For the white tailed deer or feral hog hunter, scent control should be foremost in their thoughts. In this article, I will share my thoughts on this subject and share the things that I do to control my scent.
I begin with a kit that I purchase from Walmart for around $20. At my local Walmart, there are about three different manufacturers to choose from. I have used Hunter's Specialties "SCENT-A-WAY" product for years and I am very satisfied with them. Many times I have had deer come down the same trail that I did coming to my stand, a few times just minutes after me. They never smelled me. This kit contains a bar of body soap, deodorant, a very large plastic airtight bag for clothes storage, dryer sheets, laundry detergent, and a bottle of spray for spraying down before entering the woods. Purchased separately, these items would cost you more than twice as much as the kit. For those of you that are like me and don't care much for bar soap, you can purchase a bottle of liquid soap separately. The kit comes in either "odorless" or "earth scent."
CLOTHING - I wash my hunting clothing in the detergent and then dry them using the dryer sheets. After taking them from the dryer, I immediately store them in a tote with a lockable lid to keep it airtight. I also use the large bags that come with the kit to store jackets, boots, and miscellaneous gear. I have another bag that I store my kids' clothing in to keep it separate from mine. Inside the totes and bags, each year I put a small fresh cut pine limb. Down here in south Georgia, there are very few areas where you cannot find a pine tree. It makes for a very good cover scent, and the best thing about it is that it is free! The totes and bags are very easy to transport back and forth from home to the hunting camp.
BODY - Before heading to the woods, I shower using the bar or liquid soap. After showering, I use the deodorant. I try to dress quickly and head on out so that I don't spend too much time in the house in my clothing, soaking up odors. After I get out of my truck or off my ATV, I will spray myself and my gear down with the spray, paying particular attention to my boots.
While I do not believe that anyone can totally eliminate human scent, I feel that using these methods will come very close to scent elimination. The pine scent and earth scent of the clothing and spray mask what little human scent remains. By using these methods, I never worry too much about wind direction. To the best of my knowledge, I have never been busted by a deer that has smelled me. The times I have been knowingly busted, movement is what gave me away. There are other methods used by various hunters that probably do work, but these are the methods that work for and have been tested by me.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Muzzleloader Hunting
Yesterday morning was my first time ever hunting with a muzzle-loader. Primitive Weapons season opened in Georgia yesterday. My brother-in-law loaned me one of his, an older flintlock style with iron sights. The only thing missing from my hunt was some buckskin clothing and a pair of moccasin boots!
The sun arose upon a beautiful morning overlooking the pea patch. I have seen many deer on camera and several from the stand on the other end of this food plot so far this season. Around 8:30 yesterday morning I was looking down the patch to my left. Several hundred yards to my right, someone let off a couple rounds from a shotgun. As I instinctively turned my head, I looked down and there he was. A young 8 pointer I had been seeing on camera was standing less than TEN FEET from my stand. He looked in the direction of the shots and then right back at me. Two seconds later he wheeled and high-tailed it in the direction he from which he came (which was also the trail I had walked in on earlier that morning!) He didn't run too far, but just far enough to be out of range and a couple more steps put him out of view.
About 15 minutes later I was texting my brother-in-law about it when I looked up from my phone and down the slope in front of me. I noticed something out of place, and then realized it was the front shoulder, leg, and chest of a good sized deer. He stepped out from behind the tree and immediately began leisurely heading away from me. It was another 8 pointer but with a larger rack and a good bit bigger body. He was about 75 yards away when I first saw him, just beyond what I believed at the time to be the range of the weapon I was using. I didn't have any kind of calls with me, as usually this time of year the deer don't seem to pay any attention to them. I would have liked to have had something to try to turn him with. I tried a mouth grunt, and that stopped him for a couple of seconds, but didn't turn him. From now on, I will be carrying my pack with all my gear even in early season! I hope to have at least one more encounter with this buck this year, hopefully an up close and very personal one.
I didn't see any more deer, nor any from the stand that evening. My father-in-law and nephew did get busted by one as they were climbing down at dark. He blew at them and ran off. About ten seconds later, he blew a couple more times. I heard him all three times, but the way the sound carried through the bottom, I thought it was down in front of me where my brother-in-law was just cranking up the Mule. I thought at first that the deer had busted him.
Before we headed out for the evening hunt, we ate fresh fried fish and a bunch of oysters off the grill.
Not too bad a way to start and end my first day of hunting with a muzzle-loader. It won't be my last, for sure....
The sun arose upon a beautiful morning overlooking the pea patch. I have seen many deer on camera and several from the stand on the other end of this food plot so far this season. Around 8:30 yesterday morning I was looking down the patch to my left. Several hundred yards to my right, someone let off a couple rounds from a shotgun. As I instinctively turned my head, I looked down and there he was. A young 8 pointer I had been seeing on camera was standing less than TEN FEET from my stand. He looked in the direction of the shots and then right back at me. Two seconds later he wheeled and high-tailed it in the direction he from which he came (which was also the trail I had walked in on earlier that morning!) He didn't run too far, but just far enough to be out of range and a couple more steps put him out of view.
About 15 minutes later I was texting my brother-in-law about it when I looked up from my phone and down the slope in front of me. I noticed something out of place, and then realized it was the front shoulder, leg, and chest of a good sized deer. He stepped out from behind the tree and immediately began leisurely heading away from me. It was another 8 pointer but with a larger rack and a good bit bigger body. He was about 75 yards away when I first saw him, just beyond what I believed at the time to be the range of the weapon I was using. I didn't have any kind of calls with me, as usually this time of year the deer don't seem to pay any attention to them. I would have liked to have had something to try to turn him with. I tried a mouth grunt, and that stopped him for a couple of seconds, but didn't turn him. From now on, I will be carrying my pack with all my gear even in early season! I hope to have at least one more encounter with this buck this year, hopefully an up close and very personal one.
I didn't see any more deer, nor any from the stand that evening. My father-in-law and nephew did get busted by one as they were climbing down at dark. He blew at them and ran off. About ten seconds later, he blew a couple more times. I heard him all three times, but the way the sound carried through the bottom, I thought it was down in front of me where my brother-in-law was just cranking up the Mule. I thought at first that the deer had busted him.
Before we headed out for the evening hunt, we ate fresh fried fish and a bunch of oysters off the grill.
Not too bad a way to start and end my first day of hunting with a muzzle-loader. It won't be my last, for sure....
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