scent free vs. cover scent

[Robinsons Rebel]

I've gone in the woods trying to be scent free and also done it using cover scent. Over the years, it seems I am seeing more deer using a cover scent. I know to hunt the wind but was just wondering if anybody has a seen a difference one way or the other?

[longbow joe]

I like clean clothes stored in my giant duffel bag full of leaves and native hunting foilage along with a lot of fresh tinks non rut doe pee.spray . Honestly with that combo l rarely get busted. I always try to get a quick shower before going out.
I'm a firm believer that human hair odor is a major deer nose alarm.

[Robinsons Rebel]

I rarely get busted too. I used the Fresh Earth Scent Waffers for a long time with good success. My wife hates that smell. Then I stopped using them and used an ozone generator that I believe the deer can smell the ozone scent.

[hunter with MS]

I try sent free but I always go to cover scent over the years I have had very good luck using Fitzgerald Deer dander or conquest evercalm.

[Robinsons Rebel]

I've heard alot about people using evercalm with good success. The other product I'm hearing alot about is Nose Jammer.

[janesy]

I wash my hunting clothes and store them in a tote with cedar shims. I shower in scent killer. And only go to certain stands when the wind is right. I think it's crucial for "the big Buck"

But, here two examples for the meat hunters here. My good friend hunts with a group about 1 km from my home base. He just retired, but for decades he left work after 10-12 hours at an asphalt plant, would go straight to the tree stand and they tagged out every year. One of his hunting partners is, a particularly stinky person too.

Last week was our shotgun season. The wind for me was completely wrong, so I told my hunting partner that I would walk in a bit and wind the woods so they would make their way to him down wind.
It was a beautiful day, and after 1 hour relaxing, a big 6'r walked in straight into my wind . I dropped him at 15Y with a 20G expander. That's after I sweated through my base layer and left them on the dashboard of the truck to dry over a lunch break. So he could smell me for sure.

Do what gives you confidence and play the wind. You'll connect.

[longbow joe]

Yes ... stinky people get deer too. I know many .one year the stinkyist of them all bagged one of the biggest bucks in the area....while chain smoking as usual...some times its nerve racking.ohh with a borrowed bow and bolts

[flinthead]

So here's the bad news... deer, just like humans can smell two things at once. So if your dog used the bathroom in the house and your wife was making supper, you would smell both when you walked in the door... The deer can smell you and the fox pee at the same time. You really just have to play the wind to not get busted... also, your scent doesn't float around as much on less humid days.

[ihunt]

My method wash clothes in scent free detergent place in dryer low temp with a scent free dryer sheet then spray including my socks with scent killer gold then in room with dehumidifier. I made a container with holes add carbon bricks (bbq) and leave in truck. Take a scent free soap shower the night before. That's my process.

[Timbrhuntr]

Only sent you need is from a big bag of corn in front of your stand lol

[elkaholic]

Wash in cup of baking soda. Spray with scent free gold, gaint zip locks after dryed, stored before hunt. Still light spray before each trip into field. Hang out ,aired outside all night.

[Tom]

A few years ago, I participated in a "artificial scent study" using trail cameras. Once every 2 to 3 weeks we were supplied with different scents to be placed in front of trail cameras, 10 to 15 yards off known well used trails. You would be surprised at the conclusion from that study.

Everytime a new scent was put out, the deer would come in to check it out, then slowly the visits would wain away (even if the scent was refreshed ). It actually didn't matter what the scent was (other than a known danger), if it was new, the deer would come to investigate. But after the deer realized it actually was not food ( some scents imitated food smells) or that there was no deer there (deer attractant) they associated those scents as not worth it and stopped investigating but they were not scared.

The conclusion from the study (hunters, biologists, wildlife enthusiasts) was that deer are very inquisitive to "new smells". Deer will class smells into 3 categories, danger, non meaningful, food and mating. If a deer associates a smell with danger (a learned reaction), they take flight. If it falls into non meaningfull, they learn to ignore it. Well everyone knows what happens when it comes to food or mating.

About scent free, is there any such thing. Yes there is "less scent" but never scent free. A deer well smell it, but will the deer associate the smell with danger or as non meaningful. I am not suggesting that you are waisting your time with them, because if you lessen a "danger smell" it probably helps. But just think after all you do to become scent free, you pass gas ...... now how scent free are you.

As for cover scents, it all depends on the deer around your area. If the deer have had bad experiences to those smells, they learn to associate that smell with danger, therefore they flee the area.

Your best bet is to play the wind and not educate the deer too much before the season.

I hope some find this interesting.

Tom

[AJ01]

I've heard alot about people using evercalm with good success. The other product I'm hearing alot about is Nose Jammer.

I like the Conquest scent family. Nose Jammer not so much.
The Evercalm seems to work pretty well. SInce I'm across the "border" from you, I know what it's like to hunt in "warm weather" (let's be honest, it's HOT at times during bow season)!!
The Evercalm goes on my boots when I step out of the truck. I never leave without it! One draw back is, when it dries, it will leave a flaky white residue that you will need to brush off. After that, just re-apply as needed!

I've seen "Nose Jammer" send bucks into " sprinting fits" hooking it to the next county when they hit that scent. Maybe perhaps just "educated" deer!

Store your clothes away from smoke, frying grease, dogs, the wife's perfume and assorted other contaminates. You see a lot of guys who use "natural scent eliminators", sealed Rubbermaid tubs with leaves and bark from pine or cedar. This works great for me since I'm in the "Piney Woods" of East Texas. Just match your smell to the outdoors around you. And always remember...the wind is your number one enemy!!
You can beat "Old Mossy Horns" eyes and ears, but his noise is the most difficult!!

AJ

[janesy]

I like the smell of nose jammer. It's just vanilla aerosol.
Problem is around here this year there are too many bears. Last thing I need to be doing is attracting bears to my stand when there is no season for them.

[Carnivorous]

Humans and deer experience the world through a very different combination of senses. To most humans, sight is the most important sense, followed by sound, and smell. For deer the order is smell, sight and sound, with a deers sense of smell being by far the most important.

The easy way to remember it is: Nose, eyes, ears, in that order.

For us to even see a deer in bow range you have got passed the sense of smell. Now if you can fool the eyes then make zero noise you are on your way!!