Getting by a whitetail’s incredible nose is serious business, and doing it right — in addition to playing the wind — requires a one, two three punch: scent elimination, cover scent and attractant scents. And this isn’t just for bowhunters. I know many gun hunters who think that if they play the wind right that buck they’re after will be dead before he gets downwind, so scent control really doesn’t matter.
But think about all of those other noses — those deer you aren’t going to shoot. If does and smaller bucks get wind of you, every deer in the area is going to know about it. Game over.
Luckily, according to Craig Cushman, VP of Marketing at Hunters Specialties, there are ways to get by a whitetail’s No. 1 defensive weapon. “Without a doubt the most important thing is getting your body and clothing as scent free as possible and [for your clothing] ScentAway Bio Strike is an effective way of doing that,” Cushman said. “It’s a silver-based formula that incorporates nano particles — the smallest particles of silver you can get — for super absorption. We’ve also got a laundry detergent and a laundry additive called Odor Shield. That’s going to be the most effective way to treat your clothes.”
OK, your clothes are now scent free, but what about your stinky body? Cushman says there’s a cure for that, too.
“We have Body Strike Body Wash and Shampoo for taking care of your body in the shower,” he said, “and Field Spray for your backpack, boots and all of the things that typically get neglected — things like your hat, that might not have ended up going into the washing machine with your clothing.”
The second punch is a good cover scent.
“Our Earth Wafers have always been a long-time favorite of whitetail hunters and we’ve gone one step further this year with our new Wafer Blade and Blade Driver line of products,” Cushman said. “The wafer blades are essentially fan blades impregnated with cover scents and/or attractant scents that clip onto the Blade Driver that spins this fan blade and creates a cloud of cover scent around you. It’s perfect for in the blind or treestand.”
WATCH: WIND AND THE WHITETAIL’S NOSE
OK, how are you going to get that buck’s attention? By delivering the knockout punch: an attractant.
“In our Buck Bomb line we’ve been working on a new formula called Xtrus,” Cushman said. “This is a process we’ve developed and certify that it has up to five times the estrus level of a wild deer. It’s had a dramatic effect on attracting bucks, regardless of the time of year. We’ve seen it work in the summer and during early season. And certainly during the rut we’re seeing great results from it.”
The bottom line is that it’s important to play the wind whether you’re hunting with a bow or rifle. But by taking a one, two, three punch approach to scent control the odds are better that you’ll get by a deer’s defenses should it get downwind of you.
