Questions on Scent Masking for Veteran Hunters

I've been hunting deer for 4 or 5 years now. Never gotten really crazy about it; I still just roll with the trusty .35 Remington from my Pa, and just go sit in the woods and wait.

Well, a couple days ago, I went to my mom's house (where I hunt, she's got some land in the woods at the base of a mountain) and went out around 6:30am. I spooked a few deer, but it was too early to shoot, as the sun was still down. I waited another couple hours, but saw nothing. Now, realize that she has a TON of deer, you see them all the time all around her property, and I've killed plenty). Anyway, I went looking around, and found a few places where I know they like to hang out, and their trails were littered with scat (right on the edge of a power company cleared swath), and decided to build my treestand there.

After about 4 hours trudging back and forth from the house, and a lot of hard manual labor, the stand was built, and I went out yesterday morning at 5:30, hoping to beat them to the spot. I sat motionless in the stand, and about half an hour later (still pitch black dark), I heard them in their "spot" just off the clearing. They started huffing and hissing, and ran off---like they usually do when I spook them.

Now, given that I had not made a move or a sound in over 30 minutes, the only thing I can think of is that they smelled me. The wind was pretty high yesterday, and it was moving in different directions every 5 minutes. From what I understand, their sense of smell is 100 times greater than ours...and if they get a strong smell of a human, they'll get spooked pretty easily.

So, I'm done for this year (sadly, only one kill), but for next year, I really want to look into masking my scent more actively. I read a few things...wash your clothes with special detergent, wash your body with special soap, get scent-lok gear, brush your teeth with baking soda before the hunt, spray yourself with scent neutralizer, etc.

So, my question is, what works, what's necessary, what's the best?

Thanks in advance...

I have never put alot of effort into the scent blocking unless I am bow hunting. And even then I dont go to the lengths of brushing with soda or anything to that extreme.

I have a scent-lok jacket but thats about it. I have only cause I couldn't find the jacket I liked without it.

I do however put my stand typically up-wind of prevailing patterns. I also use some OTHER scent that may mask mine rather than trying to not have a scent at all. i.e. Put out a doe in heat, buck rut, or non-predator scent. Depending on the time of year these either act as an attractor or just a scent that is stronger than yours.

I have never washed clothes so I can't attest to the success of those products.

I think one tool that may give you more insight is a trail cam and pay attention to the time stamp. They typically travel to designated areas at certain times of day for bedding or feeding. Then position your self so they are traveling into you at the corresponding time of day. This has proven more effective than trying to mask scents. Their desire to get where they are going will likely work in your favor.

scent-lok gear is the best! I usually wash my hunting clothes with only water and line dry. Otherwise some spent dryer sheet smell might leach on. The just use a non scented soap. I got a nice 8 pointer this am and between that and the doe earlier in the season I will be in venison for a while.

I use old military clothes, bathe with a neutral unscented soap (like Ivory) for a few days prior, The best method I've found for Bow hunting is burn a cowpie or other non meat eating animal poop and let the smoke saturate your outerwear. That will not only mask any dryer sheet/detergent smells but blend your smell. (Very old trick taught to me by my great uncle from before the days of scent-lok gear and sprays).

so I should...expose my...clothes...to...poopsmoke...um, can't I just buy some spray?

Personally, I've always taken a shower with baking soda and brushed with baking soda just before going out. When I wash my gear I wash with baking soda also. I've never really had problems with deer bow or gun. I dont know what else works.

Hope you get one. Big Buck Bock!

Well, to be fair, I've never had this problem before, so I think it might just be the fact that I spent 4 hours going back and forth on their game trail, lugging lumber up and down the mountain.

Spray scent killers work well.

I wash clothes in scent killing detergent, and then store in a airtight bag. A week before going out, I add a pine branch or two to the bag.

I have had elk walk past me at 5 yards during bow season.

Save the poop smoke for special occasions

r2eng said:

Spray scent killers work well.

I wash clothes in scent killing detergent, and then store in a airtight bag. A week before going out, I add a pine branch or two to the bag.

I have had elk walk past me at 5 yards during bow season.

Save the poop smoke for special occasions

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Awesome Idea! I just learned something.

Hunting is my passion, beer a close second. OK, well... maybe family is first, hunting second, beer third.

Or maybe hunting for beer with my family... or...

so I should...expose my...clothes...to...poopsmoke...um, can't I just buy some spray?

Click to expand...

You can, but it is not as natural and the target can smell your human scent at 1 part per millionish. I have never tried the sprays and have been able to get off a shot within 6 ft of a buck with the poop smoked clothes (Cleanest kill I ever had, didn't even have to chase him few steps and he dropped)

I have hunted with Bow and gun. I have heard a billion ways of sent killing, and this isnt the first time i have heard of "poop-smoke"... its actully not uncommon and perfectly hygenic... I have however found that deer are deftly afrid of fire so the smoke should be sevral hours old and well aired before hunting, it will mask you sent and not trip there "fire" flight thought pattern... Personally i use the KISS princple.. no sent-lock, no sprays, or special soaps or detergent.

A few fresh pine boughs on the tree stand, some cored and pealed appled broken fresh and mased all over the tree my stand is in, leave intended hunting cloths out doors over night before you hunt, take a regualr shower with no soap just a good clean hard scrubb and soak in hot water, be outside for at least an hour before you get close to your spot... Recently i have started chewing Skoal Apple or citris in the stand and at least twice this season has had two deer walk right under my stand. and nose around smelling the dip spit on the ground... and well a long bow at that kind of range lets say i didnt have to chase them. This year i bagged my limit and ended up going back to school and putting enough in the fridge to last me until end of next term... So in my opinoin just keep it simple... i wouldnt sugest the cancer causeing habit though, you might wet down a tin of skoal apple with water in a ziplock baggie and spread it around your tree...

oh i do have one tip... i had a really dumb highschool buddy go hunting with me at the beginning of the season last year... he used my stand and i set up a little blind about 1/2 mile away... he smoked in my tree stand and it took a good two weeks for mother nature to scrubb even the stand open to the elements clean of the smell, a deer wouldnt go near that stand all that time... so if anything you hunt with get near a smoker dont hunt with it...

But really i think it was the fact that for four hours you were walking back and fourth the day before, you probablly had them jumpy with your sent in the area already and they might have bolted at anything.

Cheers

I grew up hunting in tobacco contry, the biggest buck i have ever killed i had to drop a good old winston i was smoking to take the shot. and he was 30 yds away! i kill every year and the only thing that i do is put my hunting clothes in a plastic sack with some dirt and leaves in the bottom about 2 weeks before season opens! but i also use doe estrus lure,grunts and ratteling horns.

No special sprays or concoctions here. Just be aware of wind direction and where the deer will be. All of the special clothes, sprays, piss, whatever will be worthless if the deer smell your breath. I sat with my 9 year old son this Nov. and watched two deer from thirty yards with him excitedly whispering to me without them even knowing for ten minutes before getting a shot.

I definatly think it doesn't hurt to be carefull. The "Special" detergents are cheap and easy, a bar of no-scent soap is very cheap and easy. I also take my cloths from the dryer directly into a big bag and drop an earth scent wafer in. I figure the less oportuntiy I give the deer to notice me, the better!