I gotta vent...
 

How is it that many of us go through great pains to manage ourscent, yet the guys who reak of smoke and booze from ten yards away still get trophies? During archery!!

RE: I gotta vent...
 

Well, could it be that scent control is overrated and mainly just a marketing tool to sepreate a fool form his money? Just goes to show that hunting is 99% luck.

RE: I gotta vent...
 

To each his own, but this is not correct in my opinion. You do get lucky while hunting, but no. I do agree with you saying that scent control is somewhat a propaganda.

RE: I gotta vent...
 

They probably hunt the wind, and its cheaper.

RE: I gotta vent...
 

I won a Scent Lok from the NAHC one time. It was noisy I thought and with the scent control, and I still played the wind, I didn't see one deer. With what I had been wearing before, I had four does within 20 yards of me on the ground. That is when I discovered, I use the scent free soaps, body wash, and spray the scent elimanation before walking into the woods. Then I play the wind. Seems to work, see lots of deer and within 50 yards. So yes the scent lok is way, way over rated. And I wish they would ask some of the average hunters what they think. As I said, I thought it was really noisey and I gave it away. Wish sometime we didn't have to hear it from sponsers, but at random they would pick hunters and have them test it and willing to take the right feedback.

I figure the smokers are lucky, never understood it, but if they play the wind and get deer continually while smoking, how about handing me a cig!

RE: I gotta vent...
 

I have been bow hunting for over 20 years. I have never gone overboard in scent control. Now I don't smoke and I never go to a gas station in my hunting clothes and I avoid any adverse oders that could get on my clothing. But thats about it I don't spend a fourtune on products that eleminate odor. And I must say I do alright bow hunting and I don't have any wants to change the way I do things.

RE: I gotta vent...
 

I have 4 things to put out there.

1. As timber said, they are probobly using the wind in their favor. Always a good idea, however the wind ALWAYS seems to change around. Yes it may be in one direction overall, but it is always changing around. Case in point - when sitting around a smoky campfire.

2. Deer are very, very curious. A new or different smell? They do indeed like to check it out.

3. As steve f said - luck.

4. If you know of guys who are reeking of booz, then obviously they are using alcoholi beverages prior to and possibly while hunting. Not only is this illegal in most states but it is just plain a SFI! I urge all to keep away from these accidents waiting to happen. Heck, you can't get higher than hunting (well IMO sex is the only high better) why indulge in booze?

RE: I gotta vent...
 

I had a buddy that smoked like a chimney, sat on a stand smoking, always got his deer......

RE: I gotta vent...
 

Ignor those people and hunt smarter yourself. Do you think that if a deer smelled those people it would stick around for a shot? Obviously the deer aren't winding them. They shouldn't wind you either. Good luck.

RE: I gotta vent...
 

There are so many factors that play into seeing deer. Scent is one, luck another, but still others, such as wind, temp, area hunting, pressure, etc...Scent control is important to be mindful of and practice, but you do not need scentlok type of clothing to do so.

RE: I gotta vent...
 

Gunner, Thinkaboutit!

Hunters have to try to understand that the deer's BEST defense against getting shot is his ability to smell you. If you think you have an idea how good their sense of smell is, you're wrong because you ain't got a clue. Ya think a dog can smell good? It is estimated that a deer can smell 100-150 times better.

A deer must try to distinguish two things...what am I smelling and is it a threat?
If the 2nd answer is no, then it definitely plays into the hunters favor.
If the 1st answer is he smells nothing (no hunter) then that's the best scenerio for the hunter.

Just because someone can smell a hunter from 10 yds away that reeks of alchohol and tobacco, that doesn't necessarily mean the deer can. Working the wind in you favor is paramount!

One note; I certainly understand that hunting and alcohol don't mix and I would surely avoid anyone that I suspected. I also realize there's a time and place and having a few later at the camp is fine and dandy. If I have a bruiser hanging, then it just might (No, it ill be) more than a few!

RE: I gotta vent...
 

My dad smokes in the tree stand and I am always at time to not smoke while sitting and he says the deer don't get bothered by it, He usually sees deer and I even watched him shoot a deer with the cig still in his mouth....alot of luck or dumb deer....hard to say...
Scent control is overrated by the marketing industry that is for sure

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: I gotta vent...
 

A friend of my dads that I used to hunt with smoked like a chimmney, and every night would drink himself to sleep, He always got his deer. He lived where we were hunting and worked in the woods, he knew when and where the deer would be from being around them all year long. He never took his deer opening weekend, he'd wait until they were skitish from being chased then go set-up where they hid and wait. usally hunted with a 30-30.. Never had a shot over 100yds... and usally the biggest deer in camp.... Tribal Knowledge helps also...

RE: I gotta vent...
 

Every deer I have shot (or filmed someone shooting) I have had to put out a cigarette to do it. When you do your homework on the wind, and get off the ground, scent control hardly makes a difference.
Where it matters is if they circle downwind......... that sucks then, lol.

RE: I gotta vent...
 

