I just got through watching a television show on the outdoor channel geared for scent elimination and scent management. The hosts were trying to market a boatload of scent management products, like a spray-on scent elimination bottle, scent elimination body soap, scent elimination shampoo, scent elimination clothes washing soap and a few others. I guess the whole idea was to hit the woods with neutral scent. They also hyped a strip of paper with deer scent on it to attract deer, a special drip thingy to make it smell like a deer scrape on the ground and a few other products, like a scent stick on a string to drag through the woods in back of you on your way to the deer stand. So, my question is, after using all this scent elimination stuff, is all of it negated when you walk to your stand and work up a sweat while doing it? I've never used one of the products, but folks must use them. Any thoughts? Tom Purdom

There is so much garbage advertised on TV that one just must have to be successful in a particular endeavor or to have a happy life.

I think most of the deer hunting gimicks advertised are garbage. As for the thing you drag behind your boot, get your sent of choice, put it on a rag, pin it to you pants and drag that if you want to. I think knowing where to set up for deer hunting, taking a bath, watching the wind, etc. is quite a bit more important.

I consider "The Advanced Deer Hunter's Bible" by John Weiss an excellent and fairly brief book on deer hunting that gives a good analysis of the value of various techniques.

Personally, I think the products are all essentially snake-oil and offer benefits only to those manufacturing and selling the products.

I hunt into the wind and assume that any animal downwind of me is going to be aware that there's a human upwind of them, regardless of any efforts to mask human scent.

I've killed 6 deer since Sept 7th with a bow, 4 of which I was on the ground. I killed 2 antelope in WY (I know, not as big a deal with a rifle).

All of my clothes were washed in some "Scent Eliminator" soap of some kind because I had some left over from last season I bought at about half price.

All hunts for deer except for 2 were either before I went to work or right afterwards. Meaning, I took regular showers, regular shampoo, soap, hair gel, etc.

Hunt the wind. I spent my last penny on the scent eliminator stuff last season. You will always exhale, and sometimes sweat. Therefore, you will always leave some scent in the air.

I think the people who make this stuff live by the saying "A sucker is born every minute". As others have said, don't worry about scent elimination just hunt the wind.

I have noticed that deer get much closer (even close downwind) if I am wearing the scentlock type clothing. If I'm dirty or sweaty and have on regular clothing, deer can usually pick-up my scent within 50-80 yds downwind in a light breeze. If I'm clean and have on the scentlock clothing, they frequently get within 10 yds while they are Downwind, without detecting my scent (ground-blind situations). Some deer are going to come in at you from downwind, no matter how you hunt.

I have used one type with success. It is called Vanishing Hunter and it is a baking soda compound of some sort. It eliminates breath odor. I used to use baking soda exclusively but this is simpler and is basically baking soda in a spray. As for all the other stuff I agree, Snake Oil

A former co-worker hunts around the country and in Canada w/ his father-in-law (a pro for a major bow company) and his father-in-law's hunting partner (another pro I often see in the Cabela's catalog). They were going weeks at a time chasing after record book deer and bear while recording the hunts for video sales and marketing. This co-worker always had the latest and newest scent control clothing and gadgets and they've taken alot of game animals.

I generally take one to two months off work every year and hunt various wilderness areas living out of a backpack. No matter how hard I try to stay clean, after a couple of weeks everything smells of woodsmoke at best. One partner of mine who eats volumes of hard salami, chews tobacco and smokes cigars, develops an odor about as pleasant as a skunk. We also have taken alot of game animals.

Finally I was invited on one of my friend's professional hunts and discovered their secret to keeping their gear so sent free over weeks afield. They had support of laundry service and an unlimited supply of sponsored clothing and equipment. Their hunts were closer to staged scenes for video editing to sell products.

GVA

my $.02


Sitting in a box blind, tri-pod or on the side of a hill 125 yds out or more, it doesnt make much difference whether you haven't bathed in a week. However when bow hunting at 7 to 20 yds I want every advantage I can have, even if its just the confidence that comes with being as scent free as possible. To me, $5.00 each for a bottle of "scent free" clothes wash, body soap and cover scent are a small price to pay considering my overall cost of about $300 per trip to my lease. In the last three bow hunts I/ve made, the two times I have used the aforementioned products I killed. The first hunt the temp was approx 90degrees and I was sweating like a pig and no luck. I for one will continue to use scent eliminating products as I think they work
GWB

If a deer is downwid of you and you are wearing scent loc, every weasel piss and doe in heat urine availiable do you really believe it won't also smell your BREATH? There is nothing you can do to stop smelling like a human. The deer will smell your natural human odor, as well as all the crap you may bathe in.

There is absolutely no way of "covering" or "eliminateing" your scent.

Sometimes an animal may be down wind of you and not get your scent for a short while giving an impression that it can't smell you, but be sure that once you scent drifts to it, depending on the wind speed it will smell you and whatever else you are wearing.

Some of these products may do a little to cover your stench, who knows how much but these animals have incredibly sensitive smell and you will never be able to get rid of it altogether.
Also I reiterate that your breath is a very powerful factor. It STINKS to a wild animal.

