Personally, I try to stay as scent free as possible I spray down, wash my gear, and shower scent free before hunting. I've also heard people talk about killing deer from 25 yards wearing blue jeans and smoking, and saying that scent control is more opinionated that actually necessary. What are yalls opinions?
I think there is a LOT of product placement involved. There is no doubt...people stink and deer don't like it! I've seen a lot of guys use $15 worth of product between the truck and the stand and still get busted, I've personally not used anything and been surprised that a deer that should have been able to smell me didn't. Known a lot of people that swear by scent control products and get by fine. In short, I don't know. lol.
Keep as clean as you can. The less scent you put out the better. I don't believe cover scents can work at all. Hunt the wind.
I think it is very possible for someone to kill a deer in blue jeans and smoking, but probably not a mature animal and they would have to have the wind in their favor and have some cover. I think the scent control products are most necessary for covering your scent when going to and from your stand and in situations where winds shift and swirl, which is the case for many. I don't buy any of the carbon lined clothing, I'm sure they help but don't know if they help enough to justify the price. I try to remain and scent free as possible, always play the wind, and watch my entrance and exit routes and I have always been successful. No $500 suits or gimmicks involved.
Fact. If I place stand with wind in my favor then that is scent control but if that wind eddies or deer are moving and get into my scent stream it can be game over if I do not take extra steps. I shower and keep everything in containers, dress in hunting clothes when I get at my hunt location, spray bow, etc. When deer get into scent stream they either do not react or the stop and look around sniffing wind for a bit and go back to whatever they are doing. I have had deer spot me in the tree and circle me trying to get my scent but never spooking. They just go back to whatever they were doing.
Really it comes down to playing the wind. If you have the wind in your favor then you can get away with a little more than usual. I still wash my clothes often, take scent free showers, and spray down anytime I go into the woods. This helps a lot because mature bucks like to play the wind also and will circle and come in down wind.
Because many people cannot afford to spend hundreds of dollars on products that may or may not increase our odds of harvesting a deer, given the situation. I'm sure most of these products work to a certain degree, but whether the cost:effectiveness ratio is worth it I don't know. Playing the wind and planning your hunts correctly are totally free, and people have been doing it with success well before any of these fancy suits and machines came out. If I had a bunch of extra money laying around I would probably buy all the bells and whistles, but being a guy with a lot of bills to pay, I'm gonna stick with the strategies that I know work. A lot of these companies want to make people think if they buy their products that it will be the quick ticket to shooting a mature whitetail and that you can't be successful without them. These products can never replace good hunting strategies and careful planning, and both of those are free. If you have the money to do it, I say go for it. But if you are like me, buy the stuff you can afford and scout your arse off.
I try and do my best when it comes to being scent free spraying down showers clothes but i work with a guy went out 2 years ago right after work killed his biggest buck to date...no spraying down showers the most he did was put on his camo coat that sits by his woodburner all year long....who knows but im not taking my chances lol
I don't think itispossible to "elimnate scent, nor do Ithink you can really "play the wind" unless you are huntingin some very uniquecircumstances as there are back eddysand poolsand dead spots allover especially ifthere are trees. Prettymuch impossibleto predicthow scent disipates more than a couple yards out. However, I dobeleive you can "fool" the deerinto thinking you are much farher away than you are by cleaning and using good scent control techniques. Fooling him means he's knows you maybe somewhere,but the scent is so light that he un alarmed. Kind of like getting a whif of "something" burning out of sight verus the panic of smelling intense smoke in your bedroom.
I am not a big fan of scent free process everyone promotes... to each there own though.. as everyone has said.. hunting the wind and entry and exit paths are key to getting close. I do believe in cover up scents and deer scents. Especially ConQuest Scent Sticks Ever Calm Deer Herd-In-A-Stick. If the scent free stuff builds your confidence then its worth the effort if you can afford it. Confidence plays such a big part of bow hunting...
The post above is correct. Natives hunted in a speedo unbathed for weeks probabaly. I think hunting the wind is all that matters. I wear top of the line camo and scent blocking layers, spray down and everything. But that's only because I can afford it. And to be quite honest am a Hollywood hunter like 90% of guys are today, if they can admit it or not. I know guys in jeans and green jacket smoke monster bucks and can do it year after year. A lot of locals from the rural areas we hunt in. Not very wealthy but make due with what they have. This guy will hunt circles around everyone I know and can do it in jeans, green military style jacket and you can smell the cigarettes on him from 10 yards away. I try to be scent proof only I. Case wind isn't right. And maybe just maybe I have a 1% better chance at that big buck. A hunter has skills and so does the prey.
I've personally seen both sides I've gotten with 10 yards of deer during turkey season when I'm not using scent elimination products and I've done the same with them... So I'm not sure if they help as much as some people stress about it... But I know it can't hurt so I take tihe safe route and take minor precautions such as washing, spraying, and storing scent free.
You don't have to spend lots of money. One needs to try to prevent being stinky rather then trying to mask it. Ever walk into a bath room after someone has took a dump and then tried to cover it with some air freshener that smell like a pine tree? It doesn't smell like a pine tree, it smells like a pine tree took a big dump! Now with a deer's nose multiply that same concept by 1,000,000,000. Wash cloths with baking soda. Brush teeth with same. Use a unscented soup to wash and unscented deodorant. Take care of your cloths, boots, and gear. All that other stuff isn't a necessity. Dress in the field. Take your time getting in to control your perspiration. And lastly, always play the wind.
