Biologists study deer reaction to human urine

[Uhnalvhi Alisoqualvdi]

Petersons Bowhunting -

According to biologist Dr. Karl Miller with the University of Georgia, all animal urines are very complex. Each sample contains hundreds of chemicals related to the physiology and diet of the animal from which it came. Miller attested that there is a chemical difference between the urine of every animal, however, that does not mean that human urine contains anything that will spook a deer any faster than fox or coyote urine.

Human urine does not contain human scent in the way that deer have come to recognize it and associate it with danger, it merely smells as urine, quite possibly no different than a coon or fox and based on recent test, it may be even closer to deer unrine!

A scrape test was performed using doe, buck and human urine. Buck urine got the most positive response; A scrape with doe urine got less attention than one with nothing in it at all and all urines got some amount of positive response.

In conclusion, out of four biologists all felt that human urine would not spook deer! Carry a bottle if ya like but there is no scientific reason for it.

I found this pretty interesting fellers, whats ya'lls T&O's

[cyclops]

I have been saying that for years. I used to schlep a pee jug in and out with me til I talked to a fella from Cornell Univ. who told me that same thing. Since then, I have done my nature calls right from the stand and never seen a decline in the ammount of venison in my freezer.

Thanks for the info!

Cy

[Rimshot]

I read the same report and a simalar one. I believe in Outdoor Life, a few years ago. I also used to carry a jug in and out with me but not anymore.

The one study I read did say that you should drink plenty of water and not eat spicy foods the day before a hunt or drink a lot of coffee before a hunt because they would make your urine smell stronger and could spook deer because of the un-natural smell.

I put this to a test last year when I took a pee out of my stand and less than 10 minutes later a decent 8 point came to my tree and put his nose right in it. He stayed around and sniffed for a few minutes and walked away. That deer was not at all alarmed.

[ol_spark]

I feel it's mostly the confidence thing in every thing we do. If we believe something is so, no matter what scientific data proves, we are more likely to go the route we have the most cofidence in and subsequently have more success in doing so. Simply because we do it that way more often than the scientific way.

However, that does bring up an interesting point about deer urine. Is it deer urine or whitetail deer uriine? After you think about that comment awhile, what is your success ratio using the product you use. What is it defined as?

[Uhnalvhi Alisoqualvdi]

Interesting perspective spark, the question of proven technical results versus proven success through trial and error. Could it be that the ultimate intention from the hunter is merely the buck we seek showing interest in something simple, anything at all, just hot pee maybe, a simple act of persuasion to give you an opportunity you would not have had were it not for your choices (pee of some sort) presence. Either way, I share your perspective of confidence, just how much of a simple time factor is it versus luring by calling or scents?

[Jack]

Years ago, while I was working in a sporting goods store, I ran into a bow hunter who showed me the pictures of the deer he'd killed- all were very large bucks.
After a while to told me his technique: he'd scout out the buck he was after, find the buck's major scrape, and set up a few stands near by. Then, on the way in to his stand, the hunter urinated into the scrape!
This bow hunter claimed the deer would come to the scrape and react as though another deer had violated his scrape- he claimed the deer was ready to fight anything that moved.
According to this bow hunter, the deer was not spooked by the scent of human urine at all.
Was this bow hunter telling the truth? I have no idea- don't know the guy well enough to judge.

[ol_spark]

Jack
Technique and timing may have a bigger affect on your hunter's situation rather than the scent used. Evidently he knew the buck that he was hunting was the dominant one for the area and when all the lesser bucks tippy toed around MR. Big but this one particular buck( your hunter) did not. Timing and presence just pushed him over the edge. It wasn't the scent, so much as that everyone else (all the other lesser bucks) respected Big Buck's position and this one ( your hunter) didn't. His knowledge of how to trip Big Buyck's trigger is what kept him getting big bucks. Any lure probably wopuld have worked as he demonstrated.

For that reason I'd believe him.

[Jabba]

Non-scientific test from my point. I did it once... pee'd in a scrape. and I even coughed up a phlem ball and hacked that in there too.

The next day the scrape was DESTROYED! I never saw the buck... but the scrape went froma big 24" scrape to about 48" round and 2" deep.

My urine and the hocker made somebody REALLY mad!.

Now I suspect that this was a nocturnal visit... but I do not know for sure.

Jabba

[Jack]

Ol Spark,
I agree about it being a dominant buck, for sure.
Point is that human urine didn't cause the buck to be alarmed - he was mad.
Sounds like Jabba did the same thing, and the deer's reaction was similar.

[ol_spark]

Yep!

[GoodOlBoy]

I gave up on worrying about it back when I had my "gun" in hand and had a buck walk out, look me dead in the eye, and snort about ten years back. Wish I had a firearm with me at the time. . . .

GoodOlBoy

[bradj]

I have been making mock scrapes w/ my urine for about 6 years now. It really gets the bucks going around here. In the last 4 years I've started peeing in their scrapes and boy do they get angry.
I think the reason is that they cannot find the intruder.
I also go right out of my stand and have had several bucks come right up to it.

[drummer]

Been doing it for years with the same result. Iv'e had scrapes going into March.

Makes you wonder how the deer pee companies would do if everyone believed this.Same thing would happen to the fancy food plot companies if more people realized deer would rather just eat weeds.

[drummer]

If you buy a deer hunting product,be it food plot seeds or urine scents, beware of words like "scientifically proven", because their target audience is the huntin' show watchers,not the scientific community.

[Chaney101]

That makes thing a little less stressful in the field. espically when you felt as though you had to hold it for 2 hours. again thanks