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Opinions on scent control

Swintonator

Swintonator

Member
So sorry if this topic has been beaten to death but I wanted to share my current thoughts to hear if you guys agree or see what you all are doing that's working.

What I've been doing:
In 2016 I put in the most effort and did have fair success but far from perfect. It involved:
-Washing my scent control zeolite clothes before and during the season.
-Air drying them in the woods after each wash.
-Storing them in a rubber made totes with carbon along with all accessories.
-Showering with no scent soap before any sit, often twice a day followed by no scent deodorent.
-Using no scent mouth spray which I'm not sure works but worth a shot
-Getting dressed outside in freshly scent sprayed undies and if driving ozoning my truck then spraying down the seats before driving. Then spray down again upon arrival then finish dressing once at the hunting spot.
-Finish dressing at the tree or blind on long walks to prevent sweating.
-After the hunt spraying down everything and air drying it outside. (ALL COMBINED VERY TEDIOUS)
-And finally always trying to play the wind. Problem being waiting for the bucks to show the does pass by and end up downwind.
-Lastly in 2017 added an Ozone tote the end of October.

The Result:
This year it seemed the humidity was always high when I hunted and I busted every deer that got down wind. Literally every deer all season which was worse then my typical 50% + or -. I took it one step further in buying an ozone tote. First hunt after using it the first group of 4 does that got down wind of me hit my air stream and exploded away blowing as they went. This played out over and over all season. It made me think that perhaps deer not smelling me downwind was never me beating their nose but perhaps just rising thermals carrying my scent over the top. It was a tough year for getting busted.

My questions for you guys:
1. Do you think scent control has the desired effect and what has been working? Or do you think it doesn't and isn't worth the excessive work only to be winded anyways?
2. Has ozone totes or bags seemed to had a noticeable benefit for some of you? My dad commented that after switching to ozone as well this year he thought he was winded more often. It could be that the humidity was bad this year but we were wondering since we can easily smell ozone perhaps some deer aren't a fan of the ozone scent as well?

Sorry that was long but it was one of those seasons where after beginning to think I was figuring things out I realized I wasn't even close haha.
 
I have noticed the opposite effect since I started using ozone. 2017 was my 2nd season using it. I have absolutely see a difference. that being said, I don't view scent control practices as an excuse to be otherwise sloppy when I hunt. My entrance/exit routes are chosen carefully, and I will never, ever, hunt a bad wind, no matter what scent control precautions I have taken. I now store all of my gear in an ozone closet, tote, or bag. This includes my trail cams, calls, bow, literally anything I take in the woods. I have 100% seen deer be less nervous when the wind swirls etc.
 
Sounds like more of a setup/ hunting the wrong wind situation to me. I dont ever want my wind blowing where the deer will end up or the first few deer that come thru will wind you dang near everytime Ozone or no Ozone hunt the wind.
 
I use mostly wool clothes so I don't wash them hardly ever. Smoke my clothes every 10-14 days depending on how much I hunt. Dress outside and store my clothes in totes. I walk from home to hunt so I don't hardly have to sit in my truck. Wash with scent free soap each time I hunt and use scent free deodorant for a couple weeks prior to the season. Have good luck. Always play the wind, always.
 
Sounds to me you are doing everything right! It's not always possible to prevent deer from being down wind in every situation. They wind up in some of the oddest places.... I have done virtually everything you stated above but 1 thing you are missing which some I'm sure will dissagree! 1st I have no reason to promote this product!!!! But it has helped my hunting situations over and over again.

Try spraying down with Fitzgeralds Deer Dander. It works! Deer down wind are typically confused. Some will still bust. Id say 1 out a 5. Most will stop, smell, and nervously continue..... My experience!!!
Been using about 5 seasons now. Only used the ozonics 1 time this year!
 
I used to be fanatical about scent control. As my hunting time lessened with three kids, my my scent control routine definitely went downhill. Obviously waiting for the right wind, entry and exit routes are extremely important. One thing I know for sure evercalm has has made a difference for me. If you haven't used this scent, it is sure worth a try. Last season on three occasions a group of does had me dead to rights. Two out of the three times I was able to open my container of ever calm . Those 2 times the does knew something was up but continued milling around and did not bust. The third time they turned inside out and we're gone in a Flash. I also put it on my boots for the walk in, and on the tree around me when I get in the stand.
I feel like it has helped me a bunch.
 
I have an ozonics that I have used for a few years. In calm conditions I think it works pretty good even better in a blind. Heard a lot of hype about nose jammer so I tried it this year at first when I sprayed it and could smell it I was like oh no what did I do what did I buy every deer in the state is going to smell me now... but I can honestly say with the results I seen with it were insane... seems with me anyway no matter how good I play the wind a doe or two always find their way down wind and when they did you could tell they could smell something looking in my direction for a little bit but after a little bit would calmly go back to whatever they were doing. Any ways if you have not tried it give it a whirl. Good luck
 
I really play the wind if it’s not right I don’t go. If I have time I do change clothes to hunting clothes that are only worn hunting . But if push comes to shove and I am running late with a solid wind I have climbed out of my dozer and into my stand and had great hunts. Bottom line if you are harvesting mature deer “5 year and older you are doing things correctly if not make some changes.
 
