I purchased one of these about 5 years ago and still have yet to use it. Like any product I have heard good and not so good in terms of success. Is there any experience here with this device and if so could you give some opinions on it? I am debating on trying it this fall or weather to stick with what I have done the past 27 years which has worked well for me. Thanks.
Aaron;
I like you and have heard just as many bad stories as good ones. I'll be watching this one closely as I too have some smoke sticks but have never used them.
You've already purchased it, so why not try a couple times??
The very 1st time I used the sent stick I saw a doe eating acorns headed my direction she caught wind of the scent and came over to the stick and sniffed it. I heard something behind her and about 75 yards away a 10 pt was slowly trailing her she peed right under my stand and the buck trotted under me to scent check it.. That was my 1st and only 10 pt with a bow.
I was probably going to get a shot at that buck anyway if he would of kept following her. But it did bring her over to me . I got lucky when she peed and he saw her And came in to investigate.
I have used them and had no luck. But then I had luck the 1st time I used !!!!!
Aaron,
I used a bee smoker for the first time last fall and I will not be spending another dime on scent control products.
What I had been doing the last 25 years was working ok for me as well but why not try to improve upon it? If it doesn't help you, just go back to what you were doing.
I was getting picked off occasionally when the wind would swirl or change direction slightly. After using the smoker, I purposely hunted stands with wind directions that I normally wouldn't have. I wanted the deer coming in dead down wind of me just to see their reaction and I was skeptical.
To my surprise, I killed an adult doe and a coyote on pressured public land during the gun season and both were dead down wind on the same trail at 8 yards. The smoker is a very small investment that worked for me, so I will continue using it until I find a reason not to....so far so good.
You are talking about the scent control smoker the one that looks kinda like a coffee pot that you smoke your clothes with to kill bacteria act as a microbial and cover you're scent right?
Some,seem to think you talking about scent (smoke) sticks. To attract deer.
Just clarifying.
QuoteOriginally posted by Mr. fingers:
You are talking about the scent control smoker the one that looks kinda like a coffee pot that you smoke your clothes with to kill bacteria act as a microbial and cover you're scent right?
Some,seem to think you talking about scent (smoke) sticks. To attract deer.
Just clarifying.
Good point! This is not a attractant but a anti- microbial smoker similar to smokers used in the Bee honey business.
6 years and still going strong...
I'm interested in this as well. It makes sense to me, but I'm hesitant to try it because I think once you "smoke" your hunting clothes it will be hard to ever get the smell out.
We tried the bee smoker last year also, it seem to work fine. The wind always swirls here and I shot a doe that night.
I hope this thread goes for a while I'm hopping to hear Pos. And neg responses .
It's time for a new hunting outfit . I have been using scent blocker clothing and the X scent . I have had great results but They are getting too spendy
And the smoker makes cents . Kills bacteria anti microbial and a natural cover wood smoke. I would like to try one.
I know this has been discussed before, but my last year has kept me off of the computer for my interests for a while. More info would be great. I always thought clothes were just smoked over a small fire. I did not know there was "device". Or is it used at the stand, like a scent stick?
http://www.scentsmoker.com/
It is sold by a guy here in Ohio and several people have tried it. Some say it gives them a headache to constantly smell like smoke.
I Googled it and might just give it a shot this coming deer season.
get a charcoal starter for 3 bucks at Dollar general
Start a fire in it then pile on the pine needles.
Smoke will flow out the top.
Stand in stream or hang clothes over the smoke.
Ive heard great things about using smoke.
And deer wont spook from smoke smell.
I certainly have multiple ways of hardwood smoking my clothes. How often do you need to refresh. Is it a total wash, then smoke, or just a refresh on the smoke if you have not sweat up the clothes?
I smoked clothes for a couple of seasons. Although I do feel it worked well on does and young bucks, I never fooled the older mature bucks that I love to hunt. Decided hunting the wind was better and not near as much trouble as smoking my clothes before each hunt. My shop also smells much better now as my clothes were really stinking the place up! Also my wife hated the smell, and I wasn't getting near the kisses from her that I usually did, and that wasn't good! :nono:
You will probably have someone tell you that you CAN"T fool a deer's nose and just hunt the wind. You should always hunt the wind of course.
Someone will likely also say that a tracking dog can trail you directly to your tree. If a dog can do that, then a deer with even better olfactory senses will smell you even quicker. They are right. A dog will come find you fairly easily.
HOWEVER..... The smoke appears to do something I don't fully understand to deer. They simply do not react like they would without it. I have yet to have a deer blow/snort at me when using smoke. Even when they circle down wind, they obviously catch a scent, but they just don't freak out. Sometimes they stay right where they are still feeding and other times they just walk away. THIS IS WITH THEM BEING DOWN WIND!
I have video posted on Facebook of a buck standing ON my walk-in trail WITH a bad swirling wind. He fed in the area for about a half hour before moving on up the hill. At one point, he even caught me moving while videoing him. He circled down wind to try to catch my scent. Even when the buck was down wind with his nose in the air, he couldn't figure it out.
FYI; I was in a tree, but only 8 feet off the ground.
Smoke works! From a fire or a bee smoker. Give it a go and see for yourself. I smoke everything including my boots. I also use unscented soap and deodorant mostly for allergies, but it plays double duty for hunting. I put unscented deodorant on my feet to keep them from sweating as well.
Good Luck!
Don't know if this is the same but I took some advice and got all smoked up elk hunting. Never saw elk run away as fast. Smoke scented clothing/skin didn't help at all.
Joshua
Don't know about elk since I don't hunt them but for whitetails, my experience is the same as buckeye_hunter. I don't fully understand what is going on because they do smell something, they just don't seem to spook....it works for me.
I have purposely smoked my clothes over a small campfire for many years now and have been closer to more animals since I started doing it. Usually they smell the smoke and come closer to investigate. This has worked for me for deer, elk and a bear that I shot @ 3 yds. on the ground. 9 feet! It came around the tree that was right in front of me and looked right at me. The arrow barely got out of the bow and the bear never spooked until hit. I can't believe that a bear couldn't smell the smoke from 9 ft. away. This was about an hour after I smoked my clothes.
Also, I don't know if it matters, but I try to use wood that is in the area where I'm hunting. My theory is that those animals smell wood smoke all the time and don't associate danger with it. I think the carbon in the smoke soaks up human odor too.
snoop dogg gets close to deer all the time.
Oops wrong smoke
Last year out where I live they were cleaning up around a cemetary. They burnt brush and timber and it smoldered for a day.
My wife and I saw a buck feeding yards from the smoldering grasses.
Didnt act like he even cared.
Ive threatened to do this for years. This year I will try it for sure.
it isnt smells that bother deer or other game in the woods while on stand...it is unfamiliar smells or those they attribute to danger (man, predators, etc)... wood smoke is something they have all encountered and unless the fire is nearby it should be nothing more than a curiosity to them.
My buddy and I huddle around a tiny hibachi every morning before we hike up the mountain. We make a smokey fire, hang our clothes over it for a while. we also stand in the smoke before dressing. Last year was the first time I did this regularly, and the deer were always calm around us, and never got busted by wind changes. I'm sold on it. I don't wash the clothes either.