Question for the Predator Guys

Y

Yoteguy902

New member
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Location
PEI
Hey guys, I'm new to hunting and predator hunting. I only have about 10 hunts under my belt. No success and now that the season is over I'm doing a ton of researching. My question is what you guys do with your Camo between hunts? I'm thinking scent wise when asking that. Do I store it away somewhere, wash it, etc

Does it even make a difference?

Thanks,

Nic
 
I wash camo garments in dish detergent, not clothes detergent, to avoid adding UV brighteners and scent. Then put them in a Rubbermaid container in the back of my walk in closet until needed.
 
Just hang it outside for 24 hours prior to going hunting.

I wonder how I smell to animals when I go out hunting at my claim....
 
Nothing, just leave it in the garage...The only time I do anything with it is when I get a lot of blood on it I will wash it with some dish soap in the washing machine and just let it air dry in the garage.... I think in 5 years I have only washed it twice. I don't do anything about controlling the scent of my camo gear... You can't fool the noise of a coyote so I just make sure I play the wind...
 
fratri said:
Nothing, just leave it in the garage...The only time I do anything with it is when I get a lot of blood on it I will wash it with some dish soap in the washing machine and just let it air dry in the garage.... I think in 5 years I have only washed it twice. I don't do anything about controlling the scent of my camo gear... You can't fool the noise of a coyote so I just make sure I play the wind...
Click to expand...

Absolutely true. Any effort and money spent to try making you invisible to a coyote's nose is a waste of time. Control your scent "plume" and hunt accordingly.
 
Had a buddy who shot a wolf, dragged it out, skinned it then chucked his pants in a tote for the winter without washing them. Pulled them out for bear hunting in the spring, Gak! I can still smell them! Gaaak!

Pretty well ruined my bear camp cook out.

I must admit it would make a pretty good cover scent for hunting coyotes. Probably a great bear attractant as well.
 
Thanks guys! Pretty much reassured what I was thinking. Just kinda wondered if I could something wrong.

Know the wind and play to the advantage.

Nic
 
wash them when dirty/bloody
spray them for ticks,leave for 24hrs
dont get up wind of anything,if possible(but some varmints dont play by those rules either)
good luck
 
Since coyotes will very often try to get down wind of the "noise" they are investigating , we try to get open ground down wind of us when we set up. That way, to get a good sniff, the coyote will have to expose himself and we will keep a sharp eye on that down wind area. Lots of times a coyote has moved into the open to allow its nose to check things out, and when it gets a whiff of our scent it will stop for a few seconds to try to figure out what the H*** is going on. During that few seconds of uncertainty, we have shot quite a few. You don't have long, but it is often a standing shot. If you don't get it off before it makes up its mind and decides to leave, there will be no stopping for a second "think", so it is important to shoot quickly.
 
I don't agree with much of the above advice... I have been hunting predators for close to 40 years and often with archery gear... while you probably can't completely fool the nose of a coyote, wolf, deer, bear or moose (wild animals survive using their senses)... you CAN reduce the amount of scent that you are distributing and you can narrow the scent cone downwind... this can only up your odds of success... I go to great lengths in scent control... even knowing that it may only help in 10% of the scenarios that I find myself in... to me field time is precious and I want to maximize my opportunities.

I wash my hunting clothes in a scent free detergent and then hang dry outside (when in the bush I hang dry draped over spruce, cedar or balsam boughs)... I store in large RubberMaid bins with a few cedar or balsam bough tips... I don't wear my hunting boots at gas stations, I don't sit around a campfire in my hunting gear etc... etc... I do my best to reduce foreign scents attached to the clothing and gear that I am using when actually in the bush hunting. I also take care with other gear, such as hats, packs, oils on my weapons etc...

