Scent control help me out.

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csoult
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby csoult » Fri Nov 16, 2018 4:18 am

I would agree with most of this, however I do believe that there is an area where scent control can make a huge difference. Ground scent. You can play the wind all you want, but if a deer hits your ground scent, jumps out of their skin, and goes the other way, then your SOL. I believe that ground scent can actually be taken care of. Leave you boots outside in a container or some other way of not allowing them to leave human scent on the ground can work. When you are scouting your way in to a piece of property it's pretty easy to take a step or two too far. Also, you don't always know which direction the deer are coming from. They don't always use paths and often wander a bit.

Cover scent has been proven to work to a certain degree and I believe that it may work when applied to the bottom of boots, not clothing.

I agree with these guys about the scent control thing, for the most part. You can do whatever you want to try to control it, but if a deer gets downwind close enough then it's gone. I would also like to point out that it is best to keep your clothes, and yourself clean. I always like to put it this way.... You step out of your house at night and you can faintly smell a skunk. You will typically still take out the garbage, but you will just be more cautious and have your head on a swivel looking for the skunk. Now, if you open your door and the smell is so strong that it burns your nose, you're probably not going outside....


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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby G-Patt » Fri Nov 16, 2018 7:37 am

I pretty much exclusively hunt quarter-wind and crosswind positions, almost never with the wind in my face. Deer bust me all of the time which is a risk I'm willing to take. Because of my preferred style of hunting and experience doing so, I've used absolute scent control in the past,the whole works and still get busted. It doesn't matter if you smoke, exclusively eat pickled boiled eggs, don't shower for one week (I don't condone any of this for the record) or you if you take every single scent-free precaution. Deer know your smell and will bail nearly every time except for the occasional yearling (even then, most of them bail). They don't think "hmm...the intensity of this human smell isn't that strong, so I'll continue to use this trail." Learn to use the wind and take chances. You will still be a very successful hunter and will spend less time, effort and money with things that don't work. It's a great post your started because I struggled with this for awhile, and it was like a eureka moment when I gave up the scent-free neurotic behavior and killed my first deer by simply playing the wind and taking risks with my hunting. I actually became a better hunter in the process.
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Nov 16, 2018 8:08 am

Scent control to me is paying attention to the wind and thermals to keep my scent away from the deer. All that other stuff is just a way to take money out of your pockets.
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby Trout » Fri Nov 16, 2018 12:07 pm

I've been in the same boat as you, its tough to unbrainwash yourself. The last thing I got out of was storing my clothes in a sealed container and dressing in the field. But even when I was wearing a scentlok suit and spraying down, etc., I still had to play the wind, and that speaks volumes.

I will say that I still believe in rubber/neoprene boots. I've just seen them work too much while trapping canines where if you aren't wearing rubber gloves and hip boots or kneeling on a foam rubber mat, you aren't going to catch much.

I think my biggest breakthrough this season was starting to learn how to use the wind/thermals in combination with terrain. A lot of that came from watching Dan's hillcountry DVD and reading posts on here. Made a huge difference in what I saw.
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby PK_ » Fri Nov 16, 2018 3:17 pm

I would rather quit hunting than start a scent control regimine again.
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby Lockdown » Fri Nov 16, 2018 4:26 pm

csoult wrote:I would agree with most of this, however I do believe that there is an area where scent control can make a huge difference. Ground scent. You can play the wind all you want, but if a deer hits your ground scent, jumps out of their skin, and goes the other way, then your SOL. I believe that ground scent can actually be taken care of. Leave you boots outside in a container or some other way of not allowing them to leave human scent on the ground can work. When you are scouting your way in to a piece of property it's pretty easy to take a step or two too far. Also, you don't always know which direction the deer are coming from. They don't always use paths and often wander a bit.

Cover scent has been proven to work to a certain degree and I believe that it may work when applied to the bottom of boots, not clothing.

I agree with these guys about the scent control thing, for the most part. You can do whatever you want to try to control it, but if a deer gets downwind close enough then it's gone. I would also like to point out that it is best to keep your clothes, and yourself clean. I always like to put it this way.... You step out of your house at night and you can faintly smell a skunk. You will typically still take out the garbage, but you will just be more cautious and have your head on a swivel looking for the skunk. Now, if you open your door and the smell is so strong that it burns your nose, you're probably not going outside....


One thing I'd like to point out:

The shorter the grass is, the less likely you get busted. If its thigh high, with or without scent control you're done. Csoult if you're walking through hardwoods like your avatar and avoiding brushing up against low growth and saplings, IMHO the only way they're smelling you (even without scent control) is if they're nose to the ground.

That was the first thing I noticed when I hunted hardwoods in SD. MOST OFTEN, I got away with deer crossing my entry trail. If they had their head down, then they'd probably get me, but even then not always. I remember one hunt where a doe and a fawn crossed my trail and didn't bat an eye. An hour later a coyote came through nose to ground. As soon as he hit my trail he turned and bolted like a gun went off.

