for the cold in maine wet/moisture is the biggest enemy. think hi-tech fast wicking fabrics at least 2 next to the skin. I usualy buy one set of the lightest wt and 1 of the heaviest wt and use both if needed. next wool,polarfleece,down (an insulating layer) I prefer wool, then an outer breathable waxed cotton or goretex type shell should do the trick. a fleece/wool facemask, larger insulated hat to fit over facemask and heat paks in hat around kidneys in gloves can be a hunt maker/breaker. in real cold insulated foam pads for butt, feet and back are a big help. scent will come from your breath and your not gonna stop breathing so eliminating scent totaly is impossible. reduceable yes but I don't go crazy about it anymore. I'm carefull not to touch a lot of things with my hands, use a urination btl, used racoon scent when up in a tree and scent away rarely anymore. worry more about working with the wind in your favor instead of trying to control scent. games sense of smell is so good I just don't think they will not detect you if you get in their zone, but they want to verify what they smell with sound and or sight, before freaking out (sometimes). ever have a deer bobbing it's head and stamping it's hoof trying to get you to move or make a sound, they know somethings there but not exactly sure what/where unless it's an older/smarter animal.
Your biggest tool to scent control is to hunt with the wind in your face. However, it is nearly impossible to do in Florida in early season. The wind swirls way too bad. Terrain dictates wind direction moreso than the wind itself. A wind out of the NW at 4 MPH may be blowing from the S down in a oak hammock. Thats why when people say to "hunt the wind", I have to almost laugh at them. You simply can't do it in early season in Central/N Fla.
I am not as fanatical as I used to be about scent, but I still do take a lot of steps. I use ALL "free&clear" laundry detergent with a scoop of Super washing soda added in. I dry my clothes, then hang them outside for a day or so, then I pack them in the XXXL ziploc bags.
I shower in one off the commercial scent free body washes. I buy the scent a way sprays by the case at the beginning of the season, and I use the hell out of it. I quit wearing snake boots and only wear rubber boots now. When I walk in, I break off dog fennels or a pine branch and crush them up as I walk in. So far this year, I have seen deer every single sit with exception of one, and have only busted once. Only reason then is I was pouring sweat. The deer I killed this year walked in dead down wind of me and stopped at 4 yards, not ever knowing I was there
The other thing I added this year, and I swear by them is chlorophyll pills. I did a lot of reading on them this summer and all the 100's of reviews I read, I couldn't find anything negative. Hell, my farts don't even stink anymore while taking them
http://www.naturesway.com/Products/Specialty-Products/3550-Chlorofresh.aspx
As far as clothing, get a good base layer. i would buy it up there. ALso, the one thing I SWEAR by in cold weather is Merino wool socks. I haven't had cold feet in years
you know your wool. merino is good (check out cc filson clothing excelent clothes, espensive but you will NEVER wear them out or have to replace) and more comfortable next to the skin. dachtstien wool is good with a high oil content but hard to find, both are expensive. virgin wool is good but harder yet to find since Carlos reached puberty, unless the sheep was very ugly.
who has the better "sniffer"?? wild game or a police canine?? I have witnessed and seen on utube the test where a subject was alledgedly "decented" with sprays and sanitized clothes. the subject hid in a box-one of 5-and the dog found him each and every time. I believe elevation or wind direction are yiur best allies.