I have tried most all the approaches that you have mentioned along with some other very meticulous measures as well. One time you beat them the next time they turn inside out. I play the wind and have good entry and exit points. Still they get down wind and THEY know I'm there I just hope they don't blow! If you watch closely to some of the tv personalities using ozonics and other fail proof systems they also have deer catch their wind. I as well got busted more this year than the past three combined, not sure why. I do think some people stinks more to a deer than others. I play the wind but to those that say you are hunting the wrong wind if you get busted well you can play it as best you can but the deer can show up anywhere! We play the odds but never will 100% be on that trail right in front of us. All just MO.
 
Personally I own all Under Armour Scent controlled clothing. I generally scent wash it bi weekly depending on the number of sits, and what happens during those sits. I've changed 4 things in the last several years that which have resulted in me harvesting 4 bucks including breaking my personal best twice.

1. Nose Jammer. I know several people will roll their eyes, but since using this product I've had more deer down wind that haven't busted but instead seem more intrigued and calm. My archery buck this year came in straight downwind without busting to my rattling sequence November 5th.
2. Scent Crusher Bag. I was a little skeptical about using ozone in such a confined space on my clothing. However, it's made a huge difference if free time springs up and I'm able to get in the tree with short notice running a cycle on my clothing. Also if the bag isn't working for your hunting purposes it's amazing at getting the scent out of about anything you have.
3. Boots. I bought the UA neoprene and rubber scent controlled boots 3 years ago. However, these boots have never touched anything except the scent crusher bag and are only taken out in the field to put on. It's not fun wearing crocs to the field on cold mornings, but it eliminates my hunting boots from getting any foreign scent on them.
4. Trail Cams. While it's scent control related, it's has nothing to do with scent control clothing. I stopped running trail cams 4 years ago, and I feel that has contributed to my success more than anything. It's hard not having a hit list or knowing what exactly is living on my properties. However, I have zero intrusion on my properties until late October or Early November unless I have to do last minute stand changes or limb trimming. Generally I try to take those measures during shed hunting or before green up to get the best idea of how the stands could sit without leaves. I then check them again during turkey season to double check lanes once foliage has sprung up.
 
Thanks for the replies so far! I also won't disagree that my sets need improving because that has been on my mind as well. I hunt a fairly low pressure area and the younger does and bucks will walk out in the wide open sometimes 2 hours before shooting time while of course the mature bucks wait until last light. In one spot I tried moving a blind back 100 yards in a field while bow hunting and it still had me getting circled by deer a good hour before shooting time. I am planning to start reviewing my sets next weekend to see if I can do better at getting them in places less likely to get surrounded on all sides by deer haha. The deer were going some weird places this season too where I haven't seen them venture the past 3 seasons and just wandering out into the wide open on me. It was a season where I was feeling really dialed in based on past years and then boom, back to the drawing board!
 
I failed to mention my sets in my reply. Of the 4 bucks harvested, 3 of them have come from the same stand. It's a man made funnel with an opening in a fence on the property. The opening sits about 150 yards from a neighbors house that's tucked in the timber. Being set that close to a house I'm sure plays into my scent control. The deer are used to smelling humans in the area regularly, and the noise at times helps put the deer at ease. Each property is different, but I've tried to focus more on funnels than open field hunting lately. I see a lot less deer overall on my sits, but when the right buck shows up I have a 20 yard chip shot instead of hoping a deer in an open field works into bow range.
 
I have almost no way to my stands that keeps me away from deer. Best spot I have I walk down a mowed trail right to my stand. Deer will appear on this trail by daylight. They NEVER seem to mind. I sat in this stand many mornings when the wind was almost calm past season. Had does and fawns right close around me and never seemed to mind. I know they must have been scenting me. Took a doe and a 4 yr old buck, maybe 5 by the opinion of Chariton Deer Biologist. So what is my secret? None. I shower before each sit. Keep clean clothes outside. Use home made scent suppressor. About it. I feel deer in my area are some what used to a certain level of human scent. Lots of neighbors out and about every day. I am out all Summer to my food plots. A strong push of real human sweat might spark a reaction, but in some areas deer tolerate some human smell. Must be the case...
 
I noticed you said you hunt out of a blind? If thats the case, are you getting it brushed in good? It might not be the scent at all, but potentially the fact the deer can see and dont like the blind. Turkeys will run into blinds and act like they dont see it, deer are the total opposite from everything I noticed. If its a permanent stand, you get away with it since they get used to it, but if you are moving a popup around, that could also be your culprit.
 
I had a similar experience to your year, I switched my scent control method from washing my clothes after every couple sits, to assuming the little Boneview Ozone tote machine I bought would clean them for me. I got winded way more than I ever have, of course it was when they were down wind of me but the smaller acreage property I hunt, the deer literally move through it all over, I can't think of a single spot I could sit that I would have a chance of killing a mature deer but deer can only cross on one side of me. It's mostly open crop ground with little pockets of timber I can hunt, bedding on both sides on the neighbors. I'm going back to washing the clothes and not using the ozone, just had better luck on not getting winded as often.
 
I also tried to wash my outfits, especially boots, my wife wasn't happy with the smell of this scent...
 
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