Methods for lowering your level of scent output and other such stuff

[Jeff Strubberg]

Originally posted by Knawbone:

Basically I try to create this scenario: Hypothetical, You have a one piece rubber suit made and seal up your body odor( think of a wet suit,) You wash away or/and spray a quality scent eliminator on your boots and wet suit and go hunting. Rubber gloves and rubber head cover sealed tight around the face also. The only unsealed exposed skin is around the eyes of your face. This skin is also treated.

Except the majority of scent comes out of your mouth.  I suppose if you wore some type of filtered respirator you might improve things, but then it's so much easier, and in the end surer, to just hunt the wind.

[Hoyt]

I look at scent control and hunting like visualizing a hunter sitting out in the woods covered from head to toe with scent control products, but all the time there's a steady stream  of fumes pouring out of his mouth and nose from the most smelly, stinking part of his body.

Kinda like putting a big plastic bag over a smoldering stump and then punch a hole in it and see the smoke pouring out the hole.

[Overspined]

What is thought of the products for reducing human odors, like chlorophyll and that funny named anti-sweat deodorant stuff.  Starts with an "L" I think.  Really, do they work?

[rolltidehunter]

To me sent control is part of the fun of preparing for the hunt. i relaize no matter what you do if a deer gets downwind u are busted.  i do wash my cloths in baking powder and store them in a air tight container. i try not to smell like bacon in the mornings! and i play the wind

[Dan Bonner]

Overspined, those products are sold on marketing, not research. There is no way to prove that any scent product, cover, attractant,eliminator, reducer, disperser etc. etc. works or does not work. Its a matter of faith. If you believe it works, buy it. if not dont.

I choose to play the wind, rely on good woodsmanship, knowledge of the terrain, quarry,  food sources, bedding areas, funnels etc.

 On my own land I spend a lot of time, Diesel and money on foodplots, creating edge cover and generally making my land more attractive habitat than my neighbor's land. I spend my time and money creating the perfect situation and location that puts the odds in my favor. I guess I get more enjoynent out of that than worrying about my personal odor or lack there of.

It all comes down to enjoyment, some enjoy trying to control every aspect of how they smell. thats cool. I just prefer to leave the camp with my clothes and boots on. thats all.  

Bonner

[Hoyt]

I use scent when I get the chance and think it may work in a certain situation..like grinding my boot soles into deer droppings, cow pies, etc. when I come upon them, to help mask my trail leading into a stand site. I soak leather tassels I cut up in lure and use them on occasions.

I like to have things to dabble with, just spend my money on other stuff besides products to eliminate or cover my body odor while on stand.

[Trumpkin the Dwarf]

For those wondering about bad breath, you can always breath through your nose. Bad breath comes from what is in your mouth, not your lungs. Chewing grasses would clean your mouth pretty effectively, reducing the smell that comes from your breath. Personally, I don't believe for a moment that bad breath is the biggest source of scent on a human body.

[Hoyt]

I wasn't talking about halitosis or "bad breath". I was talking about the act of breathing and regular exhaled breath. Per Google..  "The process that moves air in and out of the lungs, delivers oxygen to where it is needed in the body and removes carbon dioxide. The air we exhale is roughly composed of nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, helium, water and other gases."

I've read or seen where animals smell the breath of their young to identify them.

[Knawbone]

Wow, still some really good posts going on here.

 What about the collective scent we leave in the woods? We all know Deer start changing their life styles when they start smelling, seeing, hearing humans increase activities in their domains. Should we not curb our scent and otherwise lower the negative impacts we create by having no regard for S.c.  My thinking has generally always been one leaning toward stealth if at all possible. I think some measure of S.C. is prudent toward a less pressured deer over all. Here again, maybe I'm wrong, but common sence tells me i'm not.

What say you??????

[Knawbone]

Wolfshead, Thank you sir

[Knawbone]

That time of year again for us to think about woodcraft and all it entails.Some of us don't think scent control should be part of that equation and some of us do. I started thinking about SC long before I knew the terms. One day it dawned on me: Why do dogs roll in stinky things like dead animals? Could it be an instinct to cover it's own scent? I believe it is. And I'm willing to bet Coyote and Wolves do the same thing, although Iv' never seen them do it. Would they do this for no reason? Or does this behavior have merit?

 Maybe I'm like the dog, rolling in a futile mess,but scent control in all it's various forms ( to me ) should be a part of the woodsman's crafts.

 No respecting trad hunter should ever want to replace woodcraft for anything that would defeat our purpose or deminish our brand of sport. That is, never has been, and never will be my purpose here on TG or anywhere else!
  In the beginning of this thread I asked a question: How successful a trad hunter do you think you would be, if your quarry could not smell you at all? More importantly, would we want that as true sportsman, even if it were possible? That answer has to be a diffinitive ........NO! Yet as the dog rolls in carrion, so too must I use my instincts. (intuition)


 Please feel free to add your methods, experience,and successes with your scent control practices.

