How far can elk smell you?

[Ghost]

Given the very best conditions, perfect moisture, steady wind. How far can an elk pick you up? If Im glassing elk say 1000 yards away, and the winds at my back, can they pick my scent up?

[Swede]

I am not going to pretend to have an answer to this though 1000 yards seems a very long way to see a problem. I suppose elk could scent you that far away if you went into a drainage and the winds were carrying your scent down the draw to them. The problem with open country winds is, they shift so much that who knows which way your scent went after the wind hit you in the back. !Another thing to consider is how strong your odor is. I think minimizing your scent helps. Others do not seem to be as sure as I am. I liken scent to sound. How far does your voice carry? The environmental conditions make a big difference and so does how loud you are.

[Ghost]

I was thinking along those lines. I dont even try to reduce scent when Im backpack hunting, just isnt practical, well maybe if there was a hot spring nearby I could take a bath in every morning. I try and work the wind, but darn out west it just seems to change at the drop of a hat

[Steve G]

This is an interesting question. Maybe I shouldn't try and get into ghost's head but I personally might rephrase the question in this manner for what I would like to learn from it. I hope I am not jacking your thread ghost.

If you wanted to glass a very promising park/ hillside etc. that was 1,000 yards directly downwind from a convenient spotting location, and you were confident that the wind passing your two days unwashed back woods camping body was going to pass the location you were glassing, would the prospect of the elk winding you concern you enough to find an alternate point to spot from? For me I guess the question is, is there a point where your scent is sufficiently diluted / weakened to be of no significant concern to the elk.

[Lefty]

If you smell bad enough maybe 1000 yards, but I dont know

Conditions very so much and there are many variables
A gentle moist straight wind will carry detectable odors further.
Heat coming off a flat plain may push the scent over the top of them, swirling winds my misx and dilute the scent down wind

I know Ive had coyotes bust me when Im as clean as possible at 300 yards. Other times they have hung out at 75 and should have bolted.
But why have I had elk a number of times in good wind conditions not spook? Did they not smell me? or did they not recognize me as a danger?

I watched 22 cows/calves walk 10-50 yards away straight down wind in a gentle breeze I recognized 3 cows detecting and alerting, but never leaving and they hunt around for a good 10 minutes

I had two huge bulls straight down wind walk pass me and my blind at 18 yards And never react.
Ive had cows and calves at arms leagth, and the one I like the best. a bull sniffing my ear and shoulder then snorting snot on me.

Ive had elk bust from a group of us at 1000 yards; yet Ive had herds down wind at 80-100 never bust when wind conditions sugested the elk were down wind and should have winded me


All I can say is in my limited expierience September cows react down wind more than bulls

[Ghost]

This is an interesting question. Maybe I shouldn't try and get into ghost's head but I personally might rephrase the question in this manner for what I would like to learn from it. I hope I am not jacking your thread ghost.

If you wanted to glass a very promising park/ hillside etc. that was 1,000 yards directly downwind from a convenient spotting location, and you were confident that the wind passing your two days unwashed back woods camping body was going to pass the location you were glassing, would the prospect of the elk winding you concern you enough to find an alternate point to spot from? For me I guess the question is, is there a point where your scent is sufficiently diluted / weakened to be of no significant concern to the elk.

Nailed it!!

[easeup]

there was a day when I had tried a popular scent spray product. I has just soaked myself with that stuff one morning and proceeded to where I wanted to hunt. Just when it got good light I spotted a herd of about 12 elk moving my direction at 350 yds but dead down wind of me, I was not expecting to see them there but they smelled me good and by the way they left you would have thought a cannon was lit off.

[jswbga]

I'm not sure how or why, but it seems to me that scent makes a bigger impact in areas/times that are more humid.

could be complete farse.... but it seems like areas that I hunted that were exceedingly dry, I was able to get away with more, scent wise. I have no science to back this up, just a field observation.

