Scent Control Question
 

OK, So I am new to hunting (starting my third year) Last year I hunted over a field where shots ranged from 25 yards to 125 yards.

This year I have a new area to hunt that is in a swamp. The brush is very heavy and I am thinking that I will need the deer to come within 30-40 yards to see them.

So what is the best way to kill my scent so that they won't smell me before I see them?

I washed all my hunting clothes in the scent control laundry soap from Walmart and them sealed them in vacuum bags.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Try to be upwind of the animals you're hunting.

If they even suspect something is wrong, they will circle downwind before they "come in" !!!

There is unfortunately only one way to beat the nose of a whitetail and that is having the wind blow your sent somewhere else. If you want to consistently encounter mature whitetail you have to learn how to make the wind in your favor but also allow the deer think the wind is in their favor.

Everybody will tell you hunt the wind but mature deer don't make a habit of just walking around in the daylight with the wind at their back so you have to be creative.

Just to add on to this because I don't want to be disagreeable. I personally believe deer go where they want to (at least regarding feeding) regardless of the wind direction, but they might hook around and scent check a vulnerable area first. You just need to be downwind of where they hook around.

I think there could be some benefit to some scent control measures, but a lot of it is a waste of time and money. Hunting the right wind is critical. Keep in mind, that regardless of your scent control measures, you will leave ground scent, so if you hunt the same spot repeatedly, it won't take them long to figure it out. Don't walk in over a path you expect deer to cross, or upwind of where they are bedded or feeding at night.

A 5+ year old deer is likely to just wait until dark. I rarely see mature bucks moving in the daylight with the wind at their back.

I see it with trail cams all the time. Guys will get all exited seeing a daylight pattern(they say I could have shot him if I was in that stand) but I keep track of wind direction and the vast majority of the time it shows he had the wind and could not have been killed from that stand.

Gotta play angles

Your not wrong, they often go where they want but the wind plays a part in when and how they get there.

Thanks Rockport. I think we are in 99% agreement, and it sounds like you have studied it thoughly. I believe outside the rut, the best way to kill a mature buck is within 100 yards of his bed for the reasons you mention. I don't have nearly the experience to come up with that on my own and rely on Dan Infalt and other accomplished hunters at thehuntingbeast for my reasoning.

Always take wind into consideration, and use it to your advantage.

Personally I have giving up on the hoopla of scent control for the most part. I do still do some parts but I think people have gotten over exaggerated on the requirements. Wash clothes, wash self. Only wear my clothes into the field and take off as soon as I get out, and not around town.

That is pretty much what I do and I don't do it thinking Its going to get me a deer in bow range. I do it because not spooking deer 100 yards downwind that I never see is better for my future chances from that location.

I want to have the least scent possible because I want to disturb the area the least I can..

Yeah me to, I think the industry has gone overboard and people are following too easily.

Well yeah, They are good at it.

I mean convincing people they need a cedar scented pin to cover their scent while sitting in cedars? News flash.....even if that did work the cedars provide it for free.

Never mind that separating the natural smells in the woods and the suspicious smells in the woods are kind of what deer do.

Use the wind. There's no way to cheat. From the chemistry side, none of it really works - except for the wind.

1. Zinc will help REDUCE your body odor
2. Bathe using scent free soap ggod old ivory is fine
3 Stay up wind

3 is really effective

OK question as I may have my terminology backwards today, been off lately in these things. If you are upwind, wouldn't that means the deer are traveling downwind of you, meaning they will smell you? When describing position to deer I always used that you wanted to be downwind and the deer upwind as their scent is blowing to you, not the opposite.

My mistake as well.......................You are 100% correct !

The hunter always wants to be down wind of the animals you are hunting. :party0005:

Wind in your face !!!

Wasn't sure if I was misreading or not. I understand if can be described in two different ways. 1. To position your self facing upwind, or 2. position yourself downwind of deer traffic. Either way it describes working with the wind in your favor but thinking the terms where backwards. No biggie, would hate to see a follow up thread about playing the wind wasn't working for someone.:biggrin:

I still believe in scent reduction.

Not as far as I think I'm going to kill a mature buck downwind but in the case that it might make the difference between a mature buck that is 100 yards downwind smelling me or not and maybe I kill him next week because I didn't spook him this week. Same goes for a mature buck coming through an hour after I'm gone. Maybe I can make the difference between him knowing Ive been there and not.

I bet not many will think this works.
I hang my hunting clothes in the smoke of a ceder fire.A good smokey fire till they have the smoke in them real good.
Sure the deer can smell it but they don't seem to mind it to much. Any scent that is not human scent helps.
I came across this by accident when bow hunting a long time ago.

That might actually work well in my area, the ranges on base near where I hunt carch fire all the time. They also do alot of controlled burning all over base for fire prevention so the smell is in alot of areas most years