Rolling in bullshit would be equally effective.

Sounds like a bunch of people who have never used the stuff to me.

I have watched bees and yellow jackets attracted to football stadiums where the fruit smelling shampoo drove them nuts.

If you will actually try the product before you slam it, you will experience the same thing I did. Use the scent free shampoo, soap and deodorant and try washing your hands with regular soap: you will be able to smell your hands at arms length. A new hunter in the office tried it and she experienced the exact same thing.

Scent free items will help a good hunter be better but will not cure a bad hunter.

Aaron

quote:

Originally posted by AaroninUtah:
Sounds like a bunch of people who have never used the stuff to me.

Not in my case. I spent thousands on, heck, you name it. All brands, new brands, old ones, etc. Even use to gargle with baking soda/water before going afield.

These things work TO A DEGREE, I'll even state that without hesitation, but they are not fool proof as they advertise.

I've had deer downwind of me when I used all of these things and they did get a little closer, but the bottom line is, they still sensed something was up.

I keep my hunting clothes hanging outside 24/7. I've taken just as many deer with a bow without Scent eliminator products vs. drowning in the stuff.

It sounds more like a bunch of people who HAVE used the stuff to me and got smart and stopped wasting their money. JMO.

quote:

Scent free items will help a good hunter be better

Just curious, what is the 'measuring stick' for this? If it's numbers of game seen up close or killed, then I respectfully disagree. The fact is, humans are like any other mammal, we constantly leave dander where we go, and unfortunately, deer can smell it.

And so long as you keep breathing, they can always detect your last meal.

When rifle hunting I don't usually bother with scent elimination, especially if I'm hunting out west in very open country. There just isn't much point. When archery hunting, however, I am very careful about scent elimination and use estrous doe urine (at the right season)because it works! Think about it: if you have to walk to your stand through an area that will also be travelled by your quarry, doesn't it make sense to try not to leave a trail they can smell? I have found that the spray-on type fluids work well. I also take a shower before going into the woods using a scent-eliminating soap and usually chew gum to help cut down on mouth odor.

I know it works because I have had mature whitetail deer-- bucks and does-- walk up my trail without any hint of alarm on several occasions. I once had a big buck walk up my trail, after I'd sprayed down with scent-eliminator and srayed doe urine on my rubber boot, and stand under my tree, quite literally underneath me, sniffing for the "doe" for several minutes before moving off. (Of course it was at an angle that precluded a shot with my bow, so he's probably still out there!)

To those who say they are money-wasting gimmicks, try them before you render an opinion.

I once watched a Mule deer cross my scent trail and turn a 180 in direction at over 100 yds and I've been blown off by a boat load of Whitetails. I think it is the real deal that animals will scent you and alert. I make my own scent spray which costs about $1.00 per quart.

I have mixed emotions about this subject. On one hand, it is always amusing that there are a bunch of hunters that will pay a dollar a bullet, "just in case" but not $3 for a spray, "just in case".

I do use some of the spray products for elimination, or more appropriately scent confusion, but I think there are far more important things like trying to smell like your surrounding environment. I hunt a lot of cattle country in Kansas and yes, I will step in the occaisional cow pie because it is a natural scent for the deer. I will also rub some of the dirt on me, if I am chasing a particularly wary animal and I try to hide my breath by eating some of what the deer may eat locally, like an apple on the way in.

I have found movement and clothing to be much more important. By clothing, I mean I make sure everything I wear has wrinkles in it. Almost nothing in the deer's world is flat, wxcept a rock. I tie my orange vest in knots and try to make my pants not look so flat as well. I know it is wierd, but it has helped me more than the scent stuff has, INHO. I routinely shoot deer at 10 yards or less. Thay may slow down, look, stomp, but they don't turn and run.

I use fresh doe pee or subordinate buck pee I get fresh every week from a guy here in Ohio. It works great.

The greatest advantages in using most of the products on the hunting market are in making it possible for the manufacutres of those products to buy new trucks, rifles, homes, leases and book hunts we'd like to. While "helpful" it cannot be denied that most game were nearly wiped out 100 to 200 years ago by men who hadn't bathed or changed clothes in months shooting open sighted muzzle loaders and low-powered breech loaders!

For me two of the most useful hunting gadgets are a laser range finder and a GPS. Few hunters can acurately estimate range over varying terrain (no matter what they think!) and the GPS gives even the raw newcomer the freedom to roam. Calls and attractant scents can be helpful but hunting the wind is the only way to avoid being make that reduce the chances of being smelled. No super-duper suit, soap, or even a plastic bubble can do that.

Snake oil - don't buy it for the reasons stated above.

I do not use camo anymore, especially after hunting in Africa. I hunt the wind and stay motionless when near the quarry. I cannot tell the difference except when duck hunting.

1. Get yourself a small eye/nose drop bottle and some unscented talc.

2. Squeeze it and see where the wind blows.

3. Walk into the wind.

They'll scent you no matter what you do/buy.

A bic lighter will also do in a pinch.