Is scent mitigation an exercise in futility?

Jason, I do believe efforts to be as scent free as possible will help.

I've been hunting for nearly 45 years now and developed a few habits I am dogmatic about. Scent control (to the extent it can be done) is one of those things. I'll tell you why in a moment....but first lets establish some important facts:

1. It is impossible to completely 'mask' human odor when dealing with any animal that has a large and well developed olfactory system I.E. (Deer, Elk, Bear, Canines, Hogs). These animals have the ability to 'differentiate' or pick out odors one from another. Most requiring only a few 'parts per million' for detection. So...'masking scents' are indeed a waste of money.

2. It doesn't matter what you smell like, IF you are downwind of your quarry. In the absence of any wind, you need to be mindful of 'thermals'. Thermals can both Rise and Settle. In warm weather your scent pool will rise, as the temperature gets colder it will 'settle' to the ground.

Now... back to why I feel it is important to minimize scent.

It is no secret that most large game animals will be 'alerted' when they encounter human scent. How the animal reacts will be based on its own experiences, but generally speaking they will regard scent in one of two ways:

1. A heavy (fresh/potent) scent means: A 'potential' threat. The human/animal/other is in close proximity NOW, or has recently passed by.

2. A faint (old/mild) scent means: Absence of threat....but possible need to verify. The human/animal/other is distant, or has passed by long ago.

The IDEAL situation is to be as scent free as possible AND be downwind of your quarry, but this isn't always achievable. Winds can be fickle, game can approach from an unexpected direction, etc. So it behooves us to use every strategy to our advantage.

As concerns Deer, (most places) they are accustomed to running across human scent. The scent itself if not necessarily a cause for alarm, but strength of scent IS!

Anyone that has hunted deer for any length of time (Mule Deer excluded) knows that a deer might not trust its sense of sight or hearing. But it will never disregard what its NOSE is telling it.

It is my opinion that you are increasing your odds of getting your deer by controlling your scent. Especially if you visit the same areas regularly. Even if you aren't 'busted' while actually hunting, you are certainly leaving scent behind each time you enter and leave the woods. Deer pick up on this...so again... being clean can help.

Hope you have a great season, best of luck and enjoy your time afield whether you bring home a deer or not.

Flint.

Just my 2 cents

I went hunting coyotes the other day, one day after muzzle loading season ended here, with my fathe in law. We sat down and I proceeded to call with a distressed rabbit call for about an hour and a half. When to my surprise a doe walked out not a hundred yards from where we were sitting. Now at this point the trip was almost over and we had began to carry on a conversation, by no means whispering. The doe never paid us no mind, I blew my call and she looked up at us but paid us no mind. We did not have camo on and I were wearing normal clothes out of the drawer that I had worn all day. I do not believe there is any difference in your scent and "no scent". Possibly a scent masking may help like doe urine during rut but I don.t believe it is possible to remove your scent I mean what about your breath? Are you not going to breath?
Maybe deer here are different from deer where you live.

I tried a few cover scents and odor eliminators for a couple years and then gave up and decided I'd rather save my money. As far as scent control goes, there are things I try to avoid, like sitting in hunting camp while the guys cook pounds of bacon and eggs.

As others have said, what's most important is playing the wind. I had 3 does come out in front of my stand yesterday afternoon about 30 yards away, not spooked or bothered whatsoever, but I was down wind of them. I watched them in my scope for quite a while, hoping that one would miraculously grow antlers. They circled around and as soon as the were slightly downwind of me, the lead doe raised her head, then all their tails flagged, and off they went, bounding into the woods.

Purely guessing: First off, I really don't believe a person can be scent-free. But, efforts at reducing one's scent could maybe make it generally weaker, and so a deer (or other critter) might think a person is farther away than is actually the case.

From what I've seen of deer behavior, distance seems to be part of their assessment of danger.

I agree with almost all of you. I've shot a fair amount of game (and missed a whole bunch as well!) I think these guys that promote this stuff on the hunting shows are paid by the companies to promote the stuff. Think about it, as soon as you start walking, you're gonna start breathing, sweating, farting, etc. No amount of carbon or some exotic scent, is going to mask all those odors. I remember years ago a bow hunter who killed a huge amount of game while wearing checkered shirts. After hunting started to become commercialized, he started to appear in ads wearing the latest and greatest camo. I wear camo, most of it old as the hills, but am convinced that doing simple things like staying downwind and being very still are the best things you can do to ensure a successful hunt. Wearing the latest and greatest camo and buying the most expensive carbon enhanced scents do almost nothing but add to the bottom line of these companies.

In the pursuit of predators and the extremes we go to in order to mask human scent.

As a few have already said it's all about marketing.

Years ago I had a buddy dab some pure skunk oil behind his ears and splash a little on his neck and face as if it were an aftershave in order to kill his scent while predator hunting...he did it in a heartbeat before I could say anything...just splashed it on while I sat there dumbfounded.

