Scent Control

Whild_Bill

Member
There are many ways to "control" human scent what are yalls scent control protocals? Weve used smoke, pine needle oil, cedar rubs, tarcel glands, ect. Weve had some sucess using dead down wind combined with C'mere Deer and doe pee. What works for yall? Althobeit, if you get high enough aint nothing winding you
 
I was given an Ozonics kit several years ago as a gift. It was an unexpected gift and I wasn’t a believer in it at all. I do now believe it has its place though and it has helped me over the last few years. I still take reasonable precautions to keep my clothes relatively odor free and I’ve come to understand the limitations of ozonics. Mainly, that it works best when topography isn’t a major factor and wind direction is consistent and at least 5 mph. Heavy timber also hinders its effectiveness. The wind stream has to be consistent, or it’s not going to work, in other words.
 
I believe it all depends on the wind. I’ve tried it all at some point and never could tell if anything actually confused deer? I figure if I see deer and they’re not spooky, then they must not smell me or anyone else at that moment in time.
 
I fully believe that a stand is effected by your presence long after you've left. Meaning that you'll stop seeing deer (those that care) very shortly after you start hunting a stand due to lingering scent. I've never done anything that let me cheat their nose while on stand. A downwind deer will smell me no matter what I've done.


Now to let you on to my special brand of crazy...

I try to keep my clothes clean. Ozone is great for that. I don't use ozone in stand.

I don't touch anything with my hands. I have gloves that I wear going to the stand, and a second set of gloves to climb my stand and hunt with.

I sometimes place stones to create a entrance/exit path to step on. I've had both deer and yotes follow my trail through grass and leafs hours after walking in. They don't do that when I can step on flat rocks, and not have to brush against vegetation. Plus it's quieter.
 
I fully believe that a stand is effected by your presence long after you've left. Meaning that you'll stop seeing deer (those that care) very shortly after you start hunting a stand due to lingering scent. I've never done anything that let me cheat their nose while on stand. A downwind deer will smell me no matter what I've done.


Now to let you on to my special brand of crazy...

I try to keep my clothes clean. Ozone is great for that. I don't use ozone in stand.

I don't touch anything with my hands. I have gloves that I wear going to the stand, and a second set of gloves to climb my stand and hunt with.

I sometimes place stones to create an entrance/exit path to step on. I've had both deer and yotes follow my trail through grass and leafs hours after walking in. They don't do that when I can step on flat rocks, and not have to brush against vegetation. Plus it's quieter.
The exact reason we have way more stands than we can effectively hunt, i love options, and also love hunting a stand for the first time each fall. Unless circumstances are highly unusual, we like give stands a week break in b/t hunting them.
 
I have done a few things typically. I only keep my hunting clothes in a lidded poly tub, and only put them on when I'm about to go afield. Washed in unscented detergent always. I shower with unscented soap, and use unscented, scent-killing deodorant. High rubber boots, just under my knee. When I arrive at camp, camo goes outside to hang on hooks under roof. Camo is always hung outdoors to blow off. Boots stay outside under roof when I'm not in them. I take several changes of clean, non-camo regular clothes for under camo. No washing machine at camp!

I also chew on teaberry gum, or chomp on a few apples during my sits. Keeps breath un-stinky? Lessens my worries anyway!

These things have worked well for me over the years. Had a number of deer as close as 15 ft. under my stand and never a problem.
 
I used to be a strong believer in "Ever Calm", had numerous old does get downwind of me at times. While they knew something wasnt quite right, they didn't blow and stomp and alert every other deer around. I still use it but, with that said I rarely hunt when the wind is not in my favor. Clean camo stored in a tote with cedar branches rounds out my approach.
 
I have done a few things typically. I only keep my hunting clothes in a lidded poly tub, and only put them on when I'm about to go afield. Washed in unscented detergent always. I shower with unscented soap, and use unscented, scent-killing deodorant. High rubber boots, just under my knee. When I arrive at camp, camo goes outside to hang on hooks under roof. Camo is always hung outdoors to blow off. Boots stay outside under roof when I'm not in them. I take several changes of clean, non-camo regular clothes for under camo. No washing machine at camp!

I also chew on teaberry gum, or chomp on a few apples during my sits. Keeps breath un-stinky? Lessens my worries anyway!

These things have worked well for me over the years. Had a number of deer as close as 15 ft. under my stand and never a problem.
My pack ALWAYS has an apple or two in it when I head to the woods.
 
nose jammer
I use nose jammer, but sparingly, never ever on my shoes or clothing. Once in my hunting stand with the wind in my favor, I will spray a shot of nose jammer on the tree or inside the blind to give me a bit of cover for sudden wind shifts or deer circling on my backside.
Nose jammer is just another tool in the toolbox, not the fix all miracle it was touted to be when it came out at first.
 
