Not trying to one-up you here, friend, - your post #891 - but I have a similar story. Might be eye-opening to some here - it was for me - and it taught me something.
I was in a stand overlooking a powerline, with fields slightly downslope from the powerline. I caught the smell of cigarette smoke on the breeze, but there was no one in sight, and I could see for about 500 yards, which was about the far edge of those fields from where my stand was. I kept smelling that cigarette smoke, and eventually a guy came walking out of the woods on the far side of those fields. I could see him exhale smoke as he stood there at the field edge, 500 yards away. If I could smell his smoke at that distance, I can only imagine how far a deer can pick us up in those mega-noses they have!
I've smelled deer before I saw them on a number of occasions, too. 2 of my hunting partners smell deer before they see them as well. I can pick up the smell of buck urine / tarsal scent in the fall pretty easily. Puts me on red alert!I've smelled residual cologne on someone 350-400 yards away, so faint it has more like the memory of a smell. Bottom of a hill in the evening, probably carried down by thermals. I didn't know they were up there and it was real till hours later. Also smelled laundry soap on someone in the woods 20-30 minutes before I saw them, again so faint I thought I was imagining it. We were walking towards each other on the same trail. I've also mentioned before how many times I've smelled deer before I saw them. And every time I do I think "Oh who are you kidding, you're not really smelling a deer!"
But of course there are mornings when your breath is knocking people over and you have no clue, your brain has shut it off.
I like him!
Top pic - you ought to shoot the one with all the mass & junk as a mercy killing. Too much strain / pain holding up that rack.