i normally take a shower the night before and use apple shampoo, have been doing this for many years now. in the morning brush my teeth, no deorderent and put on the clothes i'm going to hunt in. when i get there i spray fox urine on my boots and spray myself with scent eliminaotor from Wallmart. i try to dress light on my way to the stand and tie my coat/sweater around my waist. once i'm in the stand i use the eliminator again. i know your supposed to play the wind but i do not have enough stands, time and the wind swirls in the ridges. i see MANY deer evry year and sometimes SLAMMERS. my question is can anyone suggest some easy ways to improve scent controll for me? i do not want or believe in the fancy scent free suits so that is out of the question.
Also for guys who take BIG bucks on a routine basis ( every year, every couple years ) like GURU and others could you please run me through your scent controll stratagy? i know i see deer but it is no coincidence when i see GURU post about the bucks he takes every year, obviosuly he goes the extra mile and i would love to hear how. i get myself in posttion every year to take deer but many on this site take big bucks every year and i would love to see their views.
Hang your clothes behind your mother's wood stove again..... ;)
2 quarts hydrogen peroxide
2 quarts filtered or distilled water
4-8 teaspoons baking soda
12-16 drops green descenting soap
Mix it up and store in a light proof container (old bleach jug works well....just remember to wash and rinse it good first...also, leave the cap slightly ajar for the first few hours to allow for settling then store tightly capped.
I always shower right before hunting. Use the green descenting soap, spray down with soda water solution and dry with a towel that is laundered with my hunting clothes which get a soda rinse before drying. All clothing and boots get sprayed.
Only sure method....use the wind.
Ken,
I'm not sure I belong in Guru's class, but our camp (3 of us) usually takes a 140 class or better each year. Sometimes 2. We never went 3 for 3 though. These big Ohio whitetails got good noses. Anyhow it sounds like you are on the right track. I would definately switch your shower time to before the hunt though.
First off I wash all my clothes and gear in scent free detergent(scent away) and place it in a plastic scent free tub. All my gear even my safety belt, my underwear,my pack, and the towel I'll be drying off with after my shower. I wear rubber boots only. Lacrosse.
My daily is something like this:
-Wake up and shower
-Get dressed in a light walking layer. Go to truck and drive to hunting site. Spray down everything with Scent Away spray. (I won't use the ones with acorns or earth scent, just the original)Spray boots real good before walking to stand.
-Walk to treestand and check the wind. If wrong then I leave to go to another. If no other available then I don't hunt. It does me no good to hunt if the wind is wrong. I've used the suits and I don't believe they work. Unless you place yourself in a bubble then you will be letting off scent. Playing the wind is crucial.If in my stand and the wind changes, I climb down and leave.
-When I arrive and the wind is good, I climb up the tree.
-Once settled I spray down with scent away again. Then I cool down and get dressed in remainder of clothes(coat,sweeater, etc.). I'll spray down again.
-I try to spray about every hour.
Once I'm done hunting for the day then those clothes are done until washed again.
Again, the wind is your worst enemy and a cheap wind puffer never leaves my pocket. I'm checking it every 15 minutes or so. We can never eliminate scent, just control it the best way possible.
Things I don't use:
-I don't use cover scents liks fox urine or skunk urine. Animals know the scent of urine and relate it to fear. So why would I want to put this out there for them to smell. Only scent away spray.
-I don't use doe-in-heat. I'm sure it works sometimes but I depend on my scouting and stand placement to where I believe the deer are going to be walking. A grunt tube and rattling antlers are the only attractant I use per say.
-If you smoke, quit. No matter how much you shower you can't get the smoke smell off your body. If you chew, don't do it on stand.
Like I said Ken, sounds like your doing alot of the right things but maybe just need a little refining. I'm looking forward to hearing some other tactics as well to refine my own skills. We never stop learning.
