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

Scent control routines

Big 55 said:
Thanks for the input from everyone.. I think I'll line the bottom of my tote with some cedar chips.. I've used the fresh earth and the odorless scent away products. What's your opinions on that?
Click to expand...

I bought fresh earth by mistake this year, and might go get some odorless. I haven't been spraying down quite as much due to the scent. I prefer Scent Killer to the Scent Away, but not sure if there's much difference. I've used the HS scent wafers (fresh earth) in the past, and still have them in my pack just in case I decide to use them. I've also used the dryer sheets (fresh earth), and used to put a couple in with my clothes to store. I used to use the giant ziploc bags to store clothes, but last year I switched to a large plastic tote (Homz brand -- I liked the way the lid fits better than most of the others I saw at the store and they seem pretty durable) with cedar branches and/or dried leaves (tip I found on IW!). The bags always seemed to get a hole in them before the end of season, and I got tired of buying them. I try to shower with scent free soap before hunts, currently using HS Scent Away, but have used Dead Down Wind as well. Then wear regular clothes to the farm, possibly my underlayers if it's really cold so I can just throw on my camo and go. Change at the truck into as little as I can stand to wear into the stand. This year I'm trying to wear less into the stand as I have always ended up sweating by the time I get to the stand with carrying all my gear. I try to spray down everything for each hunt, including each layer, pack, release, etc. Once to the stand, I put on more clothing when needed. After the hunt, take off unneccessary clothing and then change back to regular clothes at the truck. Hunting clothes go back into tub, unless sweaty or wet, in which case they will go into the washer/dryer when I get home. This is what I have done in the past...if/when I bring myself to try smoking my clothes, some of this may change.
 
Bowtech84 said:
Do deer still wind you guys that go through all the showering and laundry stuff? I've never tried doing all that but i only hunt stands when the wind is perfect so I figured I have no need to.
Click to expand...

Yes I've still been winded but it's greatly reduced. So much depends on stand height, thermals, etc. it's more about making the deer feel you are farther away than you really are or that the scent is reduced enough to make them feel it's old or not a threat.
 
I do pretty much the same as has already been mentioned and will continue to do it but sometimes I wonder if it really matters. My father-in-law started archery hunting in 2009 in his late 60's. He bought his camo clothes and one of the green HS zipper bags to store them in. He wears them from his house to his blind and back and has never washed them. He does not shower before he goes hunting or use any cover scents. He has shot a mature buck 4 out of 5 years. One in the 150's, one in the 160's and two in the 170's, all within 25 yards of his ground blind. The only thing he does is hunt with the correct wind.
 
Fox Valley Hunter said:
I do pretty much the same as has already been mentioned and will continue to do it but sometimes I wonder if it really matters. My father-in-law started archery hunting in 2009 in his late 60's. He bought his camo clothes and one of the green HS zipper bags to store them in. He wears them from his house to his blind and back and has never washed them. He does not shower before he goes hunting or use any cover scents. He has shot a mature buck 4 out of 5 years. One in the 150's, one in the 160's and two in the 170's, all within 25 yards of his ground blind. The only thing he does is hunt with the correct wind.
Click to expand...

My grandpa is the same way, only he drives out either in his truck or ATV, gets out, walks about 100 yards tops, gets in the brush or behind a bale or whatever, and deer walk within 40 yards of him. He has had multiple opportunities, hardly gets winded, and has deer walk straight to him. No special showering, and used to not even wear camo. Guess it pays to be around the farm all the time so they get used to you.
 
Fox Valley Hunter said:
I do pretty much the same as has already been mentioned and will continue to do it but sometimes I wonder if it really matters. My father-in-law started archery hunting in 2009 in his late 60's. He bought his camo clothes and one of the green HS zipper bags to store them in. He wears them from his house to his blind and back and has never washed them. He does not shower before he goes hunting or use any cover scents. He has shot a mature buck 4 out of 5 years. One in the 150's, one in the 160's and two in the 170's, all within 25 yards of his ground blind. The only thing he does is hunt with the correct wind.
Click to expand...

I have always took scent control seriously, but this year I have really tried to take care of every little detail and honestly, I haven't noticed a difference. Been winded twice by swirling winds. Again, it may help somewhat, but the wind is and always will be key.

Secondly, really start to consider your stand locations and elevation changes. The two times I have been winded the wind has been correct, BUT I am somewhat in a bottom and the wind seems to get drawn not only down and in behind me, but swirls off the ridge (so, it is kind of a double edge sword I have the ridge making the wind swirl and the thermals pulling my scent farther into the bottom).

I am now hunting it with somewhat of a "wrong" wind and haven't had a problem now. I have came to the conclusion that this spot might be best served with an elevated blind in the future.
 
