Deer Hunting Scent Control Tips
92
Deer running off
What You Should Know About Scent Control When Deer Hunting
A big buck has one of the most extraordinary sniffers in the woods and fooling it is easier said than done. A mature deer's nose can smell 1000 times better than a humans nose. A deer can smell human scent as far as 150-200 yards away with a slight breeze and can continue to pick up the scent for several days after. When a deer checks the wind you might see them licking their nose, this helps moisten the scent which allows them to smell better.
Scent is the deer's biggest line of defense over both sound and sight. It is how the deer communicate with one another and how they avoid danger from predators. Deer have many scent glands and leave signs for other deer to pick up on. Scent is a deer's language and is also a hunter's biggest challenge.
Beating a big buck's nose straight up is like beating Peyton Manning in a quarterback challenge. You just have to hope he is having an awfully bad day. One of the easiest ways to fool an old wary buck is to play the wind. Being downwind of a buck with a steady stiff breeze is your best chance of getting close. Your scent molecules are carried by the slightest breeze so if it is blowing away from the deer there is no chance for him to smell you.
Without playing the wind direction game the stakes are definitely increased and only the best of hunters will be prepared enough to still be able to get close to a deer. Many articles on deer hunting tips and scent control have been written but season after season I see so many hunters not paying attention to their scent. I guess they are not that serious about hunting or they think every deer within range is going to come in on them upwind; not a very likely scenario.
I love it when I see a hunter early in the morning in full camouflage putting gas in his truck. He'll pump his gas getting fumes all over his clothes and then walk right into the woods and hunt for the next couple of hours wondering why he didn't see anything. He blames it on the fact that "the deer weren't moving" or some other lame excuse and never entertains the idea that his scent scared off every deer in the county.
To trick a deer's nose I definitely say always play the wind. You should have several stands set up for different wind directions. Be disciplined and never sit in a particular stand when the wind is not right! One sit in a stand when the wind is blowing the wrong way and you may have just ruined that spot for the season as far as shooting a mature buck. If the wind changes directions while you are on stand then climb down and move or just head back in, it isn't worth screwing up a good stand location.
Today there are so many scent control products on the market that there is really no excuse for any hunter not to take advantage of them. Some of the products that produce the best results are the scent neutralizers, scent control clothes, and the soaps (body and laundry).
To start you first have to remove as many dead skin cells off of you as possible. You should shower just before every hunt using one of the scent free body soaps and shampoos. Personally I like to dry off with a towel that has been washed with my hunting clothes using scent control laundry soap. I even go as far as to use the Dead Down Wind fabric softener sheets in the drier. If you have a scent free isolated place to hang your clothes outside, letting them air dry will also work well.
After showering use a hunter's deodorant just in case you begin to get a little warm walking to the stand. I'll throw on some street clothes that have also been washed with the hunting laundry soap. I will then get out of the house, cabin, or camp as soon as possible; hanging around will only increase the chance of some type of human scent contaminating you again. Always store your hunting clothes in a scent free bag. There are quite a few carbon and charcoal lined bags that will keep out any unwanted scent molecules. If you do not have one, a good sized plastic garbage bag will also work.
Once arriving to your hunting location sit in the vehicle for a minute to allow any lingering exhaust fumes to blow away. I always get dressed into my hunting clothes in the field. A lot of hunters will skip this step. But nothing can sabotage your hunt like wearing your hunting clothes in your scent contaminated vehicle. Unless you have somehow made your vehicle's interior completely scent free, I don't recommend getting dressed beforehand.
I like putting on a scent free base layer first. These base layer materials play a huge part in controlling any body heat and keeping you dry. Next I will put on my outside layer followed by a dousing down of a scent neutralizing spray. I will spray all my clothes, any fanny packs, my equipment, and anything going to the stand with me. It is also advised to wear scent control gloves and a head garment of some type, and always wear rubber boots.
Now if you begin to get warm or sweat, the base layer will wick the sweat off your skin and will pass it through itself where it is then absorbed by the next layer. This keeps you dry, warm, and scent free. Sweat is a hunter's enemy. On hot days I may not button up or put on my gloves and mask until I get to the stand for fear of getting too hot. Walking slow and taking your time is your best bet.
Once you hit the stand check the wind to be sure you are set up right. I recommend then spraying a breath neutralizer in your mouth and even popping in a piece of hunter's gum. I truly believe, in the right situation, a big buck can smell what you had for breakfast on your breath if you are not careful.
Too many hunters will not take all of these necessary steps and won't even realize they are cutting themselves short. When hunting the elusive whitetail it is best to take advantage of every opportunity. Why not increase your chances? I see guys wearing their hunting clothes in their vehicles and then getting out and spraying down with scent neutralizer or showering properly but then throwing on their hunting coveralls that have been hanging in the garage all week; not good.
Making some type of effort is better than making no effort at all. But playing the wind and following these hunting scent control tips will increase your chances of downing a trophy sized animal this hunting season. For more deer hunting tips visit my trophyhuntingobsession.com blog.
Dead Down Wind
 | Amazon Price: $9.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $34.45 List Price: $47.80 |
 | Amazon Price: $9.99 |
CommentsLoading...
I don't do much hunting, but this is a great article about deer scents. No wonder the few times I went out I had issues.
you are very correct on scent!! my father told me as a child to be in the woods you must smell like the woods!! deer are very curious and wise to a slite change in odor, the best scent ever is made right from the woods, and yes i,ve seen hunters in there hunting clothes in the bar oh ya smoke and beer scent i guess there not a serious hunter.
