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tcook8296

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Discussion starter · #1 · (Edited)
I was reading JDH's post about his trail camera and a deer smelling him a few days later. I figured I would make this thread for some scent control tips and what precautions you take with scent control for you and your gear. Some guys are absolutely nuts about it. I find myself a lot more paying attention to wind direction and storing my clothes in scent free bags, using scent eliminator on my clothes , boots, gear and treestands, scent free shower etc. I don't use any type of attractants whatsoever. Scent elimination products only. I like the dead down wind products. I would say on a scale of 1-10 my scent control efforts would be about a 7 with a 10 being an extreme nut. What precautions do you take or not take for storing your clothes, before hunting and even after hunting. Also , if you down a deer, do you field dress right where the deer drops or do you take the deer out away from your stand to field dress. I always remove the deer from the area before field dressing.I know I have killed deer in my younger years while smoking a cigarette in the stand. Ive field dressed deer right by the stand also.I always enjoy seeing how others do it and the products they use. Maybe learn a new trick or two.
 
I do the same thing. Just washed my clothes and towels last night in scent eliminator detergent and hung them up outside to dry on my shed. Once they are dry I store them in the large zip-loc clothes bags, one complete outfit per bag, in plastic bins so I am ready to pack the night before. My boots have socks filled with small amounts of A&H Baking Powder to absorb any odor. I don't get dressed until I am parked at my spot. After I'm done for the day I don't change out of my clothes since I wash them again to remove any odor. As for deer, I'll let you know when I get one;)
 
I do the whole gig, not sure on at scale to grade myself but id say probably a 6-7. I was all clothes, gloves, backpack and hats in scent free deterrent. Spray dryer down with scent eliminator and throw clothes in with a no scent dryer sheet. I have a double zip bag that I again spray with scent elimator inside and put all my hunting articles in there. Shower morning of with dead down wind products, I try me air dry as much as possible but it's usually ice cold in my bathroom. I then pat down a a towel I've washed in scent free detergent, use dead down wind body foam and deodorant. I'll throw on a pair of basketball shorts and a tshirt then get in car and head out, no heat on in the truck . Get dressed in car when I get to the field. Spray down with a fall scent once dressed and head in woods. Normally if I remember to bring a bottle once I get in the stand I spray again because I know i am sweaty.

as far as deer, fingers crossed I get one this year, but other animals I usually dress as close to the truck as possible
 
I use whatever brand scent free detergent is on sale same with scent killer spray & shower soap, normally stock up after the season when stores have good deals. All outter camo is washed, then I use every time a clean trash bag, I spray the inside with the scent killer, place the clothes from the washer in the bag, hang dry them outside, once dried I spray them down lightly with the scent killer and place back in the bag, force out as much as the air as I could, then tie it up. I put my camo on maybe within 500 yds of my stand, boots are also sprayed down and place in a different bag. I use scent free detergent from one of the major brands found in the supermarkets for my socks, sweat shirts/t-shirts, underwear, long johns, etc. I shower before each hunt, I have a towels I use for hunting season only they are washed in the scent free detergent as well. I spray down with scent killer when I get dressed, and before climbing the tree, and spray down a few times per day. I also use a bottle to pee in, if/when using deer scent I use latex gloves, as far as gutting deer I take it away from my hunting area.

I agree with playing the wind is key, but in the area I hunt with all the damn hills the wind is all over the place
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
When I hunt out west, I sometimes won't suit up until I reach my tree and then spray down again. The hike to my honey hole is 30 To 45 min on a steep bluff. I have to stop several times so I don't overheat
 
Well, I'd say I'm a poor example. I wash all of my camo in scent free detergent before the season starts. Let it all air dry and spray it with scent killer. I store it all in plastic tubs according to what weather they are for. Unless I fall in the mud or something, I dont wash it again til the end of the season. Early season I can get in a couple of hours huntng after work. I am an auto mechanic. I get out of work smelling like gasoline, brake cleaner, gear oil, transmission fluid and what ever else I've been into that day. I also smoke at work as well as in my stand. I sometimes spray down after putting on my camo. Sometimes not. I hunt small parcels in between neighborhoods. My best spot is a small 11 acre piece of woods sandwiched between a bunch of houses. The deer eat in these peoples back yards til the acorns drop. I hunt travel trails leading to the nicest back yard. Where I hunt, I dont think scent control is very critical. I fill all of my tags every year. Got my best buck ever last year in mid October by grunting him out of a back yard. He was a 120ish inch nice one. My main concern is getting in and out silently without bumping them.
 
I have carbon activated gear so after every few hunts I put them in the drier and after the drier they go right into my sent free storage bin that goes back into my truck. Shower with scent free soap and make sure to dry off with a scent free towel i then put on my under armor and right from the bath room I head to the truck I don't do anything else in the house as to keep my dogs from coming near me. I always get dressed when I get to where I'm hunting , I then spray my boots down and walk to my stand..in cold months I'll walk to my stand in noting then my under armor and put my heavy gear on once im at my stand and cooled off from the walk in.....as far as gutting deer I always try to gut them away from my stand ...I would rate myself a 6-7 on scent contral
 
I do the whole gig, not sure on at scale to grade myself but id say probably a 6-7. I was all clothes, gloves, backpack and hats in scent free deterrent. Spray dryer down with scent eliminator and throw clothes in with a no scent dryer sheet. I have a double zip bag that I again spray with scent elimator inside and put all my hunting articles in there. Shower morning of with dead down wind products, I try me air dry as much as possible but it's usually ice cold in my bathroom. I then pat down a a towel I've washed in scent free detergent, use dead down wind body foam and deodorant. I'll throw on a pair of basketball shorts and a tshirt then get in car and head out, no heat on in the truck . Get dressed in car when I get to the field. Spray down with a fall scent once dressed and head in woods. Normally if I remember to bring a bottle once I get in the stand I spray again because I know i am sweaty.

as far as deer, fingers crossed I get one this year, but other animals I usually dress as close to the truck as possible
Just so you know I think this is more of a 9 not that that's bad it actually sounds like a well thought out plan but definitely not a 6-7. I wash everything I'm going to wear with scent free detergent and dry with scent free dryer sheets I only wash about every 3-4 hunts. After washing I hang in my garage and spray down with scent killer 2-3 times before I go out, I will also do this between hunts. I do not have carbon or any other scent block camo. I'm not overly concerned with scent as I feel a good portion of where I hunt the deer are used to the smell of people. Maybe call me a 5.
 
I use carbon clothes so I feel like I'm covered with that. I spray my boots, hat and backpack everytime I go out. Here in NJ though, I feel like you don't need to go balls to the wall with the scent blocking methods (depends where you hunt) I hunt along a road practically so I would like to think the fumes from the trucks and cars would confuse the nose of a deer a little...I don't know that's just me and my theory though
 
I am but I draw the line at ozonics. I swore I was not going to waste any more money on carbon suits but I wanted a new light set of coveralls and cabelas had a savannah suit on sale so once again I bought scentlock. I shower scent free care fore my clothes spray down and especially my boots for the walk in. Still - I heed the wind and expect to be winded if air flow is not in my favor. On little secret for boots - I grind them into the grass and earth before I start my walk in. Try to coat them with as much natural scent I can and grind off any foreign scent. I do that after spraying. I have not seen a deer sniff my trail since I started doing that.
 
I wash my clothes in scent free, take a scent free shower, brush my teeth with scent free toothpaste, spray everything down with scent free joo-joo (because that's what the guys on the huntin shows do)then, when I step outside my house and figure out which way the wind is blowing, I hunt the wind.....
 
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