All in all I try to keep everything as natural as possible. Remember the deer live here and know what smells belong and what don't. I've seen guys put apple scent on where no apple trees are. Don't make alot of sense does it?
Hope this helps you a bit and good luck.
Remember, play the wind.
Mike
http://nullo.com/
Sounds like you're doin the right things,, Of course having Private Land all to yourself helps "ALOT" huntin the Big Boys,, They Don't Like Huntin Pressure,, But than you already knew that ...
I don't believe there are any shortcuts to big bucks. Scent control will not save you if the bruiser is down wind. The fellows I know who shoot big bucks do the following:
Become a very good shot with your bow.
Hunt where there are big bucks.
Hunt hard.
Scent control is important, but overall, I still believe the best route is to hang your stands in areas where you have the wind advantage. All of the scent control methods help to a degree, but the nose on a mature buck is borderline unreal. I do go through scent control procedures but I try not to rely on them.
thank you all very much for the replys,
Leatherneck,
forgot to mention that i do keep all my clothes in plastic tubs. i know you should play the wind but its darn near impossible in the ridges i hunt and i can only hunt weekends which are limited. my question is if you are in your stand and the wind changes on you do you get down and switch to another stand location?
Yes, I do. Now keep in mind that I give it about 10 minutes to make sure it wasn't just quick switch. But if it switches and maintains a bad wind then I'm gone. It only takes once and the big boys are outa there.
BTW-Jon thats a dandy there! Gotta love those drop tines.
trhanks again, i do have the choice of 5 stands today. VERY warm today, going to be tuff hunting but i can't wait!
And here I thought I was the only one up this late Ken. Actually I'm working. Pretty warm here today too. Supposed to cool down later this week. Good Luck!!
Mike
I'm not a frequent "trophy taker" Ken, but I do hunt in a trophy deer area and have theories of my own about this subject.
Basically, if the wind isn't right in relation to where we're at and where they're coming from... might as well kiss 'em good-bye, and that's with not even knowing they were there in the first place.
Shooting big bucks has a lot to do with the area hunted. The more bruisers in the area, the more chance of killing one... especially during peak rut.
Nothing special and nothing we haven't heard already, but we all know that old addage about "first-time stands". There is a logical reason why there is more to it than just magic. Doesn't matter what we do, if we visit the same place too often... it's only a matter of time that most of the deer in that area know about our visits.
There are two things that I believe can be helpful in keeping a stand location from getting too "hot".
1) We must try to keep the immediate area as scent-free of US as possible, being very conscious not to touch anything while GOING IN and OUT. A fresh pair of clean gloves, clean outer clothing, and rubber boots go a long way in this endeavor.
2) The ACCESS route we use to get in and out can make or break it. I think this is one part of the game that is too often overlooked. It can definitely affect the degree in which WE are being "patterned" by THEM. Choosing the best way IN and OUT for each scenario is important.
But for the most part, if you really want the best chance of shooting the best buck in your area... it's a simple strategy but not easy to do. Simply don't hunt that area until the rut is in full-swing.
I've taken some decent bucks, I'm sitting here looking at 8 P&Y's in my den right now. I've never done anything more than shower and watch the wind.
You cannot mask human scent no matter what the manufacturers of this stuff tell you. For a big buck, or a mature doe for that matter (who will screw up your chance at a bigun more often than the buck himself) there are no "degrees" of human odor. It's there or it's not and if they get downwind of you, they're gonna smell you. Mature whitetails will not tolerate that.
All the stories of wearing this or that and the deer coming in downwind? It's because of the thermal air currents lifting your scent. NOT the majic carbon jacket or the skunk pee you're wearing.
Dave makes another great point. Watch where you walk going in and out!
