Scent control success

[magicman54494]

I'm not a big fan of scent control. I know other people are. It would be interesting to here stories where people believe that scent control played a factor in their success. As a side note it would be interesting to hear how many mature bucks were taken and how often scent control may have been key. I will start by saying that in the days of scent control I never shot a mature buck. I did have a bunch wind me anyway and get away. So for me I know scent control has never played a roll. I know that this is a subjective topic so just relate what you believe. I hope everyone plays nice.

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[Edcyclopedia]

I purchased Mike Jackson dome and instead of oxygen I use my ozonics. I drink the green soap as well as bathing with it. Hides the cucka smell. I drink the spray so my urine doesn't smell like asparagus.

I shoot not so mature bucks!

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[Findian]

About 12 years ago my parents had a SUV. My brother and me put all of are bloody beaver carcasses into the back of the SUV on a hot spring day needless to say the blood soaked into the carpet and a horrible stink came. My dad sprayed sent killer on it and the stink went away.

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[csoult]

I try to use scent control as much as possible. I don't think the sprays work at all, but I do believe that if you can minimize your scent, then you are better off.

Two examples, from the two bucks I shot this year. Both prove me wrong.

The first buck I shot this year came in checking a scrape. Just before he got to the scrape he stopped and he got nervous and tried to get my wind. The wind was blowing in the opposite direction and I put no ground scent within 20 yards of where he was when he got nervous of me. In this instance, I had showered and all of my clothes were completely clean. I was however in a bottom, so my wind could have swirled, or hung, without me knowing.

The second but, also upwind of me, never smelled me at all. He also crossed my ground scent. This buck however was with a doe, so could have been distracted enough to not notice. This day I was running late and didn't even shower that morning. My clothes had also been worn all week while hunting all day sits. I did however use an ozone generator in a tote the night before.

Both were good bucks, and both times it didn't seem to matter at all what I did to influence my scent.

[magicman54494]

I purchased Mike Jackson dome and instead of oxygen I use my ozonics. I drink the green soap as well as bathing with it. Hides the cucka smell. I drink the spray so my urine doesn't smell like asparagus.

I shoot not so mature bucks!

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This explains a lot!

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[mainebowhunter]

I remember probably 15+yrs ago, I got my first scentlok suite. Killed 3 bucks that year. 3.5, 2.5 and a 1.5yr. I was stoked. Best thing I ever did was to get the spray and scentlok. The success however, did not continue. One day it flew out of my truck. Never could find it. Never bought anymore.

The more bucks I killed, the less I started using any of this stuff. No more totes for me with clothes packed and getting dressed at my truck. If its hot, I wear shorts. Some days I wear jeans on stand. I shampoo with regular shampoo. Wash with regular soap. My clothes are washed with all of the other clothes. Paying a lot more attention to other details has put more more big bucks in front of me than anything else.

[justin84]

No more totes for me with clothes packed and getting dressed at my truck.

What a pain in the but those big totes were!

[matt1336]

This year I shot my buck as the wind was variable. Two does brought him past me. The second older doe looked as though she thought something was up....not sure tho she could've been nervous about the buck that was following her. So they might have got a whiff but I can't be sure, in fact I'll never know.
A scent reduction/elimination system might have helped me shoot that buck. But I wasn't using anything to reduce or eliminate my scent. I was wearing the sweatshirt that I duck hunted with a couple days before. No sealed clothes containers, nothing. In fact was was on rutcation and prolly didn't shower for a few days either.
My point is 10-12 years ago when I was showering with scent free stuff and took huge precautions with my clothes- I'd have been convinced that the does were completely fooled by my super slick scent eliminating strategies. I'm convinced that stuff is a huge waste of time.

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[mainebowhunter]

This year I shot my buck as the wind was variable. Two does brought him past me. The second older doe looked as though she thought something was up....not sure tho she could've been nervous about the buck that was following her. So they might have got a whiff but I can't be sure, in fact I'll never know.
A scent reduction/elimination system might have helped me shoot that buck. But I wasn't using anything to reduce or eliminate my scent. I was wearing the sweatshirt that I duck hunted with a couple days before. No sealed clothes containers, nothing. In fact was was on rutcation and prolly didn't shower for a few days either.
My point is 10-12 years ago when I was showering with scent free stuff and took huge precautions with my clothes- I'd have been convinced that the does were completely fooled by my super slick scent eliminating strategies. I'm convinced that stuff is a huge waste of time.

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Cold november hunting in the morning when the temps are warming...thermal action is big. I watched deer after deer downwind of me in midwest this year. All mornings, deer just could not smell me when it was sunny with a 20+ degree temp change from 7 to 11. One could be convinced it has to do with scent control or ozonics. But its nothing more than thermals. Does especially would look right at me...shoot there head in air trying to wind me. No dice on good thermal morning. Take a gray morning...deer spooked.

