Using Scent Elimination Sprays
Deer Hunting: Scent Control
Scent elimination sprays have become big business in the deer hunting field. And for good reason. These products provide the hunter with an excellent tool for fighting the nose of whitetails.
How They Work
The scent elimination sprays work by masking or removing human odors. By spraying the products on clothing and equipment, the hunter can enter the deer hunting woods scent free. Since smell is the whitetails number one defense, scent elimination becomes the hunters primary concern.
Using Sprays
In order for the scent elimination sprays to work, hunters must be willing to use them properly and thoroughly. This requires the hunter to follow a few steps each and every time the hunter plans to hunt.
Proper Steps
Starting with the first layer of clothing, and each additional layer, the scent elimination spray should be sprayed liberally covering the entire garment. This will also include any gloves, hat, face mask, and boots.
The scent elimination spray should also be used on any and all deer hunting gear to be used in the field. These include tree stands and or steps.
Once the hunter is in the stand, the scent elimination spray should be reapplied to all outer layers of clothing. When sitting for extended periods, reapply every few hours for best results.
Conclusion
For scent elimination sprays to work properly, the hunter must stick to using the product every time in the field. The hunter can and should also use a total scent free regimen for masking human odors. This includes the use of soaps, detergents, and other products prior to hunting.
Scent Free Deer Hunting
The following is a plan for scent free deer hunting.
Supplies
- Rubber gloves
- Scent fighting spray
- Scent free soap,body wash, and shampoo
- Scent free deodorant
- Scent free detergent
- Scent free dryer sheets
- Large scent free storage bags
- Scent wafers
- Odor free body wipes
- Scent wicks
- Odorless or fresh earth cover scent
Odor Free Plan
1. Always wear rubber gloves when handling gear.
2. Wash towels and wash cloths to be used on deer hunting dates in scent free detergent. Place in dryer with scent free dryer sheets. Store in odor free storage bags until needed.
3. Wash all hunting garments in scent free detergent. Place in dryer along with dryer sheets. Once dried, hang outside and spray inside and out with scent fighting spray. Allow to dry. Place in storage bags along with a scent wafer.
4. Use scent fighting spray on boots interior and exterior. Dry outside. Place in storage bag with scent wafer.
5. On day of deer hunt, shower with scent free soap, body wash, and shampoo. Use previously prepared towel and wash cloths. Apply scent free deodorant afterwards.
6. Spray all gear and equipment with scent fighting spray. This includes anything to be used in the field.
7. When ever possible, dress in the field. Use body wipes for touch ups. Apply scent fighting spray to each layer of clothing. Wear rubber gloves while dressing and until in the deer stand or blind.
8. Upon arrival at the deer hunting stand or blind, set out scent wicks filled with cover scent in a circle around the site. Reapply scent fighting spray to outer garments. Attach a scent wafer to cap or other clothing.
Related:
Scent Control
Deer hunting tips: Scent control is the act of eliminating and masking human scent. In order to fool the nose of deer, hunters must take precautionary steps prior to and during hunting activities. This article will offer a few suggestions.
Odor Eliminating
There has been an increase of odor eliminating products over the past 15 years or so. Today they range from sprays, wafers, clothing, mechanical devices, and others. Experimenting with some or all of these various products will give the hunter an edge in the field.
The best approach to controlling scent begins at home. Clothing to be worn should be washed in scent eliminating washing soap. Once dried outside, it can be placed in sealed plastic bags made specifically for hunters. A scent wafer may be placed in the bag.
Clothing made specifically to help control scent can also be considered. There are a variety of brands to choose from. Just browse through any hunting catalog to find clothing that strikes your fancy and price range. Rubber boots have also been proven more effective than other types such as leather.
The Wind
Regardless of how thorough the hunter is at preparing, the wind direction should always be factored in. Hunting downwind of suspected deer movement areas is a must. Although many products offer ranges as high as 99% of human odor elimination, that still leaves a slight percentage of error. Since deer have an excellent sense of smell, not paying attention to wind direction will play against the hunter.