Shaun summed it up pretty good. All the scent control in the world isn't going to help much if your hunting an area with very low numbers of big bucks ,like the Adirondacks.Put the most sucessful bowhunters up in the Northwoods and there will be very few P&Y bucks hanging on their walls. I love the hunting expirence the Adirondacks offer, especially a deep woods affair,but tagging a big buck ,or any buck with a bow is a rare event. On the other hand I hunt Alberta every year and usually get a big buck in a 10 day or less hunt.Also good markmanship is essential.Sooner or later no matter what the wind or where your sittig a shot will come.
Ken have you thought of buy a light weight climbing stand? If the wind isn't in your favor at your choosen stand spot then you can move to were the wind is in your favor and at the very least you can catch a nice nap in a tree. Just a thought...
Ken,
I'm not saying that I fit in the "Big Buck" category,, it's more like a "blind sow that finds an acorn once in awhile". I have been lucky a few times at being in the right place at the right time. The wind and your approach to the area are two biggest factors in my book.
I do believe in scent control as far as:
· Shower before hunting IF possible.
· Unscented soap ( Ivory from Wal-mart)
· Unscented shampoo ( Wal-mart)
· Arm & Hammer deodorant ( Wal-mart again )
· Homemade "Scent Killer" (all ingredients from Wal-mart)
· I wash my outer clothes in baking soda and keep them in a tote/tub and do not put them on until I get to my hunting area and as soon as I come out of the woods they go back into the tote/tub, this container also has a couple of open boxes of baking soda in it.
· A trapper friend also taught me that my rubber boots DO NOT go into this container! They go into a plastic trash bag with the tops of the boots sticking OUTSIDE the bag. Inclosing them in the tote or bag only permeates everything inside with your foot odor!
The above "scent control" procedures are only SECONDARY. The most important factor is playing the WIND and APPROACH to your hunting area. Approach your area from the direction that you expect the deer to least likely come from even if this route is not the easiest for you to do. I like to use a draw, creek bed or low area to get to the area with less chance of actually being seen going in. I then go up the side of the ridge and set up my stand as close to the downwind side of the area as possible, allowing the wind to take my scent out over or down the draw.
I know it is not for everyone,, but I take my stand with me and put it up,, most every time I go hunting with a treestand. Even if I'm going to a pre-set stand site, I take my portable set up with me. The only reason I do this is to play the WIND. Wind is notorious around here for changing direction after the first hour or two of sitting in an area especially of a morning. If it changes directions, I change my location accordingly. I may move to the other side of the ridge or just a couple trees over one way or another. I have chosen an area to hunt because of the buck sign or deer movement that I know is there. I do not want to give up after an hour into the hunt and leave to go somewhere else or quit hunting because of a wind change. I stay there and change with the wind if need be, it's what works for me.
I'm sorry for the long post and by no means want to imply that this is the way it "has to be done". You asked for others methods and this one is mine, sometimes it works and sometimes it don't . Good Luck & Shoot Straight Ken !!
again thanks for the info and replies! i guess my biggest thing is i need to play the wind better its just that i hate to get out of a stand and move to another if the wind changes as i do not have many to choose from normaly. i hate to get out of a stand and make noise walking to another. again this is something i'll have to work on as i am a stubborn s.o.b :banghead: but i can see how important it really is through this post. ya only have to hit me beside the head twice, i'll catch on. the reason i chose to ask people that make it a habit of killing "big bucks" is that i do see A LOT of deer every year its just that i know and as many have stated big bucks are wary and the few who take them every year or more regular than others no doubt have a system. i am not a trophy hunter but i do want to learn the scent control tactics that trophy hunters/big buck hunters use as no doubt it will help me see more deer. please keep them coming guys, thank you!!
Ken
I've killed alot of mature deer with a bow. Not alot of huge bucks, but a truckload of deer. I break a few "rules" in getting it done. Scent free laundry for camo then into plastic bags. Only get dressed to hunt when at the woods and out of the truck. Rubber bottom boots ONLY worn in the woods. I do believe that chlorophyll WORKS!!! I use alfalfa supplements. A 4$ investment thats still paying off this 2nd season. Most important hunt the wind..
