Trad Gang

To what extent do you go to try and control your scent?  
I don't buy into all the scent control clothing.  "Forget the wind, just hunt" is a ridiculous statement!  But I think in my rejection of these kind of claims maybe I have become lazy in general about trying to control my scent while hunting.   I've been thinking about this more since reading Guru's thread about he and Cade's hunts this year.  He mentions in passing that they keep all their hunting clothes in scent lock type bags and don't get dressed till they are out of the truck.  
I try not to wear my hunting clothes in the house and I typically store them in a plastic tub in the garage.  Of course, when I wash them I use non-scented detergent.  But... I've wear my hunting clothes in my truck and I've got all kinds of gear... coats, hats, packs, etc... pilled up in the back seat throughout hunting season.   I spray on the scent killer spray most of the time but I'm kind of cynical about it too.  
So... how about you guys?

Working with Police dogs has given me an idea of how animals can use their noses.  I'll clean up, but I just play the wind.  I keep my cloths clean and try to keep my area clean.  I wash clothes in baking soda and I use ivory soap.

Keep the wind in your face..... have 2 or more options for a spot in case the wind is not good for one. I do use a cover sent on my boots when I walk in 90% of the time.

i keep my stuff sitting out in the house and in the car and everything. but when i get out to the woods i use a water and vinilla mixture. and every time i go out into the woods and i spray that on me i end up seeing deer. but every time i dont use it i dont see any deer.

Since I hike about a half mile up into the woods to hunt....I take a product called Nullo. Alot of times a deer may never see you but if a deer is acting kind of spooky then you know they smell something and they are on edge. Makes it harder to shoot at them. So, I try to do as much as I can to be sentless. Nullo has worked very well. I even went for two days without taking a shower or putting on deodarant and boy was I suprised how sentless I was!

When off of work hunting I try to take a shower every 2nd or 3rd day anyhow.  My hunting clothes get washed probably twice a year (don't want to wash the "luck" out!).  I don't worry about car/house/pet odors etc....deer ain't afraid of gasoline, onions, or my dog...they are afraid of me.  The very first thing the Old Man taught me about deer hunting many moons ago was to use the wind.  You can shower all you want and the deer will still smell you if the wind is in their favor.  You stink real bad a deer will smell you from 3/4 of a mile off....you take a shower 3X a day, put your clothes in a bin with pine boughs, spray down with the mumbo jumbo they sell on TV and a deer will still smell you from maybe 1/2 of a mile away.  Frankly, out of the best deer hunters I know I can't think of one that would count scent control (other than using the wind) as one of the most important aspects of killing big whitetails.

R

I have been a sucker in the past for the new and improved  sentlock/sentblock clothing. and let me tell you it dont matter what you have on, if a deer gets down wind its going to smell you!

Play the wind. keep your cloths as smell free as possible!

I worry more about leaving scent behind when I leave than the animals detecting me while I am hunting. Play the wind and try to leave as little scent behind as possible.

I take scent control very seriously, I never let my wife cut the cheese in the car.

Usually I just go hunt.

I'll echo what many have already said.  I used to be a fanatic about scent control and spent alot of time and money worrying about it.  The last two seasons I switched to plain old baking soda to wash my clothes in, and the regular unscented Ivory soap I used every day throughout the year.  I still keep my clothes in a separate bin and dress at the truck.  One other thing I did different was I switched to all merino wool undergarments.  I can wear them for a few days before they start to noticeably smell.  I put in alot less time with scent control, but spent more time working on my access routes into and out of stands accordingly with the wind.  I have had more close encounters with bucks this year without getting busted than ever.

I use Old Spice original UA deodorant stick and whatever soap & shampoo THE ADMIRAL buys.

No aftershave, no other colognes, perfumes, etc.

Don't use any kind of cover or masking scent.  I just hunt assuming deer will smell me and stay very conscious of the wind.

As long as the wind is in my face i am 100% scent free.    :bigsmyl:   When i start hunting deer next year for the first time in some 25 years i will most likely start being more careful...

I go as far as the wind will blow my scent away from the game I pursue   :campfire:

I try to stay relatively clean, which isn't always easy.  My cabin is off the grid and we have to carry water and heat it to take a (gravity feed) shower.  Regardless, even a short walk to a stand increases body heat enough to begin perspiring or at least start the bacteria growing.  I avoid polyester and polypropeline underclothing, which seems to be an incubator for body scent.  Breath and hair are also real culprits.  Regardless, I don't try to cover my scent.