[wvirge1]

I do it all sometimes and none other times. When I do it's baking soda wash on the clothes, peroxide on boots, pine limbs rubbed into everything. It will almost never help with older bucks directly but makes a huge difference with does and young deer. If they don't freak out on you or start acting funny then you have an obvious advantage in the woods.

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[Wlog]

Ever been bitten by a mosquito while wearing a scentlok suit? I'm sure you have. Mosquitos locate humans largely by smelling CO2 emitted from our breath.

http://m.caltech.edu/news/mosquitoes-us ... osts-47338

If the mosquitoes smell your breath, I'm betting the deer can too since according to this study, they can smell you from 50 meters. I've been winded by deer 300 yards across a field.

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[wvirge1]

Keeping your mouth shut makes a huge difference on the young ones too. My brother and I spent a season testing it with young deer downwind.

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[matt1336]

This year I shot my buck as the wind was variable. Two does brought him past me. The second older doe looked as though she thought something was up....not sure tho she could've been nervous about the buck that was following her. So they might have got a whiff but I can't be sure, in fact I'll never know.
A scent reduction/elimination system might have helped me shoot that buck. But I wasn't using anything to reduce or eliminate my scent. I was wearing the sweatshirt that I duck hunted with a couple days before. No sealed clothes containers, nothing. In fact was was on rutcation and prolly didn't shower for a few days either.
My point is 10-12 years ago when I was showering with scent free stuff and took huge precautions with my clothes- I'd have been convinced that the does were completely fooled by my super slick scent eliminating strategies. I'm convinced that stuff is a huge waste of time.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Cold november hunting in the morning when the temps are warming...thermal action is big. I watched deer after deer downwind of me in midwest this year. All mornings, deer just could not smell me when it was sunny with a 20+ degree temp change from 7 to 11. One could be convinced it has to do with scent control or ozonics. But its nothing more than thermals. Does especially would look right at me...shoot there head in air trying to wind me. No dice on good thermal morning. Take a gray morning...deer spooked.

My point exactly. Mom nature has more to do with deer not smelling us than anything- thermals and unexpected wind currents.

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[<DK>]

Aside from playing the wind for every single set. This year I have went scent free, before I used dirt disks, leaves, and cedar branches. I did not ever use a dirt disk in the woods just in container. I am still working on results of the season but I have more chances at deer than any other season. My deer log filled up and had to start a new one actually.
BUT one thing I have noticed is walking up on deer either bedded or in the dark, I am getting busted way way sooner than before w scent cover AND they blow out the woods for a longer time than before ... I contribute my success to the wind / thermals and im not specifically trying to test down wind results just comparing season to season encounters.
I did forget my boots one time this season and tested the work shoes that have holes in them. I walked 1.5 miles in early oct. I have never had so many deer around me and not bust me. I shot a buck that night and he had crossed down wind (low winds) twice before I got a shot. Then a few weeks ago I had a young 8pt 15yd away walk directly down wind of me, stop, turn around and walk the other way around me while I had scent blocker bibs, jacket, and gator. Though id not spook at all just like he caught a small wiff and wasn't sure. I have had does and young bucks walk down wind in the past and not bat an eye, then a big buck takes the same path then all of sudden goes 50 yards further away. I have seen a big buck cross my scent path at a certain spot and then a doe w fawns blows up the whole woods taking the same route.
I DO think scent control can work but not really... it has to be done correctly 100% just to get 99% control and its a pain. A mature buck has no problem picking up that 1%. Its a lot of work to take care of cloths, it all comes down to what makes you confident and it does that for me w/o spending much. Sprays do work for eliminating scent, though it wont last and im not carrying a bottle w me everywhere I go. To me, ground scent is more important than in a stand. After my encounters w deer and playing the wind, I do not need or want ozonics either. It all comes down to the wind, Period. For me if im in a situation where a big buck is in a spot to bust me, then I didn't do my job well enough and guessed wrong.

[BassBoysLLP]

I believe in it but rarely practice it outside the early and late season. Scent lok requires too much care for my liking. If employing activated carbon, I'd rather utilize a suit developed by a fellow beast member that utilizes fresh activated carbon each sit. You can actually feel it working due to the heat of adsorption.

Ive also become a believer in Ozonics. I've come to the conclusion that the ozone actually temporarily inhibits a whitetails sense of smell rather than destroying scent as advertised. I've had enough downwind encounters with edgy public land bucks to firm up my belief. I just wish I had more time to scout and hunt the bucks I want to kill. I feel it would be a game changer for those early season encounters where you have a window where you figure you are going to get busted at a known location and your hoping for a shot opportunity before he hits the spot.

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