Human Urine/Response From Deer

[Guest Tatonka]

I've read that deer will spook if they smell human urine. Many books, magazine articles, etc. will tell people not to urinate near their stands. I decided to see for myself just how true this is. I have about 6 1/2 acres behind my house that is tall grass, brush, etc. There is always at least one scrape and several rubs there, so I decided to place some human urine in one of the scrapes, around the rubs, etc. I also put out grain for the deer, so I put some around the feeding areas also (I don't shoot the deer....we put out grain for viewing purposes only). The results were interesting. The next morning after I placed the urine in the scrape it was torn to shreds. I only saw a couple does and fawns come into the grain, but they showed no reaction to the human urine at all. I repeated this a couple times over the course of a week or so. The scrape wasn't torn up again, but the deer feeding on the grain continued to show no reaction whatsoever.

I work part-time doing drug and alcohol testing. The drug testing involves collecting urine and sending it to the lab. When I started I was concerned about the health risks of handling urines, so I did some research. Urine is totally sterile. It can actually be used to sterilize a cut or wound if you are out in the wild.

Based on my research and the experiments I did on the deer on my property, I don't believe human urine spooks deer. It might even attract them. So, you all can go ahead and pee from your stands... You might even want to pee where you want your buck to stop for the shot....

[okiedog]

Everyone is going to have their own opions on this, and alot of people are just doing what they have been told for years. My personal opion is based on what I have personally seen in the field over the years. Have I urinated in scrapes? Yes, and have seen deer in those scraps shortly after. Have I urinated out of my stand? Yes again. About 6 years ago I was about 25 ft up a tree in my climber. The urge hit me and I was unsure if I was was gonna make it down the tree in enough time, so I urinated from the stand. About half way through, I heard something coming through the leaves and cross the creek staright towards me. It was a couple of does that walked 5-10 feet away form the base of my tree. I eased my bow off the hanger and made a great shot on one of the does with my trowsers down:eek:.

[Tominator]

Yep, it's been discussed numerous times in the past here.

I gleaned a few if you want to go back and read these threads.

Here's a few threads from past conversations on this post.

http://www.realtree.com/forums/showt...ght=fred+trost

http://www.realtree.com/forums/showt...ght=fred+trost

http://www.realtree.com/forums/showt...ght=fred+trost

First time I used it, I had a little 9 pt actually lick the post I dumped my urine on.

[Dubie]

From personal experience, it doesn't seem to matter too much. As a rule, I generaly try to avoid using the area around my stand, but when I do, it doesn't seem to affect anything. I think just quietly going where you are probably spooks less deer then walking out and back in again.

[buckee]

Good post, even though it has been discussed before. I used to keep a big bottle hanging in my stand, just for peeing in I found out a few years back, the same way you did, they it just doesn't matter, in fact, it is a curiosity scent that works really well at times.

I've had deer walk right under me, only minutes after I've gone, and heck, it's still steaming, and they stick their nose right in it, with no alert signals going on or anything. They are just as relaxed as can be.

[Missilelock]

Glad to find someone else finding the ame thing as meon the urine thing- I learned long ago the smell doesent bother them a bit.

I did have to go bad one night about the time 2 does came in that I wasnt gonna shootanywy so after what seemed like an eternity I just took my leak on the dry leaves when they were about 20 yds out....now that kinda had a spookin effect on them :D

[wtnhunt]

Good post, even though it has been discussed before. I used to keep a big bottle hanging in my stand, just for peeing in I found out a few years back, the same way you did, they it just doesn't matter, in fact, it is a curiosity scent that works really well at times.

I've had deer walk right under me, only minutes after I've gone, and heck, it's still steaming, and they stick their nose right in it, with no alert signals going on or anything. They are just as relaxed as can be.

Yep, have been several good discussions on this topic. I do not hesitate to urinate in scrapes or from my stand when I have to go, and have watched deer work the same scrapes after doing so and had deer come through numerous times witihn a very short time of me going.

[Airman312]

they really don't seem to care...just as long as it stinks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[woodshed]

okiedog,

LOL,, talking about getting caught with you pants down. I go from my stand all the time. Sometimes it's the highlight of my day!!! . Now you beat me to it. LOL

[dbHunterNY]

I have done it...