I always hunt the wind.

I figure a lot of 'hunting stuff' that's being sold these days is like fishing lures... to make money, they don't have to catch fish, as long as they catch fishermen.

I think the scent-blocking stuff is a bunch of baloney, and spend my hard-earned money elsewhere.  I wonder... could a guy eat a big pot of chili and beans, pull on a pair of those activated-carbon pants, and then pass gas that came out smelling like the autumn breeze?  I doubt it.  But I could be wrong.  Even so, the way I figure, a person would have to be covered from head-to-toe, to keep scent from leaking out anywhere... like the opposite of a radiation suit.

I bathe as much as possible, use scent-free deodorant, and wash my hunting clothes regularly.  That's it.  I'm not the most successful hunter, but have had plenty of up-close deer encounters just by playing the wind right.

Use wool, every layer. .  Keep it relatively clean and aired out. Rubber bottom boots. Pay attention to the wind.  Take a shower with hunters mask soap from 3R.  

I think better results than all the scent control crap I tried years ago

Pay 100% attention to where my scent goes and zero to what it is.

I don't buy the carbon suit hype,but I do take a lot of precautions were sent is concerned.The main reason for this is I hunt my own land alot and I don't have a lot of land thats huntable (60 acres).The less scent I leave in the woods the better imho.Trappers especially, canine trappers understand the importance of scent control. Try making a fox or coyote set with smelly boots and/or bare hands and see how many you catch. It;s really no different with Deer. Out of sight-out of mind  out of nose- out of mind. I feel it has payed off and is worth a little extra effort. The Buck I shoot this year walked down the same path I did and then walked right past my stand at a mere 5 ft. away. The thing was I wasn't in the tree, I was standing on the ground in frout of it.He walked right past me and I shot him at seven yds.He never smelled me albeit the wind was calm.He should have smelled my tracks,but I feel he couldn't with the methods of scent control.Just my experiance and two cents.   :coffee:

Play the Wind ! That's it!

Knawbone: I've always gotten closer to the deer around my house but I've always assumed they were just used to my smell since we both live there.

If it's good enough for Mr. Rothhaar its good enough for me - plain plaid wool and play they wind.  And to be honest, I don't have enough ambition to go through all the scent control rigamarole every time I go out - easier to throw some milk weed silk in the air and see where it floats.

Lostarra, I agree with you,they expect your sent to be there, but once your in their world ( away from houses ect.} its' a different story.Their sense of danger is relitive so to speak. When I'm up in my woods with my tractor cutting wood, they stand and watch me or stay bedded were they are.They understand Im doing something that means them no harm. But try to take a Sunday walk in the woods and its white flags.When Fall comes around and the Deer start smelling all these differnt human smells from incroaching hunters they know whats up. I try to avoid that situation in my woods buy limiting my scent.

Lost arra, My hunting land is up the hill about a quarter mile from my house. Just needed to clarify that.

If I can smell myself I start thinking about washing something. Other than that I attempt to hunt the right wind, but it's useless on the ridges and drainage's I hunt. The wind will blow in every direction every sit.

Had a decent buck come in right at night this afternoon..bout 20yds..could just see his rack..he didn't smell me anyway.

I don't use the scent free crap. Your feet stink and your breath stinks and your butt stinks. The deer will smell you. Give it up and hunt the wind. If I was selling millions of dollars worth of the junk I would preach scent control to.

I don't go out of my way to stink; but I don't worry about it either-just pay attention to the wind.

So if you scent control types have to let one out do you strip naked first?

Watch the wind, clothes washed in baking soda and aired out.  The older I get the less camo I wear, and prefer wool if its cool enough.

LOL reddogge

I wash me and my clothes in baking soda and hope the wind don`t change. I do believe rubber boots are a must for scouting and deer hunting.RC

Thanks for all the responses guys.  That's helpful feedback.  I guess I'm not doing too bad.

full scent free shower and clothes wash storage...i also use my copperhead base layers which has helped a lot this year.  i try to play the wind where possible but its not always due to small parcel sizes and permission issues.