I set stands or build ground sites using a compass and knowledge of my prevailing winds... That way when I get out of the truck I "know" which stand to sit.
I used to wear a carbon suit but thats a waste of time and money. I won't hesitate to pee out a treestand (or in a scrape for that matter) and I dip snuff and spit like a fiend. I am good at hunting the wind and sitting like a statue. Biggie is correct. Work on hunting the wind and only when its right. Give up a stand that could ruin a chance for the next day or that season.
Ken...good thread.
I don't know about other states but the wind in PA is always changing. I dedicated myself to figuring out the wind three years ago and kept data and such then came to the conclusion that unless a guy is up in the trees their is no way to pattern the wind where I hunt...it swirls. Last night I hunted on the ground in a different location from where I usually go and again I watched that wind feather move consistently in three of the four directions. Now I just figure that I'll leave it up to the red gods when I am on the ground and just enjoy the ground and whatever the gods decide.
ok another question. is the feather and string a good wind indicator? what do you use? do you move as soon as he see a change of wind or do you ride it out for a bit in case is was just a bit of wind swirl? as i stated i was/am muck like Mike, i hope for the best as i hate to move once in a stand but again ican/will adapt with so many people saying the same thing, PLAY THE WIND. i do have 2-3 three stands in my areas, i will stager them out to oppsite corners and play the wind. i love trying new things and keeping data to read over. i did this with the pee bottle oe let it fly thread. i had used a bottle FOREVER but so many people said they do not i tried it and was very happy with the results, even had many stop to smell where i went. so please keep the advice coming.
Ken,,I like to use a "puff bottle" filled with corn starch as a wind indicator. I can watch the powder as it floats away. I'll wait a good 15-20 minutes before deciding that the wind has definately made a change in it's direction. I've got that puff bottle out of my pocket constantly checking the wind. It also helps you decide when you should plan on taking a shot on an incoming deer based on it's line of travel and the direction your puff bottle tells you your scent is traveling. Again none of this is always 100% but it can boost your confidence and concentration on getting the job done.
i agree nothing %100 but when so many people say the same thing i bet it is atleast %90! :readit: i can and will adapt to what so many say.
ken, I use milkweed, ya can see the floaters a long ways and if ya let go several at a time ya can watch what the do in the currents. I wash in scent-free soap and store all my clothes in plastic bags and tupperware bins, but nothing is as important as the wind. I know a guy who has shot a lot of big bucks and he smokes like a fiend from stand and bathes every couple a days, to be honest he smells bad at times, but he hunts the wind and has great access to his stands via an old creek that runs thru his property. I believe those are the two most important things, watching the wind and having a clean entry to your stand. Shawn
If a deer gets into your scent stream, he or she's going to smell you. Period. We stink, no matter what.
I don't always move when the wind changes, but I probably should.
Great post
I agree with the in wind in your favor.
But something that can't understand.
I've had deer come downind walk under my stand and never smell me. Then maybe the next day they may wind you.. With wind in the same direction and as always using scent control.
It may sound crazy, it seems like some days deer noses can smell better.
I highly agree with your route in and out.
The scent question has been covered so I won't add my .02 there. But your question about the string and feather I can add to. I use unwaxed dental floss and a small white goose feather. It works very well for an indicator. The feather is one is kinda flat and has the soft whispys in the end closest to the goose. It works for all but the faintest breeze then I pull out the puffer.
Warrior...one word...THERMALS
Milkweed pods tell me all I need to know about wind and thermals. Cost nothing, are biodegradeable and are good for butterflies.
QuoteOriginally posted by non-typical:
2 quarts hydrogen peroxide
2 quarts filtered or distilled water
4-8 teaspoons baking soda
12-16 drops green descenting soap
Mix it up and store in a light proof container (old bleach jug works well....