This topic always raises a lot of lively discussion and I am not going to debate on this thread... but I can cite numerous events where I was successful and I am certain that my scent control efforts made the difference. I feel that many people disagree with scent control because they just don't want to be bothered and are convincing themselves ( and others) that it doesn't matter... they will say that wind thermals will swirl and spoil all of your scent control efforts (and they may)... they will tell you stories about Jim Bob who spilled gas from the outboard all over himself and then went out and shot a record buck... some will say, "I didn't shower for a week and the coyote came in straight downwind and never smelled a thing" etc... etc...

For myself, in my experience and observations, I am convinced that the efforts I make to control scent are worth it.

I don't really care what others do... but I won't be sharing a blind with someone who is wearing Aqua Velva and smoking a cigarette.
 
This is not an "all or nothing" question. Predators have distinct advantages over you, and every effort you make to reduce the gap are helpful to some extent. You likely can't eliminate those factors but you can diminish them.

Similarly, not all predators are created equal. Younger, less experienced, hungrier, etc coyotes will sometimes take risks that older, more experienced coyotes will not.

And then, as a result of conditions controlled by you and those that are not, the gap between you will be narrowed enough that you can make the shot.
 
Great point with the tree tips in the Rubbermaid. I'll use that for sure.

I calked one fox in this winter. Came in on a full run and came within 20 feet before I let him know I was there. It was intentional as they were out of season but this gave me some confidence in my calling and scent control. I also called in a coyote in newfoundland a few weeks ago. He just appeared behind me (rookie mistakes were made) smelled us and dipped over the hill.

Next season will be a different story.
 
hoytcanon said:
I don't agree with much of the above advice... I have been hunting predators for close to 40 years and often with archery gear... while you probably can't completely fool the nose of a coyote, wolf, deer, bear or moose (wild animals survive using their senses)... you CAN reduce the amount of scent that you are distributing and you can narrow the scent cone downwind... this can only up your odds of success... I go to great lengths in scent control... even knowing that it may only help in 10% of the scenarios that I find myself in... to me field time is precious and I want to maximize my opportunities.

I wash my hunting clothes in a scent free detergent and then hang dry outside (when in the bush I hang dry draped over spruce, cedar or balsam boughs)... I store in large RubberMaid bins with a few cedar or balsam bough tips... I don't wear my hunting boots at gas stations, I don't sit around a campfire in my hunting gear etc... etc... I do my best to reduce foreign scents attached to the clothing and gear that I am using when actually in the bush hunting. I also take care with other gear, such as hats, packs, oils on my weapons etc...

This topic always raises a lot of lively discussion and I am not going to debate on this thread... but I can cite numerous events where I was successful and I am certain that my scent control efforts made the difference. I feel that many people disagree with scent control because they just don't want to be bothered and are convincing themselves ( and others) that it doesn't matter... they will say that wind thermals will swirl and spoil all of your scent control efforts (and they may)... they will tell you stories about Jim Bob who spilled gas from the outboard all over himself and then went out and shot a record buck... some will say, "I didn't shower for a week and the coyote came in straight downwind and never smelled a thing" etc... etc...

For myself, in my experience and observations, I am convinced that the efforts I make to control scent are worth it.

I don't really care what others do... but I won't be sharing a blind with someone who is wearing Aqua Velva and smoking a cigarette.
Click to expand...

Neither do I, but you're just wasting your energy, time and money.

You are completely underestimating the power of a dog's nose. I feel that many people who practice elaborate scent control are convincing themselves it matters in the same way all superstitions get people to believe in them. Dogs can diagnose cancer and predict epileptic seizures by smell. They find drugs hidden in sacks of coffee. They follow trails that are many hours old (google the scenting power of bloodhounds). You can't reduce your scent by washing your clothes, and the size of your scent cone is determined by air currents, not your shampoo.

Superstitions are very difficult to disprove.
 
rral22 said:
Neither do I, but you're just wasting your energy, time and money.

