Scent
 

I' m posting a new thread in reguards to Atlasman' s commits in thr rattleing thread.

I agree with him on the too much scent theory. At my deer camp 75% of the hunters arn' t concerned with their scent but they will drag scent pads to their stand,
hang 7 or 8 pads of doe pee, then hang a few torsal glands out, climb their tree and spray racoon pee on their stand. So when a deer, that lives in this area, comes through where there was no scent just a few hours ago, whats it gonna think? " Whats this guy doing out here among all my kinfolk" ?

I just get as scent free as I can and spray a little racoon pee at the base of my stand.

I mean, the trail is right there, the scrape is right over there and the rubs all around it. I know the deer are coming through anyway, so why put out the same lures that the idiot on the next ridge is using.

It just doesn' t make any sence.
3 step

RE: Scent
 

I pretty much agree.

I really don' t use them anymore. They just don' t fit into my gameplan.

And I don' t understand them - I cannot tell a good scent from a bad scent - and I have no idea what a buck will think about it.

I also never liked the idea of attracting a buck from downwind.

But I have had good responses from them and they can work.

I just prefer not to use them

RE: Scent
 

Those are my thoughts exactly 3 step. No need to mess up anything once I' m where I need to be.

RE: Scent
 

What I do is:
1. wash any clothing that does not have a scent blocker built into it with the scent free liquid.
2. put all the clothing that I' ll be wearing in tight rubber bins.
3. the morning of the hunt I' ll shower with the scent free soap and deodorant, etc.
4. after the truck ride I' ll spray earth scent all over just in case any odor from the truck rubbed off on me.
5. depending on what time of the season it is I' ll use a drag of doe pee, but I always wear rubber boots.
6. about 20 or 30 yards from my stand I' ll hang apple scent waffers. The waffers are very strong and will impower any other smell in the air. It doesn' t hurt that the deer think they have found apples to eat. If I' m going to be hunting in some pine trees I' ll hang pine scent waffers out.
Believe me they work!

RE: Scent
 

Question for those that use cover scents such as essense of fall, etc. Seems like some folk like to also use urine as a cover scent (I assume that the whitetail scents are being used as an attractant). What is your reasoning for using it? Is it to create a stronger scent then your own human scent?

Here is my reasons for never using it.

A deer can smell and distigush between many more then one smell at a time. So, all that you are doing is putting another smell into the air. The cover scent will not diminish your smell.

If you are using a scent eliminator, that is another thing.

RE: Scent
 

I usually climb a pine tree and the climber gets that sap to flowing. The pine smell is really strong. I figure that is one of the best natural cover scents.
I also break off a few pine twigs, before I leave my truck, and step on them grinding them into the ground to get that good piney smell on the soles of my boots.

RE: Scent
 

Pour some perfume on a smelly fish and what do you get???

A stinky fish with perfume:D

RE: Scent
 

Rack-Attack

ROTFLMAO!!!!

You summed it up perfectly!

RE: Scent
 

I make sure I take every precaution with scent control or elimination. Which includes washing in unscent detergent, hang drying, gear up in the field, were light clothing to walk in, eliminator spray, eat foods that emit low odour value and drink only water when in the field. The only cover scent I use is area field materials in a sealed container with my gear. I hunt with the wind in my favor and if marginal I simply do not hunt that spot.

As far as attracants I have used them with variety of success. I will use doe estrus when rattling in the rut stages, but rather than place them to hunt the downwind side I place them upwind while rattling. When doing this I will hunt an area where i expect the deer to come from the upwind side and have viewing to the downwind side. I feel if they do circle it may throw them off somewhat, long enough hopefully for a shot. But the rattling is my main attractant the scents are just used to spruce up the area, if you will and possibly as a cover.

RE: Scent
 

First two weeks of November is the only time I will use one canister of good old Tinks 69 hung up in a tree. Otherwise I spray scent eliminator on myself for the entire season and take extreme caution to keep clothes in a scent free container with a few pine bows in the container.

I have had deer come right up to it...again, this is prime time rut and that is it!!!

