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No Sub For Wind

Old 11-04-2011, 07:58 AM
  #11  
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Ain't no way to be scent free. You can control it to a point, but scent free is a load of malarkey. I do wash my clothes in scent free detergent, take a shower with the scent stopping stuff and sometimes spray myself down, but it doesn't make you scent free. I do think it helps, but it by no means makes you scent free. I will, however, take any help I can get. As others have said, the higher you get, the less your scent will be picked up. Also, as halfbaked pointed out, tucking your pants into your boots helps. as long as you have one layer of your britches tucked into your boots it'll do the trick. "Hunt 360" is the biggest money-making marketing ploy to EVER hit the hunting industry! And a ploy is all it is. Do what you can to conceal your scent, but never go out planning to "hunt 360". Play the wind.
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Old 11-04-2011, 07:34 PM
  #12  
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Originally Posted by 7.62NATO
I have decided to do away with all the scent control hoopla. Last year I was very particular about my gear and clothing, washing everything that could be washed in baking soda and Borax, hanging it outside, keeping it in Rubbermaid containers in my car, getting buck naked in the field and dressed into my hunting clothing, coming back from a long and exhausting hunt and getting everything packed away just right to keep it “scent free.” Every two outings or so, go thru the same wash and hang thing again, etc.

No more. Waaaaay too time consuming. Way too stressful. I want to enjoy my hunting experience, not get stressed out by all the things I “have to do” in order to become “scent free.” If you think about all the stuff you do on the way in and while hunting that will release your skin particles, dried saliva and mucous, etc, etc into the air, you know you really have to be OCD beyond comprehension if you want any real chance of being “scent free.”

The only thing I’m going to do this season is spray down a little bit with scent “eliminator.” Even then, I know it’s just for my sake as a confidence booster. Most of all, I'm just going old school and paying careful attention to the

wind.

Yeah i got lazy this year too....i am sufferin the conseqences..big boy picked me outta the wood work...we have been playin peekabo for 2 weeks.....wish i woulda went scent control now......doh
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Old 11-05-2011, 04:26 AM
  #13  
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Default how 'bout scent neutral?

I found the first tree I am fairly happy to hang a stand in this week-a pine w/ good cover, the only downside is a little less than 180 shot degrees.
Yesterday midday, freshly scent-free showered & laundered I made my way in & up. There was a strong breeze, so I entered accordingly.
Of course, the deer-a doe family of 5, entered and began to browse-DOWNWIND!
I knew it was only a matter of time, so I just watched. Clearly, deer have that sixth sense and I'd be lying if I said being w/in 10-12 yards of them didn't raise my pulse rate; I think this is what the jumpy doe of the group (isn't there always one?) sensed first, but I could see her nose working & as soon as she jumped they were all gone.
Maybe 10 min later a young one strolled by well inside 10 yards UPWIND and spent several minutes contentedly munching away before slowly wandering off.
I was nervous about the freshly laundered aspect, so before climbing into the tree I rubbed handfuls of fallen pine needles over my clothing and boots. I don't know if this helps or hurts, but I do it on occasion.
The most scent neutral I think I've ever attained has been when I've kept my clothes in a rubbermaid container outside overnight, every night.
OTOH, a hunting buddy of mine arrowed one of the biggest does I've ever seen dressed in work clothes after a day of refinishing floors!
This is why, at least to me, a successful hunt does not always end w/ a kill. Sometimes being in the right spot, at the right time and remaining undetected is a victory yielding knowledge for the next time afield.
This year I've been hanging my camos in the limbs of the backyard apple trees & I've watched deer feed right next to them w/ no hesitation at all. I can only conclude that the scent which they really key in on is the human one-we can't change that!
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Old 11-05-2011, 05:17 AM
  #14  
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How many deer sniffed you out before you ever saw them???
one shall never know.