So the vegetation you're walking through makes a huge difference. In leaf litter their nose is 3' above your scent.
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby SC_z7 » Sat Nov 17, 2018 6:55 am

Hunting mature bucks is about putting as many factors as you possibly can in your favor and in the short time (year and a half) that i have followed this site, i have learned an enormous amount about how to do that by applying beast methods. Because of that it surprises me that there is so many folks that are so quick to completely dismiss scent reduction.

I 100% agree that if a mature buck is catching your scent stream/trail, it's over. But as someone that hunts hill country where swirling winds and thermals are the absolute norm, it only makes sense to reduce the amount of scent that's in the area I am hunting or accessing my hunting spot. Even if the best benefit is not busting the "less-educated" members of the deer herd - there is still benefit in that.

With that I admit I have poured far too much $$ into the newest products that promised scent elimination and were a complete waste of money. I have settled on a process that's relatively easy/cheap and since i have been doing that it has reduced the amount of times i have been winded. When possible, i shower with unscented soap before going out. I also use ozone to treat my hunting clothes/pack. i know ozone is controversial around here and I think using it in the field (ozonics type machine) is a waste of money and space/weight in my pack but the use of ozone to reduce/eliminate scents is proven.

To me, if the above steps work to improve my chances of staying undetected by 5 or 10% then its worth the effort. For $10-20 a year in soap and a one-time $75 cost for the ozone machine, i think its a reasonable trade-off to consider. Absolutely doesn't mean you HAVE to do it to shoot mature bucks, but there are methods that reduce the amount of human scent you carry into the field with you. Why not implement these as much as possible?
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby CattailCommander » Sat Nov 17, 2018 7:25 am

Thesouthpaw wrote:Thermals and wind. Once you give up the "scent control" hunting becomes so much more enjoyable. In reality, you should be hunt the wind regardless because deer move differently with different winds.


This is a big one. I love going out to the woods smelling like sweat and nasty right after work and I still see deer. It was always a chore to shower, constantly washing my clothes and it didn't make a damn difference. Regardless on what you do, if they get down wind of you, they're going to smell you.
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Sat Nov 17, 2018 3:57 pm

Lockdown wrote:
csoult wrote:I would agree with most of this, however I do believe that there is an area where scent control can make a huge difference. Ground scent. You can play the wind all you want, but if a deer hits your ground scent, jumps out of their skin, and goes the other way, then your SOL. I believe that ground scent can actually be taken care of. Leave you boots outside in a container or some other way of not allowing them to leave human scent on the ground can work. When you are scouting your way in to a piece of property it's pretty easy to take a step or two too far. Also, you don't always know which direction the deer are coming from. They don't always use paths and often wander a bit.

Cover scent has been proven to work to a certain degree and I believe that it may work when applied to the bottom of boots, not clothing.

I agree with these guys about the scent control thing, for the most part. You can do whatever you want to try to control it, but if a deer gets downwind close enough then it's gone. I would also like to point out that it is best to keep your clothes, and yourself clean. I always like to put it this way.... You step out of your house at night and you can faintly smell a skunk. You will typically still take out the garbage, but you will just be more cautious and have your head on a swivel looking for the skunk. Now, if you open your door and the smell is so strong that it burns your nose, you're probably not going outside....


One thing I'd like to point out:

The shorter the grass is, the less likely you get busted. If its thigh high, with or without scent control you're done. Csoult if you're walking through hardwoods like your avatar and avoiding brushing up against low growth and saplings, IMHO the only way they're smelling you (even without scent control) is if they're nose to the ground.

That was the first thing I noticed when I hunted hardwoods in SD. MOST OFTEN, I got away with deer crossing my entry trail. If they had their head down, then they'd probably get me, but even then not always. I remember one hunt where a doe and a fawn crossed my trail and didn't bat an eye. An hour later a coyote came through nose to ground. As soon as he hit my trail he turned and bolted like a gun went off.

So the vegetation you're walking through makes a huge difference. In leaf litter their nose is 3' above your scent.


I like Lockdown's observation because I seen the same thing happen. Although, my ground scent gets detected more times than anything. Your ground scent shouldn't be the only thing to worry about IMO. Especially on your entry trail. I believe that it is very important to not leave scent across an area where the deer you plan on killing come through. Your scent sticks to everything you touch in the woods too. Think about that limb you had to grab to get it away from poking out your eye. Your scent is glued to that now. I've personally seen deer and other critters catch my scent on brush, limbs, fencelines. You know when they do because they get weirded out quick. I could imagine the amount of scent we spread in swamp grass and cattails.
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby wolfie729 » Sat Nov 17, 2018 5:05 pm

csoult wrote:I would agree with most of this, however I do believe that there is an area where scent control can make a huge difference. Ground scent. You can play the wind all you want, but if a deer hits your ground scent, jumps out of their skin, and goes the other way, then your SOL. I believe that ground scent can actually be taken care of. Leave you boots outside in a container or some other way of not allowing them to leave human scent on the ground can work. When you are scouting your way in to a piece of property it's pretty easy to take a step or two too far. Also, you don't always know which direction the deer are coming from. They don't always use paths and often wander a bit.

