The Powder you use!

S

shortwave

New member
Since scent is soooo important when it comes to most bowhunting, what talc powder do you use in your squeeze bottle for checking wind direction?

I've re-filled my bottle with baking soda but lately I've been using powdered C'mere Deer in mine. Haven't had any deer try to run me over or anything since I switched but figured it couldn't hurt.

I know one guy that uses 'Buck Bomb' as a wind direction aid.
 
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I just look to see what way my cigarette smoke is blowing.... :D


Seriously, do you (guys that use this method), think there is that much difference in what you use? Can't you watch the leaves or grass to see?

My nephew buys all the latest and greatest deer hunting inventions and tools and in four years has taken one deer.

I know a lot of guys who, like myself, go sit in a corner of the field, dressed warm and drink their hot chocolate or coffee and just wait for a deer to wander in. My friend has taken a deer or two every year since I have retired (2004) and smokes in his stand.

I am not trying to start a word war or anything, I just am curious as to how much success people have when they start using this stuff.
 
Seriously, do you(guys that use this method), think there is that much difference in what you use?
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Don't think, I (we that use this method) know.

I don't know what kind of terrain you hunt in Missouri but if you come here to Ohio(or most other hilly Northern states), bowhunt the hills and don't play the wind,most likely you go home with empty pockets. You'll surely not get a trophy.

If ya bowhunt flat or gently rolling terrain, wind is not that much of a problem as long as you set your stand with the wind in your face. You don't have to worry about crosswinds, sub-thermals etc.
Again, not always so hunting steep hilly terrain. I.E. Wind will riccochet off the steep hills causing crosswinds. If there's zero wind you hunt high in the morning cause the hill tops warm up faster creating a natural up-draft(one of the reasons big bucks travel ridgetops in the a.m. The opposite is true in the p.m. with zero wind. Hunt the bottoms cause the hilltops cool off faster creating a natural downward draft.

Add hunting out of a 20-25ft. treestand in this same steep, hilly terrain and that sometimes complicates things more. The natural wind may be blowing out of the West. You climb up in your treestand thats facing West, only to get seated in your stand and spray your ' latest and greatest deer hunting invention' only to find out that the natural wind is ricochetting off the east steep hillside wall and hitting you in the back of the head.:rolleyes:

As far as just going out and killing a doe, its not hard to do that on an almost daily basis. Since I live in the middle of the woods and have deer(doe's,small bucks) in the backyard just about everyday, I can shoot one off the deck anytime while smoking,drinking a beer and listening to the radio. Two does literaly walked about 20 ft. from the swimming pool while my wife, grandson and I were swimming about a month ago.:)

I'm talking about hunting 150+ class bucks that play every angle to their advantage. You won't kill that quality of buck bowhunting on a yearly basis smokings cigs. from your stand and not playing the wind.;)
Also, tell your nephew to hang a pin feather or down feather from his bow. It will help with wind direction .
 
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Sounds like you know the answer to your own question, shortwave.

I've always just paid attention to the way vegetation is moving. And sometimes I want to know what the wind is doing a hundred yds. away. Powder or string doesn't help in that situation. But like you say you're doing, some sort of attractant or cover-scent in a powder seems like the most obvious thing to use. Or how about very fine, dried soil from your hunting areas so it forms dust from a squeeze bottle. Can't get any cheaper and neutral-smelling than that.
 
Ohio has hills? And is a "Northern" State? I live at a higher north latitude than Columbus, and am as close to Mexico as Canada.

Have you been to Missouri? I'd say they have more "difficult" terrain than Ohio.


I'm with Uncle Buck for reading the wind - grass, leaves, a pinch of dirt, or the direction the animals are facing (certain species) are all easy ways to tell.
 
How do you guys see the leaves and grass if you enter your stand well before daylight?

I'll use the leaves and all the other things mentioned when I can see them as well as a squeeze bottle when I can't.

Ohio has hill's?
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Franken Mauser,
How does Missouri's terrain compare with the Old Man's Cave area of Ohio?
 
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Missouri terrain varies from top to bottom and east to west. On the west side of the state it is pretty much low rolling plains. In the south central up to the central region of the state are the ozark mountains. The SE is definitely 'beanfield rifle' country ..... real open and flat. The NE and Ncentral should belong to Iowa....... but there are some pretty good hills up there do.

I don't know about that Ohio cave country you mention but take your pick from our troubles.

My 2 cents on the Cmere deer......... the scent probably won't hurt you but don't expect it to attract any deer unless they shoot their commercials in your area.......:D
 
How do I see vegetation before daylight? Same way I'd see a puff of powder before daylight. It's kinda tough. But there is always hearing and feeling wind. And the sky generally lightens up a bit before shooting hours start, unless it's really really cloudy and on the verge of a thunderstorm. I generally don't have fixed stands either, so it's easier to adapt to wind. I don't have to worry about getting situated in a stand and come sunup and more wind, realize I need to move.
 