I agree with many of you saying playing wind & thermals is most important thing but I still cannot always predict the "direction" that deer will come from. I find mature bucks often don't take the beaten trails...so I try to be as scent free as possible using scent\dye free soaps and antiperspirant and baking soda to wash all clothes and keep them in an air tight scent free bag as most do. I make my own spray using distilled water, peroxide baking soda and unscented soap. I no longer purchase the hunting branded products (tried the whole lot and felt some better than others but believe this "brew" has worked the best). I try to shower prior to each hunt and dress as light as possible to avoid sweating until I make it to my stand. Sweating seems to be the biggest enemy I have had and is probably why I use a climber very little anymore. I have scent lock outters, scent reducing base layers and will even use breath sprays\gums to reduce breath odors throughout day. I use leaves or chips in bag with clothes as believe LOCAL natural covers are best. One thing I Do often is to spray down clothes after hunt or prior to next hunt with sprays, then sprinkle baking soda on clothes in bag and in my rubber boots which I believe helps to absorb odors. I have had the best success with these methods last couple years but still not foolproof, if a mature buck or doe comes at me from downwind or catches thermal I still occasionally get busted.
I haven't been able to get myself to use manufactured covers(other than animal waste on boots when opportunity arises ,wood chips\leaves in bag) such as smoking clothes or vanilla extract but have heard a few good comments on hear and from other hunters. Just hard for me to try and be scent free or natural scented and then blast a whole bunch of "stink" onto myself, clothes, or the area. Happy hunting!
 
The most foul smelling thing on you is your mouth and until there is a solution for that, which there never will be, it almost makes using all the scent free gimmicks useless. But, if you watch what you eat, drink plenty of water, wash your clothes in scent free & store them appropriately, & lastly spraying down your boots really well, then I think you can minimize your presence if you play the wind correctly.
 
SEIowaDeerslayer said:
The most foul smelling thing on you is your mouth and until there is a solution for that, which there never will be, it almost makes using all the scent free gimmicks useless. But, if you watch what you eat, drink plenty of water, wash your clothes in scent free & store them appropriately, & lastly spraying down your boots really well, then I think you can minimize your presence if you play the wind correctly.
Click to expand...


There are hundreds of flavones of gum could prolly find a cherry flavor or apple that will cover it
 
You guys that use the laundry soap - do you use the same washer and dryer that you use for your every day clothes or do you have a washer/dryer designated only for hunting clothes? All the smelly soaps my wife puts in our washer/dryer I think it would take a lot of cycles to get the left over summer breeze smell out.
 
I try to run two unscented loads of other stuff before my layers of hunting clothes go in. I don't know if it even helps or not, but its probably just wishful thinking.
My camo outer layers only get washed maybe three times throughout the season.
I think a second washer would be great, but I don't have room, and I don't know how it would smell after sitting around all spring and summer without use. You would almost want to run a load of water through it weekly, I guess.
 
Bowtech84 said:
You guys that use the laundry soap - do you use the same washer and dryer that you use for your every day clothes or do you have a washer/dryer designated only for hunting clothes? All the smelly soaps my wife puts in our washer/dryer I think it would take a lot of cycles to get the left over summer breeze smell out.
Click to expand...

Same washer and dryer for me. I used to run a load of just water with unscented laundry soap, but not sure if that helped or not. It is pretty wasteful, so I'm liking the idea of running a load of every day clothes with the unscented soap now.
 
Same washer and dryer for us too. My mom usually runs a few loads of towels in scent free and then smell them once their done before we do our first load of hunting clothes. If need be we have her do a load or two more of regular clothes in scent free before it too. Once we start washing hunting clothes, all of the loads of laundry in our house get scent free until the season is ended.
 
Schwager said:
Same washer and dryer for us too. My mom usually runs a few loads of towels in scent free and then smell them once their done before we do our first load of hunting clothes. If need be we have her do a load or two more of regular clothes in scent free before it too. Once we start washing hunting clothes, all of the loads of laundry in our house get scent free until the season is ended.
Click to expand...

In September we switch to scent free, dye free detergent on all clothes through the end of November that way I can wash hunting clothes at anytime with my soap
 
I am lucky that my girlfriend is allergic to scented detergents, so dryer and washer are never used with scent soaps. I shower with scent killer when I can, but if I am going out right after work I use the foaming scent killer. It is not perfect, but better than nothing, plus it gets cold putting it on when it gets cold out. I brush my teeth with regular toothpaste every time out. I keep all my clothes and stuff in bags and in totes and change at the truck and add layers once to/in the stand. One trick I learned form old timers down south was to take a sock and fill it 50/50 with cat litter and baking soda. When you start sweating dust yourself off with it to absorb the sweat and scent. I have hunted on 90 degree days and kept dusting off and had deer at 10 yds down wind for long enough to get a shot.
 
Forestryguy said:
Tidy Cat fresh scent, might be a new attractant.
Click to expand...
I like to use the clumps from the litter box, it's in a kind of putty form and is easy to roll up and down your skin. Definitely makes it easier to get to those hard to reach places like around your lips and eyelids.
 
I went a completely different direction. i like to do a couple of oil changes wearing my hunting duds. even store 'em in the garage with the gas cans. and ya know what? they walk down wind right past me. because i smell like every other piece of farm machinery in the state. alot less work to. hunt smarter not harder.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom