When I first moved out here to Virginia, I found out my whitetail "mentor" was a true believer in scent control. He had me convinced that I needed to keep all my clothes and boots in special plastic bags to prevent any odors from seeping into the fabric. We dressed and undressed in the woods and never in a vehicle. Oh, and did I mention the more expensive the clothes the better. And by the way, don't eat any onions before going into the hunting grounds; they will smell it on your breathe. Since I had never hunted whitetail I went along with the shenanigans! At least for a while!!!

Since that time, I purchased a small farm and have come to understand that these whitetail deer live in my and my neighbors' back yard! They smell humans and human activity all day long! There are times the deer will come and eat the bird seed out of the bird feeders located a mere five feet from my kitchen window. In fact, there are sooo many deer living in the urban areas of Northern Virginia the State has to hire professional hunters to thin the herds. Yup, monster bucks living in the back yards of 123 Main Street!! Smell doesn't seem to bothering them!

The point being I do not use the scent control clothing anymore and have harvested plenty of deer. I keep my hunting clothes and boots behind the seat of my pick-up; not even in a bag, mind you. I am, however, convinced these local deer are more dependent on their vision for survival rather than scent.

I'm not trying to convince anybody of anything, I'm only sharing my experiences and opinions.

My vote? CROCK!

Scent Loc= False security for suckers! As stated above, the chemistry of carbon alone proves its a scam!

A deer is gunna smell ya if you are up wind and on the ground. A drug dog can small a dubie ( remember those?) in a kids locker, in the jacket pocket and in a plastic bag. That deer is going to smell you're scent if you worked up a sweat on the way out. My friend had a dog that fetched lost arrows. We'd look for those arrows for 10 minutes till we got the dog and the dog would find it in 10 seconds every time. A certain jacket with the latest whizz fabric isn't going to cut it. I wouldn't doubt if a deer could even smell the scent lock spray.

I just invested in some Scent Lok base layers. I've always used carbon and I believe it does help, although I also play the wind and use anything you can think of "scent proof".

I have had similar experience and also a not so similar experience. I hunted an area where a guy would feed the deer a lot and there were a lot of deer at the time. These deer did not mind human scent too much. Since then, the population is way down, the guy feeding moved away, and there is more hunting pressure. Now, in the same area, the deer are much more wary.

That said, I think the scent control industry has our pocketbooks in their cross hairs. There are a lot of "free" things you can do to minimize scent, the biggest being hunt down wind. I am not about to fork over the money they want. I do use Scent Killer spray (cheap), hang my clothes in a shed (no gas motors and if I am real gung ho store my clothes with pine boughs, apples, etc), and shower before using non-scented laundry soap (cheap). Not that sure all that helps, but it can't hurt. I DO know that when the wind shifts and blows scent their way the deer get wary and take off (my own experience) - and this happens even though I take all measures and even happened when I was 18 ft up in a stand.

I had a dog like that, he often would try to get all over me when I was ready to hunt because what he saw didn't jive with what he didn't smell.

I have beat deer' nose's many times before because I take care of my stink and part of it is SL.

My blue tick blood hound could find deer in lighting speed. It was like he knew every step they took while running at a very fast pace. It was incredible to watch that dog work. He was the kind that could find something up to 8 feet under water. He would literally try to break his chain to sniff me up when I was going hunting. Of course he could trail me because I left a fresh trail and that is what deer often follow to the hunter, turned up earth because freshly turned up earth uncovers food and they know it. When the hunter moves or makes sounds the deer know it and that's what causes them to get jiggy. Pick them up before they pick you up and you can often sit still and watch them pass by after they stop where you did and look all over for what turned up that fresh trail.

I've had deer bed down next to me on the ground.

Most hunters are to pre occupied with staying comfortable and not glassing, moving and making noise, telling every critter with in a half mile right where they are.

Most people who claim they tried scent control didn't do much at all. All there stuff stinks for starters and after they showered (maybe) they touched everything on the way out using a fresh towel the little woman has stunk all up real pretty. They climb in their trucks they did nothing to kill any stink in, stop and get gas and a sticky bun all dress up. And if they happen to not wear every piece they sit down on the tail gate or something like it to finish dressing. Then then claim scent control doesn't work and a deer is to much for the top of the food chain to fool. I've fooled to many that were staring right at me for what they thought was a 100 yards past me (me) and never know I was right there with the wind blowing straight in their face from me.

Does make you wonder though


if weed would attract deer? :)

scent lok.....
 

I've killed quite a few deer w/ scent lok, and quite a few w/o scent lok. Doesn't matter, we (humans) have a scent all of own own. The second we step into their living room we leave a sign. Synthetic fiber has a scent all its own that is foreign in the woods, as does dye. Use it and use the wind, that way you did all you could do and sleep well. I'm big on using the wind, no movement, no noise and sit for long periods. Usually the deer you see, were about a mile or two away and had no idea you came in.




If that helps ya.:confused0024:

Just not for me, not in the budget and I also think it is smoke and mirrors.

CVG Ohio

Yessir!
 

You got that right, everything about us is foriegn to them, like I said it doesn't matter. You'll never see the deer that got down wind of you IMO. My take on it is, I gotta wear something, so I might as well use it, it was a gift anyway. As for all that spraying and the rest, I don't use it. Less is better.:confused0024:

This is too funny!!! I too have scent blocker and scent lok gear that I wear into the woods at times thanks to my ol' lady buying me a christmas present, but I also feel it is all a crock and a way for companies to charge crazy amounts of money for gear. Can't go wrong when you play the wind.