Sniffing Distance

[Bam Bam]

How far away have you seen elk bust a hunter by scent? I watched a bull last week feeding in a tiny meadow in the dark timber near the top of a mountain. Another hunter was sitting about 200-250 yards above the elk, although the bull and hunter were obviously not aware of each other's presence. After I watched the bull for a while (I was waiting for him to move into the timber and bed down), the bull suddenly picked up his head, stood still for a moment, and then took off running into the timber. It appeared to me that he had scented the hunter from about 250 yards away! It is very rare that I have been busted by a deer from more than 200 yards by scent alone..... but now I am wondering if elk have better noses than deer.

 

[Dsnow9]

Hundreds of yards of the conditions are right.

 

[seeth07]

I've had a mature whitetail buck directly down wind on a pretty breezy day stop dead in his tracks at about 425 yards, stare my direction and then bolt the other way. No doubt in my mind he could smell me.

 

[Bam Bam]

I've had a mature whitetail buck directly down wind on a pretty breezy day stop dead in his tracks at about 425 yards, stare my direction and then bolt the other way. No doubt in my mind he could smell me.

It's true- it can happen, but it is very rare in my experience. I have only tagged one elk thus far, so I am much less acquainted with elk abilities than a Whitetail's.

 

[jpcoll01]

I watched a bull and 3 cows wind a guy and his girlfriend from what had to be 450 yards directly upwind on opening morning of rifle. They didn’t just feed off they busted out at a full “I smelled you” gallop.

 

[rogerthat]

I think deer and elk can wind you from 800 yards or further if the conditions are right

 

[Wyhunter]

I'm a bit of a scent nerd and wash all of my gear/self with non-scent stuff the day before a hunt. Ive been busted at 200-300 yards with a simple swirl of the wind. The animals are pretty amazing and we smell entirely different than their environment.

 

[MTLabrador]

I had a black bear wind me from around 1000 yards one day. Went from head down munching grass to loping up over the ridge when the wind started blowing up canyon.

 

[Flatbrimmer]

I think the question was how long he can still smell elk after they’ve left a place…


I’m just guessing, but if I can smell them, I believe they were definitely there within the last 12-24 hours and could still likely be very close. As for the sign, when I shot my bull this year we didn’t see a speck of fresh droppings for two days. I doubted there was even elk in there. Boy was I wrong!