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Thread: Scent control vs scent masking/playing the wind...or both

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
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    103

    Scent control vs scent masking/playing the wind...or both

    Hi Everyone,

    I was listing to a podcast where two very success hunters in the US were debating how to avoid being scented by a deer. One hunter, a proponent of hunting saddles, does not play the wind or scent mask at all. He has a very strict regime of keeps his scent off his scentlok hunting clothes. He washes them with scentless soap, places them in bins, etc. The other, a big tree stand hunter, swears by scent masking and playing the wind. He uses the scent away type sprays and constantly checks the wind. So for those of you that successful "feet on the ground" hunters, what do you do? Maybe you do both? This is the beginning of "feet on the ground hunting" for me, be it still hunting or blind, so I thought I would see what you are doing.

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Tokoroa, New Zealand
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    1,512

    Re: Scent control vs scent masking/playing the wind...or both

    No matter how well you wash yourself or your clothes, be it with "scentless soap" or the latest scent killer in a bottle, if your scent is carried by the wind to the nostrils of a deer, it will smell you.

    Keep the wind in your face or travel faster than the breeze.

    Height on a hot day such as up a tree can help as your scent rises.
    I'll be home before winter. It's too cold to sleep out.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
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    Nanaimo
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    433

    Re: Scent control vs scent masking/playing the wind...or both

    Quote Originally Posted by gamehunter6o View Post
    No matter how well you wash yourself or your clothes, be it with "scentless soap" or the latest scent killer in a bottle, if your scent is carried by the wind to the nostrils of a deer, it will smell you.

    Keep the wind in your face or travel faster than the breeze.

    Height on a hot day such as up a tree can help as your scent rises.

    Exactly, this whole “scentless” idea is such a gimmick.

    “Oh damn I didn’t get to shoot a deer because I forgot my dirt smelling lip chap and mouthwash”
    I support PETA!
    People Eating Tasty Animals!

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
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    Fraser valley
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    2,465

    Re: Scent control vs scent masking/playing the wind...or both

    Watch the wind. Any of the scent eliminating stuff is a waste of money. You don’t need two ozonics machines strapped to the tree and a gallon of snake oil dumped over your body to shoot a deer.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Tent city Victoria
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    3,562

    Re: Scent control vs scent masking/playing the wind...or both

    Quote Originally Posted by gamehunter6o View Post
    No matter how well you wash yourself or your clothes, be it with "scentless soap" or the latest scent killer in a bottle, if your scent is carried by the wind to the nostrils of a deer, it will smell you.

    Keep the wind in your face or travel faster than the breeze.

    Height on a hot day such as up a tree can help as your scent rises.
    Hold your breath the entire hunt, don’t fart, don’t burp, don’t sweat and maybe you’ll have a chance

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    1,009

    Re: Scent control vs scent masking/playing the wind...or both

    I think if you are walking wind is king. I imagine that in a tree stand, reducing your scent, combined with being elevated and more diffusion, might reduce the alarm level in deer. They’ll still smell you know matter how ‘scentless’ your clothes are. I think, totally can’t prove it, that they work on scent density. Low density is a ‘keep your ears up boys, there’s a dude in the wind’. As scent density grows - a wise buck will calmly move away from you. High density and they vacate the area quickly. There is a saying in water quality treatment - dilution is the solution. As you get more mixing, parts per million (ppm) drop and things become less detectable. I’m sure deer work on scent gradients where higher ppm trigger greater responses (based on the deer experience). If you can decrease scent you can decrease the amount of dilution needed (mixing by air). I still thing the amount of dilution needed is too great to walk with the wind and not push deer. You might reduce the distance required to diluted your scent so in open areas scent control would help but not in the dense areas that I tend to hunt.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
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    In the bush near a lake
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    7,198

    Re: Scent control vs scent masking/playing the wind...or both

    Putting the wind in your favour is king all the scent control is BS walking or stand. At one time I went crazy scent control for 2 years and my end results were if the wind is wrong you are screwed no matter what.

    Been lots of studdies on it even mythbusters tested it with a bloodhound and scent control failed

    If you are trying to get the smell off your mistress off you before going home to the wife scent control is worth it but for hunting save your $ and play the wind

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
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    1,617

    Re: Scent control vs scent masking/playing the wind...or both

    Scent control is not just about eliminating or reducing odour.

    A favorite hunting location requires stinking up the place to be successful while alone.
    Here the Bucks bed in the thickest crud with open space all around.
    Impossible to walk through it and have a shot.
    Best practice is to get upwind in a good shooting position.
    Fart, burp, have a smoke.
    Stinks 'em out, catch 'em creeping out the back door....

    Don't worry about eliminating your scent, 'cause you can't.
    Control where your scent goes.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    An Island in the Pacific
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    757

    Re: Scent control vs scent masking/playing the wind...or both

    Fishing lures catch more fishermen than fish. Companies make millions selling gimmicks to hunters.

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    8,515

    Re: Scent control vs scent masking/playing the wind...or both

    Lets see, rifles have oils etc on them, if you have taken care of them.
    Boots are greased in with all sorts of crap.
    So, why worry about the rest.
    Best way is to avoid the wind.
    Probably why all these hunters that you mention never do well on a day that the wind "swirls"!
    But have success on days where wind stays constant in one direction.

    Hell, I smoke sadly and has never hindered me.
    I even see guys who wear gloves to tie on there flies etc fishing, yet I like mine around the knots and have no issues catching fish.

    Wash your clothes however, to save your hunting partners from "falling over" during dinner!!

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