The only eliminator I've used the past 3 yrs... Been working well
I don't like cover scents... I want to smell like nothing, sound like nothing, and become invisible... The only cover scent I've liked is Humus... But its hard2find...
Ken Thas some good advice above I use most of it and learned from it as well.
Bill you keep taking care of those butterflies!!!! :biglaugh:
Well how deep do you want to get??? I never put gas in the vehicle during a hunt. I watch what I eat as much as posible on a long hunt, and I beleave in Clorafill (sp). I keep my huntin duds in a tote after I wash, I also have earth scent from my hunting area in the tote.
stay after 'em Ken
blueline
i definitly try not to fuel up before a hunt however today i had to, good news is i had a HUGE doe and two others walk right by me at 25-30 yards with tails twitching and feeding, just a little to far out of my comfort zone for a shot.
Clorafill also comes in a pill you can take right?
Nice to hear about the excitement in the woods
Yes I take it in the pill form, I generall start take it 2 - 3 days before the hunt and continue through the hunt. 1 in am 1 in pm first few days one a day after that.
blueline
Ken,
Another suggestion that we do ALOT is place 2-stands in the same area. Each at different winds. This way if you had to move then it's very minimal. If you saw my post about my partner and the big one he just shot that was in one of those areas. Sat. he hunted one stand and today the winds changed and he hunted the other. Look at the results. They are actually only 20 yards acrossed from each other. FYI.
Mike
I guess that to "play the wind" you really need to know where the deer is going to come from...my question is how do you KNOW this? I want to be a better hunter with regard to the wind but in the areas where I hunt the deer can literally come from any direction--especially during the pre-rut and the rut when there is a lot of chasing going on--How do ya'll know where the deer are going to come from??
thanks, rick
The main reason I use scent control (clothes, body wash, scent elim spray, etc.) is I believe it lessens the amount of scent put down when walking to and fro...
David
i do know where the deer are coming from which is one of my main problems. i hunt a side ridge maybe 7 miles long. at the bottom is tall grass and a a few thick, small fields, this is where the deer bed. for an afternoon'late hunt they come up from the bottom, that means if the wind is not rigt or blowing down hill i should not use these stands however this is the core area i hunt and i can not get underneath or below them as there is a main road and big lake. from the info i got here the answer would be to for go using these stands but as i said this is my core area, any suggestions? i know the answer would be hunt another area but it is A LOT of walking to get to these stand to see if the wind is right.
Hey! Butterflies are cool. I see spreading milkweed as part of my job.
Seriously, in one of Gene Wensel's books he talks about scent control. Perhaps the most important things he said is that it is an all or nothing proposition. You can't take short cuts and expect to be odor free. I, personally think that the best you can do is minimize your odor but doubt seriously that you can eliminate it. I also think the scent proof clothing is something of a marketing scheme. Even on the shows sponsored by the big time scent control groups and the hunter's wearing and spraying the latest and best they still do not hunt stands if the wind isn't right. That tells me a lot.
Another thing Gene told me at a Sportsman's show is that if you want to kill big bucks you need to do two things.....hunt where there are big bucks and secondly, the guy who puts in the time has the advantage. The more you are in the woods the better your odds become. Now, if it will only stop raining!!!!
Like, blueline, I use chlorophyll. I think it makes a big difference. I am one of those guys who sweats a lot so I think the chlorophyll, for me, is very helpful. My wife is not a sweater and she does not use it and she sees as much, if not more, game than I do, on an average day.
Where do you buy chlorophyll?
Ill bet that apple soap gets you busted sometimes.It probably has some other fragrances added to it.Play the wind, its al you really have on your side.But you killed a booner so dont feel too bad about your regualr buck sightings, your already ahead of the game.
Izzy
Beyond using unscented products for personal hygiene and laudry....keeping as clean and uncontaminated is about as far as I go. My hunting clothes are stored in a rubbermaid tub, to keep odor free, with the exception that I might include some sagebrush or juniper branches, etc. to the mix in the tub.
