Does scent control have to be so serious?
 

The way I see it, deer are the masters of their domain as we are of ours. They can tell the difference between another deer stepping on and breaking twigs and you breaking twigs. Although the sound might appear the same to us, it is a different tone or pitch that only "deer" ears can differentiate. In the same way, they know a human when they smell one.

I think it doesn't matter how well you prep yourself, there's no way to make yourself so scent free that deer can't smell you at all. I've seen posts where guys have said they've been detected when taking even the most extreme scent control measures. My take is that even if you were in full body scent lock suits, the deer could still pick up your scent just from you simply breathing.

I wish we had a few scientists on the board to shed some insight but what do you guys think? I believe that as long as you are playing the wind, you can be stinky as a gasoline/oil drenched mechanic and still pull it off. If the deer are upwind, they can't smell you period.

RE: Does scent control have to be so serious?
 

I agree with you somewhat. I just wash my clothes before each hunt and my self with sent free soap. I play the wind. I don,t think you can fool a mature bucks nose no matter how hard you try.

RE: Does scent control have to be so serious?
 

If people don't take scent control - and a whole pile of other things about hunting - to unreasonable extremes of seriousness, the whole industry will go bankrupt!

[8D]

RE: Does scent control have to be so serious?
 

Being upwind obviously is your best scent control. Do all the other scent control measures matter? Yes, they do as each step further you take does reduce the chance of being scented. Hunters who have had 30+ years of experience and who are absolutely meticulous about scent control will tell you that carbon activated clothing was a big breakthrough for them and does work when properly activated and cared for to the extent that it isn't that important any more for them whether they are upwind or downwind. But these same hunters bath with scent free soap/shampoo, towel off with a towel that has been washed in scent free detergent, wear clothes that were also washed with scent free detergent and then dried outside, wear rubber boots that have been stored outsided in leaves or a plastic bag, etc. They don't eat garlic and are meticulous not to sweat on the way to their stands. They don't smoke or ride in a truck that has been smoked in.
Scent control is like a chain, and if you break one link, you are busted. Most of us who hunt don't want to take all of the measures necessary to remain scent free. They think if they take a shower and throw on some scent lok clothing they should be invisible in the woods and it isn't that simple.
Your comment about breath is a good one. This seems to be the most overlooked area of scent control. I know a guy who brushes his teeth with baking soda. I have tried scent masking gum but I have no idea if it is working.
Many hunters get busted despite their Scent Lok clothing and blame it their scent lok not working. However they never activated it correctly, stored it in a plastic bag or airtight scent free container, or reactivated it after wearing it a few times. Or it they have, they chew tobacco on the stand, wear non-rubber boots, or make so much noise getting there or while they are there that they have no chance of success.

RE: Does scent control have to be so serious?
 

If your going to take hunting serious? Than your going to have to take scent control serious as well in order to be successful on constant basis[&:]

But i do agree that no matter how much we try? A deer down wind can still pick up our scent. I don`t really think you can completely get away from it. But washing our cloths in scent free detergent and Taking none scented bath`s, Maby go a little higher in a tree or even use a cover scent to help cover your tracks? Greatly helps your chances at taking a deer.

RE: Does scent control have to be so serious?
 

Well, it's not to say that I don't believe in scent control at all because I do the scent/dye free detergent thing, the wildlife research bar soap thing, the special boots only for the woods thing. More importantly, I try to play the wind. Only thing is, after a while you start gettin' paranoid/obssessed and begin taking running head start jumps over deer trails in attempt to not leave your scent. Then you start panicing when the winds change directions and are suddenly somewhat carrying your scent in the direction you anticipate the deer to be coming. That's when my head starts spinning and say "oh frik it, long as I aint dirty nasty stankin' then I should be fine just playing the wind."

RE: Does scent control have to be so serious?
 

The deer take it serious and so do I! For me it's the 2nd most important factor in the mix. First is my shooting capabilities. If ya can't make the shot the scent thingy don't matter![8D]

RE: Does scent control have to be so serious?
 

Yep, a guy only has to take it as serious as he does his hunting I guess! ;) I agree that it is impossible to eliminate all our scent but I have certainly learned that when taken to extremes you can indeed see more deer more often than without! My goal is to minimize my disturbance to my area. For instance.... when/if a deer "jits" my scent, instead of smelling like I'm 20 yards away, my scent may seem like it is a couple of hundred yards away. Instead of smelling like my entry/exit trails are only a minutes old they may seem like they are many hours old. In farm country where I hunt this can indeed be the difference between getting a shot at a "shooter" buck and possibly never seeing him in the area again! To each his own, but I will contiue to use eevry advantage technology gives me.

RE: Does scent control have to be so serious?
 

I'm of the opinion that your scent is like playing a radio in the woods. You cannot turn it off, but you can most certainly turn it down a great deal.

At times, not always, but at times, thats all the difference in the world.

RE: Does scent control have to be so serious?
 

I believe scent control is absoutly necessary in my situation. Some of my best stands are within a "bowl" where the wind swirls all around me in every which direction. If I didn't take steps to reduce my scent, I probably wouldn't see any deer at all. So, I'll keep doing my thing, you keep doin yours. ;)