Scent control

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Carpdaddy
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Scent control

#1 Post by Carpdaddy »

How far do you guys go to try and beat the Deer's nose? I have tried most everything offered from always washing my hunting clothing in scent away detergent to bathing in scent eliminating soap, and still get busted! This evening I had a doe coming in at about 50 yards but she was coming right from where my scent was blowing. She stops, starts lifting her head up trying to identify the scent, and then begins searching for the source. Had the leaves not already fallen I would never have saw her, the ground was soaked from the rain so she didn't make a sound. She finally decided she didn't like the smell of my scent free clothing and body so she turned and left! :o :lol:

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Shadowhntr
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Re: Scent control

#2 Post by Shadowhntr »

Brother Tony, In my experience, there is nothing you can do to eliminate your scent. I use to do every last thing I could do, to eliminate not only human scent, but any foreign scent as well. I was borderline religious with it and excersised it for a good many years.. It was a huge pain in the butt, and as I got older, I realized that no matter what I was doing to try to eliminate scent, id still get busted. It became increasingly difficult to keep up the routine, and finally I had a bit of an epiphany, and changed my outlook. Nowdays, I do what I can that is fairly simple and cheap, but mainly depend on knowledge of the deer and trying to stay down wind. I know thats not always possible, but its just part of it. Thats where luck, if you believe in that, comes in. We cant ever get the drop on all the deer, and in fact only a few. The best thing I have found, is flat using the wind to your advantage as much as possible, and keep going. Soon enough, one makes the mistake of doing what you expect. Learning deer movement is the whole key, then trying to use funnels or preferred travel routes, then hoping for a good steady advantageous wind.
The element of surprise can never be replaced by persistence.

Longtrad
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Re: Scent control

#3 Post by Longtrad »

Some of the guys here in town use those scent sprays that smells like a strange dirt cologne or the little scent waffers in their stands. I just thought they smell like fake dirt, and if they smell like fake dirt to me, what would a deer think of them?

Other than that IDK I watched where they would try to trick cop dogs with scentlock clothing and all that hunting scent jazz, it didnt slow them up for much more than a second. They say deer can smell better than a dog so it just seems to be that it would be impossible to do with our current technology.

Mohawk
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Re: Scent control

#4 Post by Mohawk »

I might go as far as spraying down with scent away. I'll generally wash my clothes in unscented laundry detergent, if I wash em that is. I hang em on the line to air out as a rule. I am not a "use this product and forget the wind" guy. I don't believe that deer know what humans smell like, but they will generally figure that foreign scent as trouble and act accordingly. What kills me about the various products out there is that it's impossible to eliminate all odors that a deer may perceive as foreign. I got an ol buddy that is into that stuff. Sprays down at the truck, then walks in with the wind blowing to his backside and not see ant deer. Therefore, he concludes that the deer don't use that property. I will go there if the wind is right and he's not there, and deer show up. I've decided that hunters in the areas I hunt think the deer are stupid. An example is thinking that once they're on stand, all is forgiven and the stank that the deer been huffing as the hunter walked in and the deer forgot all about it. Myself, I try to hunt where the deer can put that nose to work and feel comfortable coming my way. Light/variable wind or swirling wind kicks my butt, but if I can get a wind quartering into me and my backs against the wall on a funneling situation , I might have some luck.
I see shadow and Longtrad posted since I started typing. :lol: That's ok, I thought of something to add. I have a cold nose, but in this rifle season, I got a piece of ground that had an elevated stand south of the property line about 150 yds. My daughter and I were scouting the 20 acres we had to hunt, and were about half way through it when we caught a strong whiff of cigarette smoke in the air, coming from that stand which was then a good 300 yds away from us. I went ahead and hunted it a couple times through the season but them deer were boogered pretty bad early on so they either moved on out or went nocturnal.

Captainkirk
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Re: Scent control

#5 Post by Captainkirk »

Good point about the cig smoke. I've smelled it myself from adjacent properties a quarter mile away! Farm deer don't seem to be bothered by it but woodland deer seem to freak out at ANY foreign scent, as was mentioned.
I o my best to stay scent free, but like Jase, one I'm in my blind I set up for a downwind view and to hell with what's behind me. It's not gonna happen. Why waste your time scanning an area that isn't gonna gain you any kind of a shot?
Aim small, miss small!

Carpdaddy
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Re: Scent control

#6 Post by Carpdaddy »

I have gone to extremes at times using every product and precaution I could get my hands on, I'm not as bad now but certainly still do some of it. It's funny as I think back through the years at some of the folks I have hunted with that did nothing, smoked while hunting, and still killed deer. I know the best thing is to hunt the wind but my experience says that deer like to come from the direction they were not supposed to come from! I still try to hunt the wind and one thing that I have found to be helpful is an app on my phone called "HuntStand". You can check wind direction at your stands before going in, I have found it to be quite accurate.

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Shadowhntr
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Re: Scent control

#7 Post by Shadowhntr »

Thats interesting Tony, I'll look at that app.

One thing ive never understood, is the use of cover scents. Im all for feeling confident, but as far as deer go in my line of thinking, if they can smell them cover scents, they can also smell you, as the deer would be down wind of both you and the cover scent. Id think if smells in the woods, like dirt, deer pee, leaves, evergreen boughs...were going to cover your scent, wouldnt there be plenty of that stuff already naturally between you and the deer to work?. ...yet it doesn't.
The element of surprise can never be replaced by persistence.

Carpdaddy
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Re: Scent control

#8 Post by Carpdaddy »

My goal has always been to eliminate or at least reduce my scent, I never did get into the overpowering my scent with stronger smelling products. One of the funniest things I ever saw was a guy getting ready to go out and he sprayed skunk scent on his boots, I'm glad I wasn't riding home with him! Another funny one that comes to mind is a guy that came out of the woods pouring the sweat, he stopped by our camp for a chat when I noticed a little scent wafer clipped on his hat, I thought yea; that out to do it. I do bathe and wash my clothing in those products but as the doe reminded me yesterday, there is no such thing as being scent free! By the way; I buy all my stuff after the season, some stores really mark it down once deer season is gone.

Captainkirk
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Re: Scent control

#9 Post by Captainkirk »

Another thing related to my PHL stupidity thread; apparently, in Illinois ANY attractant scent is considered illegal. Seriously? I would imagine a gung-ho game warden could make the jump between that and cover scents and issue a violation; you'd have to attend a hearing to get it cleared.
Aim small, miss small!

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Shadowhntr
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Re: Scent control

#10 Post by Shadowhntr »

The good thing about all that is, you dont need any of it. Eliminating all the cover scents and sprays wont do anything but make your wallet thicker. Im ok with it and think its fine where its legal for those who want to use it, but as far as im concerned and just imo its all pretty much worthless anyway, so no great loss there. It is a ridiculous and encroaching law though.
The element of surprise can never be replaced by persistence.

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