I've read some posts that talk about deer being accustomed to the smell of a particular person at a feed station and therefore not spooked if they smell you there while you are hunting. I've noticed that during the summer, they don't really change their behavior no matter what I've done by changing or maintaining my feed station. However, I always assumed that changed once they rubbed their velvet off. I ALWAYS hunt the correct wind because I have two stands per feeder, but I just wanted y'all's thoughts on "familiar human scent". I bow hunt only, so everything is fairly tight around the feeders. Thanks in advance!

In my experience the regular visitors to the feeder location do get accustomed to familiar scent, however you are decreasing your odds of getting the traveling buck on the prowl to the location if you are spending too much time in the area. During season I keep my activity at the feeder location to a minimum.

I tend to agree with lansurveyor, Most of the time the guys that say that (including myself), are out there considerably more than just to tend feeders. I live where I hunt, so deer see and hear me 365 and dont generally see me as a threat. As far as a big mature buck, I think you can throw most of that out the window as a norm.

deer will become accustomed to most anything. sights/scents/smells/etc. the more they see it and the more they see that they have no reason to worry about it...then the less they care. remember deer will eat out of people's hands in places where they are used to being fed and nobody hunts.

deer may become familiar with your scent, and if you're not putting much hunting pressure on them. then they won't care.

dial up the pressure, and they will respond though too.

our place has light hunting pressure, the deer are not spooky at all. the hogs are mortified of anything and everything. we turned up the hunting pressure some last year to harvest some extra does off the place....the deer noticed.

Deer get accustomed to common scent they smell on a regular basis and they get accustomed to our habits from daily routines. They will not do the same for you sitting in a deer stand in relation to your scent. They smell you and they are gone. Some scent on the ground or on a bunch of grass you brushed up against is nothing like the flood of your scent streaming to them with the wind. Also, a change in your daily routine from driving around mid-morning to mid-day is going to alert them if all of a sudden you are out before daylight and after dark when you have not done that all year long.