Scent Control Products

[johnwilliamson062]

http://www.fieldandstream.com/articl...-vs-a-drug-dog

Really interesting article with links to several tests. Would be interesting to see these repeated with a more scientific approach and larger sample size.

I used Scent-Lok Scent control overalls for a few years. Mine were fleece and insulated. I bought them on sale from Cabelas's in one of their VISA card holder offers, so the deal wasn't bad. In cold weather I loved wearing them. In hot weather they were terrible. Did nothing for the scent coming off your head, which I always figured was sufficient to give me away. Over time I tore them several places where they caught and snagged further reducing their efficacy. No water proofing. I never noticed any clear advantage. If upwind from your shooting lanes, best to just go home. I tossed them last year. I started practicing ?scent normalization? a year or two ago and found it effective.
I found this looking to see if there were any lighter ones offered in my price range with waterproofing. Turns out I'm too cheap for anything on the market.

[big al hunter]

I have found that the best scent control is the wind. Keep track of it and use it to my advantage.

[22-rimfire]

Pay attention to the wind and that is all the control you need as long as you don't wash with heavily scented soaps. People always said tobacco smoke was a big no no deer hunting.... I have shot a number of deer from the ground when I was "taking a break" with my pipe in my mouth. I think they like the smell and approach because they're curious.

Urine... same deal. Had deer pee where I pee'd.

[Erno86]

I find that Hydrocide Xtreme Deodorizer and Severe Odor Counteractant --- non toxic --- is the best when sprayed on clothes and boots.

[.50cal packer]

I found this interesting. I read an article in a hunting magazine, about this exact issue. You may have as well. Two gentlemen and a English setter were involved. One man,"we'll call him A.," tested three scent control products on clothing. "A." Would put on scent washes clothes from one of the three main companies to see how well and how long it would hide him from the setter. Long story short, all three brand failed, within the longest time of 10 seconds. They claimed the dog was bored on the 10 second time, and fiddeled around a bit. The first two were 3 seconds, and 4.5 seconds. Which is a fairly similar story, from Fiels and Stream. So, as much as I would like to think, that the products I use did well. They really didn't do anything. So, with that said, they and I, have came to the conclusion, that Mother Nature is the best scent control. As said above in other comments, wind direction is the key, to wise animals and a successful days hunt. Just my $.02 cents worth.

[Gunplummer]

Take up predator trapping if you really want a lesson in scents. What people cannot seem to grasp is that deer habits differ by age and area, and all deer are individuals.

[Toney]

For archery season I work on sent control, during rifle I don't worry at all about sent.

[dahermit]

I doubt if currently offered scent control products are strong enough to work. However, it has long be documented that Pygmies in the rain-forest of Africa role in and cover them selves with Elephant dung to cover their own scent when hunting Elephants. They get so close in the thick jungle that they actually creep underneath an Elephant to strike upwards into the soft underparts of an Elephant and then trail it until it expires from its wound.
Now if a similarly strong cover scent could be commercialized...something as strong as the result of rolling in cow manure...perhaps that would work, but I suspect that one would not be allowed in the house anymore. Perhaps skunk as an alternative to cow manure? I don't think I will be trying "cover scents" anytime soon.

[Kreyzhorse]

Pay attention to the wind and that is all the control you need as long as you don't wash with heavily scented soaps. People always said tobacco smoke was a big no no deer hunting.... I have shot a number of deer from the ground when I was "taking a break" with my pipe in my mouth. I think they like the smell and approach because they're curious.

Urine... same deal. Had deer pee where I pee'd.

+1.

Not moving is the best scent control ever.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

If big game can repeatedly scent a individual from a 100-200 yards away. That persons body odor or his outwear >stinks!!
No amount of Scent Shield or spray cover scents will totally eliminate that individual of such nasty odors. I would advocate not to totally rely on scent shielding products. Personal hygiene and clean garments are two most important topics needing to be consider prior to every hunt.

[kraigwy]

I'm leery of people testing stuff from their sponcers. I like to do my own test since I'm a buyer and have no involvement in marketing a product.

I picked up one of those Ozonic deals wondering if they work. I read good reviews but I trust my own more.

I have 4 dogs, two are Bassett hounds. If find something that hides food from a Bassett hound, you have a winner.

