Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: Alpinegus on July 11, 2011, 06:15:33 PM
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:fire.:
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.
:fire.:
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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.
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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.
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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 :chuckle:
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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.
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Pendleton :drool:
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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...
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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
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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 ... :twocents:
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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.
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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.
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holy crap 10 cords of wood when do you find time to hunt
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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.
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even if it covered human scent animals are instinctively afraid of fire so the smoke smell may keep the critters away just my two :twocents: 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...
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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
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What bucklucky said.
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By the time we get back to camp I am usually to exhausted to make dinner let alone start a fire. :dunno: :chuckle: Sometimes my dad will start one if he is too worn out for the evening hunt but that is not common. If we are both to sore to make the evening hunt we go road hunting. :chuckle:
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I agree that wood smoke is a natural smell and doesn't bother elk. Although if I do my job right they should never smell the smoke.
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By the time we get back to camp I am usually to exhausted to make dinner let alone start a fire. :dunno: :chuckle: Sometimes my dad will start one if he is too worn out for the evening hunt but that is not common. If we are both to sore to make the evening hunt we go road hunting. :chuckle:
:tup:
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A few years back I was hunting black powder elk in Bethel. 2 ft snow on the ground. I hiked out a ways and sat under a tree with a small fire between my legs. One of the largest bull i have seen walked right up didnt even know I was there. I could only shoot cows. Told the guys camped next to us and the next day they shot that elk.
Elk smell smoke year round.
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I have to agree with those that have fires. what is an elk camp without a nice fire. hence my log in wall of wood our camp didn't get the nickname by not having a good supply of logs. we burn at least 10 cord a season too the fire burns all day and night. the elk still come within ten yards of me smelling like the biggest campfire in the mountains. not too critical when you only need to be within 200 yards or so. I have been successful with four spikes in the last 4 years so i would have to say smoke doesn't bother the elk at least during modern rifle, they are used to it all year long.
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elk are use to that type of smoke, i'd rather have that on me than the smell of whatever you had for breakfast. like some of the other people in here said its something they smell in the summer time. we burn slash piles every year and watching the elk around that doesn't bother them at all.
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Early archery season the nights are just to short. Rifle or late seasons I think we are talking about a tradition here. Some of the best belly laughs I have ever had occurred around a camp fire during hunting season.
Did I say those were milk duds! :chuckle:
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I used to never do this but since Im getting older now (35) the past 4 years I have been known to build a fire on a landing in my walk in units while glassing for bucks, the more comfortable I am in the freezing cold the longer I can sit, spotted 20 some deer one day and killed a buck the next with fire burning next to me. Built 4 different fires this year while spring bear hunting, everytime I built a fire I spotted a damn bear :chuckle: Built a fire during a fricken bad storm that dumped a couple inches of rain in a couple hours and soaked me to the bone, built a fire and a ragger , got pretty much dried out and went back to hunting. Didnt kill a buck but saw plenty of deer just not a shooter buck. Who says you have to build a fire at camp, its fun to build a fire while your hunting too 8)
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Smoke is a neutralizer. It will help get rid of bad smells.
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If there's not going to be a campfire, I'm not going. Even back in the early days when my partner would hit the hay immediately after dinner, I had one alone. It's better with friends though. I keep a scent bag and when I get back to camp, I strip and place all my stuff in the bag and seal it. I put on my camp duds, and carry on. After breakie, I slip back into the hunting clothes, and hit the trail. That way, I don't have to worry about getting food smell and campfire cigar smoke all over my hunting duds. I camp in a trailer now, and shower each night. Back in the tent days, we would go to a nearby campground that had a shower and get one about day 3 of the 5 day hunt.
If you pay attention to the wind, you'll be fine... campfire or not.
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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.
SOUNDS LIKE OUR CAMP!! :tup:
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Gotta have a fire when buddies are in the mix. Just take two 55 gallon drums, cut one in half and weld them together. cut air holes around the bottom. This allows a fire for warmth and lies. And smoke is not a problem. Try it.
