can you really stay scent free???

[J-dog]

Nope

[YORNOC]

I was so crazy about it it made me miserable.
 I am a wind guy now and have a lot more money in my pocket  to buy bows from you guys!

[reddogge]

Just remember wind currents are affected by thermal conditions and may drift up or down.  If up you are golden but if down you will get busted no matter what you do.

[Covey]

I do the routine! Wash my cloths and myself in scent free soap. try not to touch stuff going in and out of the woods, wear rubber boots etc... but the playing the wind is almost impossible in some parts of southern Indiana but I do my best. As far as your question, I think being totally scent free is impossible! I've been busted more than I care to remember!!  HA! Jason

[Shawn Leonard]

I recommend everyone read Steve Bartylla's article in the Dec/Jan 2010 Issue of North American Whitetail, he says ya can beat a deers nose to a point. It is extreme what he goes thru to do this but he says it works. I would agree that it would definitely help and if we all would do it, make everyones hunting better. It is not just about being scent free when we are hunting but leaving our hunting areas as scent free as possible, so we are not spooking deer when we are not even in the woods!! Shawn

[Shawn Leonard]

The advent of treestands happened thousands of years ago. Carbon suits only around 70 years ago! Shawn

[tim roberts]

Have read through this on and off, and like most on here I agree, the answer is no, you can't be totally scent free.  
With that said, there are two things that I believe though.
One, I think that scent is a lot like a radar signature.  There are things that one can do to lower their "scent signature", thus making you smell like you are further than you really are.  In places where the deer are used to smelling people, this can be helpful.  
The other thing, I learned a long time ago, if it helps you be more comfortable, and increases you confidence, then there is no reason not to do it!!!

[Kip l Hoffman]

No!  Get 12' up a tree, hope the thermals are in your favor and get lucky.  I used to smoke a pipe and purposely lit up some Amphora just to see what happened.  Can honestly say that I never spooked a deer with Amphora, but suspect it was because the thermals were in my favor.

Wish it would have made difference so I would have quit smoking 25 years sooner.

Kip

[Robert Honaker]

There are a bunch here that say no, but I may disagree to an extent. I'm not sure if it can be totally eliminated or not, but here is my experience.

I have never owned a carbon suit...I think it's bologna. Science proves that.

I do however use "spray downs".

First time I used it I was skeptical, but went the whole nine yards. I washed socks, underwear, hat gloves, pants, shirt, and jacket in scent free wash and air dried. I sprayed everything down, including socks and underwear and let dry again then put in a plastic bag.
I showered scentfree and used a towel I had washed scentfree to dry off. Baking soda for deoderant and toothpaste.
All this was done after I cooked breakfast. I dressed outside and sprayed my truckseat down also.
sprayed my boots dripping wet and my clothes not so wet about 100yds from my spot and walked in. sat my stool down and sprayed it dripping wet along with my bow and arrows...minus fletching and waited for dawn.

I was surrounded numerous times that morning by deer that had no clue. Eye level. Most within 10yds. I couldnt draw on any of them because they were that close. About an hour after that a lone doe came in directly downwind at 8 yrds. she stood still for several minutes, but was relaxed. the sun was shining on me and I was holding my breath down best I could because I was afraid she would see my breath drifting towards her in a cloud. she looked at me one time, before I sunk an arrow completly thru her.

It was awesome.  

Aint sayin it's perfect, but that works for me to this day.I hate carrying treestands, so it's worth the effort for me.

I now use a guillie suit that I store with cedar limbs also.  now they don't even look at me like I'm outta place.

[widow sax]

I have beat there nose for many years but it takes dedication to being scent free and it is not easy it takes work. For years I did not care about the wind paid not atttention to it and have been up wind to deer on the ground and not scented. If I can I will hunt the wind but most of the time I just dont care unless I do not try to be scent free then I hunt the wind.  Widow

[michigan bill]

Two sayings i like:
1.  A world of opportunity awaits upwind - but nothing awaits downwind.
2.  He'll hear you three times.  He'll see you twice.  But he'll only smell you once.

I've never seen anything that compares to the portable dark blinds for reducing scent.  i can almost hunt downwind - almost.

Bill

[PA-Spot]

Keep your clothes clean and play the wind.

[adkmountainken]

great info and would also like to tank the people who sent me emails, great source of information from some fine hunters!

[kennym]

Great info, I'm about to try chlorophyll tho, Terry,and Charlie use it ,and I was quite impressed by their scent control. When a yote walks in on the same trail you did and sits 5 FEET from the base of your stand,you have somethin goin buddy!!

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Originally posted by adkmountainken:
ok couple questions here. i have learned to play the wind at about all costs as it most definitly is huge. now to stay scent free and keep my clothes scent free seems virtually impossible and heres why. my favorite place to hunt is a 45 minute straight up a rocky mountain top. i tie my heavy items like sweater and jacket around my waist. no matter how easy or slow i take it by the time i get to where i want to be i am in a fourth quater sweat and i mean a good lather! i do bring scent elim spray but how much is that really going to help? i do play the wind but to hope and stay scent free to the other direction is impossible! same thing on the way down, get a drenching sweat which would make keeping my clothes in scent free bins useless. ok and ideas or help???

You've got the right idea by playing the wind direction. If it's not right then I don't go to my favorite stand sites. I will either move to the other side of the property and find a spot where the wind is right, or stay on the ground with the wind in my face. I don't take chances ruining my hot spots by going in there when the wind is totally wrong.....I found that out the hard way believe me.
I also sweat pretty good so I wear just the bear minimum of clothing on the way in and carry extra garments to add when the temps change, or I shed layers throughout the day as it warms up.
Humans will never be scent "Free" we start to stink the minute we step out of the shower, but we can "Cut Down" our level of stinkiness by showering often and using the scent eliminating sprays. Wash your camo often and I put mine in a big rubber tub w/lid and throw in some Earth Scent Wafers. That's about as good as it's going to get and deer still bust me if the wind is wrong.
***********************************************
One last tip for all of those who are like me and think the scent elimination products prices are way too high and soaring out of control. I saw a bar of green scent free soap at wally world the other day for $6 bucks!! $6 Bucks!!!....WHAT?!?

Ivory bar soap is naturally unscented....use that to shower with.
Baking soda is the scent elimination secret that has been around forever. Wash your camo clothes with it, brush your teeth with it, sprinkle some in your boots, keep a box inside your camo clothes tub, and you can mix it with water for a scent eliminating spray........and best of all...I can get it at the Dollar Store 2boxes-For $1 Buck!          

I also use Arm and Hammer unscented Deodorant/Antiperspirant solid that was on sale for $2 bucks..........Baking Soda is a hunter's best friend and the creative ways to use it are endless.

[Robert Honaker]

Also, you can get Dove hypoallergenic soap for cheap and even cheaper is the dollar store brand.

[stalkin4elk]

Quote from BUCKSKIN AND BONE. "How is it you can smell a fart through a carbon suit?" Good one Wensel!

[Stone Knife]

No

[Don Stokes]

Only if there's nothing there to smell you.

[TxAg]

Originally posted by TxAg:
I wash my clothes in baking soda and dry them like normal...then toss them in a trash bag. I use scent killer spray if I have some laying around.  In my area it's not the deer I worry about winding me, it's the hogs.

I did a lot of thinking on this subject this past season.  I started trying something different...

I started making a fire out of local wood (mesquite in most cases) and standing in the smoke for 5 or 10 minutes. Long enough that when away from the fire, I could smell a smokey smell coming from my clothes.  

It worked really well. I know I will smell like a human no matter what, but the smoke did a great job masking my scent.

Texas ranchers do a lot of brush clearing and burning so this a natural smell the deer are used to.