RE: Scent
 

im with rack attack. garlic breathe and mint gum still equals stinky minty garlic breathe. and as far as pee goes i believe unless its banked off a leg or something for scent is all the same.enough of the wee wee talk! did you ever smell that isle in wall mart. peeeee youuuuu

RE: Scent
 

Just my theory. I in no may claim this to be fact. I am going to do a little testing this year though.

Deer can smell danger even before it is spotted. They run from dogs, coyote, wolf, humans, and I have even seen them run from a racoon. I have never seen a deer run from a horse or cow. Now this does not just occur at the mature adult level of deer only. This occurs at any age. Deer have a very small brain and are not capable of complex thought patterns. So here is my theory.

Years ago the government tested a device that would detect the scent of a meat eater. This could prove useful if the enemy was vegetarian. If this is possible, maybe the deer detect meat eaters as a scent trigger for danger. They run from dogs, coyotes, humans, etc which are all meat eaters. They do so without seeing them. A cow can tromp through the woods and will only move deer if they come in close contact. I have seen cattle and deer feeding with in 20 yards of each other in a pasture.

some say that the reaction to the scent is a conditioned response but why then don' t deer run from cars along the road. Many, many, many deer are killed by automobiles.

I am going to eat vegetable for 2-3 weeks before season and see what happens.

Now this is just my theory. I would love to hear your responses.

RE: Scent
 

Buckskin, I can' t wait for your results! I have heard others state the same theory as you did - that the amino acids in meat products give off distinct scents through a predator' s skin, and by eliminating meat and meat products from one' s diet, one' s scent would be detected as non-threatening to a vegetarian. It' s just a theory so far, and I would love to try it myself - but I have not the will power, and salad and potatoes just wouldn' t be the same without the meat and gravy:D. Good luck, and don' t forget to wear scentlock - remember; fiber + veggies = GAS!

RE: Scent
 

Interesting thread. I go through the ritual of washing clothes in scent free detergent, shower with scent free soap, scent free deoderant, etc, etc. Last year I was visiting with a close friend and fellow bowhunter, he also happens to be the most successful bowhunter I know. He is in his early twenties, has taken several P&Y deer, and has taken a buck every year with a bow since 14. He hunts exclusively from the ground, stalking, still hunting and setting up on trails. I asked him what he used for scent control he said nothing, I asked what he washed his hunting clothes with, he said Tide or Cheer or whatever mom has at the house at the time.[:o] Is all the trouble we go to really worth it?

RE: Scent
 

Like others have said, I belive total scent control is a must. I use attractant scents as part of my routine....I believe it gives me a little edge that just might pull that big buck into range.

RE: Scent
 

I' ve never been a big fan of cover scents, but am a sucker for attractants. This year however, I think I' m going to go more " scent-free" and use the attractants around the time of the rut.

RE: Scent
 

Buckskin You had me scared there for a while , thougt you were think' n about rolling in something before hunting:D:D:D . Last year while hunting Pa I put a drag rag out about 200 yards from the stand with doe in estrus pee walked to my stand and hung it in a tree 15 yards away , about 2 hours later a nice 7 point came right in following my path . He did' nt have his head down or was he sniff' n but I have to think the rag did it . Man did he taste good . I do wash in sent free soap , sent free antipersperant , rubber boots , sentlock ,exc. This year I' m useing vanishing hunter from hawgs lmtd. , 2 things I forget about all the time and we should all try to remember are , 1 my release , and 2 my leather wallet . They both stink bad , vanishing hunter is the only thing Ive found that takes the smell away from these things , it works great . Ive used sent away from hunters specialties in the past and it works farerly well but this vanishing hunter stuffs got it beat .

RE: Scent
 

if you got cows on the farm you hunt.if you got rubber bootsorjust regular hunting boots i always just find cow crap and just step in it it cover your sent on your boots.works for me.

RE: Scent
 

I' ve had some luck with cover scents , but scent reduction works the best of anything that I' ve tried so far . Cedar and fresh earth seem to work best around here for cover scents . Hunting the wind always helps , but sometimes it just ain' t possible . I do use food scented attractants such as persimmon pulp and acorns to attract does , and does attract bucks like nothing I' ve ever tried .