[Ghost]

I'm not sure how or why, but it seems to me that scent makes a bigger impact in areas/times that are more humid.

could be complete farse.... but it seems like areas that I hunted that were exceedingly dry, I was able to get away with more, scent wise. I have no science to back this up, just a field observation.

I know from running bird dogs that damp days were alot better than dry days as far as the dogs picking up scent. Im sure its that way for all animals that use their nose.

[Lefty]

I'm not sure how or why, but it seems to me that scent makes a bigger impact in areas/times that are more humid.

could be complete farse.... but it seems like areas that I hunted that were exceedingly dry, I was able to get away with more, scent wise. I have no science to back this up, just a field observation.

I know from running bird dogs that damp days were alot better than dry days as far as the dogs picking up scent. Im sure its that way for all animals that use their nose.

odors at ground level tend to stay near the ground because the moisture is heavy and holds or keeps the scent down.
Different smells do have more volitility( I think thats the right word) and disperses/travels/breaks up faster than others

Dump gasoline on the ground on a hot day and strike a match, What happens?
Dump gasoline on the ground on a real cold day and you will have times the gas will put the match out instead of ignition( or the big boom theroy )

Or heated smoke where does it go?,.. up, till it cools . not that scent travels the same ,... but sorta

[Swamp Buck]

I think it is a good question but not really one that matters much. I really don't care how far away an elk CAN smell me, I do care how far away they REACT to the smell. The answer to that question will remain a question for the ages as it all depends on where you are hunting, when you are hunting, and how much you smell like what.

[Charina]

I just listened to a podcast with Corey Jacobson where he recounted that some elk he and buddy were glassing smelled them from 600-700 yards upwind, and moved off alarmed. Perhaps there was a lion between them, who knows, but that was his story about how far away an elk will react if your scent is blown to them.

[Dr. Rx]

during the hunt season.. human scent is the number one variable..
Kris

[TimeOnTarget]

I'm not sure how or why, but it seems to me that scent makes a bigger impact in areas/times that are more humid.

could be complete farse.... but it seems like areas that I hunted that were exceedingly dry, I was able to get away with more, scent wise. I have no science to back this up, just a field observation.

I know from running bird dogs that damp days were alot better than dry days as far as the dogs picking up scent. Im sure its that way for all animals that use their nose.

I've noticed the same with my dog and my hunting partners dogs. They can trail a bird a whole lot better when there is snow on the ground than when its dry out. Even just some morning dew makes their jobs much easier for them.

I'll assume elk are the same.

[BrentLaBere]

Ive noticed the same thing with bird dogs on those wet mornings. I dont think it compares to the way an elk will smell humans. The birds running through the wet grass may be leaving a better scent trail to follow...maybe it just sticks better. My thoughts on the matter anyway.
Ive had situations where I will be in the wooded area of a hill side and have the wind in my favor. Stepping out into a rock slide, meadow or crossing a chute the wind will do a 180. Terrain features can change wind and thermals. Just because the wind is in your favor where you are standing doesn't mean its not swirling and going towards the elk.

[Heartwood]

Yes, the devil is in the details where scent and the wind is concerned.

[>>>---WW---->]

I think it is a good question but not really one that matters much. I really don't care how far away an elk CAN smell me, I do care how far away they REACT to the smell. The answer to that question will remain a question for the ages as it all depends on where you are hunting, when you are hunting, and how much you smell like what.

Right on the money! This could be why some seem to think scent eliminators work. Personally, I don't think eliminators are the perfect answer to scent control. Only the wind can be your true friend or enemy. However, I do think a good scent eliminator may tone things down enough to make an animal think you are farther away than you actually are. Maybe they can still smell you but they may think you are still in their detection zone and not yet in their reaction zone. Hope that makes a little scent sence. Case in point: One day I was experimenting with some mule deer. They were directly down wind at a little over 200 yards away. I could tell they knew I was in the area but they continued to feed. So I was within their detection zone. When I took a few short steps closer, their heads shot up and they bounded off. Just those few steps put me in their reaction zone.

