by Derrick |
Last Updated: August 11, 2021 Those of you that chew or dip tobacco obviously enjoy it or you wouldn’t continue chewing. Many folks who enjoy deer hunting also enjoy a good dip. Hard-core deer hunters will go to great lengths to cover up all kinds of scents that deer may smell.
They may use cover scents, scent wafers and look into and test wind conditions all in the name of scent management.
It might surprise some of those same deer hunters that dip has a potent smell as well. Some would even say it’s not the most pleasant-smelling thing on earth and that is probably an understatement.
This leads to the next question, can you dip while deer hunting?
Yes, you can dip while deer hunting. Deer for the most part may smell the dip, but won’t be overly concerned with the smell and may not even associate it with humans.
Many hunters will chew or dip on the stand but may be more careful with the frequency of movement, especially if they have seen a decent amount of deer in the area. Dipping does create movement when you are placing or removing the chew from your mouth, or when you go to pick up your spit bottle (or spit it onto the ground).
So try to be as quiet and still as possible when you do dip.
This will not be possible for everybody all the time, but it’s better to err on caution than to spook a deer.
Remember you can chew and dip while deer hunting, just try to do it as quietly and discreetly as possible.
Table of Contents
Why Do People Want To Dip While Deer Hunting?
A lot of hunters enjoy dipping tobacco to cope with the stress of hunting if they can’t smoke cigarettes.
Typically, people dip while deer hunting when they can’t smoke for a few reasons: it doesn’t make smoke that could be visible to a deer and it doesn’t create a smoke scent.
They do this because it’s widely available in most states and helps prevent them from getting too distracted by the urge to smoke cigarettes.
The social pressure at deer camps also allows many hunters to feel more accepted for taking up smoking again often even temporarily while at deer camp. The craving for nicotine might be too strong where they may prefer to dip while hunting vs. having nothing at all.
What Is Dip Or Chew Made Out Of?
Dip or chew is made up of tobacco leaves, nicotine, sugar, and a few other different ingredients.
Popular Flavors
The most common flavors consist of mint, wintergreen, straight (no flavor), and natural. If you are going to dip while hunting, you can go with one of these mint scents and hope that they do not impact your hunt. Subsequently, use a straight or natural flavor that will have far less smells which is what I would personally recommend.
Do People Still Get Deer While Dipping?
Yes, many hunters have reported still seeing deer while they are chewing. The real question in my mind is how many deer are they seeing and are they seeing the same quality/mature deer that they would be seeing otherwise.
There is really no way to test this because there are so many variables at play.
Tips To Ensure You See Deer While Dipping
Follow General Hunting Best Practices
The key to accomplishing this is to be as quiet, calm and patient as possible when dipping. The fewer distractions the better so that you don’t make a mistake and move a lot, therefore spooking deer within your hunting area.
Try Using Cover Scents
You can always try utilizing certain scents to help cover up any smell from the chew or dip. These cover scents are easy to find both online and at your local outdoors/hunting store.
Settle For Smaller Deer
Hunters dip all the time and still see deer, but as we stated earlier you may not see the trophy bucks others who aren’t dipping would see. Keeping this in mind, it is a trade-off you may have to accept in order to hunt while chewing.
Sometimes it is about the fun of the hunt; not seeing a trophy buck every time you make your way to the woods.
If the goal of your hunt is primarily about seeing something and not necessarily harvesting the largest possible deer.
Even for those who are in it to harvest a large deer, consider trying it anyway if you so desire. Maybe you won’t notice a difference and it will make your long days in the tree stand more enjoyable.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you should be able to dip while deer hunting as long as you follow the basic rules of being quiet, calm and using a scent repellent.
It is not recommended that you chew excessively on the stand because it could make you lose focus and therefore ruin your hunt.
Good luck to those who do decide to take up this hobby!
Don’t forget to report back and let us know how your deer hunting experience was!
