Use of Scents for Elk Hunting?

[Jack1869]

Just wondering.... How many people, utilize scents or scent control when rifle hunting elk.

I know elk hunting is very mobile, but is the use of cover scents or scent lok effective?

I have elk hunted for the last three years, the first two I never used any scent control. Last year, we took some elk attractant and wore scent lok suits. We seen elk every day, and killed out on the third day of season. Maybe luck, maybe not. I just wonder how many other people believe in the importance of scents.

[DreaminBoutElk]

Scent control is extremely important when hunting elk. Ideally, we' d always stay down wind of every elk in the woods. but since that ain' t happening the best thing you can do is cover it up. I' ve never tried the scentlok stuff but I' ve heard it works pretty good. I use HS Scents scent wafers (cow urine). They clip onto your hat and last all day long. I also carry a little spray bottle of cow urine scent. If I' m in close and the elk are getting hinky, a little mist every few minutes will usually keep your scent covered up.

[Howler]

I think it is good to try and control your own scent as much as possible and as far as using covers scents, well I don' t use them at all mainly because often times you can smell the elk before you see them, and if your smelling elk all the time, which you are probably doing with elk urine as a cover scent, you won' t know when you' re smelling the real elk. Although when rifle hunting you' re not relying on getting real close as often as when bow hunting, but I have smelled elk many times before seeing them while still hunting in thick north slope timber while rifle hunting. That' s my opinion.

[Alacrity Fitzhugh]

I agree with Howler. No scent is better unless you have a dead nose (can' t smell anything). If a scent were used, I' d go with a neutral scent - earth, spruce or fir(depending which is growing in the area), sage, or skunk. Try to take at least a sponge bath daily and wear a clean set of clothes daily is another thing. One exception to the rule I' ve experienced is one member of a hunting party I was with was too cheap to bring in extra clothing (he was smelling pretty high) so we wound up positioning him in such a way as to send his scent to the elk and this in turn pushed the elk to the rest of us and got our tags filled as a result.