# Campfire Poll Question



## gitterdone81 (Sep 3, 2009)

So my hunting 'mentor' who took me under his wing is a strict no campfire during the archery hunt type of guy. Naturally I just followed what he suggested, and have not had a campfire ever, while hunting. In years past I haven't heard much to the contrary, and simply, and perhaps blindly, pressed on without campfire. The reason you may be able to deduct is that the smoke would add scent and spook the deer/elk. This year however I have seen on posts here, and in other locations the suggestion that the campfire doesn't matter, and that some even utilize that as their scent covering. Logically I can see both sides of the argument...i.e. deer/elk likely smell smoke often and as such it doesn't mean to flee the county, but sometimes if you are in the high country and away from traditional camping areas, it still may be a foreign scent. 

And to those who say it doesn't matter, just note the wind, agreed, let's assume at this moment it is swirling


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

All a camp fire does is make you smell like a stinky human camp fire...

The best scent is NO scent. In other words, stay down wind... Unless the wind is swirling, then yer F'd


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

I too would have to say no fire is best. I'm not an archer, but it just makes sense.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

On the other hand fire is a naturally occurring odor for the outdoors and I don't see any problem with it. But when standing around it don't be wearing your hunting clothes. As far as bothering a animal I have seen deer and elk laying down in the burnt ashes after a fire has passed over the area. They actually seam to enjoy it, or is it the nice young twigs and grasses that they are enjoying?


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## nickpan (May 6, 2008)

I've seen way too many deer and elk killed by those who stand around the fire all the time in their hunting clothes, so i never have really bought into the whole thing. Too many other things play a role in the whole game


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## Flyfishn247 (Oct 2, 2007)

Yeah, I guarantee a deer is more fearful of the smell of human @$$ than it is of smoke. I usually don't have fires because I don't like smelling like a fire pit for a week, not out of fear of spooking an animal. 

On a side note, there is a huge burn area near where I am hunting, I am thinking of standing near a compfire this year as cover scent. I have a trailer this year to take an occasional shower, so I should be fine.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

haven't you guys ever watched the Disney movie "Bambi"? Of course animals don't like the smell of smoke!!

It's surprising that we don't have any fire restrictions in place in the majority of Utah yet this year -- I guess the overtime and hazard pay hasn't been up to snuff so far this year...


Personally, it's me that doesn't like the smoke. It burns my eyes, and it stinks. I prefer the smell of bacon and potatoes, burgers, burritos, and hotdogs we cook over the propane stove.


It's the archery hunt. The deer are still too stupid to realize that the "tree with arms and legs that smells like campfire smoke, bacon, and beer, moving across the meadow" is something to fear...


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## Andymansavage (Sep 19, 2008)

Yeah PBH is right on...... I can see the doe picking up the scent and looking at her fawn "man is in the forrest bambi"....and you forgot to add farts to the scent boquet that hunters bring to the woods, nevermind the hundreds of quads and stinky camps on the mtn. When I hunt away from normal camps I don't use a campfire either. When I do I only burn wood, no garbage, that shiz stinks.


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## bowhunt3r4l1f3 (Jan 12, 2011)

Andymansavage said:


> . When I hunt away from normal camps I don't use a campfire either. When I do I only burn wood, no garbage, that shiz stinks.


I remember back in the scouts a fellow scout decided it was a good idea to take a poop in the campfire....as you can guess it was the worst idea ever. To this day I still hate him for it! -)O(- haha


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## utbowhntr (Sep 11, 2007)

I've had plenty of campfires during archery season and haven't had any problems. I make sure though that I am not wearing my hunting clothes around the campfire and when I am hunting, I make sure I stay downwind. On a side note, one thing that I like to do when I get back to camp is place my hunting clothes in a large plastic bag filled with sage brush to help cover my scent and before I go to bed at night I make sure I wash up everywhere with scent free soap. Seems to work for me.


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## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

Hunting camp without a campfire?  What do you sit around to tell lies? How do you dry your boots and get them really, really stiff? :lol: How do you burn the hell out of a hobo dinner or get ashes in the Dutch oven? :EAT: How do you get those little holes all over in your chairs, jackets and damp sleeping bags? How do you attract every flying bug for 3 miles? :?: And it's a proven fact that nobody _needs_ eyebrows or hair on the back of their hand. :O•-: The red eyes and cough will go away as soon as you've been home a day or two. 
Without a campfire you may as well camp at Howard Johnson's.
The deer and elk don't hate the smell of a fire any worse than they hate the rest of the noisy scary stinking brightly lighted circus coming to town.
o-||


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> All a camp fire does is make you smell like a stinky human camp fire...
> 
> The best scent is NO scent. In other words, stay down wind... Unless the wind is swirling, then yer F'd


+1

We always backpacked in and then cold camped...only had a fire if we got wet or had our tags filled. I wouldn't allow any smoking at camp. We took most of our elk within 10 minutes of the tent.

With a lit cigarette hanging out of my mouth I shot a nice bull at 50 yards that walked up to my stand in the dark timber. The wind was in my favor.

Who knows.


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## elk22hunter (Sep 7, 2007)

You didn't have enough options to vote so I opted to not.  
Smoke does NOT cover human body odor giving the critters a false sense of security thinking that they just passed a log that must have been hit by lightning. Having said that, I still don't worry about fires in my camp. I don't care if I smell like campfire smoke or the inside of my truck. Either is a smell that will not cover up the "HUMAN" smell that is associated with humans. My breath is human, my butt is human and my sweat glands give off human odor. I have had many guys that I hunt with not allow camp fires. I even had a friend who would not eat meat for the month prior to the hunt so he wouldn't smell like a carnivor. 
Keep the wind in your favor......that is the biggest concern!


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