If you were hunting east coast black bears in a tree stand would you pee out of your stand?

[jcarlin]

Anecdotes being what they are: Having read all sides of this regarding deer hunting for years, a few years ago I decided to check it out. Conveniently having to take a leak upon arriving at my stand one morning I walked 15 yards away and across a small drainage gully, scraped away leaves with my foot and did my business. About 45 minutes later an OK for my area 8 pointer who was coming by at a good clip detoured slighty to stop broadside and sniff at the spot. I couldn't tell you how long he'd have stayed if I gave him the chance.

I continue to do so. I couldn't say how many catch a whif out of sight and move off, but I've never SEEN a deer that passed nearby a patch so anointed at close range and down stream react badly.
Seems similar to doe bleats. I sometimes have deer come looking, I often see deer seem to relax and slow their passing browsing, but not make any effort to find the source of the noise, and the couple of times I saw deer react badly its because I made a stray movement or sound and they had focused on me the hunter, not just the call.

[MattM37]

I don't worry about it during deer season. Unless you're totally de-scented and wearing scent-block clothing (and the effectiveness of those precautions is debatable in itself), then any animal that can smell your pee nearby is going to smell you, anyway, unless you've covered ground since answering the call. And, as others have mentioned, I've seen deer walk right past a fresh pee-spot, as well as those from a day or two earlier, and either not pay it any attention or act somewhat interested but not at all alarmed. Granted, I don't know how a bear's sense of smell rates next to a deer's, but the deer is certainly no slouch. Still, I don't discount the possibility that a bear might react differently, or even be able to discern more from the odor. I think that's a good point, about the precautions that trappers take. It could be that deer (or some deer) just have a whole different perception of what urine is and what it means. They certainly seem to have a pretty complicated scent-communication system overall.

[huntfishtrap]

I never worry about odor unless I'm about to run over a skunk or headed to a social function...not necessarily in that order.

The bears were in your tree stand? ;-D

[jhjimbo]

I have heard an animal can smell the urine but do not necessarily associate it with danger. I have seen that many times in the woods and even when #2 was involved - did not sound the alarm.

[Outlaw]

I pee out of every treestand I hunt.

But yes I definitely would. I peed in the woods less than a minute before I saw that bear with cubs a few months ago. During the whitetail rut I did that one time and within seconds I had 4 bucks come to my stand.

[Gary Devine]

I have heard an animal can smell the urine but do not necessarily associate it with danger. I have seen that many times in the woods and even when #2 was involved - did not sound the alarm.

Jim, On Bears??? Your taking an expert nose that is 10 times better then a bloodhound???

[bowhunter75richard]

This Q,comes up time after time on Deer&DeerHunter Mag Q & A there is NO difference between Human & Animal Urine, So Pee on your Tree or Off your Tree!

Funny Story I was in Ga on a 25'ladder stand peeing on the tree.When a Buck sniffs a Doe! well my BUICK was out I shot the Buck the Doe turned to the buck & shot her, then my BUICK went back in side. No lie GI.

Was that really a BUICK or just a FORD coupe ??

[bowhunter75richard]

I would, because studies have shown that the compounds that identify urine as belonging to a specific animal (in this case, a person) break down within minutes, and after that it all smells the same. Don't ask me how they came to this conclusion, but it is legit.

Well, I would say it is better to take it out and not leave it in when peeing, and there is no doubt. That poem is rather goofy to say the least !

[Buckshott00]

I wouldn't bears smell too well, and are skittish of people. I don't know about best sense of smell on earth, but they can smell really well.