I'm not getting busted ...

screen name notwithstanding, the way I think I should be when deer get in my downwind. I didn't notice it at first, I was just glad they didn't, but it seems pretty consistent. It's not that I never get busted, but it's almost always because they see me before I see them. I'm not sure how many deer I've watched walk around in my downwind and never know I'm there.

When I first started hunting I would spray every square inch with ddw or similar. Now I spray my boots and that's it. If it's a morning hunt I bathe. I wash clothes in unscented detergent. Sometimes there's no time for any of that. This afternoon I got home from work right at 4:00 so I just went out back. To shorten this up, I watched a doe for about 10 minutes walking around directly downwind of me ranged at 50 yds. I was standing behind a tree on the ground and she never knew I was there. I know someone will say "well that's just a yard deer and she was used to human scent" but that's just the most recent example. It doesn't seem to matter where I am, I'm not sure deer can smell me until they get directly under my tree. I've watched them many times cross the trail I used to come in on and never flinch. Why is this? Is anybody else like this?

I just believe deer are all individuals. They can easily smell us. It's what decision they make once they do smell you. I've had them walk right under my stand and not have the slightest care. And then I've had them blow at me from 200 yards away in the thick woods and never even see them.

You just smell like corn, naturally !

This^

I think sometimes it has to do if something has already spooked them earlier in the day or not. If so then some are walking around on high alert for the rest of the day and every little smell or sound is a big deal. I'm not a deer though so who knows.

I don't think it is uncommon for immature deer to get down wind of people and not do anything. With that being said, I have never seen a mature buck or doe stick around long when they got down wind of me.

i agree only times i can remember being busted was by a big 8 point and an old nanny

High pressured deer over a year old will do something when they get a whiff, if it's nothing more than become more alert.

I must stink cause they get me every time

Maybe you just don't stink. Different people produce different odors

This. Less pressure also equals less spooky deer.

It's usually older mature does that I've noticed will bust you the fastest on bad wind direction. I kind of think mature bucks won't blow but will simply sit tight or get up and slip out quietly.

I think it also has to do with location. It can even be locations within the same lease. There's two places I have stands where multiple deer should have been able to smell me, but it didn't seem to bother them. These places, for lack of a better explanation, just seem different in that the deer are more laid back. No apparent reason, but they just aren't as alert as other stands I hunt.