My orange jacket got me busted, (only after making noise)
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Old 11-05-2011, 08:49 AM
  #15  
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saw an article of a hunter doing no scent control. he hid in the woods, and they sent a dog after him. dog found him with in 1 min. then the hunter did complete scent control to the best of his ability, they sent the dog after he hid in another location. dog found him still. Deers scent ability is what a dogs nose is to humans, 10 x's better. scent control is a waste. you just have to play the wind or have some cover scents.
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Old 11-05-2011, 09:30 AM
  #16  
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Hunt with the wind in your favor and you never have to worry about spending money on all that useless "scent cover" crap. If the wind's wrong, it doesn't work anyway. And if the wind's right, you don't need it.

Get it?
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Old 11-05-2011, 02:29 PM
  #17  
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I always bowhunted from the ground. I usually am on a super steep hill or cut my way into a sticker patch to shoot outward. I have had deer 10 feet away right after I put out a cigarette. Even a breeze so slight it barely moves a downy feather is enough to cover you. If the wind does swirl a little the deer usually don't take off because they don't know which way to run. The older ones start to look in the trees behind me. I think that climbing into a tree is really a way to disperse scent. If I use lure, I throw the rag up in a tree as far as I can and that gets good results. Get the picture?
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Old 11-06-2011, 04:17 AM
  #18  
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I think an interesting test would be to try all the "scent control" on your dog. (EDIT: Just noticed your post huntingkidPA!) Hide behind a tree, but still in the wind, upwind from your unsuspecting dog. Have another person bring the dog within 25 yards. Does the dog know you are there? I would guess yes, no matter what you do since they will pick up the dead skin that invariably will be shed. Now try it while in a 4ft high blind - you would probably do much better. And inside a fully enclosed doghouse type blind would be better yet. But if you were downwind, I would bet the dog would not know you were there, regardless of what you did or didn't do. It would make for an interesting experiment. I have had deer pass by nearly downwind when I was inside a 5ft high blind - and other times I have been busted. And one time I was busted while up in a very high 25-30 ft tree stand cause the deer were downwind (and they did not see me!) At any rate, it stinks to get busted since often that same deer will act as an alarm sentry for future hunts. So I hunt the wind.

Last edited by MZS; 11-06-2011 at 04:46 AM.
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Old 11-06-2011, 05:10 AM
  #19  
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Default I call BS

I have to call BS on most of the scrent stuff. You still breathe right? you are still going to carry some kind of weapon right? like a bow or gun that has oil on it? You using scent elimination gun oil?

Look you need to not stink or have donkey breath. You need to not be loaded up with perfumes like the church lady you never want to sit next to, and some scent control is valid imho. However I believe a mixture of cover scent and modest scent control is all you can really do. Get that deer's mind on something else and you have the best chance, be it a food scent or sex.

I am a big believer in buck bomb doe P sprayed around the stand area and being above that. Don't dump the whole damn can, just use it as a spray. If you have to , you can shave the button stop off the sprayer to make it not lock down. This way you can get 3 - 5 good hunts out of a can and believe me, you'll smell it and they will smell it.

A few days ago I had a spike walk past within 10' of me while I watched. (We don't shoot spikes here because we are trying to get bigger bucks) He whiffed around a bit when the buck bomb hit him, seemed happy enough about that and continues on his way. I watched walk in, past me and out over about 15 minutes. He was being very careful but never alarmed. Winds were shifting around and light.
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Old 11-07-2011, 02:11 AM
  #20  
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Originally Posted by ADVWannabee
I hate to say it but I don't buy the hype at all for the scent control products. Not the clothing, the spray, none of it. Now I do wash my clothes in scent free soap and use scent free deo. Sometimes I shower with scent free soap. But as soon as you start into the woods, you start sweating and it all goes out the window. The best you can do is stay down wind.
X3 Although I do use scent: (Dripper, trails end, etc but I don't overdo it, I took a nice buck this year off a dripper, and I do use a cover scent (fox urine) on my boots, does it work??? who knows, but the best advise is to use the wind. no matter how strong it is blowing. Unlike many others I like hunting in a good breeze, JMOP Doc

one thing I do feel is important is UV killer, get those brighteners out of your blaze orange, and when you wash your hunting clothes, use soap with NO brighteners!!! again jmop

Last edited by DocD; 11-07-2011 at 02:16 AM.
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