Scent control

[scn]

This is a pretty neat article from Field and Stream online if I can get it to link:

http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/ ... a-drug-dog

Click on the tests 1-4 to get to all of the contents.

 

[knightrider]

it told me what I already knew, buying that crap is a waste of money and time and to be a good hunter you need to learn how and when to hunt the wind. that's the only way you will fool a deers nose is to be upwind

 

[Nealmeally]

I live by the clean body and clean clothes before every hunt and keep em stored in air tight bags... Really before I step in any of my deer woods, even scouting or checking cameras. Clean, clean, clean goes a long way!!

Of course the wind also, not just in the stand... On the way in and on the way out watch the wind! The hunt ain't over when I get out of the tree. I wanna get back to the truck without being winded also. No matter when you get winded, it's always a strike against you when they smell you..

I quit buying scent control products a couple years ago.. As far as soaps and shampoos go, they make plenty that are unscented for a lot less money..

 

[BHC]

I truly believe in scent control. I do think there are some gimmicks out there tho.. I have the best results practicing good scent control, and picking the best stand for the day/ time of yr... I am cautious of winds, but do not let it be the deciding factor...
I would also get a ozone machine if they weren't so expensive, also the health risks are of concern...

 

[Vermin93]

Vindication for those of us who knew ozone wasn't a gimmick!

Better order your ScentPURGE50 now before they sell out, boys.

Whitetail'r ScentPURGE 50

I use this machine.

A2Z Ozone Aqua 6 Multi Purpose Ozone Generator

 

[Methane]

I'm a believer in the scent killer sprays. Not the scented types, just the Unscented. I've used it for more than hunting, from my son's nasty smelling baseball and football shoes to my dog's bed and I am convinced that the stuff kills the odor. I spray it on everything that goes into the woods with me.

 

[catman529]

Very interesting, I am surprised that cover scent works better than scent killers.

Vermin, I know the ozone works, but the machines are expensive and they say it is bad to continuously breathe in O3.

 

[Vermin93]

cat, one of the ozone generators they used to temporarily fool the dog only costs $45. My ozone generator cost $65. These less expensive machines are not used in the field like you would use an expensive Ozonics unit. Ozone generators like the one I have and the Scent Purge 50 are used to deodorize your hunting clothes and gear before you hunt. I also use mine to occasionally deodorize my vehicle and my house. In those applications your aren't sitting right next to the machine potentially inhaling ozone.

Point being, for around $50 you can get some of the benefits of ozone scent control and periodically deodorize your truck as well.

What they describe in Test No. 3 is how I use my ozone generator.


Test No. 3
Setup Before the test, my dad took a no-scent shower and placed a ScentPurge 50, an ozone-generating unit designed to infuse clothing with ozone (whitetailr.com), into a plastic tub that held his hat, boots, and two layers of camo clothing for 30 minutes. Dad dressed in these treated clothes just before entering the box.

Result Chance needed 42 seconds to find my dad.

Analysis The dog ran the entire course twice before marking Dad�s location. Though he did a slight head bob toward the correct box on the first lap, it was clear that the smell of ozone was confusing Chance. This was one of the most dramatic delays of Chance�s success in all the years we�ve conducted these tests.

Test No. 4
Setup Borowiak took a no-scent shower and dressed in hunting clothes that he�d washed in no-scent soap. He carried an Ozonics unit �(ozonics​�hunting.​com) meant for mounting near a treestand or in a blind, ran it for a minute inside the box before the test began, and left it on throughout.

Result It took Chance 50 seconds to find Borowiak.

Analysis

Even the handler was stunned at how long it took Chance to find Bob. Again, the dog ran two full laps before choosing the right box, and his first bark was tentative�like a guess. This was the most shocking result in four years of testing. We�d put Borowiak�s other no-scent regimens under Chance�s scrutiny before, and the dog had found Bob almost immediately. Yet the addition of ozone confused that nose for nearly one minute, which amazed everyone.

Nothing�not even ozone�will completely cover human odor. But if you can muddy the olfactory water for 50 seconds, that�s plenty of time for you to get a shot at a monster buck.

 

[catman529]

fair point, I had not previously heard of the units to deodorize your gear. At 40 bucks it's not top of my list (bow strings, arrows and a new camera are) but it's something to consider.

 

[MUP]

I've been working on a prototype "bubble" to hunt out of. Problem is, once you shoot thru it, it needs a patch...which will be available as an aftermarket item later. :grin:

 

[Mike D]

Not changing what I do. There is no better test than the one you can witness for yourself in the field and over many years. The wind direction and thermals are everything. There is no boot made that can't be sniffed out by a deer but watching the wind and also the walk-in direction to your hunting spot helps a bunch. I have also used urine type scents to lure a deer's curiosity with good results.

 

[TheLBLman]

Very interesting.

From a practical standpoint, so far, the best thing I've found to routinely beat a deer's nose is to arrive a little earlier, and simply to hunt a little higher. Seems to be something magical about getting up over 20 feet above the immediate surrounding ground.

