question about scent control
10-09-2012, 07:14 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 16
question about scent control
I live in Northern Virginia, Fairfax county to be exact. The deer in this area are rampant. Our hunting season starts september 1st and goes through till March 1st. The area is highly populated with people.
My question is about scent control, specifically; do i need to be as scrupulous about scent control as someone who lives in a much less human populated area? The deer in my area are city deer, i think its safe to say that probably 99% of the deer in NOVA are never farther than 1 mile, dare i say a quarter mile, away from people.
I've always washed my clothes in baking soda, air dried them outside, sprayed them with scent killer, and stored them in an air tight plastic tote. This year im going to be hunting mainly in the evening after work (office job). Are there any measures i can take to de-scent my body, quickly right before i go into the woods??
In the mornings i take a shower with scent killer body wash and use scent free deodorant. Im confident that my morning hunts are very scent free.
My question is about scent control, specifically; do i need to be as scrupulous about scent control as someone who lives in a much less human populated area? The deer in my area are city deer, i think its safe to say that probably 99% of the deer in NOVA are never farther than 1 mile, dare i say a quarter mile, away from people.
I've always washed my clothes in baking soda, air dried them outside, sprayed them with scent killer, and stored them in an air tight plastic tote. This year im going to be hunting mainly in the evening after work (office job). Are there any measures i can take to de-scent my body, quickly right before i go into the woods??
In the mornings i take a shower with scent killer body wash and use scent free deodorant. Im confident that my morning hunts are very scent free.
10-09-2012, 07:52 AM
#2
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: South Central Pa
Posts: 6
I'll tell you what has me completely impressed is the "powder" from Dead Down Wind. I understand what your saying about hunting in populated areas, and I believe that you're right that you don't need to worry as much about scent control as someone hunting in on a 1,000 + acre ranch where some deer have never seen people. However, my opinion is it never hurts to be as scent free as possible.
All that being said, I'm also a smoker and I go a little over board with the scent control thing because of it. I certainly don't smoke on stand and I try not to hunt unless I can get a shower a first and I wear nothing in the woods that has been in my house, garage, or truck. I get changed in the field outside my truck and my freshly washed clothes go directly from the dryer into scent lock bags and then into air tight totes. unfortunately, because of kids and busy schedules, I'm forced to hunt in the evenings sometimes and I'm not able to get a shower. I've been 100% impressed by the DDW scent killing powder. I've actually tested this stuff by have a smoke and then rubbing it into my hands and asking non-smokers if they can smell smoke and they couldn't. If I can't shower before a hunt I'll strip down in the field (even if it's cold) and rub this powder all over myself, putting emphasis on my arms, hands, face and hair. I know a look a little silly cause it leaves a white residue, but I've even hunted from the ground and had doe within 10 feet downwind and not been busted since I started using this stuff. I now have cans of this in all my packs and totes. It's even great for those long hikes in where you get a little sweaty, because it will absorb all the moisture and cool you off.
Anyway, sorry about the long post, but I've been really impressed with this stuff. Dang, maybe DDW should put me on the pro-staff and pay me for this endorsement.
Good luck out there and shoot straight!!
All that being said, I'm also a smoker and I go a little over board with the scent control thing because of it. I certainly don't smoke on stand and I try not to hunt unless I can get a shower a first and I wear nothing in the woods that has been in my house, garage, or truck. I get changed in the field outside my truck and my freshly washed clothes go directly from the dryer into scent lock bags and then into air tight totes. unfortunately, because of kids and busy schedules, I'm forced to hunt in the evenings sometimes and I'm not able to get a shower. I've been 100% impressed by the DDW scent killing powder. I've actually tested this stuff by have a smoke and then rubbing it into my hands and asking non-smokers if they can smell smoke and they couldn't. If I can't shower before a hunt I'll strip down in the field (even if it's cold) and rub this powder all over myself, putting emphasis on my arms, hands, face and hair. I know a look a little silly cause it leaves a white residue, but I've even hunted from the ground and had doe within 10 feet downwind and not been busted since I started using this stuff. I now have cans of this in all my packs and totes. It's even great for those long hikes in where you get a little sweaty, because it will absorb all the moisture and cool you off.
Anyway, sorry about the long post, but I've been really impressed with this stuff. Dang, maybe DDW should put me on the pro-staff and pay me for this endorsement.
Good luck out there and shoot straight!!
10-09-2012, 07:59 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: central and east texas
Posts: 4,894
10-09-2012, 08:07 AM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 320
I've hunted areas frequented by a lot of people (e.g. hikers, bikers, etc) and what I've noticed is that the deer can tell the difference between the usual traffic and hunters. They're used to scent and pressure on the trails, etc, but as soon as you enter the adjacent woods, they know people don't usually venture there...except hunting season. I've watched bucks pay little attention to the loud mountain bikers 150 yards away on the trails...and yet get antsy at the first sign of intrusion into the woods.
Re: smoking...no amount of scent products can eliminate that smell. If I can smell it, the deer certainly can! That's one smell that's nearly impossible to get rid of without washing clothes (often more than once) and bathing. Funny part is smokers cannot even smell it!
Re: smoking...no amount of scent products can eliminate that smell. If I can smell it, the deer certainly can! That's one smell that's nearly impossible to get rid of without washing clothes (often more than once) and bathing. Funny part is smokers cannot even smell it!
10-09-2012, 01:56 PM
#9
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Helenville WI USA
Posts: 900
There is absolutly nothing you can do that will beat a whitetails nose... To me scent control means keeping the target animal up wind. They will smell every where you walk that they cross, and if your scent stream gets to them they will smell it... Don't believe all the hype.
10-09-2012, 04:41 PM
#10
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 489
There is absolutly nothing you can do that will beat a whitetails nose... To me scent control means keeping the target animal up wind. They will smell every where you walk that they cross, and if your scent stream gets to them they will smell it... Don't believe all the hype.
do be clean...body and cloths, but other than that you are pissin money and time away. You are not going to fool an animal that knows the woods better than the forest itself.