I'm with most in that I believe you cannot comepletely mask your scent. You can, however, be "clean enough" to sometimes get away with being detected as "dangerous"....does that make sense? Especially in areas where deer are accustmed to seeing/smelling humans regularly.
I use milkweed or something similar to "watch wind"....a fun way to pass the time, but I try to know ahead of time which way it is blowing and which way it will switch come sun-up or sun-down via thermals. I set many stands for all options possible, I only hunt areas where I see bucks of the kind I want to take, and I hunt as much as possible, especially during those times when I can use tactics to maximize my chances, and when bigger bucks are "less cautious".
No real secrets from me, just a lot of time afield and luck jumps on my side about every other year for a nice buck. I do take several does each year, and they are every bit as cagey, IMO as the bucks are. Just more of them. Have fun figuring it all out.....that's the real prize!
Stay away from fragranced soaps, use non fragranced deoderant and the same with your hunting clothes. Keep odor to a reasonable minimum and use the wind wisely.
Nothing that hasn't already been said.
Places where deer can get old, ambush points, shooting skill and using the wind is going to put old deer in your truck.
I get my chlorophyll from GNC. Usually they have it in the store but this year I had to get it online. Here's the link....http://www.gnc.com/sm-natural-brand-triple-chlorophyll--pi-2133196.html
my 2 cents - to add to stuff I haven't read so far.
Cover Scents: Don't work. If you place a skunk in a pine tree, you will smell the pine tree and the skunk. If you place fox urine on you, you will smell like you and fox urine to a deer.
Cleaning up: I believe you can reduce your odor with many of the options listed already. I also believe that when you reduce your odor, deer will have somewhat of a harder time finding out your exact location and distance. Did you ever have to track a odor down to its source. The magnetude of the smell matters! In many semi-urban/rural areas human scent is very common and so a reduced scent may help at times.
Clothes: I don't think scent suits work by sucking up scents, but they do enclose the body very well and I think that helps. I once took in a bloodhound demonstration and the trainer said that bloodhounds trail by several means and one of those is by your dead cells which flake off constantly. I often think about that and believe a shower and tight clothing on the wrists, feet, neck etc. like scent lock clothes, must help to reduce and hold some of those dead cells.
Rubber Boots: Don't know. Rubber stinks and if I can smell it so can deer. You have to think that Rubber = Human in deer's minds.
i use unscented soap to wash clothes in and bag them with some cedar or pine shaveings .i also hunt over turnip/clover feilds and i get some turnip leaves and rub all over me until i smell like the feild im in ,my shirt and pants have green marks on them from the juice out of the leaves ,i have had many deer and a big 8 point within feet of me .
I'm with Biggie and the many of the others. I've killed some pretty good deer and the biggest reason is because they live where I hunt. I do believe in wearing rubber boots and playing the wind. That's about it. I will use ScentShield soap on my clothes and shower in the morning, but I really believe it only reduces odor a bit. Might fool some 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 year olds, but you won't fool the big boys. I have a climbing stand and will never hunt the same area twice in a row.
i definitly hunt where they live. have not taken a deer with bow yet buy i have killed a B&C buck 171 1/8, and 2 in the 140 class. believe it or not i am not asking these questions becouse i am a trophy hunter, i am asking them in order to see more deer. i KNOW big bucks are very wary and too see/kill them on a regular basis you need to go the extra yeard hence the questions to those of you who do. i LOVE to hunt and just plain see deer. i hunt hard and don't mind going the ertra mile so i might as well start doing it right and you guys are helping me verymuch, thanks again.
Can someone answer Ricks question? I have a very limited area to hunt and know the area pretty well. But like Rick says, they can come from any direction. I feel like I need someone to come in and look my area over and give me some ideas.
My biggest problem is the the boys. It is the nieghbors property and they are so kind to let me hunt there. But thier three young boys have even started invading the bedding areas.
