Do you think there can be a sane discussion on scent control

[bmorris]

It would be helpful if a discussion on scent control could be done with out getting into arguments .
Each of us has something to add. I have a list of over 20 question that deal with scent reduction.

Example: How to use the terrain in controlling and reducing scent ?
How does wind ,currents, and thermals affect scent and how do you use them to your advantage ?

Herein is our problem. Despite all the facts there are still those who will not except them. In the carbon trials .the facts came out under oath from both sides that carbon used in this method just can't work as it is advertised. There are actual pictures of the cloth with only 27% coverage of carbon that were included in the trial. There are videos on you tube and at myth busters that can be viewed that show carbon is ineffective. Listen, those who make the carbon clothing, those who endorse it and those who advertise and sell it all know it doesn't work. Take John Eberhart , who despite of all this evidence will not accept it and continues to want to support it. He is just one of many those who want to make money off these failed products. We go back and forth all the time and never make headway to a scent control program that will work. Isn't it time we put these discussions aside and try and determine what will actually work in different hunting situations.

What part of humant scent is the strongest ? What part of human scent do deer most react to ?

Lets see if we can have a wide ranging back and forth and help each other this fall ?

[jonny5buck]

The short answer is no..we cant...

The reason being each person has tried and true rituals that they do,it doesn't work for each individual and individual circumstances...

In a nut shell,in my opinion your crotch and feet are where the most prominent odors come from...this doesn't require a scientific study..they smell if your dont wash them .,so they require more attention to scent ''control'' anything that wicks moisture next to the skin is gonna be a plus regardless /hot/cold etc. silk/ polyester are a few of must haves ,but there is several others...these help by sucking the sweat off and allowing you to be more scent free and comfrotable...rubber boots also...it's proven by trappers and others that this is the most effective at keeping foot scent away from whitetails noses,esp walking to the stand.

Besides those few things [again in my opinion] there is way to many variables...way to many....i know of one guy /i call him DAD who washes his clothes one time for the yr..yep thats it and he doesnt keep them in a scent proof bag,and he drives to his spots in his gear and boots!-he also washes with ivory soap and has never used the scent killer soap..he has plenty of 3yr old and better bucks killed..at least 2 each yr...how? i dont know ..maybe luck...he hunts his spots when he wants to the wind never plays a role ..he doesnt care...

so my point is that i follow a completely different regimn.i also have killed some really nice bucks and plenty of does also...so im not sure what info your trying to get,but it is going to vary from person to person and from state to state..from gun hunters to bowhunters...some guys wash everything and wouldnt dream of driving in their hunting clothes...they soak themselves in scent killer and only hunt when the wind is in their favor ...some guys have killed big deer while sitting in a stand soaked in diesel fuel with work boots on and grease and filth all over em....

Wind currents change hourly...sometimes every 15 minutes without a wind puffer or other device .how do you know whats going on...some guys dont care and still kill monster deer....i think when you find something that works for you..do it...and continue to do it...beyond that your going to get such an array of different responses i really dont know what your trying to find out--respectfully -JON-

[Woods Walker]

Sure we can. As long as all parties concerned are TRUTHFUL, and so far the carbon scent industry has NOT been.

That kinda gets things off on the wrong foot, don't ya think?

[charlie 01]