[Swede]

Bill makes a good point here. I guess I never thought of it quite that way, but he is right. Elk don't necessarily panic when they first detect you, but at least they instantly become more alert. Maybe the Mule deer realized you were getting closer. If you had stayed put or moved away, they might have kept on feeding. I think your take on scent control is correct. I have sure noticed that it helps.
A fellow hunted near me for years. He sat in the same stands locations I did. Sometimes he was in one and I would back out and go somewhere else or vice versa. The time of season we hunted was the same. He thought I was always very lucky. I was getting elk year after year and he got nothing ever. He smoked and rarely bathed. I am very careful to keep my scent level down. I think scent made all the difference as he rarely saw any elk.

[BrentLaBere]

Bill makes a good point here. I guess I never thought of it quite that way, but he is right. Elk don't necessarily panic when they first detect you, but at least they instantly become more alert. Maybe the Mule deer realized you were getting closer. If you had stayed put or moved away, they might have kept on feeding. I think your take on scent control is correct. I have sure noticed that it helps.
A fellow hunted near me for years. He sat in the same stands locations I did. Sometimes he was in one and I would back out and go somewhere else or vice versa. The time of season we hunted was the same. He thought I was always very lucky. I was getting elk year after year and he got nothing ever. He smoked and rarely bathed. I am very careful to keep my scent level down. I think scent made all the difference as he rarely saw any elk.

To me, this just seems like a "you should of been here yesterday" situation.

[Swede]

Brent, I just can't agree. Scent deserves very careful consideration. The other hunter might have attributed his lack of success to luck, or about anything else I suppose.
I remember going into his store one day, and he pointed me out and told another customer, I was the "luckiest hunter" he knew of. He went on to say, I could set up in the Safeway parking lot and kill elk. Of coarse that is not true. He went on to claim I had the "dumbest tree stand locations". I assume that is because he never saw anything while he was there.
He never missed any shots. He never had anything to shoot at. He had a compound bow the same as I did. Another friend went to one of his stands and killed a nice elk. We hunted the same area, at the same times for about 15 years. He never shot anything more than a bale of hay. Nothing. I went 14 out of 15 in that same time period on elk, and took some deer too. There has to be a point where you say luck is not the answer.
I can't be positive scent was his only bugaboo, but I can say he had a strong odor, and from the little I watched him in the stands, I saw nothing else that concerned me. He was not singing or dancing or anything else that would make him stand out.
I have mentioned this incident a couple of times before, but I think it bears repeating: One day a friend (not the one mentioned above) and I went down a hillside to different stands. As we descended the hill we were about 100 yards apart due to the location of the two stands. Awhile later a bear came by my stand, stopped for a drink, and crossed the path where I had descended the hill. The bear had no reaction to any scent I may have left behind. As soon as the bear hit the scent trail left by my friend, it turned around and ran back full speed past where I sat in my tree. This other friend had had been working and had a stronger odor than me.
I have walked to my stand a number of times and had an elk walk down the same trail I came in on less than an hour earlier. I had a spike bull follow right after me one time. I have not noticed my scent was a problem if the elk did not directly smell me. Others have said they saw elk coming to their water hole, until the elk hit the scent they had left earlier. Don't let anyone kid you. Your scent level makes a difference. WW is absolutely right.

[WapitiTalk1]

You guys and the wind. You need to be like me and not stink and just smell like roses all the time and no worries

[Swede]

Do ya think I would smell more like roses if I spent less time in the barn? No doubt we always carry some human odor, but we can help ourselves by minimizing it. No one is saying we can throw caution to the wind by showering daily or even hourly.
The tree stand hunter will get an advantage in the morning and evening when the diurnal winds are descending. Combined with extra stand height and we can get a real advantage on the critters. Of coarse mornings and evenings are when most elk show up either coming around for water or traveling to or from their bedding area.

[Lefty]

Swede picking on the boss is a bad idea!!!

The tree stand hunter will get an advantage in the morning and evening when the diurnal winds are descending.