I need a better place to hunt!
I concur that deer can come from anywhere. We too have that same problem. But you need to educate yourself on the area you hunt. I know for the most part my deer are coming from the corn fields in the morning and too the fields in the evening. So I play the wind accordingly. Does it always work? NO! I had 2-does going to the corn yesterday morning and they were down wind from me. I should have told them they were going the wrong way. LOL! They got a little nervous but never spooked. This is where my scent control comes into play. I feel the extras I do help in situations like this. It doesn't always work. Sometimes they spook. You can't stop the wind all together!
Bottom line is to know your hunting area and hunt the wind smart. If they get you, then they get you. Remember, thats why they are big.
Mike
I wouldn't go as far as saying there arent any big deer in the north east. It might no t be the mid west but i think the Benoit (SP) family has pu that to rest. they consistantly kill big deer in Vermont by still hunting them in the snow.
I also hunt areas where the deer move randomly, and it's really hard to judge just where they'll come from. In my frustration, I've considered doing all the homework, figuring it out just right, and then doing the opposite, because it so frequently seems to work out that way. My best results have been by picking the spot to hunt, then putting up at least two stands so I can hunt the area most effectively under changing conditions.
The only way I've been able to hide my scent trail to my satisfaction is by stepping into fresh mud (or cow manure if they are on the property), coating my rubber-bottomed boots thoroughly before walking to my stand.
The mud is much more pleasant to deal with.
I agree with leatherneck. You can only go to or set-up using the wind/thermals to your best advantage based on what you know of the deer travel in your area. BUT it will not be 100% fool-proof. Deer will come from anywhere when you least expect it but that is just the way it is. You can only do so much to get the advantage,,I don't believe that there is a hunter out there that can say they fool 100% of their game 100% of the time. Learn the wind/thermal patterns and deer travel in your area and you will have the most you can ask for. You will have a better chance at taking the best bucks & oldest does in your given hunting area.
:archer:
I had an interesting occurance years ago. I set up a treestand at what I thought was a perfect ambush point for a big buck. The trail sort of looped around before leading to a field. As a doe came down the trail I heard a buck grunting as it followed 40 - 50 yards behind her. The doe passed by right thru one of my shooting lanes, so I got ready to take the shot. Only, the buck cut across the loop and ended up at the base of the tree I was in, but on the opposite side! I could have spit on him, but there was no shot. He stood perfectly still at the base of the tree for what seemed an eternity. Apparently did not like what he smelled or sensed- whatever and then he just backed up (like a train engine- poor description I guess, but he did not turn around). He knew something was not right. He backed up about 20 yards and took a different route to the field. Frustrating, but it was a rush to get that close to a big mature buck! No cover scent used, but I try to be clean/ scent free as possible. I usually put my clothes in a bag with cedar branches for storage.
Some folks are a bit leary about hunting with NO wind. But on a cold crisp CLEAR morning... when the sun rises, the warming thermals carry your scent directly UP for a considerable amount of time until the wind picks up a little later on.
Difficult to know what direction bucks will come from, especially during peak rut. But keep this in mind... they are quite diligent at cross-checking trails after sunrise through mid-morning. Why is that? The Does used those trails earlier in the morning during transition from feed to bed. Rather than traveling the actual trails that the Does use (too time-consuming), they can cover more trails in less time by traveling perpendicular to them, walking across each of them checking for estrous. This can usually be observed at the edge of bedding cover where there are many trials (parallel to each other) that lead to and from feed/bed areas.
I have to agree with Biggie about thermals and playing the wind but I do take some additional precautions. Use scent free soaps for body and clothing. Stay out of smoke and other toxic odors. Use no scent sprays on clothing, backpacks etc. This season I am trying clorophyl tablets for the first time. Been on them for a month. Bought them at the local health /vitamin center 90(20MG)tablets for $6.95. Season starts tomorrow in Oklahoma. I plan on being there Thursday afternoon. Some people talk about a harvest moon, I have a harvest mindset at this point in time. Good luck to all and keep'um sharp.
my opinion, the scent that puts the radar up is the bacterial type from armpits and crotches. Use an antibacterial soap, and practice common sense and you'll fool one once in a while.
