Antlers! Big ones!

I’d been about half-gazing to my right, where a button buck fed contentedly around the edges of a cut bean field. He was so close, the weak fall sun outlined the network of veins in his ears. Like those of his age, he was wrapped up in the thrill of filling his belly.

Then he snapped up his head and stared through my stand area. Carefully, I turned my head to the left and saw a big buck approaching at a steady walk. I’d thought it was too early for big bucks to be on their feet, but this one seemed determined to scent check the field.

With the giant oak tree that held the stand shielding my movements, I got to my feet, bow in hand, keeping my eyes on the deer. The stand was well placed - any deer quartering the wind on the way to the field could use a well-established deer trail. The slight breeze was in my face and my release was on the string.

I always get buck fever. As my heart rate responded, it sounded like I was listening to the ocean by holding a big seashell to my ear. My breaths came shaky but steady and deep, as I readied for the best time to draw.

Then the buck came to a stop. He lifted his nose slightly. No way, I was thinking, no way! I hadn’t moved, and the wind was perfect. He turned, agonizingly showcasing the spread of his rack, and melted back the way he’d come.

I tried grunting, and later, some rattling, but it was nothing doing. What went wrong?

A Missed Detail

of Preparations

Even though it only takes about a week into the season before my hair looks like I’ve been rubbing balloons on it, I wash it faithfully in the unscented shampoo, and wash my body in unscented soap. I launder anything I’ll use when hunting, including clothes, underwear and even towels, in unscented detergent for hunters.

I clean and descent snap-top containers and keep my hunting clothes in them – one for outer clothing and one for long underwear layers, socks, gloves and hats. I have pairs of rubber boots and muck boots that aren’t used for anything but hunting. I spray up with scent killer.

So how did that big buck bust me? It might have been what I had for lunch, or breakfast, or dinner the night before – I think he smelled my breath, as I puffed in the throes of buck fever.

And how much of my pre-hunt preparations had I devoted to controlling breath odors? I’d brushed my teeth, and usually chew gum while I’m hunting – to keep my mouth from getting dry so I don’t have to cough.

Here’s how odors get on our breath. Our food is digested and absorbed into the bloodstream, where it’s carried to the lungs before it’s given off as breath. If you haven’t thought about adding breath control products to your pre-hunt regimen, here are a couple facts that may convince you:

Every day, we move 10,000 liters of air in and out of our lungs.

Two-thirds of a deer’s brain is dedicated to perception and evaluation of odors.

According to medical research, 80 percent of scent given off by humans is related to breath.

A deer’s nose is filled with an intricate system of nasal passages that contain millions of olfactory receptor sites.

Opening day is soon upon us. Good luck archers, and don’t overlook that last detail.