Actually a deer sense of smell is a 1000times greater than that of a human. I agree with putting your clothes and boots on in the field. I carry my hunting clothes in scent control bags at all times. Very good article.
I agree a very good article on deer scent. I have not hunted deer for years as there not many this far north. I f I get back into it when I retire I sure will remember this info. Thank You
Good article - many often overlooked steps. My own personal preparation doesn't just involve washing and airing out my clothes, I will also add a cover scent to my clothing bag and weapons. Usually a week or so before the seasons opens I will stick a few "Pine Tree" branches in my clothing bag to help force the woods aroma. Even placing some in your gun or bow case can help cover the scent of gun slings or bow strings!
I have often wondered about the scent of the weapon, which I have not seen any article on. I submit that carrying anything into the field that has been cleaned with solvents and/or oiled down is like carrying in a big sign that reads "Here I am...run away!". The one extra step I take is to wipe my rifle as clean of "oils" as possible, and then put a small camo cloth of masking scent between the floating barrel and the fore-stock.
That is a great idea! Hey what do you guys think about smoke for a cover scent. I've read a lot of hunters claim that standing in smoke from a wood fire before hunting can be the best cover scent ever. Has anyone ever tried it and what were the results?
I use the space saver vacuum bags to seal my clothes after i wash them and wipe the inside the bag with scent prevent. I saw this a a cheap solution to those carbon bags..... Plus it keeps my stuff water tight! i even tested the bags with coffee beans and grinds to see if the scent would penetrate the lining, it worked flawlessly!! now when i pack my stuff to go hunting, it dosent matter where i put my hunting clothes as long as their in the space saver bag!!!!! (Water tight/water proof)
It is really good to hear someone who knows what they're talking about when it comes to scent control! There really is no substitute for playing the wind, but what about areas where we get caught in swirling winds? Barry is right...it's our exfoliated skin cells that alert deer that a predator is in their area and swirling winds can and will get you busted! We are shedding our epidermis every 28 days and unless you scrub your body extremely well, not just with a good antimicrobial hair and body soap but with an abrasive washcloth or glove, you're not removing those dead skin cells. Another great scent tool is to find a spray that you can actually put on your skin that is an oxidizer. An oxidizer turns human odor to salt and salt has no smell. Right after I shower and dry off with a scent free towel I spray my body down with a product called NO-ODOR which is an oxidizer. Then I wear a base layer like Barry said that wicks away moisture, but also one that has antimicrobial silver in it that kills human bacteria on contact. Even wearing your rubber boots around the house or in your truck on the way to the hunt is a sure bet that you're going to pick up exfoliated skin cells and carry them with you every step on the way to your stand...SO DON'T DO THAT!!! I also keep my clothes and boots in a scent free container and wash the boot before I put it on with an antimicrobial wash and rinse it off before I set foot in the woods. There is a lot of "smoke and mirrors" out there in the industry so do your research before you buy.
Remember: "The only thing a deer can't smell is nothing"!
Run to win, shoot to kill...
Brent
Another topic I'd like to hear more other than scent control is sight control. A lot of companies out there don't want you to know how a whitetail sees, because when you understand that a whitetail only sees in yellow and blue during the daylight hours and that UV dyes and brighteners show up blue in your clothing to a whitetail's eyes, especially the first hour and last hour of daylight, you'll be more picky about whose camo your purchasing. You can simply go and buy an inexpensive black light at the store, hang your camo in a mostly dark room...and if your camo glows blue guess what? It's UV hot!
Another topic I'd like to hear more other than scent control is sight control. A lot of companies out there don't want you to know how a whitetail sees, because when you understand that a whitetail only sees in yellow and blue during the daylight hours and that UV dyes and brighteners show up blue in your clothing to a whitetail's eyes, especially the first hour and last hour of daylight, you'll be more picky about whose camo your purchasing. You can simply go and buy an inexpensive black light at the store, hang your camo in a mostly dark room...and if your camo glows blue guess what? It's UV hot!
You guys need to take a look at 'ATSKO" I've been using their scent free shampoo, laundry detergent and foot powder for years and swear by it. I have started using (this year) chlorophyll tablets, it supposedly eliminates natural body scents, starting 30 days before the season and continue through; "CHLOR-O-FLAGE". I've had turkeys during deer season walk within 20 feet of me and keep going. I use the gum, scent free chap stick and the one thing that I love is using caffine beans, chocolate covered esspresso beans, that way Im alert and dont have to "PEE" with drinking coffee plus when Im really cold I pop a few and I stop shivering. I NEVER clean my gun a with cleaning solvent anymore and always spray a little buck scent on my blackpowder. My wife thinks Im crazy but oh well, good luck guys.
Good article. I just recently purchased an ozonics unit which has made my scent control strategies almost perfect. This thing works! I got mine here: http://www.ozonicsreviews.com/
They had them for $60 cheaper than anywhere else.
Not quite there...A garbage bag is a BIG MISS! Trash bags are treated with deodorants that make your trash smell "nice" as it decomposes in yopur kitchen. ONLY use clear plastic bags. They are a bit more expensive but usually aren't treated.
I am looking to buy some scent-control clothing for my husband. As I know he follow most if not all of these necessary steps already, what do you suggest is the best brand for the money?
Scent Control by a Veteran Hunter
- Pennsylvania hunter exposed to rabies by field dressing deer
Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) officials have made an announcement that a Lancaster County hunter has tested positive for rabies. The hunter has already been given post-exposure rabies shots after harvesting, and field dressing a deer on Jan.... - 2 days ago
friendlydude 2 years ago
Informative article great job!