article on scent control

[jimbires]

I work hard to try and keep my scent to a minimum , and try to play the wind in my favor . I've done these things so long , that I do them without thinking about it . I'd probably have a hard time making up a list of what I do.

in my morning news feed I received this article on scent control . I thought I'd pass it along . I thought there might be some things mentioned here that could help a hunter that is starting down this path , of scent control . what are your thoughts , or techniques .

MSN

 

[hunter24605]

Thanks for sharing. Several months ago I registered my trail cam warranty at wild game innovations and checked a box to test products. I forgot about it then a month or so later they sent me an ion generator to test. I’ve only used it twice, but last week I had a bear do a complete 360 around me staying around 20-60 yards and never acted suspicious to my presence.
Zero trace ion

 

[DrMike]

Excellent article. I've worked hard to control scent, and it paid off on multiple occasions.

 

[JD338]

Thanks Jim. I do my best to watch my scent.
I avoid stands if the wind is wrong. No sense tipping my hand, especially on one of the big boys.
Howie, that a pretty cool unit. I've wondered about ion generators for a while.

JD338

 

[Firebird24]

Save your money-play the wind. Lots of stories but not worth brand bashing. Play the wind

 

[JD338]

Save your money-play the wind. Lots of stories but not worth brand bashing. Play the wind

To date, that's what I have done. I only hunt stands if the wind is right.

JD338

 

[Firebird24]

I know you knew that information-I have half dozen bottles and sprays and one ozone generator. The wind is still the only one I trust

 

[Wolfshead]

I wash with unscented soap. I wash my hunting clothes in Atsko Sports wash detergent.
It is scent free and blocks UV.
I brush my teeth as always. But most importantly,
I play the wind.
I believe it is important that we understand the power of a deers nose.
I watched 60 minutes one evening, a few years ago, and they were talking about drug sniffing dogs.
The handler explained their nose and sense of smell like this; imagine you walk into a room, and someone is making beef stew. You can smell that beef stew cooking.
A dog walks into the same room and he smells, flour, peas, beef, carrots, etc….
Now when you consider that a deers nose is supposedly stronger than a dogs.
My Father In-law stores his hunting clothes on a hook in his garage all year round and I’m not sure when the last Ive he washed them doe what year. He is able to, and has taken may deer with his set-up.
I’ve watched guys put their clothes on once they’ve woken up, have bacon and eggs and coffee for breakfast, and left to get gas all in their hunting garb and still have plenty of success.
I used to have all my stuff washed in scent free bags, in totes, and I would get dressed at the hunting site, and I would spray down with scent killer spray, and all that goes with it.
Now I just try to be clean, within reason, and I play the wind, and it’s much less stressful.

 

[truck driver]

Back in the day when there was still room to hunt deer locally I would hunt a friends farm . He could never figure out how I managed to kill a deer on opening day in areas he swore there were no deer. I would get to the farm early while he was milking and take my coat and rub it all over one of his cows that was in a stanchion being milked making sure I got plenty of fresh cow scent on it. I would put the coat in the bed of my truck and head to the area I was planning to hunt, I never put a tree stand up and hunted off the ground and would get my deer by first light and be back for breakfast by the time he finished milking.
He never figured it out till my son was old enough to hunt deer and I had him rub his coat over a cow, needles to say he killed his first deer that day. When we were hanging or kills in the shed to drain before skinning my friend came in to see our deer and said you guys smell like a sweaty cow. After that his hunting cloths hung in the dairy barn and never got washed till after the season.
Natural scents from the area you are hunting is the best to mask your own scent besides playing the wind.

 

[hunter24605]

I think you’ll never completely hide your scent. But minimizing it by following a good scent control could make it diffuse faster and not ride the wind as far. But I’m no stinkologist, or whatever an odor expert is called. Around here playing the wind is tough, it just swirls all different directions, changing every few minutes.

 

[JD338]

stinkologist.
That's a good one!

JD338

 

[jimbires]

good replies Fellas . my scent control routine is just a thousand little things . on this I believe if you take care of the little things , the big things take care of themselves . I use scent free bath soap , laundry detergent ,and deodorant , I think these are the only things I buy , that are special. I hang my clothes outside to dry . I wash my clothes at the end of the season , so they get put away clean . I wash my clothes before the season starts, to get rid of the house smells . after the preseason wash I don't bring my clothes into the house . I did keep them hanging under my wood pile roof , now I have a trapping shed that I keep my clothes in . I put my clothes on and go hunting . as soon as I get home I go to the shed / wood pile roof and get out of my clothes . I never get gas while I'm in my hunting clothes, or boots . I never stop at a store , restaurant , nothing like that . I don't wear my boots in my work garage . I'm sure there's a lot more I'm not thinking of , but you get the idea . I try not to touch anything while I'm in the woods . I've seen guys that have a hand on about anything within reach , while walking to their stand . just use your head about the smells you're around , while in your hunting clothes , and play the wind best as you can .