Eastern White-tail hunters that hunt high stands tend to say their scent stays "above" the deer. When high enough that certainly can be the case.
I spent some time in a water flow research lab at Utah State. And a couple summers was part of a STEM program where we spent time learning about waterflow in the upper Snake River.
Fluids( including air) react very similar. There can be dead spots that scent molecules sort-of don't have access, or they hold in the area and may intensify, and sometimes the weight of the odor molecule will rise or sink. Guys that run hounds some day a great scent trail exists for days , other times hours. Just so many variables.
Ive tried to learn about those variables and take advantage of them.

[Wahpeton]

I've hunted whitetail deer in ND and MN for 30 years. They have really good noses, but from my short experience over 3 archery seasons out west I believe Rocky Mountain Elk have equal to or better noses.

I've been scented by both, Elk just bail out with reckless abandon. Deer make more of a vocal scene over the whole situation.

I think that both deer and elk are all over us when we have "bad wind" going toward them at 600 yards plus.

Just my 2 cents.

[Swede]

Swede picking on the boss is a bad idea!!!

But I am an equal opportunity harasser. I can't help it.

I have not studied thermals the way you did, but I have watched them carry thistle down and other particles through the air. I first put the problem together after sitting in a abandoned ole tree stand. It was located in a small basin about 12 feet above the ground. Every time I sat in that stand nothing came around. Every time I was gone the elk were showing up. I got an elk at a different location that September, but that stand situation bothered me.
The following winter I was thinking about how chimneys are set to extend above the roof of a home. I also started reflecting on some wildfire behavior training I had received years earlier. It occurred to me that 12 feet was too close to the ground and my scent was staying in the basin during the hours the elk came around. The next season I set my stand about 30 feet high above the water hole. Things changed immediately and my son and I were taking elk from that place. Several others now have killed elk there. We all climb higher up to place the stands.

[Beendare]

1000 yards?…… Yeah I bet they can smell you.

I regularly jump in the creeks mid day on elk hunts but it's more for my benefit than the Elk!

I don't know how anyone thinks they could stay scent free in the mountains on an elk hunt.

[Swede]

Beendare. Buddy. Nobody thinks they can ever get scent free. But we can minimize our scent. Maybe we can do some other things to avoid an elk's nose like go high in a tree stand. We don't have to smell like we have spent a week in the mountains on a vacation from soap and water.
I do not know if the American Cancer Society will ever find a cure for cancer. I do not know if I can prevent getting it again, but I watch my diet and use a good sun screen. I do not think any of us have to be a defeatist or act like those whistling past the graveyard. Do what you can to minimize your scent and do what you can to control what is being affected by it.

Oh BTW: You guys over 50 be sure to get your annual PSA test and your colonoscopy. I guess you can get a colonoscopy by just pooping in a paper cup now. That is EASY. I hope it is that easy the next time I have one.
I would like to see you all here for years to come so we can continue this little discussion, so make your Dr. appointment now while it is on your mind.

[Roosiebull]

My routine is only hunt the dumb ones

I have no clue how far they can smell me, I would guess about a 1/4 of the distance a bear can smell me.

"Hunting into the wind" is impossible on the coast, I try to minimize my scent profile, whether if it works or doesn't, it does in my mind.

I quit carrying a wind checker a few years ago, that is the most frustrating piece of equipment I have ever carried. I worry about the wind I can feel, and it seems to work good enough.

I think there are too many variables to give an honest answer....elk that have been run by people are likely less tolerant than ones that haven't....while both elk smell you the same, they react different.

If elk wind me at 500 yds, that is all I need to know about those elk, I am going to look for dumber ones.

I know I have killed elk that smelled me, I know I have been busted by scent plenty, but I have never seen them react to scent beyond a couple hundred yards, and that would have been during rifle season chaos.

No point in over thinking any aspect of it, go hunt, and see how those particular animals respond, it varies a bunch, what individual groups will put up with.