Scent control help me out.

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wolfie729
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Scent control help me out.

Unread postby wolfie729 » Thu Nov 15, 2018 3:40 pm

Ok guys I know most of you don’t believe in scent control, well i started hunting 11years ago when the scent control era started. Well I’m trying to transition away from it but need some mental help any advice. I hunt the wind but have a hard time breaking old habits that I feel like are wasting time.


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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby carmmond » Thu Nov 15, 2018 4:27 pm

Ok I'll play.... Just got a new backpack from Amazon and it stinks on the inside of it. Put it in a container with a bunch of leaves for a couple weeks and its fine now. Don't have the "new" smell.
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby Jdw » Thu Nov 15, 2018 4:46 pm

I have tried scentlock clothing, trying to contain my breath, spray, soap, shampoo, deodorant, detergent, containers, rubber boots, not touching anything with bare hands and getting dressed in the woods.
I quit all of that stuff about 3 years ago and spent that effort studying the wind and thermals and scouting to figure out how and where the deer are moving.
I have killed my 3 best bucks since I have put my time and effort in to the things I can control and quit relying on products that are not 100% effective.
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wolfie729
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby wolfie729 » Thu Nov 15, 2018 10:51 pm

Jdw wrote:I have tried scentlock clothing, trying to contain my breath, spray, soap, shampoo, deodorant, detergent, containers, rubber boots, not touching anything with bare hands and getting dressed in the woods.
I quit all of that stuff about 3 years ago and spent that effort studying the wind and thermals and scouting to figure out how and where the deer are moving.
I have killed my 3 best bucks since I have put my time and effort in to the things I can control and quit relying on products that are not 100% effective.


Makes sense thank you!
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stash59
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby stash59 » Thu Nov 15, 2018 11:01 pm

You just gotta try some hunts without it.
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby Evanszach7 » Thu Nov 15, 2018 11:12 pm

People have been killing deer for hundreds of years without those products and less advanced equipment.

There’s no way to prove a product helped or hurt either. For the users, it’s just a confirmation bias.
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby matt1336 » Thu Nov 15, 2018 11:13 pm

The more you hunt without that junk the more you’ll realize how useless it is.
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby bowfreak8 » Fri Nov 16, 2018 12:36 am

This is the first year I have done zero scent control and it was glorious... Just play the wind/thermals and it'll work out.
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby milkweed-militia » Fri Nov 16, 2018 1:55 am

stash59 wrote:You just gotta try some hunts without it.



I'll second this! I've been into the scent control thing pretty hot and heavy up until last season. I had about two weeks worth of hunts this year during the early season when the highs were in the low 90's with sky high humidity. I wore only a twill shirt and pants. No base layers, no scent spray, it was only my sweaty but and a milkweed pod! ;) I had four hunts in a row where I had a shooter within 100 yards and they never winded me! :o The weather sort of forced me into not trying anything but I knew there was no use because I was burning up by the time I got set up. Confidence is key. You need to get confidence in this and you won't get it until you have some success.

I will say this. I keep a $20 ozone thing in my bag that I run after my clothes air out for a bit. I'm not sure that it keeps the deer close, but it saves me from having wash my hunting clothes fifty times a season! 8-)
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby ajandrs » Fri Nov 16, 2018 2:17 am

Evanszach7 wrote:People have been killing deer for hundreds of years without those products and less advanced equipment.

This. All day.

I have a buddy that smokes like crazy and knows he smells like an ashtray, he doesn't take a single precaution for scent control and simply plays the wind ... arrows a shooter every single year. Part of that could be because the private he has access to holds great deer and is setup well for playing different winds, but still goes to show you can go out there stinking to the high heavens and still get it done. About the only thing I do is use scent free bar soap and detergent (not expensive hunting specific brands though) and a scent spray that I hit my boots with before walking in and if it's hot I'll spray any exposed skin as well. Once that spray bottle is empty I'll probably not bother buying any more though, I really don't feel like it's necessary or helpful if you're playing the wind correctly.
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby Thesouthpaw » Fri Nov 16, 2018 2:47 am

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.
Anything worth doing, is worth over doing.
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby muddy » Fri Nov 16, 2018 3:09 am

Just toss all that stuff cold turkey and play the wind, that's what I did at least. Trust in your gut, scouting,and common sense. Once I started doing this things became so much easier and less of a hassle.
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby headgear » Fri Nov 16, 2018 3:40 am

muddy wrote:things became so much easier and less of a hassle.


This scent control "routine" is really just the worst, like you said a complete hassle. By the time I figured out it wasn't working it was incredibly easy to quit because I was done jumping through hoops just to keep the deer from smelling me, the wind can do that for you. Very liberating that first season after quitting scent control, it felt so free and easy.
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby muddy » Fri Nov 16, 2018 3:49 am

headgear wrote:
muddy wrote:things became so much easier and less of a hassle.


This scent control "routine" is really just the worst, like you said a complete hassle. By the time I figured out it wasn't working it was incredibly easy to quit because I was done jumping through hoops just to keep the deer from smelling me, the wind can do that for you. Very liberating that first season after quitting scent control, it felt so free and easy.


Haha! I've actually killed bigger deer without scent control routines. I felt that when I used to shower, spray down,etc I cut more corners hoping that the products would work. They never did. Now its just wind and thermals and man its weird, but it works!! Hunt smarter.
http://www.iowawhitetail.com
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"It's a good thing you don't need commas and colons to kill deer" -seaz
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Re: Scent control help me out.

Unread postby justdirtyfun » Fri Nov 16, 2018 4:13 am

When I gave up beating their nose with tricks, it felt great. And the more I study how deer use wind I also learn how I should be using it to MY ADVANTAGE
You don't have to be the best, just do your best.


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