Hunting Myth Buster: Does Smoking While Deer Hunting Really Matter?

Does smoking while deer hunting help or hurt?

Of all of the deer hunting myths, smoking while deer hunting ranks up there near as the most discussed. We hunters go to great lengths to make sure we're as scent-free as possible while in the woods.

So, doesn't smoking a cigarette while in the woods just ruin everything?

Well, according to most of the message boards, social media sites, and this video regarding this issue, it doesn't...

It's not just the guy on this video, though. As seen here on one QDMA forum, Tooln wrote:

"...I was a smoker for years. I've had deer walk right under my stand while I was burning one. Been smoke free for 2 years now, can't say I noticed any difference in my stand."

How about this one from HuntingNet by early in:

"I smoke while on stand and I can honestly say the only times, which have been few, that I've been busted was because of movement. No other reason! Nobody can tell me that a deer knows the difference between cig smoke and smoke from someones nearby chimney."

There are countless stories more.

Okay, so is there any science behind this? Not really. What is behind it, though, is traditions. Native Americans were known to stand in smoke from their fires before going hunting to hide their human scent. As we all know, they were pretty good at harvesting deer.

Overall, there's very little information regarding this topic. I think most just feel that smoking while deer hunting is insane considering how well a deer can smell. Then again, according to some, they smell the smoke and it actually masks human odor.

What do you think? Does smoking in your treestand really matter?

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