Oh ya well our mountains are taller and tougher than your hills:D

I do use mine because the wind swirls but baking soda is good and scent away makes a powder for your boys, so when I need to refile this one( if I manage not to loose it like I have every other one) I will use that powder.
 
Interesting. I never really understood the deer attractant stuff, does any of it work? The few times I have tried it, I never got a deer.

I never consider the wind changing direction until what you mentioned about the updrafts and stuff. That makes a little more sense to me now and I have experienced that in other locations.

I see some big bucks, but never really consider taking them. I usually get a doe. I once shot a really big buck and I thought the meat was tough compared to the doe we also took. (I leave the big ones for the youngsters who want bragging rights ;))
 
Uncle Buck - I'm with you on the deer attractant. Two years ago, I bought a bottle of the famous C'mere deer and poured it on a round bale I had left in the field. They were predicting a bad winter and I thought..... well leave bambi some extra feed. Nothing and I mean nothing touched that bale all winter longer. So much for experimentation.....:D
 
I am a great Doe slayer my self. I don't have lots of time to devote to big buck hunting and I figure if I am not going to shoot a wall hanger I might as well shoot a slick top and let the rifle brigade have another buck to shoot at. Like Uncle Buck said them does are good eating. Besides most of our mule deer does are pretty dumb. Every one I have put in the freezer I have walked up to and shot it while it was staring right at me.
 
Here in S.W. Kansas it easy to tell wich way the wind is blowing. Just look at wich way the deer is leaning and go from there...
 
A simple butane lighter works perfectly. and disperses hardly anything as far as scent goes, but it's accurate!! also a piece of yarn about 6 inches long tied to your sling, works well, until wet and then frozen, then its back to the BIC lighter!!!:D
 
wind freak

Hey, I'm an avid bowhunter and a wind freak. One of the Wenzel brothers, (remember them) had a line in one of their books, that whitetails ARE the wind.

My greatest wind tool is a weather radio. It gives current wind and predicts same. Hourly. My other trick is to take a length of fluorescent yarn up the tree. If I start sensing the wind is wrong, I pull a few puff balls out and loft them. You can see them drift for good distances, and sometimes where and how they go are a surprise..They go the wrong way, and I'm done, and relocate or scout.

The OP was talking bow hunting. Like, my average shots are 14 yards. It is a close range proposition. Play the wind wrong w/ your .270 and you can get away with it across a corn field or wide hollow, etc.

But even in an elevated stand, getting a deer to approach to within bow range from downwind is near impossible. It happens, but not often.

All that said, did you see the tip from the big name deer hunter in the American Hunter???? Don't wait for the perfect wind, you might not get to hunt. (that deer/stand) Yeah, I can relate. But what's a guy to do?
 
You can see them drift for a good distance,and sometimes where and how they go are a surprise...
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Glad you can relate, bamaranger.

If you're just meat hunting, I've had doe's and immature bucks come straight under my stand regardless of wind direction. Matters of fact i've seen these same deer come down a trail with the wind to their backs.

You won't get a mature buck to do that. Just not in his make-up.

You take someone that doesn't play the wind and I'll show you someone that will never bow shoot a Pope-n-Young buck. To some that's not of interest but to others it is.

In shotgun and black powder season(we don't have deer rifle in Ohio), I can see the point of not getting as picky about the wind but I always like to set up with the wind in my face or at least set up and play a cross-wind.

Guess it's just become habit.

BTW, Our late pre-rut is happening. I watched a 10 point in the backyard under the pear tree Sunday morning @ 0930. No more than 40ft. off the deck. He would have scored about 140. Grandson went crazy when I showed him:D.
 
I just look to see what way my cigarette smoke is blowing....
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+1

White ash powder from a fireplace works good, I have had deer walk toward me smelling a cigarette, actually watched them sniff their way in from dead down wind.....I try and hunt into the wind, but sometimes it just doesn't matter.
 
I have had deer walk towards me smoking a cigarette, actually watched them sniff their way in from dead down wind...
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Cornbush,
Just a couple questions:

1. How close did these deer get to you? Bow range or rifle range?

2. Were they bucks, does or both? If bucks and you had to score them what would you say they would have scored?

3. Were you in a tree stand or on the ground?
 
I was sitting against some scrub oak, on the ground and it was a doe and two fawns one time....probably 40 yds+-
The other time was sitting next to a big lodge pole pine, and a 3 point(3x3) muley, came to within probably 20 to 25 yards..... I was hunting elk:mad:
 
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