All I can say is the proof is on my wall. Hows your wall doing? Scent control is just lowering your scent output, it doesn't mean you have to use all the rigamaroll, just lower and/or mask your scent. Of coarse you have to play the wind, but how often is that a constant.,Why does a dog role in dead stinky animals? How often have you had a Deer come under your tree stand, but he busts you at the last second because he smelled you. Maybe you could have harvested that animal with just a little scent control.Everyones free to hunt the way they see fit. If you think playing the wind is all you need to do then thats fine. But don't disrespect me for my methods

Knawbone, maybe I missed something, but I don't think anyone was singling you out?  Lots of opinions here, and everyone is entitled to do as much (or as little) as they want.  

Experienced hunters know what works for their situation - like you said - what makes me sad is new guys buying into the TV hype and relying on "products" rather than woodsmanship to kill deer.  I think we're all good here.

Oh, and my wall?  I quit measuring deer 15 years ago, but I reckon I'd be in the "900 club" if I measured my 6 best.  

I prefer them with a snoot full of the hot doe they are behind when I shoots 'em - with their minds elsewhere you can sure get away with a lot!   ;)

R

Thanks Ryan, I don't measure my deer either, Just making a point and it wasn't about size, it was about success. I was practicing scent control long before any products were on the shelf.To me "scent control" is just that scent control. It's part of good woodsmanship imo. I don't buy into all the hype either, just wish some people could be a little less crass about there opinions.I;m 53 so I j\\guess i grew up with a little different set of standards.Its all good   :thumbsup:

I have read this thread pretty closely, and I don't think there is any sense of respect or disrespect in the comments. It simply seems that some tend to think scent control needs to be a major concern and some guys don't - no more and no less. One belief does not invalidate a differing belief, it simply differs from it.

I have enjoyed hearing the various points of view. I must admit that I am somewhat in the middle. I don't think you can really cover up your scent at all, but I still have spent a small fortune on deer pee, fox pee, skunk scent, sex scents, apple scent, acorn scent, vanilla,anise, garlic and just about anything else you can think of. Results have been negligible, but the one sure thing I know is that skunk scent stinks to the point of nausea, especially when you use the entire bottle under your stand at one time.

Sam, I re-read all the posts and your right-my bad. My apologies to one and all,I guess sometines I just get a little touchy.Carry on my fellow arrow slingers.   :campfire:

Now I know why these guys don't advertise on tradgang!

http://www.ozonicshunting.com/

  :biglaugh:  

I play the wind and try common sense scent control.

There are a ton of people who buy into stuff like ozonics; and even though scentloc, or whoever it was, lost that class action lawsuit a couple of years ago demonstrating their product failed to deliver claimed results; they just went right back at it and people continued to buy the product.
Most people like to 'buy' a solution rather than have to work at understanding the issue and how to approach it in the first place-like planning your hunt based upon wind forecasts and observed wind direction and then changing your hunt when the wind changes. It isn't always easy; but it is always fun.    :archer2:

I try to control my sent as much as possible without breaking the bank. I buy sent free soap/shampoo at the end of the year at marked down pricing. Same with the spray on sent killer stuff. I do not believe it makes me scent less but do believe it helps. Wash my clothes in sent free soap at beginning of the season and store in a fairly air tight tote only dressing in the field. One odd thing I have used for years is a deodorant salt rock. I found it years ago in a health store and thought I would try it. Kills bacteria which is what gives you body odor. That is the one thing I swear by, has worked for me for years. Can't cover it all but try to eliminate what I can and play the wind the best I can.

Scent control is a must when you are going after mature animals the first hint of a human scent and its over.But sometimes they walk downwind of me and they dont react.But 98% of the time it is over.

After field and stream published a articale that proved all scent control meathods had zero effect on trailing dogs I quite stressing it about deer other than trying to play the wind.

What Ryan said. Only problem where I hunt you can seldom figure out where the deer will come from. But certain areas can only be hunted with certain wind direction for sure. I figure my breath smells worse than my body anyway. Kinda hard to hold it for 4 hours!

Thinking about that articale the authors thought that  scent killing sprays and carbon suits would have at least slowed the dogs a bit from picking up the trail but it didn't as a matter of fact they said the intentionaly smelly subjuct did just as well as the subject using the best scent control products we have.

QuoteOriginally posted by Burnsie:
If it's good enough for Mr. Rothhaar its good enough for me - plain plaid wool and play they wind.  And to be honest, I don't have enough ambition to go through all the scent control rigamarole every time I go out - easier to throw some milk weed silk in the air and see where it floats.

I 2nd this!