The more time that passes after you walk thru, the less likely the deer to whiff your scent from your walk-in trail (which the article stated as well). I've always believed if the deer didn't smell your ground trail, he would be less likely to pay attention to any minute whiff of human scent while you're sitting high in a tree.

One thing the article did not address is how sitting high in a tree can further dilute one's scent. Particularly on morning hunts, it appears our human scent often "lifts" and scatters (dilutes) more before ever getting back down to ground level where a deer can get a whiff. While bowhunting, you may find your scent often stays above the deer within bow-range, and can be diluted enough not to alarm most approaching deer.

For most of my hunting, it's normal for deer to have some level of human scent in the air. Human scent doesn't spook or even alarm them (typically) UNTIL it reaches a certain threshold. The lower we can keep this human (or foreign) scent from the source, the better.

 

[deadeye 77]

I believe in scent control from showering to in the field preparation,don't like the sprays to much.been using stealth dust by code blue but they stopped selling it.someone said you can make your own scent elimination powder,they made a comment on it said stealth dust was baking soda mix don't know how true that is thought about mixing activated carbon powder and baking soda they both absorb odors.do not know about mixing activated carbon with distilled water to soak your clothes and ring them out and hang on a clothes line to dry anyone have an opinion on this?

 

[BSK]

it told me what I already knew, buying that crap is a waste of money and time and to be a good hunter you need to learn how and when to hunt the wind. that's the only way you will fool a deers nose is to be upwind

Unfortunately, that doesn't help those who hunt in areas where there is no "upwind" or "downwind."

 

[knightrider]

it told me what I already knew, buying that crap is a waste of money and time and to be a good hunter you need to learn how and when to hunt the wind. that's the only way you will fool a deers nose is to be upwind

Unfortunately, that doesn't help those who hunt in areas where there is no "upwind" or "downwind."

unfortunately you missed the part on how and when to hunt the wind, thermals included. there is always upwind or down wind. people just need to learn how to use it.

 

[BSK]

it told me what I already knew, buying that crap is a waste of money and time and to be a good hunter you need to learn how and when to hunt the wind. that's the only way you will fool a deers nose is to be upwind

Unfortunately, that doesn't help those who hunt in areas where there is no "upwind" or "downwind."

unfortunately you missed the part on how and when to hunt the wind, thermals included. there is always upwind or down wind. people just need to learn how to use it.

I guess you've never hunted areas where the thermals change repeatedly during a single hunt. I've spent a lot of time tracking wind directions from stands, and in most situations in ridge-and-hollow country, the wind will eventually blow in every direction over a 3 hour period, morning or evening. If the wind blows in every direction during a hunt, then there is no "upwind" or "downwind" from that stand.

 

[Outdoor Enthusiast]

it told me what I already knew, buying that crap is a waste of money and time and to be a good hunter you need to learn how and when to hunt the wind. that's the only way you will fool a deers nose is to be upwind

Unfortunately, that doesn't help those who hunt in areas where there is no "upwind" or "downwind."

unfortunately you missed the part on how and when to hunt the wind, thermals included. there is always upwind or down wind. people just need to learn how to use it.

I guess you've never hunted areas where the thermals change repeatedly during a single hunt. I've spent a lot of time tracking wind directions from stands, and in most situations in ridge-and-hollow country, the wind will eventually blow in every direction over a 3 hour period, morning or evening. If the wind blows in every direction during a hunt, then there is no "upwind" or "downwind" from that stand.

I agree as I often hunt at the head of a hollow with ridges on three sides. I have experienced a buck coming from a direction which I would have guaranteed at that moment was "downwind".

I think Wes' point of hunting above 20' when possible definitely makes a big difference.

 

[Vermin93]

do not know about mixing activated carbon with distilled water to soak your clothes and ring them out and hang on a clothes line to dry anyone have an opinion on this?

I have not tried that technique, but I have read about it. Google "Carbon Synergy" and you will get several search results that include comments and reviews from hunters who have tried it.

Product Review: Carbon Synergy

2013 Carbon Synergy How-To

 

[BSK]

I guess you've never hunted areas where the thermals change repeatedly during a single hunt. I've spent a lot of time tracking wind directions from stands, and in most situations in ridge-and-hollow country, the wind will eventually blow in every direction over a 3 hour period, morning or evening. If the wind blows in every direction during a hunt, then there is no "upwind" or "downwind" from that stand.

I agree as I often hunt at the head of a hollow with ridges on three sides. I have experienced a buck coming from a direction which I would have guaranteed at that moment was "downwind".

I think Wes' point of hunting above 20' when possible definitely makes a big difference.

When hunting steep ridge-and-hollow terrain, there are a few locations that can produce consistent winds, such as along narrow ridge-tops (especially in the mornings) and at the heads of hollows. However, if someone concentrates all of their hunting into these few consistent wind stand locations, deer will quickly figure this out and simply avoid those locations. I promise you (because I've witnessed it many times) if hunters only hunt the ridge-tops in hilly terrain, deer (especially older bucks) will shift all of their daylight movement down into the valleys.

