Questions on Scent Control

Alright, I know that people have beat this discussion to death over the years but I am fairly new to bow hunting and looking for as much information as possible.

Obviously playing the wind is the best thing you can do but I am looking for your scent regiments that you use and have had luck with. You can even tell me what you have done before that seemed like it didn't work.

What are the best cover scents and where do you place them.

I seem to be seeing deer on camera but not seeing much while in the tree stand. Any help is appreciated.

Ok, wind is huge, but I have hunted several times this year with a less than favorable wind, and had deer at the feeder and hanging around despite my presence. I was able to purchase some scent control products from academy for cheap, 2.99 each for detergent, body wash/shampoo, and day of hunt spray. It was all under armour, never seen it before and not sure it works well at all, but I used it. I put my hat and face mask
In a cooler with a "earth scent wafer" and wore those. I did not place any other cover scent or anything out on my hunts but I do run a thermacell with earth scent (still get Some Break through bugs). As mentioned I have had deer come in and feed with southerly winds and my feeder is northwest of my stand about 20 yards.so I know I was putting off scent. I have a mom with twins that is very cautious who comes in most times and walks around and usually walks off, not snorting or blowing but just slowly walks off. I have had other deer come in with her and twins and they stay. They must think Mama is just being paranoid. I have had deer walk directly down wind of me and either look right at me and not blink or decide they didn't want anything to do with me and trot off. Have not been snorted/blown at all and that is weird to
Me, it seems the deer know something isn't right but just don't know what it is. Maybe I am reading too much into it. My sons stand has had favorable winds the entire hunting season and he sits up there with no care as the deer just are oblivious to him. I have sat there on two hunts and it is nice hunting the wind in your face.

With this experience, I was very tempted to buy a product that was advertised to be a cover scent, insect repellent, and deer attractant all in one. It contained rosemary and such scents, was around 12.99 at cabelas. I passed, thinking it was probably gimmick. Plus I don't want to smell like potpourri when I am hunting. It was mainly the insect control I was looking for.

Thanks Buckeye.

I really don't understand why I don't see anything while in the stand. I know they are there fairly regular. I use the scent free detergent, soap, deodorant and spray down before going in. I just recently started putting my clothes in a cedar box with earth scent wafers.

After starting this with earth scent wafer I did have a small 6 point come in but that is it so far.

I will stick with it.

One thing too to think about is where the stand is located. If you are thick in their living quarters simply walking in may spook up enough deer they know you are there. Also, many times deer will circle around a feeder before walking in, and they may smell you or know you are there before you even know they weren't there.

So many things to consider before scent even comes into it, but wind is a huge part of it.

Thanks buckeye.

Are you hunting in heavy cover, with a lot of trees surrounding your setup?
Are there hills and valleys?
A lot of things factor in besides trying to stay scent free which I don't think is possible.
You can try masking it but your scent is still there.
Wind, even a slight almost undetectable wind current can ruin your plans.
I used to take cattails and crush them up and put them into a ziplock and while on stand pull a few fibers out and just kind of let the air currents blow them out of my hand and watch which way they go. Sometimes they rose and danced around and it would give me a pretty good picture of how the currents are acting around my stand.
Try that approach or even some powder and see what happens.
I try to setup near open areas where the wind is more reliable, but sometimes it's not always possible.

The earth scent wafers work great for me. I have yet to be stumped or blown on this yr. I hunt Tripods and a box blind. Have killed 12 pigs since Oct 1st. Usually see deer but if I don't, turkeys or pigs. I ware the scent waffers even when in the box. I wash my clothes in the scent away and shower with the bath soap. Some people think I go over board but it works for me. I will also use the dryer sheets when Im not out of them. I ware scentloc boots or snake boots. You have to out smart them when going into their territory. The doe will stick their nose in to the air and then look straight at me, so I know it works because it does not spoke them. When in a tripod I ware a leafy suit so as it moves with the breeze it conceals some of my movements. I hang 2 of the wafers 1 from each shoulder and 1 from my hat. This is what I have had success with and I stick to it. Do not give up, good luck and be there as often as you can be.

I don't put a ton of faith in the scent control clothing, just play the wind. I like to store my clothes in a tub and then but some cedar or goatweed in there, whatever you have more of at your place. My clothes come out smelling like the cedar and that's my cover scent.

I use regular scent free soap from target, regular gel unscented deodorant, and no cologne or aftershave. I do wash my clothes with the hunting soaps but that's more because they don't have the brighteners that most laundry soap has. Or you can make your own, lots of recipe's out there on the web.

I don't believe in scent control clothing either. I do use scent free soaps for my clothes and myself, but that's more about not bringing unnatural scents into my hunting area.

