I am very meticulous about scent control and alway try to play the wind. One of my pleasures in life is a cup of coffee on a frosty November morning sitting in a stand. Do you think the scent of the coffee is is costing me opportunities to have deer in close? I have had this conversation with several well know bow hunters and they think I am crazy to jeopardize my hunts with the smell of coffee. What do you think?
Daver
PMA Member
Let me answer your question with a question...have you ever seen a nice buck sitting in a coffee shop?
Right there is your answer.
Bucks really do not like coffee.
Seriously though, if your wind is right I personally would not see how a cup of coffee would hurt your hunt. If your wind is wrong though, then I doubt the coffee is your problem.
Do they make de-scented coffee? I'd check next to the decaf and see.
Right there is your answer.
Bucks really do not like coffee.Seriously though, if your wind is right I personally would not see how a cup of coffee would hurt your hunt. If your wind is wrong though, then I doubt the coffee is your problem.
Do they make de-scented coffee? I'd check next to the decaf and see.
hoosierhunter
Active Member
Find a new pleasure. But seriously all your hard work is completely undone by cracking open coffee in the stand. I'm extremely confused why you work hard at scent control but then make that decision.
skyleralan
PMA Member
I'm sorry the more "meticulous" I have become over scent control the more I am starting to think it is beyond ridiculous to go to such great precautions that don't seem to be making a difference. Twice already after having good winds, and ensuring everything to the best of my ability was scent free did I still somehow have a doe wind me.
I still think the wind and only the wind is the number one factor regardless of what scent precautions you take. Nothing fools a deer and it's nose.
I still think the wind and only the wind is the number one factor regardless of what scent precautions you take. Nothing fools a deer and it's nose.
madplotter
PMA Member
I think you are right. If you can be that meticulous, more power to you. As for the coffee...if it is something you enjoy and I understand why, drink away. All of our bodies give off scent but I think you do the right thing by eliminating as much as possible.
As many say on here, hunt the wind and don't burn your stands.
I wish I could be that meticulous...
jclaws
PMA Member
I don't see a reason deer would have a fear of coffee scent. They are programmed to fear human scent. I would bet if you put a cup of hot coffee in your food plot the deer would be more curios than spooky. Problem is if they smell a coffee in your hand they will prolly smell you too.
KnuckleDragr
Active Member
I agree that if you play the wind correctly, that it shouldn't be that big a deal. Those deer can also smell your breath. So unless you quit breathing, they get downwind they are destined to smell something wrong. I would at least use a cup that the lid can be shut so the coffee smell can be minimized. If you don't already.
2-bucks
PMA Member
You are probably going to get as many differing opinions on this question as you have replies, which is all well and good and what forums are for. But this still leads me to my own conclusion....you,me and everyone else on here really don't know. With that conclusion it leads me to my plan of action which is to not take the chance. I will probably only see 1-2 shooter bucks a year and am not wiling to take the chance. I go to pretty long length to be scent free but know I am never 100% scent free. I am scent "reduced" enough that I can get deer down wind about 1/2 to 2/3 of the time without getting busted. When busted it is usually the deer walking away nervously. It has been a long time since I've had one blow and bust out and I'm not having a morning coffee to risk it. Like others say, playing the wind is still most important but I only have couple stands where a deer can absolutely not get behind me and like it or not the wind can swirl.
camo658
New Member
I'd say try it, and let us know your findings. It would be interesting to compare your deer numbers over each time on stand. if it were me, I wouldn't risk it knowing what I know about windcurrents and topography. But I'm just 'meticulous', paranoid, and not to crazy about coffee
MNbuckhunter
Member
During all day sits I always bring a thermos of coffee on stand. Quite honestly I get a lot of satisfaction out of a nice cup of coffee about 10 am and 2 pm. A nice little warmer on a cool day is though to beat if you ask me. That being said, 100% of the time we will hunt a stand based on a favorable wind so it really wouldn't matter if you drink coffee or not. If a deer gets downwind of you it will smell you and your coffee. I will say that if you have loose parts on your thermos that will make noise you need to fix that. I taped the handle and the whole thing so it is silent.
madplotter
PMA Member
Would a soy latte be considered baiting?
letemgrow
PMA Member
You will never be 100% scent free to start with. Go ahead and shower, spray and spray some more. You are putting off scent no matter what you do.
