Making Your Own Cover Scent - Your Thoughts?

[BustedCoverage]

Hey guys, first time poster but long time reader. I finally broke down and made my own youtube channel and this is my first video. I show how to make your own cover scent focusing on smelling like YOUR hunting grounds. I wanted to get your thoughts on it and maybe some suggestions for future video topics. Thanks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz4q-R2sn_c

[kellory]

Welcome to the forum. That is an interesting idea. I believe that is called an infusion, when you simmer something for the taste or smell. (though I could be wrong) You are, in essence, making woodland broth or stock. I would make one suggestion though, strain your broth through a cotton tee shirt or coffee filter to eliminate those pieces that could plug your sprayer.

[BustedCoverage]

Thanks for the reply and that's a good idea. I didn't have it clog last year but I could have just been lucky. I can see a clog happening very easily.

[Everyday Hunter]

Great job, BC. I agree with Kellory on two points -- welcome to the forum, and it might be a good idea to strain it pretty fine.

Three questions:
Do you think this is as effective as other cover scents? (A great cover scent is goldenrod, which is very common, and works on the same principle as your idea does.)
Do you use scent elimination before spraying your cover scent?
Do you have any other DIY videos?

Thanks for posting that.

Steve.

[shaman]

Let me be the odd sprig of stinkweed in the punchbowl.

Look, if you buy into cover scents, this is a cool trick. My worry is the theory of cover scents in and of itself. Let's say the way to your stand is a little weedy. As you walk in, your foot crushes the weeds. The deer can smell that. In fact, often times YOU can smell it. Now you go and sit on your stand, that weed juice is stuck to your boot. Deer can smell it. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Years ago, I saw a post by a deer hunter who stalked deer. He was trying to explain himself to a bunch of stand hunters. He wrote that in his mind deer were capable of smelling the asphalt residue on your boots, the broken weeds you walk on, the type of dirt, even the hole you leave in the air with a no-scent suit. The only cure, in his mind, was to stay moving and stay upwind of the deer.

I'm not so sure about that assessment. Maybe. I question the effect it has on a deer. I have seen deer follow my trail of boot prints through the woods with their tail twitching. In fact, my #3 deer of all time came in following my boot trail-- no cover scent no nothing. Go figure-- just a new pair of leather boots.

After 30 years, I've come to where I just try and keep myself and my clothes as clean and scent-free as possible and let it go at that. Y'all know about my sodium bicarb regimen. That's it for me.

[BustedCoverage]

Great job, BC. I agree with Kellory on two points -- welcome to the forum, and it might be a good idea to strain it pretty fine.

Three questions:
Do you think this is as effective as other cover scents? (A great cover scent is goldenrod, which is very common, and works on the same principle as your idea does.)
Do you use scent elimination before spraying your cover scent?
Do you have any other DIY videos?

Thanks for posting that.

Steve.

Thanks EH, glad to be here. To answer your questions:

1) I personally have only been doing this 2 years now and I've by no means studied deer as much as others. To me, it would make sense that smelling like your exact hunting location would bode better than buying a bottle of manufactured cover scent and hoping for the best. My land is right next to a highway and I can even hear cars from my bow stand (VERY annoying) but the point is that maybe my pine trees have a slightly different smell than a bought bottle of cover scent does due to being close to cars, exhaust, hot rubber from tires, etc. To us, yeah they smell the same but I'm betting the deer could tell the difference in a big way.

2) Last year, I never used anything else. I used it pretty liberally as well.

3) I just made the youtube channel in hopes of doing random DIY/How To outdoors videos when I have time. I have a few ideas for videos like deer attractants with cam pics and the set-up and aftermath of my Duke DP coon traps.

Let me be the odd sprig of stinkweed in the punchbowl.

Look, if you buy into cover scents, this is a cool trick. My worry is the theory of cover scents in and of itself. Let's say the way to your stand is a little weedy. As you walk in, your foot crushes the weeds. The deer can smell that. In fact, often times YOU can smell it. Now you go and sit on your stand, that weed juice is stuck to your boot. Deer can smell it. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Years ago, I saw a post by a deer hunter who stalked deer. He was trying to explain himself to a bunch of stand hunters. He wrote that in his mind deer were capable of smelling the asphalt residue on your boots, the broken weeds you walk on, the type of dirt, even the hole you leave in the air with a no-scent suit. The only cure, in his mind, was to stay moving and stay upwind of the deer.

I'm not so sure about that assessment. Maybe. I question the effect it has on a deer. I have seen deer follow my trail of boot prints through the woods with their tail twitching. In fact, my #3 deer of all time came in following my boot trail-- no cover scent no nothing. Go figure-- just a new pair of leather boots.

After 30 years, I've come to where I just try and keep myself and my clothes as clean and scent-free as possible and let it go at that. Y'all know about my sodium bicarb regimen. That's it for me.

No worries Shaman. To each man his own.

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[Bowriter]

My thoughts: Complete waste of time. Can't hide human odor. Deer gets in the right place, it will smell you. I use no cover scent or any other commercial product. Haven't for some years.

I shower with unscented soap before each hunt, I wear clean clothes including my hat and gloves. I do okay. I have killed five so far this year and probably close to 450 in my life. Go clean and watch the wind.....and get lucky.

[Wagguy80]

Bottom line as I sit outside in the morning coffee in hand, smoking a cigarette I often see a lot of deer in a little field behind my house. Less than 50 yards away they know I am there and go right on about their day. I can get up and walk slowly to within bow shot and still they go on about grazing and whatnot. They know what men look like, smell like, act like. None of them has any memory of a man attacking them.

One of my uncles was a bit of a character. Killed more deer than anybody I know. Never wore camoflauge, sat in his stand drinking coffee, and smoking cigarette's. No scent elimination short of a normal morning shower, no cover scent. Deer just didn't care at all.
I saw listen to the old guys is my motto. My father went through a scent elimination phase. Everything had to be washed in a scent eliminating solution, stored in a proper bag. Scent eliminating body soap, etc. Sure he killed deer, but wasn't long before he realized his proficiency hadn't increased any. IE he was still seeing more deer than he knew what to do with. So he quit, and nothing changed. He went through a "calling" phase bleating, grunting, rattling horns. He saw less deer doing that.
His motto get in the stand, shut-up, sit still, keep your eyes open, and you will see deer.

[Deebz]

I'd be curious to see how those deer would react if you really did have a bow in your hand stalking up on those deer with the intent to shoot one. I think you might be surprised at how they would perceive your intent based on body language cues that we never pick up on.