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Am I wasting my time on scent control?

I play the game, sort of. I make it a point not to use anything scented on my hunting clothes, and body, but I don't go overboard buying anything extra such as ozone generators, or sprays that are supposed to kill odors, I use unscented laundry detergent that is not marketed for hunters, it's cheaper if it's not a specialty soap. I sometimes I will use a cover scent, usually raccoon when I can't play the wind, like when I am in a stand, that way if the wind shifts, I may fool them a little.
 
The most effective deer hunters of mature bucks I know are not finatics on scent control. That tells me it doesn't make as much difference as other things. They are aware of the wind and use it to their advantage. That includes their approach too. But, scouting, knowing food sources and how deer move in an area are more important.

With that said, everything is a matter of degrees. If it makes 1% difference, that could mean the difference in success or failure. Starting building a pyramid of success and I bet most of the advertised scent control measures don't count as much as playing the wind!
 
I know people who don't worry about it and do fine. I am too paranoid not to. I have been winded too many times. Even if it gives me a tiny advantage, I will do it. I have a covered area on my back porch with hooks. My hunting clothes hang on those hooks until the end of season. If you want to save a ton of money on scent control, use baking soda. Wash your clothes in it and put it on after you shower. Its a little rough on the skin and some people mix it with corn starch, I think. If you don't believe it works, put baking soda under your arm pits instead of deodorant sometime and then take a sniff at the end of the day. That will tell you all you need to know.
 
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swampbadger said:
I use it often so I know where my scent is blowing. If deer come by I have a very good idea of where I need to shoot them before I might get caught. Most times I will drop some milkweed before I setup.

High wind, rut crazed deer, hunting near residents and using long range weapons bridges a lot of gaps. Also an enclosed box stand or blind makes a big difference if you are on private. So it's not as necessary this time of year.

I hunt swamps and low lands from a mobile stand, so it could be worlds different across the state. I understand concepts of how important thermals are and how wind might be much more steady at higher elevations in hill country.

It's important for me to know where my scent is pooling on calm and foggy mornings. So it helps me watch thermals when I have less wind. It will show wether it's dropping or rising. This time of year with the rut it might not be as important.

Another factor that has changed over the month that affects how the wind flows through the woods. It is much more consistent now that a lot of the leaves have dropped. That makes a difference too!

And yes I will get down and move if I think it's worth it. On days with a E and SE wind it's not gonna matter how many spots I seem to burn, those winds always seem to swirl on me, so i don't go into my best spots on those days or at times avoid hunting on those days. I hunt mobile and will move especially during bow season when you need to get close to get the job done.

That last buck I killed, I setup within 50 yards of the river and I watched milkweed flow into the river and towards the boat. He was in a briar patch with honey suckle feeding, so I suspect he felt safe there and bedded there.
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I've used milkweed for 40yrs, long before internet and YouTube. I learned it from those who came before me. I use it on the walk in, walk out, and while on stand. I use it to choose where to hang a stand and at what times of day the thermals change direction at that stand. I hunt very tight to buck bedding and often have to give up the wind to them, or at least be right on the edge of the wind. The difference in killing a deer or not often comes down to how close i can get to him busting me without actually crossing the line. Milkweed let's me visually see exactly where my stink is going.

It's one thing to guess and think you know about thermals in varied terrain. It's another thing to prove it visually. Sun position, shadows, ground temp, air temp, precipitation, etc all influence thermals. And those things are in a constant state of flux. I wish it were as easy as air rising in the morning and falling in the evening, but unfortunately the earth doesn't play such simple games. I've sat stands where thermals begin falling 45min before dark, and others that don't fall until after dark. It's all relative to environmental conditions and the position of the stand in the landscape.

At the end of the day it's too much to know because it's never constant. It's a lot easier for me to use milkweed to see what's going on than it is to try factoring in all the conditions for a guess. With milkweed there is no guessing.
 
Brassy said:
Besides the obvious of hunting the wind, does scent control really make much, if any difference? I've heard there is no real way to fool a deer's nose, but if you can reduce your scent to where he thinks your 200 yards away when in reality your only 50 yards, you have succeeded. And by using various products from soaps, sprays, ozone, to not getting dressed until in the field. Each one works just a little bit, but when added all together can make a real difference in not getting busted.
My question is after going through all the preventative measures, but then cracking open a bag of beef jerky or even having a candy bar in your pack, have I negated all the countermeasures? What about are firearms, surely deer can smell those if they can smell my breath?
I think having the special clothing, and uncle Chester's super secret swamp spray, is a confidence booster for most of us, ( which can make a difference ) but at the end of the day is it just a con?
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Wasting your time, imo. Hunt high, hunt the wind, be especially careful on cloudy low pressure days.
 
I don't use sprays. But I use Atsko for my clothes, air dry, 10 minute ozone in tote. The ozone is because my wife uses scented laundry detergent and sometimes I swear I smell it a bit on my camo. When it's cooler I only ozone my outer wear between hunts and wash wool base layers.
 
knightrider said:
Why? Because its the cool tv thing to do or are you getting down and completely moving the moment it shows the wind isnt in your favor? Milkweed is cool to watch but once you realize you screwed up its already to late. I see everyone on youtube and tv use it but never see anyone get down and leave. Milkweed does nothing except show you that few seconds what its doing, learn thermals and topography wind shifts and tunnels and leave all the gimmicks alone and for goodness sake dont listen the weatherman
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You just answered your own question. While you poo poo'd it for no reason.
 
knightrider said:
Wasted time and money, since ive stopped all the foolishness of buying scent control crap and taking all the precautions, to washing my camo in tide hanging it in my closet with everything else ive seen zero difference
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This exactly. I did all the so-called scent control stuff for years. The more i thought about it, the less it made sense. I quit altogether - i can tell absolutely no difference in my deer hunting and have actually killed more deer, including mature bucks since stopping. I hunt high, try to play the wind and try to never miss hunting a high pressure day when most of my scent is sucked upward. I hunt terrain that gives me the advantage with scent. Rarely to never hunt down in a hollow, if i can help it, nothing with a hillside behind my back. I really rarely have a deer wind me.
 
I don't think you can fool a deer's nose. But, you do get lucky a lot of times. I admt I use scent wafers. I guess I smell like pine scent human to a deer.
 
I'm strictly a ground hunter and hardly ever get busted. It's all about playing the wind right. I also started smoking up my clothes a few years ago and feel it may help some.
 
I try to keep the wind at my back, I still hunt and ground hunt, too old to play squirrel any more. I don't know if it helps, but I put a drop of anise extract on each knee, shoulder, and the bill of my cap. It is inexpensive, and is used in a lot of cover scents and attractants. It is pleasant smelling, not messy, and last all day and then some. Like I say, I don't know if it helps, but I certainly don't have any indication it hurts anything! I have only hunted twice this year, seeing 16 the first sit and stopped counting at 20 the last sit, all within 50 yards, the closest around 15 yards, a total of 14 bucks, so whether it is attracting or covering, I am not sure. Good luck to all, don't forget to say Thanks for this wonderful creature we love to hunt! Stay Safe!
 
i def take precautions like scent free shower, scent free clothes wash, dry wash my clothes in containers with ozone. priority #1 for me is hunt the wind like you mentioned but i'm still going to do what i can to cut down on the scent i do have. if anyone ever comes up with a way to eliminate scent they'll be printing money and then the people who use it will have a list of symptoms twice as long as a pharma ad
 

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