Deer hunting is a complicated thing that you need to be careful with. Even the cold can be a problem, and you’ll need heat to keep yourself ready. But are propane heaters okay to bring? Will propane heaters scare off deer?
Propane heaters do not scare off deer and are actually good for deer hunting. Not only do the heaters keep the hunter warm, but they also mask the hunter’s scent. They’re a good alternative to larger heaters that make a lot of noise, and propane heaters are recommended for hunting.
The rest of this article will cover how propane heaters affect deer hunting, how to make sure they don’t scare deer away, and how to attract deer while hunting with a heater.
How Propane Heaters Affect Deer Hunting
Staying warm while hunting is important so your reaction time isn’t slowed down. Heaters are necessary, but they can make loud noises that disrupt the hunt. The best solution to this is purchasing a propane heater. That way you limit the noise and stay warm!
The reason why they’re such good options is because the propane smell won’t deter the deer. For example, when deer are around farms, those farms emit smells like kerosene, and even propane. These chemicals don’t deter them because they’re looking for food.
There’s no evidence to suggest deer will run away after smelling propane. They use their noses for food, finding mates, and locating predators. A propane heater will emit a scent that is none of those things, so the deer will ignore it.
How to Make Sure Your Propane Heater Won’t Scare Deer
Since the scent won’t harm or scare deer, this is actually pretty easy. The only thing you really have to worry about is the sound. Sound scares deer. Sudden and loud noises frighten deer and cause them to run away. To avoid this, monitor the sound your heater is making.
Propane exploders will scare deer, but not heaters, so be sure you’re buying the right thing when you go to purchase a heater. Deer get scared by sounds like whistles and ultrasonic devices. With this in mind, work around the type of noises you’re making.
The propane heater itself won’t make enough noise to scare them unless it’s broken. In that case, it could make loud noises that will alert the deer to your presence even though the heater is covering your scent. The scent won’t mean anything if the noise is overpowering it.
To fix this, either repair your broken heater, get a new one, or go hunting without it. You could risk going with a noisy, broken heater, but it’ll be more difficult to track down deer and hunt them. The best solution is to do your best to fix it by yourself before paying for a new one.
How to Attract a Deer While Hunting With a Heater
The heater isn’t going to affect your hunting much. In fact, it’ll only benefit you! It’ll keep you warm during the cold seasons, and it’s a good thing to have around as background noise without it getting too loud. So you can attract a deer the normal way you would.
Some methods are by using food to lure them in. If your state allows you to feed them during the time of year you’re hunting, set up food plots. Deer like food that is high in protein. Some examples of good protein to use are kale, turnip, and peas.
Or if you don’t want to do a plot, buy a salt lick and place it somewhere on your hunting grounds. Deer love salt licks and will come to it. Don’t expect them to come running after a few minutes, though.
After planting the plots and/or salt lick, wait for the scent to fill the air. After a few hours, or at most a few days, more deer will come around and will be easier to find.
We recommend using a deer attractant like this one from Amazon. There’s no mixing required with this formula. Simply place it on the ground to help attract deer.
Final Thoughts
Propane heaters won’t scare away deer while a hunter is hunting them. The scent a propane heater emits doesn’t alert the deer to food, mates, or predators. Since those are the three things a deer uses its nose for, the aroma won’t scare off the deer.
As long as your heater isn’t too noisy, it won’t cause any problems for you while you’re hunting. However, make sure you’re buying a propane heater and not a propane exploder. Those make loud noises, as implied by the name exploder, and should be avoided on deer hunting trips.
Lastly, possessing a propane heater won’t impact the way you attract deer. You can attract them as normal by planting food plots with foods deer are attracted to. Proteins work the best, and examples of types of proteins to use are kale, turnip, and peas. Or you can use a salt lick.