Just thought that I'd throw this out there. Is it better to be odor free or have some type of cover scent. If it is a cover scent then what works best? Fox urine or what? There is a lot of debate on this topic. Sure I know that you can never be totally scent free but try as much as possible. I've heard people talk about women wearing perfume and the deer being curious of what the smell is and walk up on them.
In this Florida heat, you can't walk a but a few steps and not be sweating. I take some wash clothes and soak them in water and baking soda. Then I freeze them and throw them in a cooler. When I get to the area I'm going to hunt, I take one out and wrap it around my neck. It helps keep you cool, but I still sweat. Then I try to play the wind.
I am currently reading a book called "Tracking dogs for finding wounded deer". It is basically about training dogs to trail a wounded deer, but the chapter on scent has really opened my eyes. You really can't fool a deers nose as it takes so little scent for you to be detected. You basically leave a vapor trail as you walk (not just from your boots), but scent molecules falling off of you and onto the ground. It's a wonder any of us ever see a deer
As for me I try to stay as scent free as I can by showering and laundry, wear rubber boots, etc and still get busted. A couple of my spots on my lease I have to walk past the feeding areas (plots or feeders) to get to my stands. There is simply no other way to set them up to hunt the predominant winds. And hunting the wind in early season is near impossible.
I rarely use a cover scent as I have seen them do more harm than good. Now thru the end of October (for my area) is the only time I'll use it. And sparingly then. I try to step in a big mud hole before I walk in.
Smoking your hunting clothes?
by ario » 28 Sep 2014, 18:53
I do the usual, wash with scent free soap (clothes and myself), store my clothes in scent free bags and spray down with scent free spray. I have just started smoking my hunting clothes before using them. I have no results to report yet, but would like to hear from others as to your opinion on this. Is this an effective method for covering human scent? Will deer run from the smell of smoke? Not to steal the thread but I have heard that people will break of dog finnels and rub them all over them and use that for cover. Which makes since because it is a natural scent.
:saluting
I try my best but am not militant about scent, try to hunt the wind to the best of my ability. Last Wednesday I hunted the afternoon and seen the wind coming in from 3 directions. I had good luck laying down a trail of code red estrous from the truck all the way to my feeder, I backtracked to my lock in and climbed in. Brought in a young 8ptr on a string that I ended up missing at 20 yds. (that another story).