JON, I'd say your close to being right. We have gone thru this before, seems that everyone has their own oppinion as to what works best, being that things they have done and tried have worked for them. Already I'm at odds with your statement about the use of rubber boots. I have used them, until one morning that I had to cross a trail I was hunting. It was just cracking light, and I could see a racoon walking down the trail toward me. There were no branches or brush or tall grass at the point I crossed, just flat ground, and what little wind was in my favor. When it got to my exact crossing point, he stopped and ran back the way he came from. And then there are the times when deer have followed my tracks. One morning I had to cross a weedy field to get to my stand. First up the weedy draw was a doe with her two fawns, she hit my tracks and went back the way she came from. Next up two small 4 to 6 pt bucks, they did the same. Next up a shooter of a 8 pt, that hit my tracks and proceded to follow then right to my stand for an easy 15 yd shot. Go figure. Every body is different and every deer is different. I case you don't know from past posts, I use no cover scents at all and play the wind as best I can and I don't hunt very high. The only thing I use from time to time is a tarsal gland pinned to my pant leg. With a tarsal gland on and stopping from time to time to spray fresh buck scent on it while walking through tall grasses in the dark to my stand, and with no rubber boots, I managed to rattle in 5 different bucks that came down the very same trail with their noses to the ground that I had just walked in on, which has happened more than just this once. Never shot any of them, kept waiting for something bigger.
Everyone believes what he or she does is the right way, and if they think they can better them selves by trying things, fine. Whatever works for you. I'm not being critical of you JON about the rubberboots, do what you believe, I'm just stating what I've experienced. Different remedies for different situations, I guess. There will always be a difference of oppinion. I've had that with different people I have hunted with over the years. Some things I have learned and some I have disguarded.

[jonny5buck]

Great comment -Charlie--that's the point im trying to get across,that the variables with scent reduction are very very wide...my dad swears by those rutted up tarsals also. I usually play the wind ,whenever possible,but will chance it if other variables are in order..like a fresh scrape or so forth.

Each yr..ifind myself using less and less of the scent killer spray...i try to just keep everything clean as possible..i do use it ocassionaly but not even close to the guys who soak everything in it.I get about 2 seasons out of the big/reg sized container.

[bmorris]

How important is it to reduce dead skin cells ? According to most search and rescue dog handlers that is what the dog uses to find humans,
Is that the part of human odor that deer are reacting to ? Should we be working on new ways to handle this problem ?

[bmorris]

What sprays actually work and how do you know they do ?

If you are spraying antimicrobial sprays on your clothes will that work ?

How many of you are worried about "replicated" human odors ?

I guess we can't have any discussion or there just isn't anyone on this forum.

[motorbreaker]

from trapping in my younger days, I have to say that rubber boots were a big help. I believe they reduce
the scent from your feet getting to the ground. But if you get a scent on them that the deer are not used to,
Then there useless.
I use the sprays all the time, mostly on my boots, hands and head. I'm sure they work to some extent.
we used to have a lot of pigs on our farm, When handling stinkey pigs, i would stink like one. Even
after taking a shower.
i had a date with a very pretty girl, My hands stunk like pig, What to do. I sprayed my hands with scent
Killer. the pig smell was almost eliminated. This was proff to me that the stuff worked.
I believe that getting to and from the stand in a way that the deer wont cross your path, And hunting the wind
are the two most important things you can do to be sucsessful. i also never over hunt a stand as i've seen
this kill a good spot.
good luck trying to beat the whitetails nose!!!!!

[charlie 01]

Use your own scent to your advantage. If the situation ever arises where you are hunting a well used deer trail or funnel and you have to cross it to get to the best tree for stand use, cross it right at the stand site, where you have a clean shot. Anything that comes down that trail, when it gets to the point where you crossed it, will stop and take some time to figure out what to do, keep going or go in a different direction. I've seen it many times, they will stand there and try to determine what to do, giving you a few added seconds that you might need. By crossing that trail farther away, thinking you are not disturbing the stand area, could stop and change the movement of something comming down the trail at the point you did cross, and possibly something you would never see. A fellow hunter that I clued in on this, actually had a buck that someone shot at and missed, come running down the trail, hit the point he crossed, and stopped. He had an easy shot and got his buck. The only draw-back that I have in this situation, is that some does and small bucks sometimes get curious and start to investigate as to who you are and where you went. Sometimes fallowing your tracks to the tree which could get you busted.

[bmorris]

HOW DIFFERENT IS IT TO CONTROL YOUR SCENT FROM A TREE STAND THAN A GROUND BLIND ?