2011-08-23
Okay, today we're going to talk about scent blockers and how they can help you stay hidden from game.
There's two major things that every hunter has to do to prevent a total failure when he's hunting (well, now that I think of it, there may be 3 or 4, but I'll save those for another time), the first thing is the hunter has to watch the wind. This is crucial because at no point do you ever want to be upwind from the prey. Always, always be downwind so your scent doesn't carry to the game. It's been said many times that a deer's sense of smelling is far greater than man's so any little scent that we're able to smell is greatly magnified to the deer's nose. And if they detect a man's scent, they are sure to not enter your kill zone.
This brings us to our second point, wearing scent blocker. This to is a "must do". Even if you are downwind from the deer at sustained winds, and they begin drawing in to your feed plot that you have set up, they will be sure to smell you once they are close enough, wind or no wind. That's why we must use a good quality scent blocker. And really, in my opinion, it's not enough to just use a scent blocker on its own. You really do have to use scent control soap and shampoo on your body too, because just one little whiff of a store-bought deodorant, for example, can give the deer the scent they need to know to stay away.
Then there's the issue of your clothing. Are you washing your hunting clothes with your regular laundry detergent and fabric / static sheets? I sure hope not. Your clothing can hold a scent better than your body, so be sure that you're washing your clothes in a scent-free laundry detergent, such as Primos, as well. Then, after you've finished your laundry, be sure you keep them in a large plastic bag, I prefer the "space saver" brand that you see on the television commercials from time to time. I like that you can suck the air out of the bag with your vacuum, thereby eliminating any chance for a scent to get back into your freshly laundered clothing.
Now, some hunters prefer to use attractants (which are basically doe urine, if you weren't aware) to lure their bucks in when on deer hunting trips, but I never have resorted to. I have always been able to get good enough results on just calling them in or using my antler rattles. A lot of guys don't believe me when I say that I don't use an attractant, but it is indeed true. Maybe I've just had good luck or maybe it's that I'm a good caller, I don't know. But what I do know is that I'm darn careful to follow the first two tips that I discussed earlier - watching the wind and taking every measure to make sure my scent is blocked. And it works for me.
There's two major things that every hunter has to do to prevent a total failure when he's hunting (well, now that I think of it, there may be 3 or 4, but I'll save those for another time), the first thing is the hunter has to watch the wind. This is crucial because at no point do you ever want to be upwind from the prey. Always, always be downwind so your scent doesn't carry to the game. It's been said many times that a deer's sense of smelling is far greater than man's so any little scent that we're able to smell is greatly magnified to the deer's nose. And if they detect a man's scent, they are sure to not enter your kill zone.
This brings us to our second point, wearing scent blocker. This to is a "must do". Even if you are downwind from the deer at sustained winds, and they begin drawing in to your feed plot that you have set up, they will be sure to smell you once they are close enough, wind or no wind. That's why we must use a good quality scent blocker. And really, in my opinion, it's not enough to just use a scent blocker on its own. You really do have to use scent control soap and shampoo on your body too, because just one little whiff of a store-bought deodorant, for example, can give the deer the scent they need to know to stay away.
Then there's the issue of your clothing. Are you washing your hunting clothes with your regular laundry detergent and fabric / static sheets? I sure hope not. Your clothing can hold a scent better than your body, so be sure that you're washing your clothes in a scent-free laundry detergent, such as Primos, as well. Then, after you've finished your laundry, be sure you keep them in a large plastic bag, I prefer the "space saver" brand that you see on the television commercials from time to time. I like that you can suck the air out of the bag with your vacuum, thereby eliminating any chance for a scent to get back into your freshly laundered clothing.
Now, some hunters prefer to use attractants (which are basically doe urine, if you weren't aware) to lure their bucks in when on deer hunting trips, but I never have resorted to. I have always been able to get good enough results on just calling them in or using my antler rattles. A lot of guys don't believe me when I say that I don't use an attractant, but it is indeed true. Maybe I've just had good luck or maybe it's that I'm a good caller, I don't know. But what I do know is that I'm darn careful to follow the first two tips that I discussed earlier - watching the wind and taking every measure to make sure my scent is blocked. And it works for me.
