Buck Hollow Sporting Goods - click or touch to visit their website Midwest Habitat Company

Cover Scents

OneCam

OneCam

Well-Known Member
In a follow up to the Extreme Scent Control Post

What are your thoughts on the possibility that deer will or have begun to associate some of the common cover scents with humans? (I.E - Earth scents, some of the scent eliminators with an odor or cover odor and etc)
 
I wouldn't put it past 'em. Dern deer...
mad.gif
grin.gif


I imagine they probably would. I have smelled some cover products that don’t smell exactly like the woods to me, and if I can tell a difference I’m sure the deer can. Scent triggers memories like crazy. You know how you can smell something you haven’t smelled since you were a little kid, and it instantly takes you back there?
smile.gif
 
Im not real crazy about coverscents either. A deers nose has no problem seperating human scent and a cover scent at the same time. As to wether they will ever ascociate one with the other, that would probalbly take a considerable amount of exposures to each coverscent to create a conditioned response. I think your best bet is to try and eliminate scent rather than to mask it.
 
It's funny you should bring this up. Since reading all this lately on scents and scent control it brought to mind something I witnessed last season.
I wear rubber boots to hunt in and don't wear them in my truck or anywhere else. I always sprayed the Scent-A-Away human scent neutralizer like a person should, always making sure to get the bottom of my boots. I noticed that anytime a deer would come across my path to the tree stand they would become very nervous and you could tell they knew something just wasn't right. So after a few times of this I quit spraying my boots with this and I didn't notice this happening. We all know this stuff has a definite odor and I think they were picking up on this. I know better now I guess. Anybody else ever notice something like this with any of the
'scent neutralizers'?
 
I've never noticed that reaction to just a neutralizing scent.

I neutralize everything, and then use the Fresh Earth Scent wafers. Multiple times I've watched deer sniffing, and I know they smell that Earth, but never has it spooked them.
 
They claim a deer has so many scent receptors they can distinguish up to 7 different scents at one time.They rate their ability to smell better than that of a drug dog, which can actually smell an ounce of marijuana submerged in a gallon of gasoline.And I would guess if the cover scents aren't 100% natural they surely would be able to pick out the different chemicals their made of.I'd much rather use something 100% natural and native to the area you're hunting.Over the years I've been using wild cherry clippings to store with my clothes.It's 100% natural and has a strong smell to it.And the trees are very common in all parts around here.
 
Your overall scent elimination is the most important by a long shot. Cover scents are just another scent to them and if you stink, nothing is going to cover that. I use some scents but only in certain setups such as my decoy, mock scrapes and natural scrapes but consists of natural deer products and gland secretions. (James Vally Scents) I have had good results with them in most cases and the time it did scare a deer, I had gotten sloppy with application and sure he smelled me as well.

I plan on using the Ghost SES solely this year with my supprescent suit and see how that works.
 
...I have often wondered what deer think of chemically-concocted 'earth scents'...the companies may use some natural ingredients but they can't be 100% natural or it would be just dirt-water in a bottle (right?)...I do about the same thing as PAHunter in that I use clipped cedar branches...funny thing is that the cedar here in western Iowa smell slightly different than at my Father-In-Law's in NE Iowa...
 
Years ago I made some bait hole sets to trap coyote and fox. I would use a sand sifter to cover the set area with dirt from on old abandoned hen house. Worked great!
So now I put a few inches of dirt (forest floor matter) into a plastic recycle bin and store my boots in it.

Also noticed that a well rotting log under the hard cover of trucks bed makes for an earthly aroma every time it opens. If you don't have a topper, I'd recommend getting a hard cover. No dorks leaning over your bed rails toughin your gear, it's nearly air tight and locks out the lookie loo's while your away.
peace.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom