Scent control question

[Emmons]

I know and practice the best scent control, hunt down wind.  But with that said, I still use the scent elimination products, such as soap/body washer, deodorant, clothing wash, and spray.  

So here is my question, what do you do on non-hunting days?  I thought about this while in the shower after my afternoon workout.  On a normal week day I shower in the morning before work, then again in the afternoon at the gym.  I use a fragrenced soap, so I smell nice.  But then on a hunting day I use a scent eliminating soap, so I smell like nothing.  

I think I will only use fragrence free soap during hunting season from know on.

What do you think?

James

[TIM B]

That's what I do- not sure it really matters but it's easy and surely cant hurt!
TIM B

[Jake Diebolt]

I try to use scent-free soaps and deodorant for deer season and a couple weeks before it, to give the scent a bit of time to get flushed from my system.

I can't really be sure it works, mostly because the hand soap at my office is still scented and such. But we do what we can.

[YORNOC]

Cant hurt to keep as scent free as possible.

[danderson]

what i've realized it boils down to is you can't beat a deers nose, so it doesn't matter how much scent free prep you do, get the wind in your favor. Let me get within 15 yards of a doe on the ground this morning and i didn't even shower

[Jeff Strubberg]

Most of your scent comes from your mouth.  If you aren't showering in diesel fuel, I wouldn't worry about it.

[Bob B.]

Jeff,

You are right on!  Most of your sent comes from your breath.  Brush teeth and use mouth wash.  When deer is near, breath through you nose.

Bob.

[30coupe]

It is all about the wind. Unless you vacuum pack yourself, you will not beat the deer's nose, no matter what you spray on, wash with, brush with or gargle. I don't recommend the vacuum packing thing, but I do watch the wind. It is less of an issue from a tree stand. I have had lots of deer come in from downwind when in a tree stand. On the ground, it pays to have the wind in your face.

Some of it depends on location. If you hunt where there is a lot of human activity like we do here in Iowa, the deer may go on alert if they wind you, but they won't necessarily bust. If they smell you and confirm your location by seeing you move, get ready to hear lots of snorting. If you can stay still and wait for them to look away, you may get a shot even after they wind you. Just remember to shoot low, because they will drop and run at the first foreign sound.

I have used and not used the soaps and sprays. I can't say that they did much one way or the other. Mostly now I use scent free soap on my body. Not the high priced name brand stuff, but just unscented body wash from Wally World ($3.23 for 24 ounces). I use the same stuff most of the year though.

I do use the scent free detergent for my hunting clothes because it doesn't contain UV brighteners. I don't put them in a sealed container. They ride in a plywood box in the back of my truck or in my duffle bag. Wool plaid is my favorite camo. I don't have any problem getting deer in bow range.

If all that stuff makes you FEEL more confident, go for it. I am too old and ornery to fall for all the hype.

[Ragnarok Forge]

I find it interesting that folks believe you put more scent out with your breath.  Is this true or just believed to be true?  Any documentation on it anywhere.  Your body has a huge surface area and produces a ton of scent.

I wash my clothes in no scent soap and use non-scent soap before hunting.  I figure it can't hurt and will decrease the total scent stream you produce.  I have noticed that when I smell something I determine how far away it is by the strength of the scent.  If a deer smells you and only gets a faint whiff, do they think you are not right on top of them?  I think this may actually be true based on personal experiences in the field.

[Thumper Dunker]

I get all swetty and stinky like any other day.  But its not going to hurt to do and use all that stuff.

[Matt Green]

Forge has  a good question - any documentation to support the "most" of the scent comes frmo the mouth???  Most poeple think most of your body heat is lost through the head - this idea crumbles under scrutiny.

re: the post - i avoid cologne and other such smelly soaps during season. May not help but it can't hurt and i have enough challenges without adding the smallest extra issue to overcome in getting close to whitetails.
another thing to remmeber:  The stench we smell that seems to accompmy sweat is The BACTERIA that grows in it. i have  a long hike to my stand and during hte warmer early season i underdres so i don't get hot on th eway in - then put the layers on after getting seated.