I fully believe that a stand is effected by your presence long after you've left. Meaning that you'll stop seeing deer (those that care) very shortly after you start hunting a stand due to lingering scent. I've never done anything that let me cheat their nose while on stand. A downwind deer will smell me no matter what I've done.


Now to let you on to my special brand of crazy...

I try to keep my clothes clean. Ozone is great for that. I don't use ozone in stand.

I don't touch anything with my hands. I have gloves that I wear going to the stand, and a second set of gloves to climb my stand and hunt with.

I sometimes place stones to create a entrance/exit path to step on. I've had both deer and yotes follow my trail through grass and leafs hours after walking in. They don't do that when I can step on flat rocks, and not have to brush against vegetation. Plus it's quieter.
Great idea with the stepping stones! Another trick is to rake the old leaves off the path before hunting season. What a lot of us hunters don't think about is that there's few creatures in the woods that smash leaves and vegetation under their feet like humans do with their big clodhopper hunting boots. That crushed vegetation gives off VOC's that smell something like fresh cut grass to wildlife, and can alert a deer hours after the human has passed by even without any human odor present. A deer or a coyote knows that it's an unnatural trail of scent through through their habitat that shouldn't be there, a screaming alert to human intrusion.
 
I have a ozone generator that goes in a XL plastic tub with my clothes. Big believer. The ozone from that thing permeates the clothes so much I can smell it all day. Its a larger unit made to treat 2000 sf, iirc. Kick it on when the alarm goes off, and it runs while I shower, drink a cup of Joe and eat a bite.

I'm a hygiene guy, shower before the hunt, unscented soap, etc. Also the Mando products are legit. The unscented one kinda stinks, so I put it on the night before, then shower in the AM. It really knocks out pits and butt as an issue, effects last a couple days. Still use one of the hunting brand deodorants after shower.

I have an old ozonics unit I take, generally run it for awhile after I get in the stand, especially on warmer days when I may have gotten warm in the walk in. Battery is old, so it only runs a few hours before it dies.

I can't remember the last time I was busted in the stand. I did have a doe get nervous a couple weekends ago. My son commented on the smell of the coffee I just poured in the blind, "can't the deer smell that?". Had a doe walk about 10 yards outside my open window right after (plastic walled blind on 10' platform), who started sniffing, then picked up her pace.
 
I have a ozone generator that goes in a XL plastic tub with my clothes. Big believer. The ozone from that thing permeates the clothes so much I can smell it all day. Its a larger unit made to treat 2000 sf, iirc. Kick it on when the alarm goes off, and it runs while I shower, drink a cup of Joe and eat a bite.

I'm a hygiene guy, shower before the hunt, unscented soap, etc. Also the Mando products are legit. The unscented one kinda stinks, so I put it on the night before, then shower in the AM. It really knocks out pits and butt as an issue, effects last a couple days. Still use one of the hunting brand deodorants after shower.

I have an old ozonics unit I take, generally run it for awhile after I get in the stand, especially on warmer days when I may have gotten warm in the walk in. Battery is old, so it only runs a few hours before it dies.

I can't remember the last time I was busted in the stand. I did have a doe get nervous a couple weekends ago. My son commented on the smell of the coffee I just poured in the blind, "can't the deer smell that?". Had a doe walk about 10 yards outside my open window right after (plastic walled blind on 10' platform), who started sniffing, then picked up her pace.
Ozonics bag for clothing storage, yes! Unscented soap, yes! Rubber Boots, yes. A shot of nose jammer on the wall of the blind, yes. Running an Ozonics unit beside me when i'm hunting? Worst thing I ever tried, for multiple unstated reasons.
After I get out of the shower I spray myself with a homemade concoction that consists of 3/4 gallon distilled water, 1/2 cup of baking soda, 4.7 ozs of Baquacil, and 1 Oz of unscented laundry soap. Spray liberally on entire body and let air dry, then pull on base layer. I'm as close to scent free as is humanly possible.
 
Kinda off topic but… back in the eighties before cameras and drones and other deer counting tools, the Louisiana dept of wildlife and fisheries would rake out a circle of leaves at an area in the forest then place a stink cheese smelling glob in the middle of circle. Wait a week, then count hoof prints in the dirt. No idea if it was accurate, but I’d love to know what that smelly bait was.
 
Kinda off topic but… back in the eighties before cameras and drones and other deer counting tools, the Louisiana dept of wildlife and fisheries would rake out a circle of leaves at an area in the forest then place a stink cheese smelling glob in the middle of circle. Wait a week, then count hoof prints in the dirt. No idea if it was accurate, but I’d love to know what that smelly bait was.
They probably got a lot of catfish prints. :)
 
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