Elk camp - fire vs no fire ~~~ lets hear opinions

[Alpinegus]

 
We all like to sit around the camp fire, but do we want to get the camp fire/smoke smell in our clothes?
When it comes to Elk camp, (packed in) I have always pushed not to have a camp fire, to keep the smoke smell off of clothes.
Does the smoke smell draw attention, scare elk, or does it cover the human scent.
What are your thoughts...experience.
 

[bobcat]

Personally I don't like having a campfire when I'm hunting, but I sure don't believe that animals are scared of the smell of smoke, at least not any more than they are afraid of the smell of people. However, I do not like smelling like smoke when I'm trying to sleep at night. To me a fire is just more work than it's worth. I generally eat dinner, and then go to bed. If there's time, I like to sit around and go over maps and plan the next day's hunt. But I don't want to do that around a fire.

[JLS]

I've had elk bugling a couple hundred yards from my campfire more than once.  To me, it's more of a social aspect.  If I'm hunting alone, I rarely have one.  If I'm with a good buddy and we have some Pendleton, I'll take one any day.  An elk is no more scared of the woodsmoke on your clothes than your stench from sweating all day.

[piledup]

I also think that animals aren't scared of the smell of smoke more than our human scent. But if I was packed in, I would probably go without a fire though

OR

just make a fire and keep your distance from it

[rtspring]

These animals smell smoke all year round, I don't think it bothers them that much. Never had any proof either way. 

I can tell you this, at our camp we burn at elast 10 cords of wood every year while up hunting? How do i know? Cause I am the one who cuts and splits it up every year. We have to have a fire, thats part of hunting is sitting around the camp fire telling stories ( all true of course).  and the little  BS rule about 3 foot fire ring? ya right

Come up to the Little Naches sometime and look at some of the wood piles. 4 -5 saws in our camp and not any little ones..

We rifle hunt by the way.

[CementFinisher]

Pendleton 

[MikeWalking]

Soon as I get back I change into camp/cooking/lounge clothes with my hunt clothes bagged.  I don't think though a light smoke smell would spook'em too much. Not like clouds of smoke rolling through the woods.   Past that I'm usually in bed to quick to bother with a fire every night...

[Houndhunter]

Never had a issue smelling like smoke, as long as it ain't tobacco or something. When I'm in the back country I always have a fire, just me but it keeps me relaxed and motivated if the weather is bad

[BOWHUNTER45]

All I can say is many times in elk camp while having a fire we had elk walk right up to us and just walk off ... BUT actually out hunting I think the smell might scare them ...I always hang my clothes off a limb or somewhere they get air before jumping in the tent ...

[gasman]

Another option that I use during a burn an is a candle in the fire pit.

It gives the appearance of sitting around the fire pit with a fire. Atmosphere is every thing and a "Citronella" candle to keep bugs away ain't bad either.

[bucklucky]

Camp fire smoke doesnt scare the elk.  Its completely natural so the elk dont care. Its man made or  human scents that will scare them away. Since I met one of my good buddies 10 years ago that came from Idaho, we had a discutsion about this very matter. He told me he would actually use campfire smoke to mask his scent on his clothes, and trust me he has killed more 350 plus bulls with a bow than anyone I know and at close quarters.  I do the same with campfire smoke now.

[madmack76]

holy crap 10 cords of wood when do you find time to hunt

[Rhinoron247]

The idea of sitting around a camp fire is awesome, but I can never seem to get back to camp with enough time and or energy to do anything but eat and find my way into my sleeping bag.  If I tag out or take a break I am all for a fire but don't enjoy the fire with my hunting cloths on.  Pretty sure it would not bother the elk but why risk blowing that perfect moment.  Just my thoughts.

[Buckmark]

even if it covered human scent animals are instinctively afraid of fire so the smoke smell may keep the critters away just my two     I always have at least a change of clothes and wear them around the fire. my hunting clothes are usually hanging drying

The world is not the movie Bambi, the animals do not smell smoke and say "Man" run, run far away.
spend some time in the woods (not just 2 weeks playing grizzly adams) fire occurs, yes it can alert animals to something different, but i have seen lots on animals feeding right in clear cuts with slash piles burning away.... had piles burning all over an area and the animals wer still there, the hunters were bitching about the smoke, saying it was scaring all the animals away, and staying in camp. Huh saw animals in the same places i had all summer and even tagged out in it just like when there is no smoke.
I have a few friends that work for the forest service both fighting fires and doing controlled burns, they see lots of animals during there work...

[Skywagon_185]

In my long elk hunting career I've found that a natural wood fire does in fact help mask un-natural human scent.  On at least 5 occasions, I've found elk very near where I had a fire going.  I love to stop for an hour or so and build a bark fire with old growth Doug Fir bark to toast my sandwichs with a forked stick.  Huge heat to dry out by.  Once a few years back on a very stormy rainy day, got up from the fire to see a cow standing in the smoke trail not 50 yards away.  No way would she have been there without the smoke to cover my scent.
Mike