Is my husband wrong on scent control??
11-08-2019, 01:02 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 1
Is my husband wrong on scent control??
Long story short—
my husband uses some mainstream scent control tactics, from washing his clothes with the right detergent to spraying down etc. but when he left this morning he reeked!!
He put on a cedar and juniper scented deodorant that smelled like someone doused him in essential oils. I asked him if he thought that would raise flags for the deer considering he’s recurve hunting and has to get so close for the shot...? He said no. Am I crazy or will this deodorant set off deer in the entire county?? Just because it’s “woodsy” smelling doesn’t mean anything at all, pungent smells are pungent smells am I right or wrong??
just a wife trying to help her husband out!! (& a wife that wants to be right
)
my husband uses some mainstream scent control tactics, from washing his clothes with the right detergent to spraying down etc. but when he left this morning he reeked!!
He put on a cedar and juniper scented deodorant that smelled like someone doused him in essential oils. I asked him if he thought that would raise flags for the deer considering he’s recurve hunting and has to get so close for the shot...? He said no. Am I crazy or will this deodorant set off deer in the entire county?? Just because it’s “woodsy” smelling doesn’t mean anything at all, pungent smells are pungent smells am I right or wrong??
just a wife trying to help her husband out!! (& a wife that wants to be right
)
11-08-2019, 04:12 AM
#3
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,746
LOL...I have to agree with Oldtimr.
But......If there is no fir or juniper where he's hunting it definitely would throw up a flag for any deer. And secondly, even in a fir or juniper grove the smell isn't that strong unless there are fresh cuts.
Man has been killing deer for years without any scent control and watching the wind. I use the detergent, bath soaps and shampoos, and spray down before I go out too. But I also am watchful of the wind direction. (Some things you just can't make neutral like your breath.) I am totally convinced that the best scent is no scent at all.
I've had them work for me on occasion but I am very cautious even using any of the various deer scents.
Want to have some fun with your hubby? Go buy a container of Evercalm (it looks like deodorant) and present it to him. Then he'll smell like a herd of deer....!!!
But......If there is no fir or juniper where he's hunting it definitely would throw up a flag for any deer. And secondly, even in a fir or juniper grove the smell isn't that strong unless there are fresh cuts.
Man has been killing deer for years without any scent control and watching the wind. I use the detergent, bath soaps and shampoos, and spray down before I go out too. But I also am watchful of the wind direction. (Some things you just can't make neutral like your breath.) I am totally convinced that the best scent is no scent at all.
I've had them work for me on occasion but I am very cautious even using any of the various deer scents.
Want to have some fun with your hubby? Go buy a container of Evercalm (it looks like deodorant) and present it to him. Then he'll smell like a herd of deer....!!!
11-08-2019, 07:42 AM
#5
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Trumbull County, Ohio
Posts: 9,520
Ot has said it on here many times: until you can stop breathing for the duration of your hunt... Theres going to be human scent in the air.
Somebody else in a recent thread mentioned using all the shower soaps and washes. Then they probably get out and dry off with a towel from their regular towel closet.
I still occasionally use a scent spray. Its better to just be smart about the wind imo.
-Jake
Somebody else in a recent thread mentioned using all the shower soaps and washes. Then they probably get out and dry off with a towel from their regular towel closet.
I still occasionally use a scent spray. Its better to just be smart about the wind imo.
-Jake
11-08-2019, 10:38 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Marriottsville, Maryland
Posts: 1,058
Just be thankful that he hasn't started using skunk scent.
Though I do love the smell of cedar wood, and so do bucks who love to rub their antlers on cedar tree trunks.
Though I do love the smell of cedar wood, and so do bucks who love to rub their antlers on cedar tree trunks.
Last edited by Erno86; 11-08-2019 at 11:05 AM. Reason: added a word
11-08-2019, 12:16 PM
#7
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 454
As bears have an amazing sense of smell, I take scent control very seriously. Scent control detergent, soap, shampoo, and the spray.
I agree with most posters here - no scent is better than any scent, including the "cover scents". Wind direction is more important, but why not hedge your bet and try to make yourself smell as little as possible?
I agree with most posters here - no scent is better than any scent, including the "cover scents". Wind direction is more important, but why not hedge your bet and try to make yourself smell as little as possible?
11-08-2019, 12:21 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 2,743
any scent foreign to the area will alert things, and get there attention
SO< the answer could be YES and or NO
as there is also the fact, deer IMO will be more alert to the scent of a HUMAN< over the scent of a tree(be it what ever type)
so, there could be some value to being over powering of a smell of a tree, over just the smell of a human?
