Cover Scents

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deer365
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Cover Scents

Unread postby deer365 » Fri Jul 17, 2020 10:08 am

I wear rubber boots and do my best to keep them clean and only wear them hunting. I very seldom have issues getting busted by my ground scent when deer cut my trail, but I still think there is no full proof way to avoid deer picking up your ground scent. Do any of you use anything on your boots like doe pee or ever calm to help reduce ground scent? Have you found it helpful? Have you ever noticed it spooking deer? What are your thoughts?


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Boogieman1
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Re: Cover Scents

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Fri Jul 17, 2020 10:32 am

I Prefer to use a heavy dose of common sense and pay attention to if air is rising or dropping. I understand why bucks hug the edge and use that same philosophy as I enter the timber. I’m hot natured and rubber boots get my socks sweating like something fierce. While a necessity walking through swampy muck, I ditch em first chance I get for something that can breathe. I use my head to keep me undetected from that point on.
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Dewey
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Re: Cover Scents

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Jul 17, 2020 10:34 am

Boogieman1 wrote:I Prefer to use a heavy dose of common sense and pay attention to if air is rising or dropping. I understand why bucks hug the edge and use that same philosophy as I enter the timber. I’m hot natured and rubber boots get my socks sweating like something fierce. While a necessity walking through swampy muck, I ditch em first chance I get for something that can breathe. I use my head to keep me undetected from that point on.

Bingo
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Re: Cover Scents

Unread postby Bonecrusher101 » Fri Jul 17, 2020 10:47 am

I have tried buck urine gel on my boots and drag rags with estrous with mixed results over the last decade. I think everything Works great on yearling bucks. I think doe estrous scares most does unless they are in their window of being in heat. Most does don’t want the harassment that comes along with doe in heat.

I don’t do anything for cover scent except try to play the wind the best I can. I try to be scent free and use unscented laundry detergent, not the expensive hunting kind either, and scent free deodorant.

I’m cheap and still use estrous sparingly. I will also collect the tarsal glands off deer I kill during the season and set them out at head height 20-30 yards away from my setup and just off my scent stream down wind. I usually keep them in a sandwich baggie and store them in the fridge to keep them fresh. Once they stop being fresh it’s time to toss them after a week or two.

I have had bucks and does circle down wind and hang up when they hit those tarsals. I think it helps buy me some time. Also if you combine doe bleats and buck grunts and a buck is searching and comes from downwind it smells like an actual deer and they will try to find it.
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Re: Cover Scents

Unread postby muddy » Fri Jul 17, 2020 11:13 am

I use my heels to make a dirt hole and get fresh earth scent on my boots. Other times I use coon urine, both seem to work fairly well for deer that cross my trail. I dont use deer urine because young deer tend to trail right to my stand and stare up at me... which is annoying.
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Re: Cover Scents

Unread postby Tribute80 » Fri Jul 17, 2020 11:31 am

muddy wrote:I dont use deer urine because young deer tend to trail right to my stand and stare up at me... which is annoying.


This is what I have seen with ever calm. But I have also seen them trail me with nothing on my boots. Now I just try to be smart about where I step and make sure I can shoot my trail if I think deer could cross it.
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Re: Cover Scents

Unread postby Marshbuster89 » Fri Jul 17, 2020 12:36 pm

I’ve learned more about scent control from coyote trapping than deer hunting. With that being said...if you are going to hunt/visit the same area again, your boots need to be dedicated to soley that objective and no scent of any kind can be on them
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Re: Cover Scents

Unread postby HuntingParadise » Sat Jul 18, 2020 2:43 am

I use rubber boots solely for hunting. Keep them outside etc. I havent had issues with deer picking up scent that Ive seen (some may have picked up on it not by stand etc). I wouldnt use deer pee or anything similar that deer related as you might have unintended consequences. Ive use a scent trail and deer have followed that before so like someone said earlier, it may just lead them right to you.

For ground scent, I would suggest keeping boots clean and staying off of main trails you are hunting as well as playing the wind like usual.
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Re: Cover Scents

Unread postby Tennhunter3 » Sat Jul 18, 2020 3:44 am

I sometime boil pine needles or acorns in water and put in spray bottles. Spray down my boots before a hunt. Does it help I dunno it might lessen my human ground oder on entry to a degree.