To be consistently successful in severe terrain, hunters have to learn and play the odds--find those set-ups that produce the wrong wind flow the least amount of time. Often this means only being able to hunt specific stands under very specific conditions. And even then, practicing fairly hard-core scent reduction is a huge help.

 

[MUP]

To add a little to that BSK, I've learned, over the last few years as a matter of fact, that I can hunt high upon a ridge, with the wind at my back. The wind apparently flows thru and carries my scent at the same, or maybe higher level even, than where I'm at in the tree, keeping it away from the deer lower in the hollers that are potentially moving up the ridge toward me. I've been quite successful using this technique over the past 4-5 years....last year excluded of course. :cry:

 

[BSK]

Great point MUP. Unless someone has spent years testing it, I don't think most hunters realize how wind flows over ridges and produces a reverse wind on the lee side.

Here's a cross-section diagram of how winds flowing perpendicularly over ridge-tops work:

 

[MUP]

The great thing about my little spot is that the slope continues down for the longest way, leveling off somewhat, then down into another collection of finger ridges and hollers. It is indeed my honey hole, and I happened upon it by "tweaking" a stand location over the course of 2-3 years too, by seeing deer movement from the previous year, and adjusting for the optimum vantage point, until I found this spot. It's also my opening day rifle/ML stand, whichever time that I see the most deer movement from other locations, than I make the call to hunt it, wind accommodating, of course.

 

[deadeye 77]

pretty simple process but I want to mix baking powder a carbon powder both absorb well anyone know about mixing different products?

 

[knightrider]

it told me what I already knew, buying that crap is a waste of money and time and to be a good hunter you need to learn how and when to hunt the wind. that's the only way you will fool a deers nose is to be upwind

Unfortunately, that doesn't help those who hunt in areas where there is no "upwind" or "downwind."

unfortunately you missed the part on how and when to hunt the wind, thermals included. there is always upwind or down wind. people just need to learn how to use it.

I guess you've never hunted areas where the thermals change repeatedly during a single hunt. I've spent a lot of time tracking wind directions from stands, and in most situations in ridge-and-hollow country, the wind will eventually blow in every direction over a 3 hour period, morning or evening. If the wind blows in every direction during a hunt, then there is no "upwind" or "downwind" from that stand.

yep your absolutely correct but my 30 years of hunting these east tn hills and hollers has taught me nothing i just go sit down and hope for the best! SMH

 

[muddyboots]

I have seen the win blow 4 directions in an hour. I hunt with prevailing wind to my favor. I also hang my clothes outside before I hunt. Seems to work wonders. I shower before I go. Used to skip that process in the afternoons but it does make a difference and I use scent killer spray. Seems to work for me.

 

[catman529]

I've been working on a prototype "bubble" to hunt out of. Problem is, once you shoot thru it, it needs a patch...which will be available as an aftermarket item later. :grin:

checklist... Gun, ammo, climber, TP, drink and snack, rope, knife, scent bubble pro, extra patches...

 

[stik]

i do very little, if anything, for scent control.

 

[knightrider]

I've been working on a prototype "bubble" to hunt out of. Problem is, once you shoot thru it, it needs a patch...which will be available as an aftermarket item later. :grin:

checklist... Gun, ammo, climber, TP, drink and snack, rope, knife, scent bubble pro, extra patches...

you really need to upgrade to the new scent bubble pro tacticle, you will kill many more super elusive high iq monster bucks

 

[348Winchester]

In the steep and rugged terrain that I frequently hunt the wind dances around from every point of the compass and thermals add to the mix. I have used scent control products in various configurations and cannot be very sure that they helped or did not help. For years now I have just hung my clothes outside, stored/transported them in plastic tubs, dressed in the bed of the truck, and did my best to match my stand choice, as well as possible, to the wind. That has been working well and saving me some loot.

 

[fairchaser]

I'll get a lot of negative feed back for saying this but I use smoke as a cover scent and found it to be quite effective. I do not use it below the knee and use scent eliminators on my boots. Deer don't like smoke smell on the ground. Otherwise they are curious but not frightened once fire season starts they smell smoke regularly. As smoke smell is strong, it overwhelms most other human odors. I am not an odor biologist and I am sure many will tell me I'm nuts that deer can smell seven odors at once but this is my experience over the past 5 years. I often watch deer approach and you can tell when they pick up the smoke and how they react to the smell. Mostly, they are curious and if you can remain motionless for a few minutes, they will go on about their business. Oddly, the youngest deer are the most frightened I assume because they haven't smelled smoke before, but the older deer have and they don't seem too worried. I have killed mature bucks at 10 yards and they were fooled by the smoke. My hunting buddies use as well and initially they were also skeptics but now converts. I am not trying to change anyone's mind on this. I don't really care if anyone else uses smoke. The worst thing that could happen is to train the deer in my area that smoke means hunter. So, that makes me a closet user