RE: 3 seasons in the field.....Camo observance
Scent Control
Here is a suggestion for all of you that believe in scent lok, special soaps, deodorants, gum, etc..
I did this a few years back over the entireseason and I now know with 100% confidence that these things are inconsequential, atleast in my area.
The next time you are hunting a particular tree or ground blind and have a favorable outcome (i.e. deer come downwind and you remain undetected) using all of your preventative measures, make a note of wind direction and approximate wind speed.
The next time the same conditions exist, go hunt the same spot WITHOUT taking any scent precautions. Do this on multiple occasions and multiple locations and then tell me what you think.
If you'll do this objectively, I think you willbe surprised that your results will be the same.
You need to do this multiple times as the age of the deer in question also needs to be taken into account when recording your obersvations.
Wind thermals, the topography of the land, tree height, etc sometimes causes our scent to go in directions that are unconventional making us think that all these scent measures actually helped us, when the reality is it wouldn't of mattered one way or the other.
You can't beat the deer's nose. If it was that easy, dope smugglers would wrap their drugs in scent lok and transport them across the country worry free from the sniffer dogs, right?
Butdon't take my word for it. Go do what I have suggested above, and then form an opinion based on your OWN experience.