I have some questions that I'm not sure are easily answered.
I have been a fairly hard core believer in odor reduction (and wind observer) for many years but 2 things I have not tried is going vegetarian (no chance that is gonna happen) and smoke.
I'm a total rookie when it comes to bee smokers and the different fuels for smokers, but I am very interested in adding smoke to my regimen.
Question #1: Do the mechanics and reasons of how smoke works for bees directly correlate to what we need for odor reduction for hunting? I've read about "clean" smoke being preferred for bees. Certain fuels like cotton seem to produce a cleaner smoke that is healthier for bees. But is "clean" smoke the kind that is most effective for odor reduction? Maybe "dirty" smoke contains crap that's bad for bees but is more effective for our purposes? Maybe dirty smoke has more compounds that inhibit microbes than clean smoke? Does it even matter?
Question #2: How
long does a smoke treatment inhibit microbe growth? Can clothes or gear be smoked and then stored in airtight containers and still be effective days or weeks later?
I really believe ozone kills bacteria and reduces odors on contact but does O3 continue to "work" after O3 is no longer being applied? And if so, could smoke have more longevity toward killing microbes than O3?
Question #3: How much of our stuff really needs to be smoked? I assume smoke reduces odor produced on our skin and even base layers of clothes, or things we've touched and deposited skin oil, but is there any need to smoke mid layers or outer layers of clothing?
Question #4: We always read about tests where all sorts of evasion techniques have been tried to avoid detection by dogs. Has smoke ever been used in any tests?
I guess understanding the different types of odors we produce comes into play when considering the effectiveness of smoke for our needs.
@Bwhana posted an interesting article about human scent and its detection. It's a lengthy read but I think a lot of the info in it could help us better understand odor production, odor transfer, and odor detection by dogs (which should equate to deer as well).
One amazing thing the article talked about was the "boat" test. Subjects traveled a lake in a boat and
never touched the ground on shore, but dogs still could detect...not only the human odor...but also which direction the human in the boat traveled!!
The block of wood test was interesting as well. The subject touched a block of wood and the test showed how well dogs detected the odor. Proof why we should never touch stuff in the woods if we don't absolutely have to. Years ago, an old doe taught me just how much odor was in a single finger print.
This is a good article. Thanks for posting it John.
I can see it now, who needs night vision or thermals you can own a handheld "nose" that is better than a deer's, and detect THEM from downwind! https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/kent-csi/vol5no2/html/v05i2a04p_0001.htm
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