Deer use Their Strong Sense of Smell to Detect Predators
Many animals are endowed with amazing senses of smell that allow them to detect predators from afar and find delicious meals of all kinds. These creatures have senses of smell that are far more sensitive than those of humans. You can take advantage of the sensitive olfactory centers of animals and manipulate their behavior in a variety of ways. Consider some of the most common ways in which humans manipulate animals through the use of different scents and how you can use the same strategies to your advantage.
Animal Scent Manipulation in Hunting
Scent manipulation has been a key part of hunting for thousands of years. A hunter can easily be detected by their prey if the creature catches their scent. Some of the most rudimentary yet still effective ways that hunters mask their scent is rubbing nearby plants and plant debris on their clothing. Pine needles, soil, leaves, and other natural sources of scent can stop a hunter’s prey from catching their human scent.
Take Advantage of Deer’s Sense of Smell to Repel them with Deer Repellent Packs!
More can be done with the power of scent that just hiding your own smells from animal detection. Hunters also attract their prey using natural smells that draw in the hunted animals. For example, deer hunters often take advantage of their prey’s natural mating season, sometimes called the rut, during which the animals are more vulnerable to manipulation through scent. A buck, or male deer, can be drawn to a specific location by means of doe (female deer) estrous scent which mimics the urine smell of a doe in heat. The scents produced by a variety of different glands are also effective in stimulating specific reactions from deer, even in making them stay in an area despite being aware of nearby danger.
Repellent Animals with Scent Manipulation
When it comes to manipulating pest animals through scent, rather than attracting them, you want to do quite the opposite. You can use smells known to irritate pesky invading animals to keep them out of your home and yard. Some scented materials that you might not realize have pest repelling properties include scented soaps, human hair, bloodmeal, hot sauce, and garlic. Some of the most effective natural pest repellents are made with predator urine scents in order to scare animals away from your property using their own sense of smell.
Training Pets with Scent Manipulation
Pet owners can also take advantage of their animals’ sense of smell to teach them to behave properly. For example, you may have a dog or cat that repeatedly jumps on the furniture no matter how you try to teach them not to. One scent that is effective for deterring such behavior is citrus. Cotton balls soaked in citrus based essential oils can be placed in closets or under furniture where you do not want pets to go. If your dogs or cats are ruining your garden, sprinkle citrus peels and coffee ground on the soil. Both are effective scent based deterrents.
All Natural, Easy to Use Deer Repellent Packs Keep Deer Away
Researchers are still finding new ways to manipulate animal behavior with scents. For example, one study conducted at the University of Liverpool aims to control rats and keep food sources safe through the manipulation of rodent scent signals. Whether you use old techniques or modern scientific marvels, you can certainly use smells to manipulate animals.