[Charlie Lamb]

Here's my opinion... I use unscented (fragrance free... if the label says "fragrance" anywhere it's a no go).
I recently found Dove brand soap non scented, non allergenic and like it a lot.

What I found a long time ago is that scented soaps and scented deodorants make me "stinky" in a much shorter time than unscented. If I want to smell "nice" I use only a cologne. That way you don't smell like a perfume factory or one of those french ladies they talk about.
Think about it... cologne, deodorant, scented soap, shampoo/conditioner.

I prefer taking chlorophyll year round as my deodorant and it pays dividends in the woods as well.

The wife uses non allergenic (no fragrance) "All" for our regular laundry, so that is covered.

If anyone thinks they can't beat a deer's nose they are only partly right.

Smart hunters play the wind... duh!! What scent elimination is best at is minimizing your impact while coming and going to your stand/blind location.
In other words it extends the time you can use a location before every deer in the woods knows you hang out there.

Also it can reduce the chances of getting busted with swirling or marginal winds. I see that every year and have seen it several times already this season.  

As I already said, nothing is better than a good wind, but it does pay to take precautions with scent elimination and minimalization.

[b.glass]

What Forge and Charlie is saying 100%.

I was saying the same thing not long ago here using a skunk smell for example. You KNOW if you're close enough to be concerned about it.

If you can make yourself smell like you more of a distance away... maybe more shot opportunities?

Funny, I had decided just last night that I was going to do the same thing and shower with unscented soaps only during deer season whether I am hunting or not.

Shoot straight!

Bona

[MI_Bowhunter]

I often wonder about the effectiveness of scent free stuff.

I wash my hunting clothes in the same washer/dryer I use all year round with regular soap and dryer sheets. How much residual scent am I picking up even though I use scent free soap and dryer sheets when I wash my hunting gear?

A few times when I didn't have scent free body soap I used some apple scented stuff that my girlfriend had in the closet.  I can't say I saw a noticible difference in the woods, but I set up with the wind in my favor.

I think it depends a lot on where you hunt as well.  When I hunt in the UP (Upper Michigan) I have a much harder time with the deer picking up my scent than I do when I hunt down state where the deer are in much closer proximity to humans on a regular basis.

I don't really do anything special on non-hunting days.   I figure I'm picking up enough scents from everything else I come in contact with that using scent free soap on a regualr basis wouldn't really help much.

Disclaimer:  I have yet to get a deer with my trad gear so most likely I'm doing everything wrong.    

[b.glass]

I wash a load of towels in the scent free soap then wash my hunting clothes. I figure that helps get rid of the resiual fragrances in the machines.

[b.glass]

If I could, I would have an area built that would have a "contaminated" room with a shower that could go directly into the "clean" room where my scent free hunting clothes would be kept.

 No! Really! I'm not OCD!

[Bob B.]

Relative to teh documentation on the mouth scent thing, the short answer is yes, there is.  However, I can not find it currently so without the documentation I do not blame those who doubt me.  However, I have also tried experiements on my dog, a mountian curr ( great nose).  Basically I would be at least 60 yards away from him hiding in the woods with my back to the wind and my face to the dog.  He would not smell me in my hunting gear.  After a few moments I would exhale up into the air.  It would take a bit for the scent to reach him, but he would suddenly start wagging his tail and actively scent trailing looking for me.  I could then hide and start all over.  He only got excited when I would exhale into the wind.

Bob.

[TIM B]

The longer I live the most important thing I like to keep scent free is my boots. Deer will smell where you have walked and eventually it will cost ya a shot!
TIM B

[TroutGuide]

I agree totaly with C. Lamb and B. Glass.  It all comes down to tilting the odds in your favor.  No you can't beat their nose but you can gain an advantage that just might get you a shot. And Tim B. is right about the boot thing.  My boots never come in the house,get gas,whatever and I wear rubber boots if the weather is warm enough.

[OBXarcher]

I hunt urban areas mostly, right behind peoples houses.  I use my wife's perfume before I hunt. That way the deer think I am a woman out walking her little dog.

I swear I think that would work on these deer.