Diet & Scent

[highelk]

I was wondering if anyone has ever seen any studies or knows anything about if a certain diet would reduce Human scent while hunting game that has a keen sense of smell.
I know that some natives will fast before a hunt but I have never seen anything on any techniques.
maybe they don't exist.
Thanks in advance for any info.

[lpcjon2]

I can add this for you to think about.My friend trains bloodhounds and he said it's micro fine cells that are so small you couldn't imagine.These are transported in the air and on items you come in contact with that the dogs pick up on.Imo If you play the wind you can eat what you want.You will never totally eliminate your smell.They can smell things you can't

[Charlie Lamb]

Chad... you won't find many around here with the imagination to consider the impact diet can have on human scent. Most of what you'll get is unfounded opinion and hearsay.

All I know from my own experience is that a person CAN affect his scent by what he eats. The more you smell like a vegetarian the less impact your scent will have on wild critters.

Most all of my experience has been with the use of supplements. Namely chlorophyll. I know that it helps with scent control especially with latent scent on brush and the ground.
If nothing else it can make those long bathless trips more bearable.

[John3]

Mr. Lamb is RIGHT ON regarding the chlorophyll.. I have used it for years with superb results.

When I could not find actual chlorophyll supplement I used Alf Alpha (containing mostly chlorophyll) with great results...

I start taking them a month before season opens..

John III

[Wannabe1]

I found this from a doctors editorial on diet and scent control.

"If you shift to a 100% healthful diet made of whole grains, massive quantities of leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, soy products, supergreens, lots of sprouts, raw nuts and seeds, healthy oils and other similar healthful ingredients, your body odor will all but disappear in a matter of weeks.

Been wanting to try the chlorophyll tablets myself.

[jhg]

Whenever I want to really stink I eat some hot dogs, bratwurst and some hamburgers. Works every time for serious arm pit stench.
I never eat that stuff before or during hunts. I agree with everything said so far about diet affecting how we smell. I've fooled many a white tail that had been conditioned to associate a certain ordor with humans- fried eggs and bacon, cigarettes, coffee etc. The deer could smell me that was certain. But they didn't quite know what they where smelling. That little bit of confusion always helped my hunt.

Joshua

[barebow17]

I was told told to stay away from eating meats and chew spearmint gum.

[Benny Nganabbarru]

Avoid booze, too.

[tradtusker]

Iv found its does not make a difference on the game with Keen sense of smell, Does not matter if you'v been eating Soy and cranberry juice for a month or just had a Red wine Steak with extra garlic, they will smell you...its not often you will trick an animals Nose

My Advice, Stay down wind    

[highelk]

Thanks.
I understand that you won't completely eliminate the human scent but this Game between us and them is hard enough, and if there's a way to gain an advantage ,no matter how small, I'm willing to give it a shot.
I'm guessing that the chlorophill tablets are available at a health food store?

[Tater 2]

I stated this on another thread a couple years ago. Get yourself some good old "windinyerface" and you got the best scent control out there.

 
  I will agree with Andy you can't fool a wild critters nose.
     I have used the Chlorophyl tablets before and really could not tell alot of difference if I was upwind I usually got busted regardless.

[huntin_sparty]

Originally posted by Wannabe1:
I found this from a doctors editorial on diet and scent control.

"If you shift to a 100% healthful diet made of whole grains, massive quantities of leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, soy products, supergreens, lots of sprouts, raw nuts and seeds, healthy oils and other similar healthful ingredients, your body odor will all but disappear in a matter of weeks.

Been wanting to try the chlorophyll tablets myself.

I didnt see meat or meat byproducts.  Wow, with that diet right there it pushes me to play the wind or try the chlorophyll!      
       

[Charlie Lamb]

Chad... as you can see by the responses to your question so far my advice has been born out.

Keep an open mind. I've had too many positive experiences not to believe something good happens.
You can get the chlorophyll at most health food stores.
Check out the brands and look for the strongest concentration you can find.

Break into it slowly as it can play heck with your lower intestinal track if you use too much too soon.

I much prefer using chlorophyll over any kind of underarm deodorant which usually only mask with perfumes.

As said above even after extended backpack trips I notice little or no body odor when I'm using it and animals (even directly downwind) seem to react less violently to my presence.
It's not that they don't know you are there... it's how they react (or don't) to your presence.

If you are a whitetail hunter you can keep your scent impact on the area you hunt to very minimal levels as well.
Whitetails do figure out if we are coming and going from a particular spot (tree stand/ blind) and the smarter ones will avoid it after just a couple of days under "normal" conditions.

Why do you think guys like Gene and Barry Wensel wear rubber boots when hunting or use rubber gloves when putting up tree steps. They are reducing latent scent.


Any hunter who ignores the little details is destined to much less success than he might have enjoyed and figuring out the details is part of the game.

But then that's just my opinion after 50 odd years in the field.

[Charlie Lamb]

Also note that I'm not saying don't play the wind. LOL That's a no brainer.

[Bill Carlsen]

i have found exactly the same results as Charlie. It is not a silver bullet but I believe it actually dilutes your odor so that animals that get a whiff of you are getting a less concentrated smell than if you weren't using it. You must, however, follow all the other precautions like showering, washing clothes in scent free soap, rinse with baking soda, etc. For me, and Charlie, anyhow, the chlorophyll rounds out the scent elimination formula the best I  can do it...and I truly believe that it makes a difference. I first heard of it many years ago when Barry Wensel was actually selling the stuff. i got some and have used it ever since.

[hunt it]

Elk eat nothing but vegitation - they smell!! Skunks eat pretty healty - they stink!!!

Humans smell period, some bad, some good. There are many things you can do to lessen this smell but eliminate it so an animal does not smell you - not possible. Do some research into the smell factors of some species and see for yourself.

[lt-m-grow]

Hunt,

I think you would be hard pressed to find a person on this site that thinks you can eliminate human odor.

But I am in the camp that you can reduce it and I believe it helps.  

I assume game animals use odors like I do.  If I smell a skunk, and the odor is faint I know there is some distance between me and the skunk or the level of odor gives me a sense of my relative danger of getting sprayed.

I believe if I reduce my scent along the lines of what Bill offered - the same thing is possible ala Animals will think I am further away than I am thereby reducing their concern and providing me a potential advantage.

Whitetails smell people all the time.  So quantity of human odor has to play into it or I at least I believe it does.

[lt-m-grow]

I know I have said this before, but hunting is like gambling, the more you can increase the odds in your favor, the more likely you will be taking game.

So I see this as not a guarantee, but an increasing of the odds in my favor.

[Dirtybird]

Chlorophyll pills and avoid any spicy foods.  I think what everyone here has said rings true.  I start taking my chlorophyll about a month before season opens.

[Ragnarok Forge]

I am in the party that thinks you can minimize scent and it helps at times. Animals can not only tell what another animal is by scent, they can tell it's health level, if it is in heat or not, etc...  They can also normally tell how far away you are.  That is why dogs sniff butts, and animal sniff other animals up close and their dung when they are not there.

I have seen animals wind me at a distance and just look up, try and spot me and feed away from me.  The wife got winded at 20 feet by a bull elk last year right before elk opened and he was out of there like a freight train.  Minimzing your scent can cause the animal to think you are further away giving you those few extra steps needed to make a kill.  

If you use chlorophyll, wash with no scent soaps, keep your clothes scent free, etc.... you are optimizing your chances for success.  Everything is in the animals favor our in the field.  I personally do everything I can to change that balance in my facor.  If nothing else it helps with my confidence which makes me hunt harder.