liquidorange

ditch the coon urine and the earth scent. i do like the carbon blast. use it on the outside of your blind and cloths. dont be disappointed hunting from the ground is a great test of skills. as stated before take note of which way the wind is blowing and try to set up with it in your face and blind facing the direction you most think they will come. KEEP AT IT ISINT THIS FUN!

peashooter

It sounds like you' ve taken quite a few precautions on reducing your scent, and also covering it up. I' ve never been one to use cover scents, but I started trying to make myself as scent free as possible. I was my clothes in scent free soap, shower in scent free soap, use scent free deoderant, and use a home brew scent eliminator (distilled water, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and scent free soap. I can give you the formula if you want it). I don' t own Scent Lock type clothing, and I' ve had deer walk right on the same trail as me, and feed under my tree with no indication of being spooked. I had one downwind last night for a while as well, and it didn' t seem to notice. Saying this, I still pay a LOT of attention to the wind, and won' t hunt a stand if the wind is wrong.


The only advise I could give is: use fewer or no cover scents for a while and see what happens. But, I' m betting the problem is the smell you get after putting all your scent free clothes on. How many clothes are you wearing on your walk to the blind, and how hot is it? If you' re sweating on the way there, all the scent free stuff isn' t going to do you much good. You said mosquitos bothered you, so it must be fairly warm yet. Try to wear as few clothes as possible on the walk in so you don' t get how and sweaty. Bring them along in a back-pack or something. When you get to the blind, quietly put them on.

It sounds like you' ve done everything else right. My bet would be that you' re sweating on the way in, which will make any hunter smell-no matter how much care he puts into scent elimination before the hunt. Good luck!

peashooter

Reacher

My stand is actually pretty close to the road (140yds) where I get dropped off and in the morning, it has been 48-63 degrees. I usually wear a t-shirt and shorts and my long socks. I keep my coveralls in a bag till i get out of the truck. Then I put on my boots and then coveralls and get my gear to head in. The night before hunting I try to hang my pack and everything in it (gloves, release, nylon belt for my quiver, the quiver itself, arm guard and my swivel chair) in a tree where we are camping. I spray them down with carbon-blast and let them sit till well after midnight and repack them. After I am out of the truck and have my clothes on, I again spray with carbon-blast. I put on my quiver, put on my pack and grab my bow. The first time I went to my blind, I used a mini Mag-lite to help me find it. Now I have a small light that clips to my hat and gives off a red light. I am about to wash all my stuff again tonight and I will avoid the dryer sheets. I will try to be as scent free as possible and may respray my blind with carbon-blast.. or I may just leave it alone. I will set out more of the corn gel and more corn under my 18 yard tree and hope for the best.

On a side note... I just had my local pro-shop change my bow from 60 to 70lbs and WOW! What a difference! I went from 2" -3" groups down to 1" -2" groups just due to the change in pull! Now I will resite the bow and feel alot better about making the shot to the bush that is 30 yards off. The bow I am using is meant to pull 70, but I have had it on 60 since I have never shot a compound bow before this last month and had alot of trouble with the heavier pull. Practice has paid off though and I was pulling 70lbs today with no issues. I will keep my fingers crossed that all my precautions will pay off. Even if I don' t get one, I am still havin fun.

jec

I got into hunting a little late, at age 23 and it took a few seasons for me to even see a deer, then when I finally started seeing deer, they were stomping the ground and blowing. I started paying attention to scent control. I bathe before I go out with some soap and shampoo (can' t remember the name brand but its from Wal-mart) before I go out and use the deodorant for deer hunter too. Now for my clothes, I keep them in a plastic storage bin(about $5 again from Wal-Mart)and before the season, I wash them one time with the same stuff I use in the green bottle to wash my hair with before the season starts. In the bottom of the storage bin, I fill it with cedar limbs and put a small peice of plywood over it to seperate my clothes so I don' t get cedar stickers in them. As soon as I get through hunting, i take off the clothes and put them back in the storage bin with the cedar. Since I started doing all this, I started regularly seeing deer close and regularly killing deer and haven' t killed one over 20 yards. My clothes are even just brown carhart, none of the new scent lock stuff that are camo.

cyclone

Not to be a wise guy or anything but have you had someone check your breath? I' ve known guys that could melt 55gal drums at 30yds..a little of that baking soda goes a long way for breath control..and don' t forget to floss..

SW Iowa Hunter

I agree with everyone here forget the cover scent and just try to go scent free. I would also suggest trying to get off the ground. I used a blind for a long time and unless they are hidden very very well deer will always be nervious around them. I am not saying this is not a good way to hunt deer because they have their place but up a tree 15 feet or more allows for alot more movement and scent on your part.

Reacher

I have thought about the breath issue. I have been using my regular toothpaste, but that may not be the best thing. Is baking soda the best thing for breath control?

Thanks for all the help guys.

txbowjunkie

Natural cover scent is better than those store bought kinds any day. I use standard flora from my area in my bin with the cloths.

You might try making a spray yourself using the same stuff.

Additionally, you might also try setting that blind up near or up against some cedars. Break a few limbs when you get there each time. That will cover a lot of your scent.

Works for me.......

kevin1

Reacher ,
ease up on the scent . Baking soda as a gargle will temporarily deodorize your breath , but it tastes like azz ! The most common reason for dragon breath is your diet . Ease up on the meat and smelly foods for a couple of weeks before the season starts , and buy some chlorophyl tablets for field deodorizing .


If the deer are getting spooked by seeing the blind then double cross them . Figure out where they' re bypassing your stand and set up a natural blind there . When they try to go around your old stand they will trot right past you .

UpNorth

Sounds like everyone has given you some good advice on the scent control issue. The only thing I would suggest is try and be aware of other deer in the area before you draw. If there is one doe, you can bet there is another not to far away that you did not see when you moved into position and busted you. Just take a moment and slowly turn your head or roll your eyes to the side to check things out before you draw.

I was out last week and was walking down the trail to my stand and came upon a doe grazing. I was slowly sneaking in and did not see the other doe 15 yards to the left of the grazing doe. Needless to say she busted me and they where both gone, because I did not take the time to scan the area before proceeding.

Good Luck and keep us posted on your success.