problem is compounded by the fact that humans typically have a very poor sense of smell, which makes it difficult to understand how significant smell can be. Think about the times you’ve been walking down the street and you can smell … If a young deer has a bad experience with a dog, a pattern of behavior is created in that deer's brain. An article featured on Brain Science Today reported on research published to Genome Research, which examined gene codes and scent receptors in 13 mammal species. Finally, deer communicate their location and mark territory through the secretion of chemicals through their hooves, urine and saliva. Before we give you tips on making your hunting clothes and yourself scent-free, we wanted to … Even if we could develop behavioral tests to document what and how well deer smell, our olfaction liabilities could limit what we can verify. Everyone knows the whitetail deer has an amazing sense of smell. When they learn what something smells like, they seldom forget it. It’s called the Jacobson’s organ and it can sort out smells that come through the mouth. Some experts in the field put the power of a deer’s sense of smell at 1,000 times that of a human, others say upwards of 10,000. Carry on and prosper, you might say. A deer’s sense of smell is a powerful instrument in their defensive toolbox. But we’re not done, there’s more. The more we know about the power of a deer’s nose, the more we can use care to hunt them properly, and even more importantly, the more rewarding it is when we actually bag one. In all, some studies have estimated that the whitetail deer’s ability to smell is about 10,000 times stronger than a human’s. Still that is no excuse to avoid cleanliness and use products that can help reduce your human odor, because less is better even if we cannot achieve total scent elimination. Sadly, in the same way that studies on the visual capabilities of deer have only been conducted on a few species, studies on cervid olfaction are similarly restrictive. But if that deer first smells a human odor in the wild and the initial encounter was negative, then the moment the deer gets a whiff of the same human odor again, it bolts. (Deer’s Sense of Smell, Understanding a Deer’s Nose) by Stone Road at www.ozonicshunting.com (10 Things You Must Know About Deer Senses) by Daniel Xu at www.outdoorhub.com It is one of the most important senses for a deer. When they smell something, they flick their tongues to pick up more about the scent. 1 on our list — are considered to possess a respectable sense of smell, it's not considered exceptional. In simple terms, there is a group of cells in the nose responsible for smelling every odor that deer smells. There are nerve cells dedicated to detecting other deer, human deodorant, gasoline on gloves, and so on and so on. Chronicles: The Stalking Bull, 9 Ways to Survive the Zombie Deer Apocalypse, Wisconsin Leopold Fans Reflect as They Reenact “Good Oak” Chapter, One of a Kind? You don’t need us to tell you that a deer’s sense of smell is its primary defense. That’s absolutely shocking when you think about it. There are certainly some things you can attempt to do to minimize your smell, but there are also other smells you can incorporate that can help to improve your chances of bagging a deer. The truth is the buck will follow the scent the correct direction because he knows how long the scent has been there. Once that odor hits those receptor cells, it triggers an area of the deer's brain. Research has shown that a deer’s sense of smell is anywhere from 500 to 1,000 times better than a human’s. In comparison, dogs have 220 million and humans have just 5 million olfactory receptors. But if you're a hunter pursuing these animals, overcoming a deer's sense of smell is priority No. © 2020 Grand View Outdoors All Rights Reserved The smell should most often be from something they would encounter in their travels anyhow. A little common sense goes a long way, too. I sat in a seminar in which a well-known hunter was talking about using a drag rag attached to your foot and saturated with buck lure. Therein lies the key to how deer get you. It is one of the reasons why deer are so challenging and fun to hunt. Less than 10 yards in front of me was the edge of a picked cornfield, and beside me ran a well-used deer tail leading to the field from a bedding area. Jan 18, 2016 - How good is a deer’s sense of smell? But if this deer grows up in a park where there is no hunting, and people walk their dogs on a leash all the time, then a dog's odor probably won't trigger that same negative response. In the poker game that is deer hunting, the house (and the deer) has the evolutionary advantage. It was early November, and the rut was heating up. The long snout creates more room for special nerve cells that receive and interpret smells. There’s nothing quite as disappointing as spending hours stalking, only to … In an offbeat article exploring whether or not deer can smell a hunter's farts, deer are reported to have 297 million scent receptors. When deer are accustomed to small doses of human odor but know it to safe, they are much easier to fool. Of the 13 mammals studied, here's a list of species with the most robust OR repertoire (as they call the collection of olfaction genes which inform the scent receptors), from most OR genes to least: Unfortunately, deer weren't among the species studied, so it's uncertain where they would fall on the list. Deer have a highly developed sense of smell, it is one of their best weapons for detecting approaching danger. I was situated 20 feet up in a tree nature had placed in a good spot for seeing deer. Everyone knows the whitetail deer has an amazing sense of smell. Meaning, deer can detect scents that humans simply can’t comprehend. A white tail deer’s sense of smell is far better than ours, and far better than can be related to the human experience of the sense of smell. This means that a deer has a group of cells in its nose that can detect acorns, and others that detect alfalfa, corn, certain twigs, dead leaves and dogs. He was over the hill and out of sight in 15 seconds. Deer have an excellent sense of smell, which allows them to detect predators from a long distance away. Few animals have a better sense of smell than the whitetail. Deer not only use their sense of smell to detect predators, but also to communicate with one another. Related: Does human urine scare deer? There are more products being developed all the time that seem to help reduce human odor. 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