[ChiefStingingArrow]

There is one thing that I hate and that is when a deer snorts at me...I feel as if my skills as a hunter and a man have been assaulted!
Anyway, a Deer has seven different glands and they use them to communicate. I believe that a deer knows from experience one hunter from another.
So, because I believe this I don't use cover scents that you would buy in the Store. My theory is that old farmer Joe (who is stinky and smelly never took a shower before hunting and petted his dog right before he stepped into his truck to go hunting) steps out of his trucks and sprays himself down with cover scent that he got at Walmart until he is dripping wet and then walks into the woods. I believe that a deer will smell old stinky farmer joe and the cover scent...so the next time that Farmer Joe neighbor Farmer John goes to great length to shower air dry his cloths etc. He sprays himself down in cover scent he walks into the woods the deer smell the cover scent and associate that smell to what is usually with these cover scents....human odor....
I am not saying this theory is plausible....if you can persuade me other wise than I will change my thinking.

I go to great length to be scent free....I know that you cannot be scent free but why go out there just so you can let every deer and its cousing know that you are there.....The deer that is 200 yrds down below you that smells you might of crossed right where your stand was the next night.....So, I believe that more I can keep my scent down the less likely more deer will smell me.

I use a product called Nullo...It is an chloraphly tablet...and it does work...went a couple days with out shower to see if it did work...Works great...and I do most of the stuff that everyone else has mentioned...except for cover scents that you can buy.

[Berner9]

I use ScentBuster dust on everything that goes in the woods with me.  Sprinkle it on everything in my totes.   www.scentbuster.com  I also use there scent mask to cover up mouth scent.

Think about it this way.  The more scent free you are, the further the deer is gonna think you are away.  Deer in high pressured areas are smelling people all the time.  Theres gonna be different levels in the mind of a deer and how much they will tolerate before they change there route or pick you up.   So keep the deer thinking your further away than what you really are.  Very important for us traditional hunters.

[scbowhnter]

Any one ever try one of those ozone machines or a scentmaster box?

Just curious.

[Knawbone]

CSA, I understand your theory, although I believe that a situation like that is just that.....situational. From what Iv' seen most guys don't use enough scent eliminator or don't use it properly, in which case your theory could be plausible.Still and all Iv' never had any problems spooking deer because I used too much SE. I don't normally use the earth scent however but rather the scentless. I believe it takes a combination of scent control methods to be successful and to keep the deer from patterning smells. Thanks for your view on the subject.

[Knawbone]

Berner9, couldn't agree with you more. Not only can deer pinpoint sound, but smells as well.Luckily for us, most hunters don't use enough personal scent elimination. The deer can tell by the strength of the human odor, just how far away the hunter is. By lowering your scent level, you can fool their nose into thinking your further away than they think. And that's the whole idea of SC.

                 Good post, thanks

[Knawbone]

scbowhntr, The ozone stuff is too non traditional for me. Scent control to me is a learned skill and involves a lot more than flipping a switch. So no, I haven't tried any ozone machines and never will.I want my hunting successes to come by way of woodcraft....... not machines! That's my view.

[Knawbone]

Originally posted by Charlie Lamb:
Those who ignore attempting to reduce scent signature and chant "just hunt the wind" are overlooking an element of hunting that can have profound impact on deer hunting success.

Made a difference for me just last night.      

I hope Charlie doesn't mind that I copied this post from another thread. Thanks for your honest view on the subject Mr. Lamb  

[kuch]

Just read the whole thread and thought I would chime in. In preface , I ve killed my share and utilize  a lot of the techniques mentioned. I ve learned over the years that scent control helps and I do use the soap and make my own baking soda spray. I like keeping my clothes in bags of leaves but dont always. Most of my clothes hang outside during the season which makes my wife mad about my "staging  area" outside our front door. I feel "scent control clothing " is overpriced scam. I use wool and Kuiu and cotton. the wind swirls a lot here . I dont hunt the wind . I take it into consideration and try to be crosswind/downwind......but i know it swirls almost every where here . I hunt good trees and take my chances with the procedures I use.  
     I got into my stand 1/2 hour before shooting light this fri . 10 minutes later a deer blew about 20 yds away . Couldnt see it . I thought " i got caught today ,I must stink"  . But maybe I moved , maybe it read my mind. I did not have my foil hat on to hind my brainwaves. 2 hours later I killed a mature doe that came from the same direction and circled my tree. So , you have to just hunt ,I agree.... but edge it in your favor with scent control. But dont let it drive you crazy . Your gonna get caught sometimes....and sometimes you are invisible and will kill a deer. And that makes it great !
    As far as other ideas.... I heard of a guy that raised deer and other livestock and kept his hunting coat in the pen with the animals. His hunting  partners hating driving in his truck to their stands cause he stunk....but was successful .
 a few other thoughts: A K9 trainer/policeman friend said most scent comes from your head, so i take a little more effort on sc for my hats and head.  also many years ago I used to take practice shots once in my treestand.....til a 4pt smelled my arrow in the leaf I picked out and ran away !
   The purpose of this thread and my ramblings is to provoke thought and maybe learn a little, especially for hunters that dont have as much time in the woods. Could have killed a lot more then with what I know now....as we all could.

[Knawbone]

Kuch, Thank you for your input and experiences with scent control. I think in part anyway, some trad bow hunters that don't live in such wind broken terrain such as WV, don't realize our hunting dilemma where wind and wind currents shift so frequently. It seems hunters that live and hunt in hilly or mountainous regions understand and have a better grasp for the value and need for sc.