Im sure this topic has been asked several times before, but using the search can be tricky to find what you are looking for. How much scent, calling, scent elimination, etc is really necesary? does the doe in heat/ buck in rut type scents really work? how effective is using calls from grunt to bleat, to rattling. and how necesary is it to go all out on scent control, as in showering with no scent, washing clothes, dressing in the field, spraying with no scent etc etc. my main questioning, is deer scents and if they are worth the money,
Deer scent works well during the Rut, you need to compete with live does that are in estrus. Believe me it can only help your odds!!
so what about all the other times? like making mock scrapes, using coon urine as a drag to cover your scent? using buck urine (or doe) all season. i have never had any success using any scent, i have tried many different approaches, and never had a deer come in sniffing, or even acknowledge that the scent was there. i have had deer walk with 20 feet of where the scent was, and didnt notice anything.
99% of the time where I hunt, scents do not work. I have not used scents for years and I do not expect to use them again unless my hunting environment changes.
If done right, scent elimination increases your odds 100% of the time. Scent luring products are not a end all solution for hunting. The best one can hope for using scents is that you occassionally draw a deers' interest enough to slow him/her down for a shot. As far as calling goes, a person needs to understand what is going on in the deer woods to know when and where one must call to be effective. I think the problem with most guys consistant success is that they limit themselves to very few strategies because they haven't taken the time to learn the details of deer behavior and are reluctant to try new strategies or techniques. I have went to great lengths and pain to type up a lengthy how to document for hunting whitetail deer and I will give it to anyone that is interested in learning/maximizing their chances. just PM me your e mail address and realize there are no virus in the document, no fees, no links to something profitable for me. I just want to share what knowledge I've learned in a lifetime of hunting--no strings attached.
The guys I hunt with all agree that scent bombs and things like that hurt you more than help you. We have come to the conclusion that only a drag that leave minimal amount of scent can help. The bombs just leave why to much scent and the deer get spooked. As far as scent control goes. I believe that it greatly improves your odds. All my clothes are in some way scent eliminating (Field&Stream No Scent) or do not promote bacterial growth which stops scent from forming (Rocky's Scent IQ). Spay down, Take a shower, the hole 9 yards. I see deer come from down wind all the time so I know it's working. That being said I still choose my stand location based on the wind. If I go on a spot and stalk I don't really care about scent and purely just play the wind.
I believe scent "elimination" products are way overrated. Many times guys claim that the deer came from down wind and didn't smell him when in fact the thermal currents and wind pushed their scent right over the deer. If the deer was literally downwind of a huner (meaning in his scent stream) that deer is going to smell you wether or not you are wearing Scent Lok and sprayed down with 50 lbs of scent killer or walked out into the woods with your work clothes. Now what is not overrated is playing the wind and making sure you try not to walk where the deer walk.