These deer hunting tips are provided as helpful information. For a more in depth look at scent control, see our previous article on masking human odors. Good luck and be safe.
See our other Deer Hunting Tips articles.
Masking Human Odors
Deer Hunting Tips: There are many name brand items on the market today to aid the hunter in masking human odors. They all can be equally effective when used properly. The hunter should however make sure to strictly follow odor masking techniques in order to remove as much human odor as possible. There are basic rules involved to assist in this approach.
Clothing
To start, the hunter’s clothing to be used in the field should be washed thoroughly in scent removing washing detergent. Make sure the detergents are specialized for hunters. After washing, the clothes should be placed outdoors to dry away from anything that may leave a scent. Although there are products now a days that are placed inside dryers for scent removal, outdoors still is considered the best approach.
Storage
Once the clothes are dry, they should be placed in an odorless plastic bag or container until needed for use. There are also scented hunter products that can be placed in the bags or containers for added odor masking. Make sure the scent if used is common to the area to be hunted. Also make sure to include all items to be worn such as gloves, face mask, hat, shirts, pants, and under garments.
Boots
The hunter’s boots, which rubber is recommended, should also be placed into a plastic bag after being sprayed with a cover scent. The hunter may also add prepackaged hunter scent products to the bag. Pay close attention to the boots as they will be in direct contact with the ground. Although rubber boots are the best choice, they still need to be de-scented.
Equipment
The equipment to be used in the field should also be sprayed with cover scent. This includes weapons, backpacks, binoculars, portable stands, decoys, and the likes. The hunter needs to spray the area inside the vehicle to be used as well. Scents odors can accumulate on the vehicle seats. It wouldn’t do any good to de-scent clothing without de-scenting the vehicle.
Take A Bath
Prior to hunting, the hunter should bathe thoroughly in de-scenting soap. This begins the main layer of protection since the human body is what excretes the most odor. This includes the hair. To dry off, use towels that have been washed in odor remover detergents.
Cover Scent
Carry additional spray bottles with cover scent to the hunting location. Once there, respray again from head to toe, especially under arms and boots. Also respray all equipment before entering the hunting area. Spray again once the stand location is reached. The stand area should also be sprayed.
These deer hunting tips should provide the hunter with adequate odor masking to aid in a successful hunt. They may seem extreme to many hunters but they will be effective if done properly.
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Using Scents
Deer hunting tips: The whitetail deer’s nose is it’s primary weapon of defense. In order to combat this ultimate security sense, deer lures and scents were invented. These scents help the hunter distract, cover up, or attract a deer to or from a specific area. Learning the right way to use these scents and lures is important if one is to be successful while hunting.
Cover Scents
Cover scents are used to aid in the masking of human odor. These scents come in different flavors or smells such as fresh dirt or some form of a tree smell. These are to be sprayed directly on the clothing of the hunter. The main point to remember is the choice of scent should be determined based on hunting location. For example, if one hunts in a pine forest, tree scents such as pine should be used and not apple scents simply because this smell would be out of place. The same goes for other unnatural scents. Always use scents that are common to the area hunted.
Attractants
Deer attractant lures are used to draw a deer to a predetermined location. These lures, such as doe estrus urine, should be placed away from the hunter’s stand location. Many hunters make the mistake of using these scents as cover scents by spraying directly on the hunter. Or by spraying the scent below or too close to the stand. The proper use would be out away from stand location. This way the deer doesn’t come in too close and detect the hunter. The goal is to stop the deer a safe distance from the stand based on the hunter’s accuracy skills. These doe urine scents should only be used during or as close to deer rutting season for best results.
Availability
There are a wide selection of lures and scents available on the market. There are bottled scents, spray scents, prepackaged scents that attach to clothing and trees, as well as many others. The hunter should learn to choose the proper scent based on the given hunting conditions. The hunter should pay close attention to details of the hunting area and use the right scent that corresponds with that area. So give these deer hunting tips a try the next time one goes into the field. Used properly they should help improve success.
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