Jimbo,

I do have lots of trees and valleys around me.
I actually have a stand in a tree about half way up the bank of a heavily covered bowl to a creek bottom.

The deer have seemed to slow down with showing up and when they do went nocturnal on me.

Fairly new to bow hunting and still trying to figure it out.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Are you saying that the low area may be my problem? Due to swirling winds?

I hunt lots of hogs, some deer have lots of deer but love to hunt hogs there noise is second to none, take shower before every hunt, using noise blocker, hang cloths outside to air out, even if kept in scent block containers, earth scent at hunting site, play the wind, then just maybe they will come in, Good luck.

Don't fart.

Seriously though, how high is your tree stand? I try to get up 20'. I find that if you are higher, the chances of your sent reaching ground level are somewhat diminished. Still need to play the wind. Also, play the thermals. I think a lot of people overlook thermal air movements. Especially in the morning. As the air warms up, warm air rises, and you will get air rising out of the valleys towards the ridges. Typically it will be opposite in the evenings.

My dad uses an ozonics machine and believes in it. I for one believe you can never be completely scent free so I don't get crazy uptight about it. I do Dead Downwind scent free soap and deodorant, spray myself down then go at it. The #1 thing is paying attention to the wind. You just can't beat a deer's nose, it's too good.

Example:
In this picture I've done my usual stuff but most importantly, I'm down wind. This doe was literally 8 yards from me (I'm in a natural blind just off to the right) when this pic was taken from the trailcam.

EHR,

What do you mean noise blocker?

UncleBubba,

What do you mean play the thermals. I never really thought about that. I hunt in a tree that is on slope going down into a bottom.

This bottom gives good cover and I have seen good deer there on trail camera. I have only seen one deer there while in the stand though.

Please explain more detail on the thermals.
Are you saying that during the morning the air rising out of the bottom may be hurting me by lifting my scent onto the ridges or helping by pulling it high up?
Also transversely in the evening if it is pulling it down in the bottom I would think that may help or hurt?

Let me know.

Studying all of this hard now. I am determined to get at least a doe this year. I do not want to get skunked again.

UncleBubba,

I forgot to answer your question on stand height. I had it about 13 feet from base of the tree which put me about 16 feet above the bottom and probably a few feet above the highest ridge.
I just raised it Sunday after I finished my hunt and am somewhere around 18 or 20 feet from the bottom now and 10 or so feet above the highest ridge.

Noble Savage,

I looked at the Ozonics. Man those things are pricey. I just can't spend that kind of money right now. Not to mention my 15 year old started bow hunting this year with me. I think that is just adding to the scent in the area and making it more difficult.

I am going to look for a couple more trees for my climber to get on different sides of the bottom I am hunting.

My thing with playing the wind is no matter where I put a stand my scent is going to blow in the direction that the deer have beeen coming from. These constant southern winds are killing me.

I have two other choices for walking to stand instead of walking the ridge down the middle. I can go farther north and walk right down the bottom to get to my stand or go way South and walk down a horse trail and circle around from the Southwest side.

What is yalls opinion?

Sorry about that Noise Jammer

Nose Jammer

EHR,

I actually just bought some of that. Do you have experience with it and if so, is it better than say cover scents like acorn or earth scent?

use together, nose jammer great for deer, earth scent great for hogs

Thanks.

Damn, warm air rises. Cool air falls, so if it is cold out, when the sun comes up and starts to warm the ground the air will have movement even on a perfectly still morning. In the morning this rising air will take your scent up toward the ridge. As the air cools in the evening, it will be opposite. Since your stand is above the highest ridge, it's probably not affecting you as much. Where I hunt, we are talking 100 feet from top of slope to bottom, and in a few places more, so it comes into play more.

Thanks Bubba.

Sorry dman. autocorrect changed it to damn. LOL

I was wondering if you just thought I was an idiot but then figured that was what happened.

LOL

Thanks

As stated above, you can't completely beat a deer's nose, its just too good. I would suggest you place a different stand in a location that allows for the prevailing wind to be in your favor. For bowhunting, I like to have at least 2 different stands, so that no matter the wind direction I can pick a spot where I'll have the wind in my favor. I usually have one spot that is positioned to hunt a southern breeze and one that favors a north breeze, since probably 90% of the time the wind direction is going to be pretty close to due north or due south where I hunt.

Thanks Rattler.

I have a climber that I am taking tomorrow just for that reason.

Been a little tougher on me this year. My son started hunting with me and I have been pulling double duty keeping up with hanging stands and such.

Couple that with me being pretty new to bow hunting. I am getting there though, especially with the help from people on the forum.