So I stuck a hot dog and some bacon on the floor in the corner, then set up the Ozonic sent blocker in front of the hotdog/bacon.

I'll be damn if it didn't work. Wasn't until I picked up the Ozonic that the dogs found the food.

[jmr40]

If big game can repeatedly scent a individual from a 100-200 yards away. That persons body odor or his outwear >stinks!!

You seriously underestimate a big game animals ability to smell. They are going to smell you, the key is to have a scent that does not alarm them. That depends on where you're hunting. If you're on a dairy farm the game animals both see and smell workers every day, often with their boots covered with cow poop. Seeing or smelling that wont alarm the game, but in the middle of a wilderness area where humans are rarely present it would. I'm not sold on the idea of buying garments that keep the scent in, but covering or masking scents are a different story.

Hunters have used cover scents for thousands of years. The difference is that they made their own, we buy it in a store. There is nothing wrong with smelling bad, as long as it is a scent that wouldn't alarm game. One tactic is to stand in campfire smoke and saturate your clothes with smoke. Wildfires are common and smoke smell wouldn't cause alarm. In fact it could bring in curious animals to investigate.

Some of the most successful hunters store their hunting clothes outdoors in plastic garbage bags full of dirt and tree branches common to the area they hunt in. Often covered in doe pee, skunk scent, or other scents. They are only washed at the end of the season with no detergent. Their smell is offensive to humans in public, but not to game animals.

What alarms game animals is clean clothes washed in detergent, deodorant, gasoline from filling up on the way to your hunting area or the odors of breakfast you ate before going into the woods. Odors none of us would ever notice because they are common to us. But way out of place to game animals.

[johnwilliamson062]

They are going to smell you, the key is to have a scent that does not alarm them.

Why I use what I refer to as "scent normalization"

the odors of breakfast you ate before going into the woods.

Now I will have to sprinkle bacon bits around...

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

You seriously underestimate a big game animals ability to smell. They are going to smell you,

You seriously over estimate a animals ability.
From my experiences they do not always scent a human. I've personally walked up to a doe feeding on the side of a logging trail to within 15 ft of her. One 8 point buck walked head first to within 20-ft of me on a old well used deer run while I was standing in the middle of the run and glaring at it head on.
I seldom wear any cover up scent . But I make it a point to shower every morning and wear clean fresh clothes out in my woods day after day during my hunting. No special clothes washing detergent use here. Just Amway's powdered washing detergent. No special underarm deodorant applied here. Just Arm & Hammer non-scented Deodorant I apply every morning year in and year out.
It amazes me how so many foolish hunters young & old douse or smear themselves with those newly marketed un-scented/scented cover ups or dress themselves in those high dollar wondrous scent shielding clothes. When all it takes not to be scented by one's quarry is common sense tactics. Be clean. Be alert. Walk slowly & quietly into the wind. Those who prefer to rely on special hunting clothes and the most fancy named cover up products. Fine and dandy. Better that they spur the economy than I. But please don't try to sway me into thinking game animals smell humans all the time. That sir is too bold a statement for any wise hunter to believe.

[Gunplummer]

Can't argue with that. I used to keep a downy feather on my recurve to be able to watch the breeze. It seems funny to me that most hunters will apply this stuff only during archery season. When the leaves are still up your scent is absorbed and blocked. I always bowhunted from the ground and smoked like a freight train back then. When the leaves come down it is a different story, but by then they are usually in rut anyway. Sit in a tree? The best way to spread your scent over a large area. In my opinion, once the leaves are down movement is everything and scent means nothing.

[Mobuck]

I've used a couple of the "spray on" products sold to control odor but can't say that they work or don't. I do know that I drenched the inside of a pair of stinky slippers with the stuff and could not detect any odor reduction.

[Toney]

I use fresh earth cover sent, smells like hunting!.


A few years ago my landowner let a youth group from the church camp out on opening day of archery season and forgot to call me... they set up in the bottom between my two stands...


At the time I wasn't sure who it was but decided to go ahead and set until someone run me off..

About 6:30 they started cooking breakfast. .. I could smell the bacon plain as day... a little upset I was chain smoking...

About 7 a whole heard of deer showed up right under my stand and I put a arrow in one.

[tedthorn]

By all means keep buying snake oil and believe it works