See plenty of guys who smoke and kill mature bucks on a regular basis. Not sure coffee is going to do much to a deer, other than smell foreign. They have to identify the odor as a threat. Sometimes, I think we put our thought process in the mind of a deer which is not comparable.
You have your bow in hand and they will take off when they smell ya. Sit your bow down on the ground and they will come up and smell it and not be nearly as alarmed. Foreign stuff makes a deer have to figure out if its a threat or not. They are not going to run at every sound/odor right off the bat.
Coffee is actually good and neutralizing odors for what its worth and food for thought...
See plenty of guys who smoke and kill mature bucks on a regular basis. Not sure coffee is going to do much to a deer, other than smell foreign. They have to identify the odor as a threat. Sometimes, I think we put our thought process in the mind of a deer which is not comparable.
You have your bow in hand and they will take off when they smell ya. Sit your bow down on the ground and they will come up and smell it and not be nearly as alarmed. Foreign stuff makes a deer have to figure out if its a threat or not. They are not going to run at every sound/odor right off the bat.
Coffee is actually good and neutralizing odors for what its worth and food for thought...
camo658
New Member
Agree, But Every little bit helps. You can play the wind, and still have deer not follow script and get down wind of you. A deer will smell you eventually, but we do all these steps ,each time out,to hopefully prolong the reaction time of a deer to our scent, just in case the deer gets down wind but still offers an opportunity for harvest.
The Op can drink Coffee on stand if he so chooses. He has the freedom to do so. It will be interesting to hear what the OP finds out from doing so. All I was saying is that I wouldn't. Everybody has at least a little bit different way to go about hunting whitetails. We have different equipment, strategies, theories on when and where to hunt, etc.. Doesn't automatically make it wrong, just different.
hillrunner
PMA Member
I agree with this. I hardly ever pull a card on a cam without pictures of deer sniffing it, I have dropped things from the stand that I had my hands all over and watched deer lick it. I used to take hard boiled eggs to the stand for all day sits and threw the shells on the ground, I actually had deer walk up and sniff them. The only thing they seem to really dislike is the smell of me.
If a deer gets down wind of you it will smell human scent that it will mostly interpret as a negative smell.
No matter what scent is accompanied. With your scent, it will be your human scent that ultimately makes them blow or head the other way without you ever knowing that a deer was downwind if you.
Ive been 100% both ways of scent free and if they get downwind or smell your entry and exit routes the gig is up, as simple as that.
Having confidence in your set up is #1 wether it be scent control or your stand placement, keeping deer upwind is the key to consistently killing deer especially with archery gear.
No matter what scent is accompanied. With your scent, it will be your human scent that ultimately makes them blow or head the other way without you ever knowing that a deer was downwind if you.
Ive been 100% both ways of scent free and if they get downwind or smell your entry and exit routes the gig is up, as simple as that.
Having confidence in your set up is #1 wether it be scent control or your stand placement, keeping deer upwind is the key to consistently killing deer especially with archery gear.
meyeri
PMA Member
Exactly. I'm not sure about the actual liquid coffee, but the grounds can be used as deodorizers. I drink coffee on the stand occasionally and I doubt the smell affects deer too much.
How many guys go all day without snacking or eating on stand too? Very few I bet. Anything you eat is while on stand will carry a foreign odor too. There comes a point where scent control is OCD if you ask me. Personally I'll roll the dice and not deprive myself of comforts like food and coffee if they can help me sit all day comfortably. Just my 2 cents.