Most of the time I hunt in a climbing treestand in locations I've prepped ahead of time (ex: trimming limbs for shooting lanes, etc.). I've found others I know, not as serious about hunting as I, are less tempted to hunt the stand with the wrong conditions if I don't have one there at that time. However, at times I too have had the urge to go and went off the side of the stand. I've noticed it doesn't really spook deer. I have had deer walk right under me, get a big nose full, and not run. Big bucks are said to have a "sixth sense" so I don't know if I'd ever use it as an attractant or have it near scrapes or rubs.

- Dan

[Tom2008]

People have made mock scrapes with their own pee and yes the deer do come in to check it out, but the bucks will usually not show up there again. It was tested at a deer farm in Princeton, MN. They make deer pee up there and keep there deer in natural pens. When they tested the human pee in a scrape the deer checked it out, but then didn't mess around with it at all after that.

[Guest Tatonka]

People have made mock scrapes with their own pee and yes the deer do come in to check it out, but the bucks will usually not show up there again. It was tested at a deer farm in Princeton, MN. They make deer pee up there and keep there deer in natural pens. When they tested the human pee in a scrape the deer checked it out, but then didn't mess around with it at all after that.

OK....think about this one for a minute.... A place that sells deer pee supposedly does an experiment where they test human urine and they state that the deer didn't come back to the scrape with the human urine. Do you think that maybe there is a reason they came up with these results? Do you think maybe if word got out that deer respond to human urine in a similar fashion as deer urine that it just might hurt their deer urine sales?

Now, I don't know but urine from a doe in estrous might have a different effect on a buck than urine from a man. On the other hand, I've read that Gene Wensel has experimented with used female sanitary pads with positive results.... You'll have to ask Gene how he got them..

[Tominator]

Do you think that maybe there is a reason they came up with these results? Do you think maybe if word got out that deer respond to human urine in a similar fashion as deer urine that it just might hurt their deer urine sales?

Fred Trost lost his can in court over those suspicions with Buck Stop lure company. Fred Trost is the one who originally got me thinking about using my own urine. Fred also dumped Aqua Velva and straight ammonia with no ill effects on the deer. He set up a camera in a blind and filmed the reactions of the deer. Of the 4 things he dumped (Aqua velva, buck stop doe pee, human urine and ammonia) the deer went to the human pee and ammonia the most. They avoided the Aqua velva most, but were not spooked by it.

[Tom2008]

OK....think about this one for a minute.... A place that sells deer pee supposedly does an experiment where they test human urine and they state that the deer didn't come back to the scrape with the human urine. Do you think that maybe there is a reason they came up with these results? Do you think maybe if word got out that deer respond to human urine in a similar fashion as deer urine that it just might hurt their deer urine sales?

Now, I don't know but urine from a doe in estrous might have a different effect on a buck than urine from a man. On the other hand, I've read that Gene Wensel has experimented with used female sanitary pads with positive results.... You'll have to ask Gene how he got them..

I know a guy that does it too while he is hunting, but he only does it to get the bucks attention. After that time the buck comes into it he ends up not showing up again. The people from the deer farm are friends of mine and you can believe what you want, but I don't think they were lying.

[arrow32]

I use to never pee from stand but have found out from my own experinces it doesn't really bother deer at all. I have had a couple spook from it but not more than I've had come in and sniff it and keep browsing. For the most part they might just jump back a foot or two and nothing else.

[QDMAworks4me]

We have a lot of mature deer on our property and I am not willing to take that chance, ever!! I carry a bottle with me nd empty it at the end of the night if ti use it. No matter how many steps humans take they take enough scent with them when they go into the woods, I don't want to leave any extra when i am there. Just my .02 cents

[Guest Tatonka]

We have a lot of mature deer on our property and I am not willing to take that chance, ever!! I carry a bottle with me nd empty it at the end of the night if ti use it. No matter how many steps humans take they take enough scent with them when they go into the woods, I don't want to leave any extra when i am there. Just my .02 cents

Have you ever seen a buck spook from smelling your urine?