Cover scent has been proven to work to a certain degree and I believe that it may work when applied to the bottom of boots, not clothing.

I agree with these guys about the scent control thing, for the most part. You can do whatever you want to try to control it, but if a deer gets downwind close enough then it's gone. I would also like to point out that it is best to keep your clothes, and yourself clean. I always like to put it this way.... You step out of your house at night and you can faintly smell a skunk. You will typically still take out the garbage, but you will just be more cautious and have your head on a swivel looking for the skunk. Now, if you open your door and the smell is so strong that it burns your nose, you're probably not going outside....


I could definetly see this being a factor. We started using evercalm on our boots and tried hunts with and without for the occasional unexpected deer from no where that cuts your trail and I will say there is ZERO doubt in my mind this stuff makes a difference.
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby Lockdown » Sun Nov 18, 2018 1:23 am

Crazinamatese wrote:
Lockdown wrote:
csoult wrote:I would agree with most of this, however I do believe that there is an area where scent control can make a huge difference. Ground scent. You can play the wind all you want, but if a deer hits your ground scent, jumps out of their skin, and goes the other way, then your SOL. I believe that ground scent can actually be taken care of. Leave you boots outside in a container or some other way of not allowing them to leave human scent on the ground can work. When you are scouting your way in to a piece of property it's pretty easy to take a step or two too far. Also, you don't always know which direction the deer are coming from. They don't always use paths and often wander a bit.

Cover scent has been proven to work to a certain degree and I believe that it may work when applied to the bottom of boots, not clothing.

I agree with these guys about the scent control thing, for the most part. You can do whatever you want to try to control it, but if a deer gets downwind close enough then it's gone. I would also like to point out that it is best to keep your clothes, and yourself clean. I always like to put it this way.... You step out of your house at night and you can faintly smell a skunk. You will typically still take out the garbage, but you will just be more cautious and have your head on a swivel looking for the skunk. Now, if you open your door and the smell is so strong that it burns your nose, you're probably not going outside....


One thing I'd like to point out:

The shorter the grass is, the less likely you get busted. If its thigh high, with or without scent control you're done. Csoult if you're walking through hardwoods like your avatar and avoiding brushing up against low growth and saplings, IMHO the only way they're smelling you (even without scent control) is if they're nose to the ground.

That was the first thing I noticed when I hunted hardwoods in SD. MOST OFTEN, I got away with deer crossing my entry trail. If they had their head down, then they'd probably get me, but even then not always. I remember one hunt where a doe and a fawn crossed my trail and didn't bat an eye. An hour later a coyote came through nose to ground. As soon as he hit my trail he turned and bolted like a gun went off.

So the vegetation you're walking through makes a huge difference. In leaf litter their nose is 3' above your scent.


I like Lockdown's observation because I seen the same thing happen. Although, my ground scent gets detected more times than anything. Your ground scent shouldn't be the only thing to worry about IMO. Especially on your entry trail. I believe that it is very important to not leave scent across an area where the deer you plan on killing come through. Your scent sticks to everything you touch in the woods too. Think about that limb you had to grab to get it away from poking out your eye. Your scent is glued to that now. I've personally seen deer and other critters catch my scent on brush, limbs, fencelines. You know when they do because they get weirded out quick. I could imagine the amount of scent we spread in swamp grass and cattails.



I 100% agree with being attentive to where you cross trails upon entry. If I have to cross an important trail, I cross where I can shoot him (if possible)
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby matt1336 » Sun Nov 18, 2018 2:11 am

Hmm. Over years here there have been plenty of guys talking about evercalm. This and a ozone machine for my clothes are items I’d consider using. See...? I’m trying to have an open mind. If you’re not learning, you’re losing
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby checkerfred » Sun Nov 18, 2018 4:49 pm

I had two bucks, a 6 and fairly big 8, at 12 yards. Didn’t get busted until they were downwind. Oh and I was on on the ground
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby wolfie729 » Wed Nov 21, 2018 2:09 pm

matt1336 wrote:Hmm. Over years here there have been plenty of guys talking about evercalm. This and a ozone machine for my clothes are items I’d consider using. See...? I’m trying to have an open mind. If you’re not learning, you’re losing


I hate ghimicks I will say I had ozone machines i personally think it makes 0 difference but a little bit of evercalm on the boots 100yards before the stand seems to calm that wirey doe we all get on occasion when she crosses my trail
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Wed Nov 21, 2018 2:26 pm

wolfie729 wrote:
matt1336 wrote:Hmm. Over years here there have been plenty of guys talking about evercalm. This and a ozone machine for my clothes are items I’d consider using. See...? I’m trying to have an open mind. If you’re not learning, you’re losing


I hate ghimicks I will say I had ozone machines i personally think it makes 0 difference but a little bit of evercalm on the boots 100yards before the stand seems to calm that wirey doe we all get on occasion when she crosses my trail

if you want even better results rub tarsal glands on your boots just cut them off all your deer and freeze them
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