I boil water mix in a little baking soda.

I don't think most of the stores scent products work. The above are things I always have around the house.
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Re: Cover Scents

Unread postby Mike32 » Sat Jul 18, 2020 5:39 am

^^^ I do the same.I always try to avoid walking where I think deer will come, but sometimes it happens and I think this has helped a few times...
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Re: Cover Scents

Unread postby Drenalin » Sat Jul 18, 2020 5:41 am

Dewey wrote:
Boogieman1 wrote:I Prefer to use a heavy dose of common sense and pay attention to if air is rising or dropping. I understand why bucks hug the edge and use that same philosophy as I enter the timber. I’m hot natured and rubber boots get my socks sweating like something fierce. While a necessity walking through swampy muck, I ditch em first chance I get for something that can breathe. I use my head to keep me undetected from that point on.

Bingo

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Re: Cover Scents

Unread postby Huntress13 » Sat Jul 18, 2020 10:04 am

My experience with Evercalm is, young deer seem curious. Older deer know something's up. It doesn't spook them necessarily, but it definitely makes them very alert. It's not familiar.
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Boogieman1
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Re: Cover Scents

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Sat Jul 18, 2020 10:27 am

Huntress13 wrote:My experience with Evercalm is, young deer seem curious. Older deer know something's up. It doesn't spook them necessarily, but it definitely makes them very alert. It's not familiar.


Hello mam, I have a question based on something I know nothing about but have heard a lot of theories. Hope it doesn’t come across the wrong way but I don’t know a female who gets after them. I’ve always wanted to ask this question..,,

Do u think a ole factory animal such as a deer can tell a distinct difference between a male an female? Don’t know if it’s an ability to determine a so called threat or not. But I have raised critters my entire life. From dogs, horses, pigs, cattle etc.... They all seemed to have a different disposition when it comes to a female. Again don’t know a kind way to put it so I’m gonna let it rip but don’t mean it in a bad way at all. Just what I have witnessed in my life. You never see a man getting dog paws on his back and the lip stick pulled out while picking weeds. It’s always the ladies they flock to. I question the fact of if a animal can smell the diff or if they even care. From what I have witnessed in the wilds I truly believe if a mature buck was put in a tight spot with only 2 outs. A man to the right and women to the left. TheY go towards the women. I have used female artifacts hung on a tree limb and watch bucks just get after it. Can get pics of bucks on anything hanging a time or 2. But the enthusiasm and movements were night and day different.
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Re: Cover Scents

Unread postby mheichelbech » Sat Jul 18, 2020 11:38 am

I know most people here are anti-scent control of any kind and I can’t disagree with those statements. I do my best to never walk where I think a mature buck may walk. If I were to use anything it would be fox or coon urine. I think both of these are effectively “neutral” scents that if I get lucky and the buck doesn’t smell me, they will smell that and possibly gain some sense of security from it. I have seen and seen other hunters talking about foxes and bucks sort of hanging out together at times.
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Horizontal Hunter
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Re: Cover Scents

Unread postby Horizontal Hunter » Sat Jul 18, 2020 11:58 am

Bonecrusher101 wrote:I have tried buck urine gel on my boots and drag rags with estrous with mixed results over the last decade. I think everything Works great on yearling bucks. I think doe estrous scares most does unless they are in their window of being in heat. Most does don’t want the harassment that comes along with doe in heat.

I don’t do anything for cover scent except try to play the wind the best I can. I try to be scent free and use unscented laundry detergent, not the expensive hunting kind either, and scent free deodorant.
.


This mirrors my experiences as well.

One of the biggest factors I have considered is all the things other hunters do that just educate the deer. They handle scent dispensers with bare hands, leave the scent bombs out for days on end, and putting out scents at the wrong time.

If you are going to use scents it is best to use them sparingly and use less popular scents. Stay away from the mass produced stuff.Thats what “everybody” uses and the deer get educated.

The same applies to cover scents as well.

Bob
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