Scent Control For Big-Game Hunting?

Think of it this way. By many accounts a deer can smell just as well as a dog. A dog can smell an ounce of explosives hidden inside a tank full of gasoline. Now do you really think that some snake oil sprayed on your clothing is going to negate this ability? In order for scent control products to work they'd have to prevent the human body from shedding dead skin cells, that sounds downright unpleasant. Although I'm sure some Jackie Bushman wannabee has already attempted to clear coat his body .

Deer fall into two categories

they smell you and don't care

or

they smell you and take notice

the only time they won't smell you is when you use the wind to your advantage

I have never used it, and hunt with about 30 people who have never used it. Some have been hunting for 50 years and have never had a problem. I don't think it can hurt, but don't think that it's worth the money.

but is [it] necessary to chose stand locations based on wind direction?

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Absolutely. Forget the products and make sure you set up downwind.

If a deer gets downwind of you they will smell you.

They can smell you from over 300 yards away. Rut or no rut, they never distrust their noses. I've seen it happen many times.

I'm sure some of the products could have some effect, but staying downwind is totally foolproof.

I've bowhunted for years, and never use any kind of scent products. The only thing I do is take a shower before going hunting with non-smelly soap. I studied the issue of deer smelling you many times over years in the field, and if whether you stalk or ambush, setting up so that the wind is in your favor will result in you seeing many more deer, even if it means getting up and moving 50 yards if the wind changes. I believe in staying downwind so much, that if there is no way to hunt with the wind in my favor, I go home or to the camp rather than sit there and see nothing.

All that said, you can usually get away with more in the best deer hunting weather conditions... the best conditions for deer not being able to smell you as easily are in the morning, colder than the day before, rising barometer, clear day, and little or no wind. The worst conditions are fickle wind, high humidity, foggy, muggy, falling barometer, unseasonably warm and wet.

they smell you and don't care

or

they smell you and take notice

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I'd add that I have seen many deer smell me, but never seen one that didn't care about it.

I've had them see me, and not run away, hear me and not run away... but smell me, and they always run away - usually snorting.

I think some of it is how used to people deer are and in what way.

Deer can be quite curious I've had them come up to me and check me out at little over arms length sitting on the ground sniffing snorting and stompin trying to get me to move. I've whistled dixie to one doe for several minutes before. But my deer are somewhat used to seeing people as I hunt a ranch and I'm really the only hunting pressure for a quite large area

I try to minimize scent. Never pretended to be scent-free.
I've been killing deer with arrows for 25 years and since I can't change the wind, I work with it- stay downwind. I think proper use of some scent-control products increases my chances but not by much.
My bro-in-law killed a P&Y when he took a break during corn harvest, parked and fueled the combine and spilled diesel on himself before climbing a tree with his bow. Now he swears by diesel fuel cover scent but its almost as expensive as the scent blocking sprays.

The best scent control, by far, is to keep down-wind of one's quarry.

It can't hurt, all the hunting shows that are sponsored by scent sprays say you can't hunt without it. In fact, it's kind of amazing that the Indians and early settlers didn't starve completely without it. Can't beat downwind though.

Hand wash your hunting clothes in baking soda let em' hang for 3 days prior and your good. I tagged two deer bow hunting last year within 30/25 yards and they never knew I was there until it was too late.. I refuse to spend the money onscent "killers"...Indians didn't use it why should you or I?

I use carbon scent lock clothes, wash with odor reducing soap, use spray on scent killer, and launder in scent reducing soap.

Once out of the dryer, it goes directly into a plastic odor free bag.

When I drive to the hunt site, I wear stree clothes washed the same way and sit on a towel over the seat.

I can tell ya, it works, and works well. I've been up wind of deer while on the ground leaning in a tree, and had deer come within 8 feet of me.

I have periodically walked in near deer, realize they are there, and hold tight, only to have them pass right by me.

Some scents they are used to. Some they aren't. If you can keep any scent that should not be there out, you're up one from the start.

I used to buy all the scent free soaps and such and I killed deer.

I stopped. I still kill deer. As many and as big as before.

