scent elimination sprays

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MythBusters had an episode where the host tried to fool a bloodhound off his trail using commercial scent elimination sprays and clothing... the dog had no problem finding him.  I don't know if a deers nose is any keener than a bloodhound but my guess is it probably is. The manufacturers that advertise this stuff never show any scientific data to back this stuff up. I personally just hang my clothing out, avoid any feefee soap after bathing and try to stay downwind, seems to work ok for me. Does this stuff really work? Phil

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I'm sure this topic has been adressed here before, but to be honest I haven't gone back too many pages here looking for the subject so forgive me if its a    Phil

[lpcjon2]

If you bought one then it worked, at least for the sale it did. Nothing is ever gonna cover your scent that much but the wind will carry it away if you play it right.

[Tree Killer]

Always hunted with my nose in the wind. Never bought into the scent free clothing or sprays. Figuring out how to outwit an animal with my own skills is rewarding to me.  

   

[Blackhawk]

Scent sprays will not "eliminate" the odor for deer, but it can diminish odor...which is also important.

Even we humans can smell someone much easier and father away when we encounter anyone who has not bathed or used deodorant.

The bottom line is to keep yourself clean, free of stinky odors, and hunt into the wind.  

Yes, that buck can smell you if the wind is in his favor, but you may already be close enough to take him.

[ChuckC]

Without a doubt some of the towelettes work very well.  Not so much for making me scent free but certainly for keeping me from plain stinking.  I put it to the test numerous times when I do heavy labor right after a morning hunt (after using it) and then when I do the same days later.   No doubt at all.

But I don't feel I am scent free and I believe you gotta play the wind or you will lose the game.
ChuckC

[olddogrib]

Bacteria from sweat doesn't do anything to increase your odds.  Do a search and make your own with hydrogen peroxide from one of several recipes on this site.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Most deer smell people year round, its the concentration of the odor that startles them. The blood hound is going a non deer threatening amount of "stink". I have always use Scent- Away regular and always will. I firmly believe in it, or Im plain lucky! Just my 2.534 cents. It helps stop replicated human odor, not contain it.

[bad arrow]

Just this afternoon, after posting this question,I had several deer catch wind of me. They were on an opposite ridge at least seventy five yards away. The wind shifted and sure enough, noses and then flags of white went up in the air and they were gone. In my haste to hunt I broke my own rule and just threw on some old hunting clothes that hadn't aired out and had not washed from a day of sweating. Bad karma for making this post! Phil

[doug77]

I crossed a creek about 6" deep this afternoon with knee high rubber boots going to stand and walked about 100 yards across picked corn guess what old mamma doe come along and cut my track in the middle for the picked corn and followed me right to my stand.

doug77

[Nole]

I used to be a scent fanatic a few years ago and sprayed down with the stuff religiously.  It became to much of a hassle every time I hunted so now I just make sure I am clean, clothes washed in baking soda, and hunt with the wind in my favor.

[ishiwannabe]

It is impossible to eliminate your scent totally. The use of these spays, bought and homebrew, may give you an added second or two to make a shot. That's enough for me to use them.
I know, play the wind. How many times I have had deer come in downwind...morning thermals, cleanliness, and the spray have all helped tip the odds in my favor.

[MikeS]

I stopped using all that crap years ago when I got busted time after time.  And, I must point out, that I was ANAL about being "scent free!"  I thought I would be a deer killin' machine by using those products.  WRONG!!!!!  I look at it this way now.....When someone bakes an apple pie, I know it is apple pie......when I smell just a piece of apple pie, I still know it is apple pie!  I don't have to smell the whole pie to know that.  A deer doesn't have to smell the whole "human pie" to know it is human, and therefore a danger.  Yeah, yeah, I know. everyone has experiences where "the deer was downwind and he never smelled me!" (presumably due to magic sprays).  Well, I have had a lot of deer that were downwind of me that SHOULD have smelled me, but did not.  Just a quirk of the wind currents in my opinion.  Save your money.  By the way, my kids and I have this "discussion" every year, and they still disagree with me.  LOL
Mike

[Bob B.]

Ok, this is it for me ... I use the sprays in boots under hat and near pits around and neck area of under clothes.  My clothes are wached once and on the line the line the rest of the season.  ht espray (In my opinion) does not make you invisible, but may help to reduce odor, at least to the point of not appearing to be fresh.  

Certainly I hunt hte wind, not jsut for my odor but because the wind determmins deer movement - so I must use this knowledge to find them and to get into bow range.

I think what gets us busted the most is our breath.  When a deer is sited, breath through your nose! How many TV shows of guys in scent lock suits with all the sprays and the rest of the crap get busted during the program and comment that the wind changed on them.  Well, either that stuff don't work as good as advertized or the deer smelled their breath.  I reckon it is a good bit of both.

Bob.

[landman]

I've had pretty good luck with odor elimination clothing when it's new, but not so much when it's old, despite washing the stuff in special soaps, etc.   I've used the sprays too and I'm pretty convinced that they're useless.   After thinking about it alot I'm pretty certain that two or three things create most of the odor problems that alarm deer.   The first two are leather gloves and boots and the third is odor from our head, ears and breath.  When I control those areas it seems that deer reactions are less alarmed.

[Don Stokes]

One of my buddies has a really strong body odor, but he kills more deer than I do. Perseverance, I guess.

I've tried everything under the sun over many years, and my final conclusion is that the only thing that nearly always works is staying downwind. Even then, swirling currents can blow the deal. I don't think it matters how clean you are or what you're wearing- you just can't fool Mother Nature. We smell like a predator no matter what. Every part of us emits odor, and you can't cover enough of it to really matter.

I try to stay clean mainly so I don't smell myself!

[highpoint forge]

Hunting the wind is the #1 thing, and the sprays probably diminish the smell but don't eliminate. Think of smelling a skunk, as it gets more concentrated, you become more concerned about where that skunk is. A whiff of one is one thing, but a blast of one is a whole 'nother ballgame. Wind blowing skunk scent away from you? Not as alarming.......I do use the sprays and soaps, why not? None of my gear gets washed in scented detergents or softeners. I hang my SItka Gear outside when I arrive at camp to air out.....if you are on the ground it's crucial to hunt the wind, up in a stand, not so much.

[xtrema312]

I hunt the wind.  I don’t think you can eliminate your scent, but I am convinced that you can cut it down to a great extent.  That can make a difference in the perceived distance you are or maybe that you were there, but are not now.  Also I think scent left behind is critical particularly if you hunt the same area or stand much.  The faster your scent dissipates after you are gone the fewer deer will know you were around when they come through at night or off days.  

The scent spray I use says it was tested to eliminate 90% of human odor and that was tested at some university.  That sounds good to me.  Last year I figured why bother spraying down my rubber boots and pant legs so I didn’t.  I got tracked to my stand three or four times walking trails where only my boots touched anything.  I had not been tracked to my stand in years.  This year I am using it again.  So far I have not been tracked to my stand even with deer right under me.

Also remember that other scents can be just as noticeable to animal if not more and can stay longer.  I think gas or oil on your boots from the gas stating, soaps, mouth washes and other chemical can last a lot longer than human odor.  Those can’t be sprayed off with scent killer I don’t think.  I figure if I can’t smell you, but can smell something on your like deodorant or some soap or fabric softener then a deer can really smell that stuff.