This was while stand hunting for predators on a remote National Grassland so we were in and out of the truck all day on a weekend hunt...to this day even the thought of skunk odor makes me nauseous. My new truck smelled of skunk for months and I don't think the Coyotes noticed one way or the other.

I've since learned the key is to simply pay attention to which way the wind is blowing, cover scents not needed.

Cover scents don't help much. Scent killing soap can work to a degree for a short period of time if you do a good job on yourself clothes and equipment. But you cannot fool a deer completely or for long. Some attractant scents work but only if you don't tip off the deer some way. Deer will quickly learn to associate stale pee or fake acorn smell with hunters or that guy fidgeting in the tree.
It takes effort, experience and sometimes luck, to kill are really big deer.
Sometimes you can do everything right. 3 years ago I had a trophy buck in my scope. My only shot missed because I was afraid he wouldn't come clear of the brush before shooting hours were over and I took a shot I should not. I had to leave so I took another deer. The next day the landowners grandson sat on my stand. It was his first hunt. The 18 point record buck walked right by him and a lucky 12 year had the buck of a lifetime. Careful scouting planning preparation and skills paid off, just not for me. I am happy for the kid.
That land is now a park. No more hunting there.

I still do what I can to descent...then without fail....bust one fart...and I can smell it. Plus...I can smell my co-workers breath from time to time. So yeah...unless you can hold your breath...and your ****...I doubt you could ever completely descent. But you gotta wash your clothes at some point...might as well use hunting detergents.

Would you beleive that they also market scent removing gum... for you bad breath....

LOL...I tried it..it taste like pine needles....I ended up passing it around the office trying to get people to try it. LOL

Some of my buddies will take their hunting clothes off at the end of the day put them in a big paper bag filled with leaves and other forest detritus until they are ready to wear them again. I don't bother doing this myself, but it's at least a cheap (free) way to attempt to mask your scent.

How long have people been successfully hunting again??



all these scents do one thing mighty well.... Deprive you of your hard earned cash...

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Hunters have been using various methods of covering their scent for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Native American indians have been using techniques to do this as long as we have had recorded history. I'm quite certain other cultures have done the same. This isn't just something someone thought up to take your money.

Using your scent can be an advantage if used right. In areas where deer and humans live close together there may be no real need to do anything. Deer see, hear and smell humans every day. Including humans who are smoking, or covered in any manner of strong smelling stuff. Smelling another human wouldn't be anything out of the ordinary, certainly not alarming.

But if hunting in other settings where humans are not commonly seen reducing your scent, or covering it in some way certainly won't hurt. No you will not completely eliminate it, but having a deer detect your scent from 100 yards or farther is a lot different than having one get to within 25-30 yards before they figure it out. If busted from 100 yards away you may never know the animal was ever there. Let it get within 50 yards before being detected may give you a shot.

Just because you choose not to do anything and still see deer proves nothing. You have no idea how many deer you didn't see. The guys who consistently kill the big boys, especially archery hunters take scent control VERY seriously. It is no accident that the same guys are consistently successful on the really big smart deer.

The guys who consistently kill the big boys, especially archery hunters take scent control VERY seriously. It is no accident that the same guys are consistently successful on the really big smart deer.

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Yessir.
The less than handful of guys I personally know that have consistent success, all do green showers when possible and use non scented laundry soaps.

Some even use the scent elimination sprays.

Coincidence?
I don't know, but seriously doubt it. I like killing mature deer, so I want every possible advantage.

I'm 62 years old and have successfully hunted since I was a kid. I still get 1 elk and 1 deer per year. On big game, I rarely take long shots, but don't get close like archers or handgun hunters. I've never used camo or scent control.

I wash my clothes in scent-free laundry detergent, shower with the green soap, use the special deodorant, and the spray. When I chewed snuff I'd switch to apple flavored stuff when hunting. I can't say how much difference all that makes, but I can say it doesn't exactly break the bank. A $2 bar of soap lasts me years. A $3 stick of deodorant also lasts for years and dries out long before it's gone. A small bottle of scent blocker spray is about $5. If these products were actually expensive I would think about going without, but since it costs me less per year than one lousy meal at a fast food joint I figure "why not".

i don't wear cologne or after shave when I'm hunting, but I do take a bath with Dial soap and VO5 shampoo. I don't really worry about it cause I know ain't much I can do about it.

I hunt from elevated blinds and open tower chairs, and I've never worried about it. I don't wear cologne when hunting, but I don't change soaps or laundry detergent. The wife still uses those wonderful smelling dryer sheets, and I always see the same deer as show on the gamecam. Not to hijack, but I've never noticed the deer or hogs caring much about me wearing jeans, camo, whatever.

The only constant I am sure of is this: be quiet, and be still. The rest just has not mattered much in my hunting over the last 35 years.