Ben, why would Biggie worry about that, he hunts in his underwear.....
I do the same as most here, watch the wind, wash etc etc etc. My one vice is skoal, and I spit in a capped pop bottle.
Hey Biggie, do you shave your legs to cut down on scent from the hair of your exposed legs?LOL
You all do a lot more than I ever dreamed of doing about sent control.
Look in my left hand, :knothead: it was lit and burning for about an hour before he came in to 11 yards.
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w27/kingwouldbe/DSCN2821-1.jpg)
I was smoking a cigar when I shot this buck last year with the St. Jude Striker longbow.
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w27/kingwouldbe/DSCN2797-2.jpg)
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w27/kingwouldbe/DSCN2806.jpg)
I too, have....over the years tried almost every new gimmick that comes out, trying to eliminate as much as possible my human scent. It isn't possible. I have reading about a new method of using a hyped-up bee smoker and some simple wood chips to help mask human odor.
I know for a fact that what causes odor is bacteria.......so if you prevent the growth of bacteria then there shouldn't be any odor to speak of....huh?
Think about this......guys and gals, take two pieces of meat.....one raw, and smoke the other one. Throw them both on the table, come back three days later and eat, (or possibly attempt to) some of each of them. The smoked piece of meat has been "preserved" so to speak. Which to me, is just another way of saying that it isn't allowing the bacteria to grow on, or in it. Now the other one, most likely will not look like anything, or smell like anything that you would want to part your lips with, let alone chew up and swallow.
I have been resisting trying this for a couple of years now, and have heard enough from trust-worthy sources to believe that it works. I'll keep you posted on the results.
I know, it goes AGAINST everything that most people have always believed, me included. BUT, at the most it will only cost the education of a few animals, and some extra washing and de-scenting of my hunting clothes. It is worth the try for me to have 360 degree hunting (forgetting the wind) available, because in the areas that I hunt, there isn't such a thing as the wind ALWAYS blowing from the same direction.
As I said, I will keep people posted as the season progresses.
Winterhawk1960
So is Don saying he is going to smoke himself as a way of preserving himself?? :D
Yeah, what is he saying?
Yep.....thats what he's saying :campfire:
.......and I'm also gonna smoke up my hunting clothes.
I just turned 48 last weekend and hopefully it will keep me preserved for at least 48 more years.
Winterhawk1960
I won't add to the scent control part of this thread because everything that I know in 45 years of deer hunting has been said, but I will say that I am a believer in the scent control clothes. Since I've been wearing them I see more nice quality deer in closer range.
What hasn't been addressed is a significant part of the clothes washing piece. Most clothes washing detergents (even some of the scent control ones) havew uV brighteners in them. I can't find the link to the scientific article right now, but UV brighteners will make the fabric of your clothes stand out to a deer similar to how we see white clothes under a black light. You need to wash with non-UV brightening stuff.
man do i ever have some home work to study! the beauty of it is its fun to try and i have ( lord willing ) many hunts to test it on. i do have the scent free shampoo and detergerant, just been getting to lazy to use it all the time. also bought a new pair of rubber bottom boots. will definitly stagget a couple stands, one high, one low on the ridge i hunt and use which ever one the wind dictates. thanks again everyone this really helps me.
QuoteOriginally posted by leatherneck:
Ken,
.....-If you smoke, quit. No matter how much you shower you can't get the smoke smell off your body. If you chew, don't do it on stand.
Mike
I chew and actually..the does are attracted to the scent.
I'm no trophy hunter, but I don't think deer are alarmed by non-human scents like food, tobacco etc.