SO< the answer could be YES and or NO
as there is also the fact, deer IMO will be more alert to the scent of a HUMAN< over the scent of a tree(be it what ever type)
so, there could be some value to being over powering of a smell of a tree, over just the smell of a human?
11-09-2019, 09:21 AM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location:
Posts: 1,693
If it's working for him, then it's right. He's the only one that can figure out what works for his particular hunting area or not. When you ask a question like this on a message board like this, people are naturally going to respond with what they've experienced in the areas that they hunt.
For example, one guy might hunt in the middle of the wilderness where people don't hang out. Critters are going to pay a lot more attention to human scent there because it doesn't exist otherwise. Another guy might hunt on a cattle ranch. On such a ranch, critters are used to human smell and pickup trucks that regularly deliver yummy things to eat for all the cattle and horses on the ranch. The guy hunting in the wilderness is going to be a lot more concerned about scent control but even more so about playing the wind and staying out of sight and making as little noise as possible. The guy on the cattle ranch, however, doesn't have to worry about those things as much because the critters expect to see him out there and only get spooked when he starts acting like he's a predator hunting them.
So the advice you would get from those two different guys in two different hunting areas would be completely correct for their respective areas. Your husband, on the other hand, may hunt in a different type of area with different parameters than either of them and their respective advice might not be exactly right for his area. So asking all of us what we think could end up with a lot of different answers, none of which might be right.
For example, one guy might hunt in the middle of the wilderness where people don't hang out. Critters are going to pay a lot more attention to human scent there because it doesn't exist otherwise. Another guy might hunt on a cattle ranch. On such a ranch, critters are used to human smell and pickup trucks that regularly deliver yummy things to eat for all the cattle and horses on the ranch. The guy hunting in the wilderness is going to be a lot more concerned about scent control but even more so about playing the wind and staying out of sight and making as little noise as possible. The guy on the cattle ranch, however, doesn't have to worry about those things as much because the critters expect to see him out there and only get spooked when he starts acting like he's a predator hunting them.
So the advice you would get from those two different guys in two different hunting areas would be completely correct for their respective areas. Your husband, on the other hand, may hunt in a different type of area with different parameters than either of them and their respective advice might not be exactly right for his area. So asking all of us what we think could end up with a lot of different answers, none of which might be right.
Last edited by elkman30; 11-09-2019 at 09:31 AM.
11-09-2019, 01:13 PM
#10
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: south eastern PA
Posts: 15,436
If it's working for him, then it's right. He's the only one that can figure out what works for his particular hunting area or not. When you ask a question like this on a message board like this, people are naturally going to respond with what they've experienced in the areas that they hunt.
For example, one guy might hunt in the middle of the wilderness where people don't hang out. Critters are going to pay a lot more attention to human scent there because it doesn't exist otherwise. Another guy might hunt on a cattle ranch. On such a ranch, critters are used to human smell and pickup trucks that regularly deliver yummy things to eat for all the cattle and horses on the ranch. The guy hunting in the wilderness is going to be a lot more concerned about scent control but even more so about playing the wind and staying out of sight and making as little noise as possible. The guy on the cattle ranch, however, doesn't have to worry about those things as much because the critters expect to see him out there and only get spooked when he starts acting like he's a predator hunting them.
So the advice you would get from those two different guys in two different hunting areas would be completely correct for their respective areas. Your husband, on the other hand, may hunt in a different type of area with different parameters than either of them and their respective advice might not be exactly right for his area. So asking all of us what we think could end up with a lot of different answers, none of which might be right.
For example, one guy might hunt in the middle of the wilderness where people don't hang out. Critters are going to pay a lot more attention to human scent there because it doesn't exist otherwise. Another guy might hunt on a cattle ranch. On such a ranch, critters are used to human smell and pickup trucks that regularly deliver yummy things to eat for all the cattle and horses on the ranch. The guy hunting in the wilderness is going to be a lot more concerned about scent control but even more so about playing the wind and staying out of sight and making as little noise as possible. The guy on the cattle ranch, however, doesn't have to worry about those things as much because the critters expect to see him out there and only get spooked when he starts acting like he's a predator hunting them.
So the advice you would get from those two different guys in two different hunting areas would be completely correct for their respective areas. Your husband, on the other hand, may hunt in a different type of area with different parameters than either of them and their respective advice might not be exactly right for his area. So asking all of us what we think could end up with a lot of different answers, none of which might be right.