I am with those who say that playing the wind is the only thing that really works, however taking precautions such as keeping clean (you and your clothes) will help. On the issue of wearing rubber boots, I beleive this will also help, BUT I have watched deer follow my footsteps with their nose to the ground right up to my tree stand and I was wearing rubber boots. I have picked up my boots and and smelled them. What do I smell. I smell the smell of rubber. If I can smell them than the deer certainly can. Has anyone else besides me experienced this?

They'll smell your breath before they smell your clothes. I like to eat an apple as a snack. Gives me apple breath and the core is now an attractant. I just wedge it in a branch.
That said, the more pressured the deer, the easier they spook. I hate it when I see the TV hunter saying "I could've never gotten this monster buck if I wasn't wearing my scent free suit and spraying myself with my magic scent killing spray." That's a bunch of hooey.
I am a believer in attractant scents, but I've also seen does blow out of there as soon as they smell doe in heat lure. That's another subject.

You have to hunt the wind, no matter what you wear, use or do. That is an undeniable fact.

Knawbone made the comment that the proof was on his wall by using scent control and wind. Just one thought about success. Wonder if those old has beens had any success without the gadgets/scent blockers. Fred Bear, Howard Hill, Glenn St.Charles, Wenzels, the list goes on a lot farther. Maybe they just worked more on hunting skills and not so much on getting ahead with products.

I camp in the woods, end up smelling bad and stay downwind. End of story!

I don't know what a deer smells and what it doesn't or why sometimes they seem to react one way and next time the opposite.

I've hunted in hot, wet, sweaty, stinking,  tennis shoes and had deer walk all over my fresh tracks and pay no attention what so ever and had them cross my back trail when I was wearing knee high, rubber boots, blow and run off in the other direction.

I've used a lot of cover scents over the yrs..but never found a way of knowing if they worked or not..so just decided I could find more meaningful ways to waste my money.

I agree playing the wind is the single most important thing you can do to keep from getting smelled. I also think there are many contributing factors which enter the equation when it comes to trying to limit your scent. Like I said before, you ask any canine trapper how important scent control is. Some of you may even trap fox or coyote, can you or do you not use some of the same messures while hunting deer? I used to trap, so I use some of those woods crafts when I hunt. To me it only makes scents.{ pardon the pun }Scent control is not a substitute for hard hunting and figuring out quarry and never will be. Just another trick in the hunters bag.

 When done properly and I mean PROPERLY limiting your scent can give you a chance { at times }that you my not otherwise of had. Believe me if it didn't I wouldn't bother. To me I would be a fool not to.

Trad Beagle, No maybe about it they did. And if I had the time and resources they had to hunt I probably wouldn't take the precautions I do.And its' not a matter of trying to shortcut or get ahead of the game. If that were the case I probably wouldn't be a tradional bowhunter in the first place.

Well, this turned out to be a lively topic.  One this is certain...  100% of us agree that you have to play the wind and none of us believe in the hyped products that make ridiculous claims.   Beyond this it seems like there is a variety of approaches.  
All the big name hunters on TV who talk about using the scent control products... well, we all know it's all about advertising dollars.  I would love to know about the Wensel brothers or Mike Mitten.  Any body know if these guys do anything beyond playing the wind?

Don't stand downwind of the Wensel boys!!   :scared:

I have had better luck using a cover scent like fresh earth then trying to eliminate human odor. I have washed and stored clothing in scent lock bags, showered before a hunt etc. and still got busted when the animals came in down wind. As long as you are alive and well your body makes odor regardless of what you wear or wash with. I think the use of a good cover scent mixes with your scent and gives the animal a feeling that you are farther away then you really are.

Running Buck, They think your further away than you really are. Your dead on, agree with you 100%. Ground and air moisture makes a big difference also.Hunting dogs have a harder time picking up scent when the ground is dry, so too with deer ect.I do believe what close you wear, or lack off can make a difference also.It's not good to sweat,or for that matter to even get too warm if you can avoid it. It all adds up to the AMOUNT of scent you put out.

Try not to light a cigarette during the last 40 minutes of shooting light on the stand is as far as I go. Not because they will smell it but because I want the bow in my hands during that time. Down wind is down wind. Deer can smell where I walked in rubber boots two hours ago - you can't fool their noses.

I want all the help I can get. I try to stay clean and do use scent free soap on my body and my camo and under garments. Play the wind is the biggest factor.
As far as the successful hunters of the past there soap didn't have anywhere near the purty smelling stuff of our modern soaps, shampoos and laundry detergents, that we all have to have to smeel good in todays society.If we used now the same products they used back then we wouldn't need the new marketed stuff either.
guest my thoughts!