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I used to never do this but since Im getting older now (35) the past 4 years I have been known to build a fire on a landing in my walk in units while glassing for bucks, the more comfortable I am in the freezing cold the longer I can sit, spotted 20 some deer one day and killed a buck the next with fire burning next to me. Built 4 different fires this year while spring bear hunting, everytime I built a fire I spotted a damn bear :chuckle: Built a fire during a fricken bad storm that dumped a couple inches of rain in a couple hours and soaked me to the bone, built a fire and a ragger , got pretty much dried out and went back to hunting. Didnt kill a buck but saw plenty of deer just not a shooter buck. Who says you have to build a fire at camp, its fun to build a fire while your hunting too 8)
Built plenty in the field. Killed my biggest bull while I was sitting by a small fire under some limestone cliffs.
I am a lot less likely to have one when bowhunting. Heck, by the time you get back to camp after dark, you don't have a lot of sack time before you're getting up to be out on your favorite ridge before daylight.
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I never build a camp fire during archery season, you only have like 3 minutes to get some shut eye before you have to wake up again to go hunt :chuckle: Dang short nights anyway :chuckle: But I sure love hunting in september :drool: ..... Is it september yet :chuckle:
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Only 50 days, but who's counting?
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I dont think anything can really cover human scent. I really doubt a wood fire or the smell of one would scare away elk. However no matter what you smell like...if the wind isnt in your favor...your not gettin close. :twocents:
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I won't go unless there is a fire!
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Smoke doesn't spook elk as much as human scent does. If they can smell the smoke they were going to smell you anyways....
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I wasn't even aware that it was possible to have elk camp without a campfire. I thought it was the law. I wont even bother asking my hunting partner if he wants to try it without a fire.
kenzmad
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Me too Kensmad. In years past I knew of hunters that would show and set up camp days early would hang their hunting (Pants, coats) clothes on a line where the smoke would be able to blow through them so that it would mask human scent.
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Just the thought of any sort of camping without a fire seems wrong
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Fire all the way. Not that big a deal to build one to sit around while dinner is cooking. Used to be you had to build one to cook your meals on or you didn't eat.
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Gotta have a fire!
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No fire = no huntin stories........ Gotta sit around and tell of all the animals you could have shot :chuckle:
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That is actually one of my reasons for coming back home (West-side) to hunt Elk, not being able to have a fire during Early Archery, but as stated by others, no real time to build one, I let the others in camp take care of it, when I walk in after dark, I like to sit and eat real quick, then "hit the sack".
Without a fire, no reason to be in camp, might as well sleep wherever....
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elk hunting with out a campfire is like cooking bacon naked :bdid: Sure you can do it but it just ain't right. The campfire is where we relax, tell about the days hunt and hunts in the past, eat dinner and drink some pendleton. The campfire is where that 3x3 you missed a few years ago turns into a 360 inch bull that stayed just out of bow range.
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I love a great fire -- with that said when it comes to elk hunting we only sit around one every once in awhile. Most of the time the fire is contained in the wood stove. But I have seen guys start a fire while out hunting and I don't think it bothers the elk
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According to accounts I've read by real mountain men and Indians from the late 1800s, they used campfire smoke as a cover sent. It's naturally occurring in the forest and covers up icky human "run the hell away" stink.
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fire good,cover dinkle berry smell after 5 days in dry camp...keep squaw happy,make big wampum :chuckle:
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Have a fire all you want. I have a fire every time I can and it has never cost me a single animal. That's why they make scent killer. People smoke while out hunting, use the wind in your advantage and you should be alright.
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Scent killer? That's not going to remove the smell of smoke from you and your clothes.
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We have never been much for having campfires in our elk hunting group. Usually when the day is done we eat dinner, game plan for the next day and go to bed. I would rather sleep than sit around the fire!
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If there's no campfire I won't be at camp. If your worried that the smell of smoke on your clothes is going to scare away game you have a lot to learn about hunting. But i'm with bobcat, I hate smelling smoke on me. And because of that I have camp clothes and hunting clothes and always give myself a spit bath before bed.
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My grandfather during the late muzzle loader season (when there used to be one for elk on the east side) used to go find a spot to sit and would always have a small fire burning by 8am. He has shot two different cow elk while standing next to a small fire.
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Scent killer? That's not going to remove the smell of smoke from you and your clothes.
Then go home and take a shower and put a new layer of the smell the animals actually fear back on Yourself! We're not talking country club are we?
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Camp fire smoke is the best cover scent out there in my opinion.
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We have what my Dad refers to as a white man fire...... We burned over 10 cords during ML deer and elk season last year..... I still got my spike.... The weird thing was he was walking through a burn!!!! Don't think it mattered much... :chuckle:
