I got permission from a friend of a friend to hunt on his property next month... my first hunt.
His property is very small as in about 4 or 5 acres but is located between water management land and a large grapefruit grove. He has a tree stand set up to see back Eastern 2/3 of property. I was told there are hogs and deers that use the property to travel between water management land and the grove. I was told to be very careful with scent when going out to the stand. He said if hogs or deer get a scent on me they will not go through the property for a day or two.
So my question is how do I prevent leaving my scent while walking to the stand?
I was thinking about wearing my rubber boot to minimize the scent from my foot but what else can/should I do?
Rubber boots are a must, and only use them hunting, i leave them in my truck box, and don't even drive with them, and hunt the wind. to be honest, if the animals are feeding in the grove, they probably have scented the workers and such.
You could use a cover scent as well. Use a drag with either coon, fox, or deer scent. I'd be careful of the deer scent as I'm not 100% sold they don't get spooked by a new deer all the sudden. I'm probably just paranoid though but everytime I've used it and they get down wind they act funny. Not spooky right away but too nervous for my taste.
I wear rubber Muck boots every day to the stand. I try to step in a mud hole, or step on and crush dog fennels or any green brush as you walk in. I usually grab a dog fennel or a pine branch and crush it as I walk. try to keep the prevailing wind in your face(easier to do this time of year as the cold fronts are here regularly and the wind doesn't swirl as badly), and stay down wind from the way you think the deer will come from.
Don't over-think the scent stuff. Keep the winds in your face, be still and you can wear a pink toot toot and they will never know you are there. I am a scent nut in early season, because the wind swirls so bad. After that its easier to hunt the winds. camo is overrated. Biggest asset in camo is a face net if you have light skin like I do...or grow a beard like I do in hunting season. you will be amazed how badly a white human face stands out against a background
think for a moment where most of your own scents come from: smoking, butt,mouth,armpits,crotch,feet and hands. so watch what you eat/drink/smoke, if you can smell someones bad breath/farts so can they. hands are imo the biggest give away if you grab/touch every branch on the way in your gonna get busted and be carefull with the rope hoists you pull your gear up into the stand with, don't let it dangle in the breeze like a big scent wick. some people don't believe urine is a give away, not me, I carry a pee btl and carry it back out just make sure the tops on tight. I use raccoon urine cover scent when in a tree but go easy with it it's strong stuff. don't overdo any scents imo. a btl of powder is handy to check wind directions. you will never eliminate all scents 100%, but you can reduce them. gas the vehicle up on the way home not before the hunt. on farm/ranch land like where I hunt mostly they are used to a lot of human scents but not at certain times and places.