The simple truth came to me late in my deer hunting experience.... When I first started bowhunting back in the mid 70's I only had one stand,and hunted it hard EVERY DAY! No concern about wind direction..... just hunted because it was the only place I had. I killed the occasional spike or scrub,and on many days I would see nothing at all. I wore the same old military camo everyday,and never washed it..... Finally,it dawned on me..... the days I was seeing deer,the wind was in my favor. And,when no deer showed themselves,well you know the rest. Bottom line: Those who smoke and don't take the time to control their odor will surely kill deer on occasion. But,those of us who NEVER hunt a stand on the wrong wind,and try our best NOT to stink will see far more(and better)bucks. I will not share a camp or ride in a vehicle with a smoker. Nothing against 'em,but I work to hard,and my time is to limited to let someone else's carelessness ruin my hunt........

RE: I gotta vent...
 

I do not get this play the wind crap get 20 FT up a tree a deer wont smell you.I have had deer come from every direction before.I live in a very poor deer county.

RE: I gotta vent...
 

Where Ilive (NJ)some of the spots I huntI smell the naighborsgrill, cloths dryer, fertilizer on the lawn and yes have even smelled clorine from th pool and that ismore that one spot I hunt.Most guy bait year round and leave sweaty cloths near the bait pile and a few even leave cig butts so they can smoke in the stand and not worry about it.Most deer are urban and it can really be the farthest thing from real hunting butHEY we got 100 deer per square mile!

RE: I gotta vent...
 

I have a relative that smokes, drinks, farts, burps, lights cans of sterno to keep his hands warm and has also lit a small fire of leaves and sticks to warm up. He hunts wearing black leather shoes and dress pants from Sears. This is no joke and he shoots the biggest bucks you ever want to see.

RE: I gotta vent...
 

In areas of very high deer densities, there are so many running around that it's hard not to eventually seem some and get a shot. In suburban areas where smells from the neighborhood commonly are smelled in the woods, you can get away with scents that you wouldn't in wilder areas. And even the worse stinking hunter will eventually be downwind of deer and get some opporuntities if any of these scenarios exist. But to consistently shoot monsters, you need a lot of things to come together, and stinking isn't something that will help those odds.

RE: I gotta vent...
 

I agree the best scent control is playing the wind right. I think the products do help but won'tovercome wrong wind direction.Also, I've noticed over the years that when I hunt a stand, the best action is always the first one or twotimes I huntit.The more consecutive times I hunt it the less I see. I think overhunting a stand lets your scent saturate the area and the bucks wise up or go nocturnal. These days I have a handful of active spots and I try to give 4-5 days between hunting them. Luck is a factor but you won't consistently kill nice bucks using luck alone. The betteryour hunting skills the less luck you will need....

RE: I gotta vent...
 

If you are in a tree stand 25 or 30ft, set off an orange smoke bomb from your stand and see that the smoke never gets down to ground level. It will swirl around you with the changing currents, but will not come down.

For those who hunt at ground level, you have to watch the wind direct at all times. Always watchfor the deer with the wind in your face.

RE: I gotta vent...
 

I have smoked while shooting a deer. Had the cig on one side of my mouth and the kisser button in the other. I have had the wind blow at the deer and away from the deer. I believe that it is all in what the deer get use to. A friend of mine hunts the wind, wears scent lock, uses scent proof soap, and uses scent away spray...he always gets scented. I sometimes smoke on stand and sometimes use scent away spray. I may getbusted once or twice out of the 30+ times I go out each year.The spray works but I don't put too much stock in it. I feel that the deer where i usually hunt are use to the smell of smoke (since both my father and I smoke) and they just don't care.

RE: I gotta vent...
 

Well sounds like general concensus is the smart hunting and the deer's environment. Thanks for all the replies. The smoking part I can handle. But I have to be honest, and I hope I share the same opinion with many of you, it makes me uncomfortable when you run into someone who smells like they've tied one on for several days straight. Just not smart at all.

RE: I gotta vent...
 

i agree with Rebel Hog. smoking surely doesn't increase your odds of seeing deer but when you hunt 25+ feet high you don't worry about it as much. if you smoke, hunt high......leave the waste of money (scent eliminator products) for those that have a fear of heights.

RE: I gotta vent...
 

I agree, you may not have to worry about your scent much once you're 25+ feet high. There is one problem that I always try to remember - the scent you leave coming and going to your stand.

It don't take much. If youtouch leaves, branches, trees or any brush with your bare hands, you have left your scent behind. Those nasty little human molecules will be easily detected. Constantly hunting the same stand day after day, going inand leaving the same wayand youjust tip the scales higher into the deer's favor.

The deer already has a hugh advantage over us as part-time hunters, why give him more?

RE: I gotta vent...
 

Yesterday hunted in the morning, After the hunt changed all my clothes put them ina container. The other two guys I hunted with we went to breakfast. They wore their hunting clothes, greasy lil joint, they smoked the whole time, went and got gas afterwards. They went and stayed in their hunting clothes all day long, I went farming. In the afternoon I changed back to my hunting clothes sprayed scent cover and went to the woods. Me and the other guy were maybe 100-150 yards apart, Wind was blowing out of the south right at my partner and then me. Had two small bucks come in about 60 tards upwind from me, but downwind of the others. I thought for sure they would wind him and head my way. No such luck they went right towards him and whack he got one 15 minutes later. I think it is great no jealousy what so ever but most of hunting is being in the right place at the right time.

RE: I gotta vent...
 

Gunner....6 of one....half dozen of another