Campfire Ground Blind

loogin28

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Read an older article about a guy who would always build a small fire in or near ground blind. Always shot deer. Explained that it kept you warm, entertained while sitting for hours, the smoke would mask your odour, and deer are naturally curious and would come in to check it out.
 
I wouldn't worry about the fire or the smoke. I would worry about all the noise and fidgeting that result from breaking off pieces of firewood and tending a fire. A young deer would be curious enough to check it out... I bumped a fawn yesterday that ran off up the ridge, then came back to see what I was. But I wouldn't count on an old buck being too curious.
 
I knew a few fellows years ago when I was a ternager and very green who fully believed that as well. They had homemade blinds or windbreaks on their watches. This was before the portable ground blind days. They would build fires at their stands. I hunted with them my first ever deer hunting season for the duration of the hunt and the only deer taken in two weeks was a huge buck one of them happened upon alone while tending his trapline on a day we were not hunting. I may have been green but even I knew something was amiss about campfire blind method of hunting.
 
Last year, did not get my deer. 2 & 3 years ago shot bucks both years,after standing in Campfire smoke previous nights. I get the movement thing. Deer have the most amazing eyesight when it comes to movement. This is not my concept, just something I thought was interesting. I hunt in very cold temps in a homemade open ground blind. Heat would be nice
 
Depends on what your after. If you just want deer meat that method will probably eventually produce a young curious deer. Mature bucks and wise older does did not get that way from checking out campfires at every opportunity. But like most males sometimes the little head does the thinking for the big head so you just never know.
 
The deer I shot at last year came in while I was sitting, facing away from it, smoking and drinking coffee. I was making no effort to be stealthy. They can be very curious.
 
I shot a huge body 4x4 buck a few years ago. He looked my way from bout 140yds out. I didn't move, he turned and dropped him there. Movement, sound, wind have to be in your favour to get a prime deer. The article seemed radical to me, just thought I would post here for interest. I am in a meat crisis though, lol
 
I heard of guys using a hand smoker like bee keepers use to smoke their hunting cloths, it makes sense if your hunting in an area that has lots of wood stoves, it would be a scent a deer smells all the time.
 
I smoke cigarettes well hunting it don't seem to make much difference wen deer hunting
I have bin thinking of using those Vapor cigarettes for well I'm hunting elk
Don't think I would use a fire at a bline a good deer call would be far more effective
 
If the wind is right it doesn't matter what you smell like...Bad wind and you had better smell like something they trust.
 
I heard of guys using a hand smoker like bee keepers use to smoke their hunting cloths, it makes sense if your hunting in an area that has lots of wood stoves, it would be a scent a deer smells all the time.

And also a scent that they associate with human activity...

Hunters, do yourselves a favour and forget the old "wives tales" about scent while hunting... strive to minimize scent on your body, your clothing, your gear and left on the ground... and do your best to stay downwind... this is the pathway to improved success.
 
Thera bin times wen I have rubbed dirt into my clothing for a cover up
I'm not a fan of all the sent control stuff that's on the market
I mite get sum flack on this old Indian secret The best cover up sent I know of is start drinking devils club tea the smell of the devils club is strong and comes out your sweat glands
I have used boiled devils club for a body wash kind of a sponge bath and wash my hunting clothing in it as well it hundred percent natural and healthy for you

Only use devils club That is harvest in the winter wen the sap is low as it is very poisonous in summer
Don't drink or take any devils club if you're diabetic just wash your clothing in it
one thing about devils club it's a very pleasant smell and at one time was used as a love potion by medicine men that would drive Women crazy horny I have other secrets but I'm not telling you guys all of them Haahaa
 
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I watched ontario outdoors and there was.a large group.of hunters that would always have fires going when hunting. A tradition at the camp for decades and they always got a lot of deer.
 
That is a moronic concept, IMO.

I'm not so sure I agree with you hoyt.
The first peoples on the Queen Charlotte's won the right to use a magic light for hunting when they where able to convince the Supreme Court Judge their fore fathers used burning cedars bows to harvest deer many moons ago.
I puked in my mouth when I read the judgement in either BC Outdoors or was it the Province.
But, this back in the late 80's to early 90's.
Something about Oral History...
**carverk, your a braver man than I when it comes to Devils Club, I give that beast a wide berth.

***S1deBurnz ever hear of a guy trying to start a flooded condition in his old Schmatz chain saw and after having pulled and pulled and dam near tuckered out look up to the shy and ask for help only to see a Bull Moose looking at him from 40 feet away with his head cocked ?
?If it wasnt for bad luck a guy might have no luck at all....
Rob
 
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I'm not so sure I agree with you hoyt.
The first peoples on the Queen Charlotte's won the right to use a magic light for hunting when they where able to convince the Supreme Court Judge their fore fathers used burning cedars bows to harvest deer many moons ago.
I puked in my mouth when I read the judgement in either BC Outdoors or was it the Province.
But, this back in the late 80's to early 90's.
Something about Oral History...
**carverk, your a braver man than I when it comes to Devils Club, I give that beast a wide berth.

***S1deBurnz ever hear of a guy trying to start a flooded condition in his old Schmatz chain saw and after having pulled and pulled and dam near tuckered out look up to the shy and ask for help only to see a Bull Moose looking at him from 40 feet away with his head cocked ?
?If it wasnt for bad luck a guy might have no luck at all....
Rob

Wrong Indians you're talking about the guys on Vancouver Island pit lamming and the case went all the way to the supreme court and the ban won the right to hunt at night
my salf I would love to see night hunting especially for hunting varmints and predators lots of wilderness areas can be hunted safely at night
 
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And also a scent that they associate with human activity...

Hunters, do yourselves a favour and forget the old "wives tales" about scent while hunting... strive to minimize scent on your body, your clothing, your gear and left on the ground... and do your best to stay downwind... this is the pathway to improved success.

I think it depends on how big the woods are that you hunt in. On small tracks of land like where I hunt, you get one hundred acres of land that has small farms and houses, deer cross roads by these houses and farms to get to cornfield or other small pieces of woods. They smell wood smoke 7 months of the year.

I used to hunt on a cattle farm, the deer were in the barns and in the woods along with the deer, and I would hang my hunting gear in the barn with with the cows, best scent cover I ever used.
 
My father in law was a logger who smoked like a chimney. He never hunted, but always smoked like a chimney, and smelled like a service station: gas, diesel, chain oil, hydraulic oil. He would see tons of moose, who never were afraid of him. Also, he was never careful to be quiet in the bush. His theory was that by not trying to hide, critters didn't see him as a threat. My old man smoked like a chimney, and he never had problems shootin bear.
 
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