[Guest blindhog]

I have also made mock scrapes and urinated in them and the bucks made the scrape bigger as a matter of fact it was as big as the bed of my GMC truck . i also had my pee bottle lid come loose in my equipment bag one time . Every doe down wind of me let me know they knew where I was . It ruined our hunt that evening and I had to wash everthing to get the scent out . I just do not like to let them know I am there . A lot of guy's I have hunted with do very little scent controll. My wife will tell I am fanatical about it . all my clother stay hung up on the back porch until the end of deer season . Even at the hunt club I will take off my outer clothing and hang it up on the clothsline before entering the house . The other guy's will be petting their dogs or have it jump up on the couch and lay beside them . I may have made some people mad when I ask them to controll their animal so it will not get its sent all over me . Of course the say they see a lot of bucks and say it dosent bother them or they have sent lock clothing and it absorbs the sent . I see a lot of bucks and they never know i am there and I mean decent bucks that most people in my state would shoot in a minute . I have started carrying a camera lately ! Its a 35mm that means I will have to scan the pictures . My digital will not capture a moving target . I firmly beleive that no sent is the best sent if it does not smell like a deer!!!

[RICK]

pee away

[Ravin R10 man]

hey..when a buck pees near my stand it dont spook me.....Ive not seen it spook them yet when I do it...

[mule659]

I have went out of my treestend many times and have never had a deer even pay any attention to it. Urine is urine no matter what it comes from.

[QDMAworks4me]

Have you ever seen a buck spook from smelling your urine?

Not willing to take the chance and honestly if you have a 4 1/2 or 5 1/2 year old buck smell your urine from a distance you will never see him to know if you spooked him, in all my years of hunting I carry a bottle, everyone that hunts our property does.

[Guest Tatonka]

I have also made mock scrapes and urinated in them and the bucks made the scrape bigger as a matter of fact it was as big as the bed of my GMC truck . i also had my pee bottle lid come loose in my equipment bag one time . Every doe down wind of me let me know they knew where I was . It ruined our hunt that evening and I had to wash everthing to get the scent out . I just do not like to let them know I am there . A lot of guy's I have hunted with do very little scent controll. My wife will tell I am fanatical about it . all my clother stay hung up on the back porch until the end of deer season . Even at the hunt club I will take off my outer clothing and hang it up on the clothsline before entering the house . The other guy's will be petting their dogs or have it jump up on the couch and lay beside them . I may have made some people mad when I ask them to controll their animal so it will not get its sent all over me . Of course the say they see a lot of bucks and say it dosent bother them or they have sent lock clothing and it absorbs the sent . I see a lot of bucks and they never know i am there and I mean decent bucks that most people in my state would shoot in a minute . I have started carrying a camera lately ! Its a 35mm that means I will have to scan the pictures . My digital will not capture a moving target . I firmly beleive that no sent is the best sent if it does not smell like a deer!!!

If the does that spooked were downwind from you, how do you know if they spooked from smelling the urine or from smelling you?

[Guest Tatonka]

Not willing to take the chance and honestly if you have a 4 1/2 or 5 1/2 year old buck smell your urine from a distance you will never see him to know if you spooked him, in all my years of hunting I carry a bottle, everyone that hunts our property does.

If you have a 4.5 or 5.5 year old buck out of sight at a distance, how would you know if he spooked or not? Also, if he can smell your urine from a distance he can probably smell you....assuming there is a buck out of sight and he spooked, how would you know if the buck spooked from smelling the urine or from smelling you? The point I'm trying to make here is that we tend to make decisions based on what we read and/or what we assume rather than what we have experienced first hand. My personal experience (and from what I'm reading here, the experience of others) is that deer do not spook from the smell of human urine. In many cases it attracts them.

Try this....if you have one of this digicam deals, set it up where you know some deer (preferrably a buck) will come in. Deposit some human urine there, and see what the results are.... A video camera would be even better.

[QDMAworks4me]

If you have a 4.5 or 5.5 year old buck out of sight at a distance, how would you know if he spooked or not? Also, if he can smell your urine from a distance he can probably smell you....assuming there is a buck out of sight and he spooked, how would you know if the buck spooked from smelling the urine or from smelling you? The point I'm trying to make here is that we tend to make decisions based on what we read and/or what we assume rather than what we have experienced first hand. My personal experience (and from what I'm reading here, the experience of others) is that deer do not spook from the smell of human urine. In many cases it attracts them.

Try this....if you have one of this digicam deals, set it up where you know some deer (preferrably a buck) will come in. Deposit some human urine there, and see what the results are.... A video camera would be even better.

You try that and let me know how it works, until I hear the results from your study I will continue using the practices that I believe work. If you want to pee in your woods I have no problem with that and if you feel that it works go ahead by all means.

Call me stubborn if you would like I am ok with that : )