Others have already said it. Pay attention to the wind.

I try not to get all sweaty and stinky, but I shower with Dial soap (or whatever my wife found on sale the last time she went shopping) and wash my clothes in Tide (or whatever my wife found on sale last time she went shopping) and away I go.

Bow or gun, same routine.

Yes, but only marginally.

With the way the winds swirl and eddie around here, scent control is important, but still only 10% of 20% of "scent management", with the other 80% to 90% being simply using the *prevailing* wind in your favor, which is of the utmost importance.

It occurred to me that the nature of the herd sometimes comes into play as well.

Deer that are constantly pressured react very differently than those that see minimal or no pressure when it comes to scent.

Of course they are curious too, they might find that the smell of dial soap and tide "interesting" enough to follow in.

Which way the wind is blowing determines where and how I hunt. While I keep an eye on the general downwind direction, my hunting is into the wind or cross-wind...

I betcha that from the standpoint of a deer's nose, there's no such thing as "scent free". "Not real bothersome" at best, maybe.

The thing many guys tend to forget is that there are deer, and there are deer that are bigger, better, and smarter. They tend to lump all deer together. What fools a yearling doe most likely will not fool a 6 year old 12 pointer.

I've used the scent free stuff. It works if used correctly. I've had multiple bucks directly downwind without being detected. IMO, you've got to do the whole routine or it's wasted effort.

Guys that are too lazy to do it, or at least do it right discard it as useless. I can't always determine which way the wind blows, so I keep everything I can in my favor.

I can tell you for certain that wearing rubber boots that have been kept clean makes a big difference, but guys keep wearing leather Rocky boots every year. Spreads scent through the woods everywhere you walk.

Real odor control

http://odorxit.com/

This works,makes alot more then them tiny spray bottle the sell..
you;ll have enough have your whole neighborhood scent free,

I hunt close to where deer live,I have deer walk under my stand all the time.But I like if i can use the wind,most times that works,but being scent free as much as i can be have helped,

hunting downwind and personal hygiene have always been forms of scent control to me. Cover scents, lures, fresh earth have worked for me over the years too, to a degree.......but only in conjunction with hunting downwind and personal hygiene.

Wear these clothes and forget the wind, just hunt....is just bull. Maybe on the high fence ranch where the big boys are used to the sound of the 4-wheeler and human smell right before the corn appears. Scent free clothes and carbon sprays are tools that may give you a slight edge for a brief time....and maybe that's enough to make the difference. But they are not the total solution to an age old problem.

Maybe for some.

Hey there:
I have not found the scent game to work here.
Maybe for some it does. But, we hunt private ground that we have hunted for many years now (30) plus. Now we use tree stands most of the time but even beore that we did not play the scent game. We always take our deer.
We also only hunt with bows or Muzzleloaders. My son and I both smoke, even in our stands. I can not count the number of deer taken with a smoke in my hand. Some may wish to argue with this but , Thats OK . I have always taken deer and usually more then one. Last fall took 3. 2 bucks and 1 doe. Ya . I should stop smoking, but th efacts are still the facts.
Buddy of mine plays the game to the limit. He never scores like we do.

In remote areas where deer are never exposed to any kind of human scents ?
YES...... But in populated areas where the girls down the street ride their horses past our stands even during season, the deer don't seem to care.

By the way.

Hey agian:
In SW Mich. There are not very many 6 year old 12 pointers left.

My last buck was a 3 1/2 year old 9 point.

Over 750,000 hunters here in mich. That buck is gonna smell someone.

You don't need any fancy scent blockers, My father taught me to rub desert sage (the favorite food of desert deer) on myself to cover scent.

Fellow tried to sell me some "New" scent control clothing.

I said to him "Son, a deer can smell an old dried-up ear of corn under two feet of snow when it's so cold I can't feel my nose. Do you think he's going to be fooled by your hundred dollar t-shirt?"

Scent control is a way to make a few bucks off the ignorant. I am surprised Cabelas is unscrupulous enough to even offer that junk. They've got to KNOW it's a scam, but I guess the money is so good they can't resist selling a little bit of their soul.