Give me a "scent" lesson.

Dumbazz · Post by **Dumbazz** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 10:49 pm

First year bowhunting for deer.

I understand the idea of wind and scent management. Have been using scent eliminator and watching the wind as best I can.

Give me some more ideas. As well, give me some info on different scent attractants. Urine, etc.

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:02 am

You stink!
Not trying to insult you, I stink, too!

We all stink, and we can't hide it or cover it up 100% from a deer's nose.
My advice - forget all the products that are designed to put profits in some manufacturer's pocket. Keep clean (shower with soap that isn't loaded with fragrance) and always use the wind (or natural air currents) to carry your scent away from the deer.

Grizzly-Papa · Post by **Grizzly-Papa** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:47 am

I have never used any scent free products and have been successful just the same.

Deer are a curious animal and scent alone may not bust you but couple that with movement and they are long gone.

As an example, there was 2 does in front of me at 15 yards last Saturday. They were walking almost perpendicular with the wind towards their bedding area and I was facing into a 5 mph wind in a tree stand.

I elected to take the first doe and she ran off into a pinery to die about 70 yards away. At first, the second doe doubled back from where she had come from but then about 5 minutes later out she came again hot on the trail of the first sniffing the blood as she went along. She paused in front of me at 15 yards and offered an easy broadside shot but I passed on her. She continued tracking the first.

A few minutes later she did a full circle and caught my scent about 10 yards directly behind me. She stomped her hoof on the ground and snorted the wind looking for the source of the stink but I remained motionless and undetected. She completed her circle and offered herself again broadside at the exact same spot as I had taken the first.

Was this a unique set of circumstances because there was already a doe down? Probably as all hunts are unique and I have yet to encounter two the same.

So, to conclude, wind direction is important and never be afraid to also hunt in the rain as I believe this also optimizes your chances by knocking the scent down to the ground. Stay still and enjoy the show.

Grizzly-Papa

raydaughety · Post by **raydaughety** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:32 am

I've found great success by following a few simple rules. Like others have said, you cannot beat the wind. If you listen to the scentblocker commercial that say " forget the wing, just hunt" you might as well stay at the house and watch TV. As described in our hunt this past Saturday,Tyler and I both sprayed down with scent shield and got busted moments later.(Tyler has some in his pack).I shower with scent free soap then while showering I wash my hair with baking soda. Once out of the shower, I put baking soda in my hair, underarms and groin area. I take my time walking to my stand and always carry a gallon sized zip-lock bag with an extra shirt in it to the stand. I used to change shirts when I got up in the stand but I don't do that anymore because it requires taking off my full body safety harness which is a no-no in my world, so I change my shirt on the ground. I also wash all my hunting clothes in baking soda. Hope this helps a little.

sumner4991 · Post by **sumner4991** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:40 am

Grizzly-Papa . . .I had the same thing happen to me this a.m. I had a button buck and a small doe headed to their bedding area. I was still hunting, just sitting at the base of a large pine tree trying to stay dry(finally getting some much needed rain). Once the button buck got to within 10 yards it spotted me. Motionless, with a crosswind, I keep calm or at least tried to while it froze and stomped it's feet. All this time the button buck and young doe keep picking at the available food along their path. The button buck finally decided that I really might be a threat and circled behind me to get downwind. Once the little buck confirmed the scent he came back into my shooting path, stomped a couple of more times, snorted, then ran about 20 yards. The doe followed, they stopped for another look before bolting into the thicket. This has happened to me several times. The deer like to confirm what they hear or see with their nose. Or they like to see or hear what they smell. As long as I'm motionless, they will stick around . . .for a little while.

This is the same button buck I passed on the first week of the season. One button is a little larger than the other. Makes him easy to spot. He's looking bigger . . .come the end of December, he might better stay in the bushes.

The doe was even smaller than the buck.

Let it rain!

By the way . . .I didn't use any scent blocks this a.m., I rarely do. I used them for a while and got busted anyway . . ..figured, why bother.

ecoaster · Post by **ecoaster** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:58 pm

If a deer is down wind of you - he'll smell you. That's no question. You can try to reduce your scent, by showering, spraying your clothes with scent eliminator, and so on, but an easy way to get away from their nose is to get high. I usually set my stands at least 20ft up to get my scent above the deer's nose. There's no substitute for being down wind of a deer, but you can try to minimize your scent enough to fool em long enough to get a shot.

Tigerpaw · Post by **Tigerpaw** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 3:44 pm

#69 when the time is right!

chris4570 · Post by **chris4570** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 6:13 pm

Play the wind.

Wear rubber boots.

I use scent free laundry detergent, and odour eliminating sprays on my clothes. For the same reason I use rubber boots. To keep transferred odour to a minimum. Brushing up against brush, grass etc you will leave scent. I've seen deer jump when coming across my path.

Last year I had four does hit the trail I took on the way to my stand. I had passed through over an hour prior. They stood still for almost an hour before they continued on their way.

brokebow · Post by **brokebow** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 6:39 pm

Yes,I use scent coverup but I have picked acorns from a oak and droped them down on deer and seen them eat the acorns ,barehanded,and never spooked the deer.

DuckHunt · Post by **DuckHunt** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 8:22 pm

I though about my scent routine the other day and noticed some issues.

Step 1) Shower with scent eliminating shampoo and body wash.
Step 2) Dry off with a towel that smells springtime flower fresh. (Now I smell like flowers.)
Step 3) Put on ScentLok clothes.
Step 4) Spray boots with fresh earth cover scent and put them on.
Step 5) Drive to woods.
Step 6) Walk over creosote covered bridge crossing creek. (Now my tracks smell like petroleum)
Step 7) Climb 150ft mountain.
Step 8 ) Climb 20ft up a tree.

I'm now covered in sweat. So much for being scent free.

The only thing I have working for me is the wind. Staying scent free is near impossible.

DuckHunt

spitfire125 · Post by **spitfire125** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:31 pm

#1 Shower with scent free soap from head to toe
#2 Where street clothes in the car to the woods
#3 Strip down to underwear and put on scent lok clothing
#4 put on camoe that is stored in a tote box
#4 Spray camoe clothes with dead down wind.
#5 Wear rubber boots and rubber gloves(leave gloves on until your in your stand) This will eliminateyour hand scent on your tree or tree steps.

80 percent of the deer I shoot come down wind of my stand.

VixChix · Post by **VixChix** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:42 pm

Interesting comment about deer coming from downwind.

In my experience, when deer have responded to calls, they almost always approached from downwind. I now set up my blind so that I can see downwind.

I think the blind helps contain the scent. I also use scent killer soap, laundry detergent, (wash my towels, underwear, socks in it as well)... and I hang my clothes out on the line insideout as soon as I get back from the woods.