Scent control explained- long read

[flyby]

That's good stuff, Troy.

Something I've wondered about, and maybe you can shed some light from K9 experiece -- is there any merit to the idea of scent overload for a dog (or hog, deer) by using a strong cover scent such as skunk essence?

From experience I would say no, but no scientific data to back that. On a long track you will hear the K9 occasionally blow out their nose, I have read that is clearing the nasal passages.

Here's another example of a K9's smell versus us. When you walk in the house and your wife is cooking spaghetti, what do you smell? You smell spaghetti. A dog doesn't. A dog smells, pasta, tomato's, garlic, etc. This can be demonstrated by hiding narcotics in a can of coffee grounds, or submerged in oil, or covered in dryer sheets or laundry soap. The dog will still be able to find the dope.

[spro]

[flyby]

So how does moisture like rain or heavy dew effect ground disturbance. Does the dog then track more of the human scent than ground disturbance?

Environmental conditions greatly effect odor. Cool, moist weather holds odor for much longer periods of time than hot, dry weather. Human odor versus ground disturbance depends on the dog. Bloodhounds are trained to track almost exclusively human odor, not so much in LE. A true human odor tracking dog can differentiate between people on a track even if others walk across the track. That takes tons of training along with the right handler and dog. Most in LE don't have the luxury of doing tracking 20-30 hours a week or more.

[flyby]

I believe that a lot of what you say is true, but I don't know about the two hours. My JRT has found several hogs the next morning after we shot them from say 10:00 until midnight. (We don't track big hogs in the dark when we're not sure of shot placement) Of course, hopefully, the perp you're tracking doesn't smell as bad as a hog.

Don't doubt this at all. I was referring to LE dogs in a residential environment. Cars driving down the road, people out walking their dogs, kids getting out of school, all effect the odor that has been left. I do a lot of tracking and have no doubt my dog could follow a track 4-6 hours or more after it was left in a rural, undisturbed environment. Another thing to consider is, did the dog track or did the dog air scent? If I'm 100-150 yds away from a person and downwind my dog will drag me to them. No telling how far he can smell an old hog.

I'll add one more thing to the info you've given about disturbance. Deer have interdigital glands between their "toes" that will leave a different scent when they are scared and "blow out". Another deer can smell that much later and leave the vicinity. I've personally witnessed that.

Again, don't doubt that. People are the same. When I do a training track and just have someone go walk an area the dog can track. When you're on the trail of a suspect that just wrecked out and is running from a stolen car you see a HUGE difference in the dog. Adrenaline and hormones get the dog excited!!!

We know so much more about deer and their habits than we did twenty years ago, and yet we have just scratched the surface.

Good points.

[flyby]

HAHA!! Still ground disturbance and human odor, but nice try!!!

[Creedmore]

This can be demonstrated by hiding narcotics in a can of coffee grounds

You're telling me that Axl Foley lied to us all?

[BrianL]

When you have an extra right foot you leave extra stink.

[flyby]

You're telling me that Axl Foley lied to us all?

Don't know who he is.

Long time no see, brother!! Call me sometime.

[Bowman01]

Guys check out Scent Thief. I've been using this stuff the last two seasons. Legit. And when I say legit there's nothing that comes close. I've always went off the deep end on scent control measures. This product has cut a lot of my prep in half. Unbelievable how well it works.

[Creedmore]

Don't know who he is.

Long time no see, brother!! Call me sometime.

Will do.

[CEO]

Sweet! I needed a project today.

[flyby]

One more thing to think about is what is referred to as a scent cone. Picture an inverted funnel that goes away from you and with the wind. As the wind blows past you it carries your odor downwind. With a light wind you will have a wider cone, but the odor is spread further out, so the odor dissipates in a shorter distance. With a stronger wind it keeps the scent cone narrower for a longer distance.

When searching an area for a person with no known track you start out downwind and zig zag into the wind. The scent cone can be "seen" by watching the dog. The dog will suddenly start pulling across the scent cone until he loses the odor, then will double back into the scent cone, until he leaves it again, and so on. You will see the back and forth of the dog get narrower and narrower as he gets closer to the source of the odor.

The point of this is that in light wind your odor disperses to a larger area downwind. If you have trails coming in behind you or to the sides there is more chance you will be busted in a light wind than in a heavy wind.

[Quackerbox]

I believe that a lot of what you say is true, but I don't know about the two hours. My JRT has found several hogs the next morning after we shot them from say 10:00 until midnight. (We don't track big hogs in the dark when we're not sure of shot placement) Of course, hopefully, the perp you're tracking doesn't smell as bad as a hog.

The cone Flyby is speaking of has a lot to do with this. Longer the animal or human stays in one place the better the cone will be. Nothing like see a dog run frantic back and forth lines till he/she catches wind of the target. Watching the dogs body language is sometimes more fun than catching the bad guy.

Probably the same reason handlers recommend leaving doors closed while you wait for a dog to come search for narcotics.

[Gunnyart]

Do you think the rainy weather all week at our place will mitigate the ground disturbance aspect?

[WCB]

Interesting read..

Next on my hunting gadgets list. A helicopter to drop me in my blind..

I was thinking of a large drone...

Oh yeah, callout challenge issued.

My bet is on the dog.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

My money is on the dog too Mike!! I'll cover a hunert...

Do you think the rainy weather all week at our place will mitigate the ground disturbance aspect?

Bet not. You would still be disturbing the ground walking on it.

And I always have used the ole "step in cow pies" trick. Witnessed many bucks come right up same trail and didn't seem to spook.