QuoteOriginally posted by Charlie Lamb:
Don't stand downwind of the Wensel boys!!    :scared:  

That's funny!     :laughing:

Ok Charlie, besides staying upwind of the Wensels, what is your approach to scent control?

Don't know if I have posted on this before, but here goes,

Soap- Dove unscented for sensitive skin, for entire body and hair.

Carbon face mask

Scent killing sprays, for clothes and hat and mask.

I have had deer down wind of me and they  have also walked to within 10 yds. of me, and they never busted me!

I do try and play the wind when ever possible.

I shower with unscented soap, use unscented deodorant, sometimes use scent eliminator sprays.  I keep my boots and clothes for bowhunting separate and in big tupperware containers.  I don't see the need to buy a $300.00 scent suit that loses effectiveness after a few wears.
I quit using deer scents years ago.  They say a deer can smell 1400 odors at one time (how they figured that one out, I have NO idea). If I am wearing or using deer scents, I feel it just draws attention and for a deer to put the "radar" on high power, possibly picking up my scent.  Works for me as I've killed a truckload.  Is all this necessary? Dunno... but I feel it does help.

Ok been watching this thread for awhile now. I always enjoy these threads and have to chuckle.Most time I just bite my tonque and let it go. But I'll be the odd man out here. I wonder how many of those that say you can NEVER fool a deers nose wear wool or other clothing that lets the wind blow through it? Be honest here. Theres 99% of the problem and thus the belief you can't fool a deers nose. In fact I agree your 100% right while wearing that type clothing.

I keep reading always hunt with the wind in your face. Let me say I live and hunt in WV a mountain state. I don't use "scent lock suits" and ain't selling nothing.  If you don't like the way the wind is blowing now wait five minutes it will change 180.If I only hunted when the wind was right here I'd never ever hunt here. I also hunt out of state and enjoy the steady winds you guys experience. But to be honest the only reason I pay attention to the wind then is because deer will travel with the wind to their advantage and you can bet I hunt the wind accordingly to how they will travel.

I have a system, not really a elaborate system either. Probably way simpler than everything  mentioned here. Make my own home brew scent killer and wear wind proof clothing. I can't tell you how many deer I've had dead down wind from me, let most pass unnoticed and killed some. Got pics for proof. Can only think of two deer that "smelled" me in the last 7 years and reacted negatively and snorted or just tucked tail and walked off. Now let me state those two deer are a small sampling of the amount of time I get to bowhunt every year. I probably get to bow hunt more than most here. I spend ALOT of time in the woods during bow season. Yes alot of deer go dead down wind of me and smell me. But they acknowledge it, accept it as if to assume I'm way out of range and go right back to what they were doing. You can see it in there eyes, body language as if to say "Ok got it. Theres a human smell but he's well out of my danger zone".

Now heres the confusing part. I believe there are two types of scent. One is where we walk in and basically drop scent and the second is while we are stationary and it's wind driven. The first is the hardest to overcome. My scent control will for the most part work on the scent dropping to the ground for most deer. But deer are like humans and some are like blood hounds and some are like poodles. I've not had a single deer SPOOK on my trail in BUT repeated entry and exits to a stand will definately have them on alert. I still seldomly over hunt a stand for that single reason. For the record most dogs can follow your trail regardless of scent control. They know rubber boot smells as good as anyone or anything.Probably could be trained to tell the brand. Some deer are equal. Thank goodness most aren't.

Now however once on stand I'm convinced I can completely fool a deers nose in the places I hunt for wind driven scent. Read that again. Theres certain places I refuse to hunt because of constant swirling to stagnant areas that are just plain impossible to hunt. But with the proper stand choice and scent control I don't care which way the wind is blowing. Ok go ahead call me crazy your right, I'm wrong! lol But I'm convinced that YES you can reliably fool a deers nose. It's actually not that hard for wind driven scent. Please no PM's or emails for my home brew scent receipe, a key part of scent control, as they will go unanswered. Besides it's already on the market but you can't afford it for the amount you need to use every time you go out!!!

One last reminder I'm not selling anything so don't PM or email for my homebrew scent receipe as they will go un answered.

LC, thank you for a well written post. I wish i could write like that. You hit a home run and sent it out of the park.Touche`   Sorry to say I wasn't feeling all that accomodating, Thank you for such good clarification.Well done Sir   :thumbsup: