Scent Control

[jagermeister]

I used to use smoke religiously, and I thought it worked well, but for some reason the smell often gave me a headache. Pair that with upgrading camo gear and I haven’t smoked anything in 8-10 years or more.

Most seasons, I wash everything with scent free soap and keep them in dedicated totes. The last few years, however, I’ve gotten increasingly relaxed in my scent control efforts. In fact, this season, I never washed a thing… Just pulled gear straight from totes, wore it hunting, tossed it back without closing lids, mixed things up, and used again on the next hunt.

I thoroughly believe that playing the wind (and considering thermals) is more important than anything else we can do. If you have the luxury or the patience to hunt smart and commit to bulletproof access, it doesn’t matter what you wear or what you do with it. Mature bucks are going to smell you, and get wise to you, if you’re careless, no matter what you do to try to fool their nose.

 

[giles]

I used to use smoke religiously, and I thought it worked well, but for some reason the smell often gave me a headache. Pair that with upgrading camo gear and I haven’t smoked anything in 8-10 years or more.

Most seasons, I wash everything with scent free soap and keep them in dedicated totes. The last few years, however, I’ve gotten increasingly relaxed in my scent control efforts. In fact, this season, I never washed a thing… Just pulled gear straight from totes, wore it hunting, tossed it back without closing lids, mixed things up, and used again on the next hunt.

I thoroughly believe that playing the wind (and considering thermals) is more important than anything else we can do. If you have the luxury or the patience to hunt smart and commit to bulletproof access, it doesn’t matter what you wear or what you do with it. Mature bucks are going to smell you, and get wise to you, if you’re careless, no matter what you do to try to fool their nose.

I can agree with this 100%. Smoking my stuff is more for me. Makes me feel like I went above and beyond. @Redneckfucker is starting to see how this stuff works. Hunting when you can can hurt you more than hunting when it's perfect conditions.

 

[Redneckfucker]

It’s only taken me forever but I’ve slowed down and went through the process lol trying to be better and it’s working

 

[Stressless]

I would have loved to have had an audience on Sunday to observe the power of thermals. For me, it's thermals first, then wind direction.

If you hunt hilly terrain, that's gospel.

Timing the switch, down thermal to up thermal in the AM is how I got Mooch on that mature buck. He couldn't in until right when the sun hit the SE side of the hill, changing a down thermal (Westerly going down the hill) to up thermal with the "Wind direction" that Easterly". When they are complimentary it's like a fan in your face.

 

[TinyTucky]

Not to continue hi-jacking this thread with thermals, but it was probably 6 or 7 years ago I was hunting a friends property down south in the evening. I had the biggest buck I’ve ever seen while hunting(still to this day) coming across a shelf below me about 125 yards away. Wind all afternoon was in my favor, but the thermals started to drop the last 45 minutes. At this point in time I don’t think I had ever even heard of thermals being from the flattest part of the state. He made a turn and was coming straight for me, then suddenly stopped at 75 yards, turned and boogied. It took me probably 3 years to realize how he winded me. Playing the wind and thermals will ALWAYS trump any scent control regiment in my opinion.