I was watching a Youtube video of Andy Burk on tying a Pyramid Lake Wooly Bugger, and he mentioned it is a good idea to grab some bottom mud and rub your flies with it to mask non-natural scents. Later on I read an article on FAOL about scent trails and particularly that of human scent. The gist of it was that some people excrete more "L-Serine" than others from their hands and that it is a powerful fish repellent (along with bug spray, sunscreen, and some say even head cement). "Smell Tracks - Fly Angler's OnLine I have to admit, I've been real sloppy about it. I rub on sunscreen and mosquito repellent and kinda just wash my hands off in the water and wipe them on my waders. I'm pretty sure that for an animal who can find their way upstream to where they were born using scent alone, I am putting a big nasty Exxon Valdez kinda scent trail into the water, and getting it on my flies and leaders too. I am going to get some biodegradable unscented soap like Dr. Bronner's and carry a little bottle of it with me to wash my hands with periodically throughout the day, any time I have handled stinky stuff other than fish. I'm thinking of also scooping up some mud and water from shore and carrying it in a small container like a film can to dunk my flies in and maybe rub on my leader. It may not help, but I can't see any way it could hurt. Do YOU do anything to mask human scent related stuff on your flies?
For the vast majority of bowhunters, their only fly is on the front of their pants. Most serious bowhunters begin scent-free, SF shower soap and shampoo, deod, clothing washed SF and stored in scent-proof double bag. Scent block spray on lower legs and rubber boot bottoms, and gear bags. I hang a bare earth cover scent disc between the wind and me when on stand. If the fly is utilized, have a sealed plastic bottle.
Nothings going to hide us from the deers nose. Hunt the wind, but I do use the scent products just incase. I killed a mature 10 pointer about 5 years ago after being up all night replacing a water pump and radiator. I was freezing, the job had to be done so I could hunt in the morning. So I ended up in my coveralls. They got covered in anti freeze and stunk like it and grease. Hunted with the wind in my face that morning, but the buck came from behind. Scent did not bother him, or it attracted him one. Will always be a mystery to me
It is true that it is impossible to be scent free to a mature whitetail, we(bowhunters) do everything we can just to give us that extra step, or a moment longer of a linger. If it raises my odds even a little its worth trying. Bowhunting can be a game of split seconds
I think it really makes a difference depending on where you are. One area I hunt is frequented by folks riding their bikes or walking their dogs and one summer in college I was hanging a stand (did nothing to be scent free that day) in the middle of some hardwoods off one of these trails and I had a doe walk within like 20 yards and just watch me then turn around and just walk off. On the other hand if you hunt a place where human presense isnt an all day thing I believe scent control is paramount. Regardless of where I sit I will be as scent free as I can just to give myself any advantage I can. Just my 2 cents Sent from my SM-N950U using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
I do not believe a cover scent really masks human odor. I think it's just one more perhaps foreign smell to a deer.
