How do you hide your scent while hunting?

I read an article years back in Outdoor Life, or Field and Stream about going on a vegetarian diet for a few weeks before a hunt. The idea was to smell like a plant eater instead of a predator. Writer claimed he had deer walking right up to him no matter which way the wind was blowing.
Might be worth a try, but I like my steaks too much
 
Kelly Timoffee said:
Ok, in all seriousness this is what works for me...

I collect deer fecal material and put into a black garbage bag with whatever hunting clothes I am going to use for that season, I add fresh droppings about every week during season and keep the bag closed tightly but always in above freezing temperatures to ensure it festers properly.The bedding I sleep in is always stored with whatever natural vegetation is in the area I will hunt in and even even include spruce bows for added comfort.

For shampoo and soap I usually collect the sap from the local spruce and pine trees and use that as my all purpose cleaner and soap, typically I wash in slough water to avoid the smell of harsh contaminates associated with our water treatment processes.The sap never seems to rinse out fully but leaves a pleasant odor.

When It comes to diet I typically start a week before deer season eating only what deer eat from that area I plan to hunt , the local grains typically and some extra alfalfa in a salad type dish for roughage.This ensures your droppings are very similar to the deer.

There is no need for cover scents and lures , nature has provided all you need for a successful hunt.
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Pure gold. Evidently, you must tap all the women in you neighborhood too. Isn't problematic at work?
 
I wouldn't go much beyond washing clothes in scent-free detergent. Scent control is a marketing effort and not much more.

Ever see those old-time photos from Vermont and such places where all the guys are wearing mackinaws and green work pants? They never used Ozonics or scent-killing spray and they bagged deer year after year.

I see plenty of deer up close when I am squirrel hunting and I am not wearing anything for scent control at those times.

Just sit still and you are 90% of the way towards success.

If that doesn't work, gargle deer estrus to cover the smell of your breath.
 
Call said:
I wouldn't go much beyond washing clothes in scent-free detergent. Scent control is a marketing effort and not much more.

Ever see those old-time photos from Vermont and such places where all the guys are wearing mackinaws and green work pants? They never used Ozonics or scent-killing spray and they bagged deer year after year.

I see plenty of deer up close when I am squirrel hunting and I am not wearing anything for scent control at those times.

Just sit still and you are 90% of the way towards success.

If that doesn't work, gargle deer estrus to cover the smell of your breath.
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Mackinaws, old........oh, you must be talking about me. LOL!!!
 
On the prairies, you can see a deer for a week before it smells you.

seriously- use the wind in your favor and all will be good.
 
Diesel fuel - there is nothing better than stinking like a skidder. Put it on your boots and wear an old work coat. I think that if you put an amp and speaker system on - so you sound like a truck going up the road or a Husqvarna - they wouldn't do more than look up as you walk by. They know all about sneaky things - but look like a farmer doing what farmers do - and they will put you in the ignore box. I walked across a field today - in broad daylight, at a doe and youngster, and she looked at me for a while as I came to within shooting range. I sat down and started playing the grunt like an accordian and she was baffled - came maybe fifty yards towards me trying to figure out what was making all the racket. If I had tried to sneak around the bush line - she would have bolted.

If you can acclimatize them to your smells and appearance, all the better - routinely atv around the bush throwing corn out like candy from a parade float - before the season opens, so the atv, you and the noise will become normal to them.

No - I didn't - I didn't have a doe tag - I just wanted her to stay out on the field.
 
Burn leaves. Wear your gear. Stand in smoke. Smell of smoke won't scare animals. It will help cover your smell. I've had great success with this method. It comes down to whether or not the individual animal is going to react to you or not. Theyre going to smell you if they get down wind. Sometimes they follow up the scent right to you other times they flee
 
I think people view this differently depending on how they hunt. Someone who uses a rifle and shoots deer at longer ranges will say it's a waste of time while a bow hunter stalking deer within 20 yards will say it's extremely important. I prefer to stalk with the bow so I descent myself with a shower and my clothing with a wash and storage in a scent lock bag.

Before I started doing this I was having trouble with the deer winding me and becoming very alert when the wind shifted and shot my scent right at them. I don't think my scent alone ever caused any deer to take off, but it definitely made them alert which made any movement within 50 yards nearly impossible as they knew the direction where to look for the source. I had many long pauses due to my scent alerting them and tons of stomping from the deer.

After starting the descenting routine there has been many times where the deer haven't even been alerted when the wind shifted right towards them. When they do wind me now it's very rare for them to stare in my direction for more than a minute or so and usually go right back to whatever they were doing. I've also noticed that the less I stink the more leeway they'll give with making noises during the stalk. It's allowed me to make 3 kills with the crossbow between 10-15 yards over the last few seasons...
 
When bowhunting I have used the baking soda treatment and storage in plastic bags with pine boughs for my clothes with good results.
During rifle season I typically hone my primitive fire making skills during mid day lulls and "smoke" my clothing in the result.
Seems to work fine so far...
 
Some of you guys are funny! Good thing we can have some fun here without getting our panties twisted. :)

I have never used any scent remover/cover up. I don't hunt with a bow, so however I smell when I decide to wander off hunting, that's what the deer get. :p

I am always amazed at the vast selection of crap offered in Cabela's and WSS, Wobble Mart and CT have that supposedly attracts deer/moose/elk/coyotes and what ever else.
 
I stay downwind of the direction I hunt, and I don't piss or crap in my hunting stand/spot.

I don't see it as complicated as others may think it to be, and i don't waste my time on hiding or anti-scent. I rarely have a tag unfilled at the end of the season.
 
I do not worry about scent I just hunt the wind as I am a heavy smoker at least two packs a day yes I know it is bad for me ,but I kill my share of deer every year with bow and shotguns .just hunt the wind Dutch
 
I agree that it depends on what type of hunting that you do. While rifle hunting and open area I dont worry about it. But for bow hunting or close range you need to be able to minimize your impact on the area. If you are tromping a bucks territory while smelling like fresh bacon that buck is going to start being more nocturnal. I want him to come to me in daylight hours.

When I bow hunt I do control my scent to a certain extent. I try and use scent free pit stick and soap. I wash my hunting clothing in scent free soap and hang dry outside. I then put all my clothes and crossbow in a cheap cdn tire hockey bag with cedar and baking soda inside. The hockey bag carries all my hunting gear and is relatively sealed off because it has a plastic type membrane liner. I put my rubber boots in the skate holders at each end. When I get out of the truck I change into my hunting gear and put on the hunting boots. I also use a spray on the bottom of my boots.

I know that I am not going to fool a deer but I certainly want to minimize my scent in the woods.

I always play the wind - http://spotwx.com/ is a good wind forecast site.
 
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