You are completely underestimating the power of a dog's nose. I feel that many people who practice elaborate scent control are convincing themselves it matters in the same way all superstitions get people to believe in them. Dogs can diagnose cancer and predict epileptic seizures by smell. They find drugs hidden in sacks of coffee. They follow trails that are many hours old (google the scenting power of bloodhounds). You can't reduce your scent by washing your clothes, and the size of your scent cone is determined by air currents, not your shampoo.

Superstitions are very difficult to disprove.
Click to expand...

I said I wouldn't get drawn into the debate (that I knew was coming)... hear me clearly, all scent control efforts are in addition to "managing wind direction," it does not take the place of good sensible movement and positioning when hunting... you can take incredible pains with scent control and then throw it all out the window by improper positioning when hunting... I agree that a yote or deer or bear that is straight downwind on a level thermal is going to smell you... but twenty years of trapping and forty years of bowhunting, and hundreds of big game animals harvested has given me enough experience to know that scent control CAN make a difference... it is not a "wives tale or superstition" it is common sense. I also do not feel that the minor expenditure to manage scent is a waste...

But with my experience also comes the full appreciation for the importance of wind direction and a full appreciation of the sense of smell in wild animals. An even finer nuance of scent stream over simply wind direction are air thermals... in the morning warming air currents are generally rising and in the evening cool air currents are generally falling... there are also air current shifts caused by topography... in the morning a stand six feet high will in most cases put your scent over the heads (noses) of game, while in the evening a stand 30 feet high may not help in the least as the cooling currents cause your scent to hit the ground level feet from your perch... I have one stand that is in the saddle of a ridge and the way the air currents move in that location make it near impossible for game to scent me, I have taken a couple dozen deer from that location and most came in from straight downwind... I have another stand that is a bugger to hunt... the winds swirl and more often than not I get busted... but the location is so good it has accounted for three nice bucks, when everything went right.

Rral22... I have read your disdain for scent control before... I won't change your mind and neither will you change mine... everyone else can make up their own minds on how important they feel it is...
 
Last edited:
hoytcanon said:
Rral22... I have read your disdain for scent control before... I won't change your mind and neither will you change mine... everyone else can make up their own minds on how important they feel it is...
Click to expand...

Of course others will make up their own minds.

I do want, however, to present new hunters some ideas to think about that will combat the marketing and advertising hype with which scent control manufacturers flood the markets. Everyone seems to forget that before scent lock clothing, and scent control soaps, and cover scent marketing, and the "everything camo" fad, many, many thousands of animals were quite successfully hunted by guys wearing their every day plaid jackets and jeans. Your years of experience should remind you of that. I'm even older than you, I suspect, and I find the fascination with and reliance on what are essentially gimmicks, is a very unfortunate mistake for too many new hunters. Can be expensive too.
 
rral22 said:
Of course others will make up their own minds.

I do want, however, to present new hunters some ideas to think about that will combat the marketing and advertising hype with which scent control manufacturers flood the markets. Everyone seems to forget that before scent lock clothing, and scent control soaps, and cover scent marketing, and the "everything camo" fad, many, many thousands of animals were quite successfully hunted by guys wearing their every day plaid jackets and jeans. Your years of experience should remind you of that. I'm even older than you, I suspect, and I find the fascination with and reliance on what are essentially gimmicks, is a very unfortunate mistake for too many new hunters. Can be expensive too.
Click to expand...

I started hunting before the current marketing craze on scent control products... I took just as many precautions back then as I do now... what makes you think that this is NEW hype??? Hundreds of years ago Native American hunters used animal skins and boiled creosote and mesquite and sage to camoflage their bodies and mask their scent... they lived in the wilderness 365 days a year and their survival depended on successful hunting... I wonder why they took all those precautions???
 
Do you guys use scentlok on your guns and bows too? If your not 100% "scentfree", Whats the sense?



I wash my clothes in UV free scent free detergent before the season starts then dont wash it again til its over. If a coyote is heading downwind you better be ready to shoot, No matter how much scentkiller you bathed in that morning.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom