Bowhunters, Scent Control, and Storage: A Question

[UpTheIrons]

Now that the hunting seasons have come to an end here (and I've filled all my tags (woo hoo!!)), I'd like to poll the bowhunters on their scent control protocols for the off-season.

I usually take my hunting clothes (which I use for both bow and rifle seasons) and wash them when the season ends in scent-killing detergent, then put them in my Tink's bag until next season.

The question is: It's recommended that the Tink's bag go into the dryer once a year to reacivate the charcoal to keep it's scent absorption in top form. For those of you who use one, when do you do that? Right before the season starts? Right after when you put your clothes away? Some other time?

This year, I did it right before bow season started here (October 2). I just don't want to have to go through the process again just before the season starts again.

For the record, I've never had a deer scent me - I've had one see me (that blasted bee kept buzzing in front of my eyes, and I didn't see her sneak up from the left) and I've had a few hear me. Our stands and tripods are set up so the prevailing winds blow away from the trails and plots.

Whay say ye?

 

[jbkebert]

Well I can't say that I go through to much effort. I pull my clothes out of the self in the closet right before season starts. Wash in clean breeze tide. Spray once before putting on with Silver scent. Get dressed eat breakfast, drink coffee. Have a smoke walk to my stand climb and sit. I used to be a freak about scent control. I have killed to many deer when I thought it wasn't possible i have commited some scent control sin.

I have taken deer right after peeing out ofmy stand when I forgot my bottle. I have taken deer when I decided to have a cigarette giving up for the day. I have poured a cup of coffe from my thermos and have deer come walking in. I am convinced that movement and noise play a bigger part than scent. My most productive stand having taken approx 20 deer in the last 5 years from it. Is a mere 10 1/2' off the ground. I do not own a stand that is over 15' don't see the need to be 30' in the air. Granted I am a meat hunter not a trophey hunter but I have taken some nice animals.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

Scent control is an iffy proposition at best. It is more about WHERE you hunt and if the deer are used to human scent or not. There are many places that I hunt where a deer will not be one bit bothered at human oder and then there are others that they will bolt at the slightest hint of it. Also, heavily pressured deer are more likely to bolt as well. 99% of these "scent free" clothing are nothing more than an attraction for the hunters dollars. It is impossible to get scent free from a deer. Play the wind. That is the ONLY way you will stay off a deers radar. Storing your clothes in those carbon bags is pretty much a waste of time and space. Like jbkebert, I have killed literally dozens of deer that I know damn well smelled me and didn't care. I've had does walk right beside me with me on the ground in KNIFE range! Wind blowing right in their faces. Didn't care. I do use scent free soaps and detergents and I do use a cover spray that matches the environment that I am hunting in and that is as far as I go with it. The ONLY way to beat a deers nose is if the wind is carrying your scent (and there will ALWAYS be scent) away from the deer. Spooked, pressured, SMART deer will boogie on out but most deer are so accustomed to human scent they just don't really care much. Just store your clothes out of the wifes way because that will get you in more trouble than a deer busting you if you don't! All mine stays in the "man cave" (my basement) then I wash it pre season and go play with the 4 legged critters. Don't fall victim to the "you HAVE to have this this and this to be successful" crap.

 

[Promod1385]

I use the Tinks bag as well, i usually recharge it when i wash all of my gear (at the beginning of the season).

In the off season i store all of my soft gear in an air tight plastic tote. I wash all my stuff, put it in a tinks bag and then put the bag in my tote.

 

[pat86323]

i know that scent control might not be completely vital but think of it this way......if you are out in the woods and smell a faint esscence of skunk you likely wont think much of it. If you suddenly smell a really strong and powerful skunk smell you will likely get out of dodge. I feel that deer might use the same logic to an extent a little bit of human smell probably doesnt bother them nearly as much as it would if you stink real bad. Why not try to give yourself a little edge? There is no harm in not stinking and could be plenty of harm if you do stink.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

Well pat I look at it like this. The white tail deer was hunted to near extinction before the advent of all these technological advances. I myself was very successful many years before I bought my first camo clothing. There is such a thing as too much of a "good" thing. A lot of these advances do nothing but make up for the "hunters" lack of woodsmanship.

 

[pat86323]

I understand where you are coming from, i really do. But just because you dont use the stuff doesnt mean that it doesnt have its uses. I also have had experience of getting close to game without using scent elimination, most recently a mt lion at about 10 yards away. This doesnt mean that you shouldnt try to not stink. I personally use unscented deoderant wash with unscented soap and wash my clothes in scent free uv brightener free detergent. You stated that there will ALWAYS be scent, then by your estimation the products dont even work and actually dont diminish anyones "woodsmanship"

 

[shaggy430]

Scent control, schment control. If the wind blows to the animal, it will smell you. I don't care if you are wearing a rubber suit.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

Pat, as long as you are breathing you are putting out scent. They don't work really. They do help to LOWER the output of scent to a small degree but in all reality, most all of that stuff is simply a marketable product geared to the less experienced hunters.

 

[buck460XVR]

For the record, I've never had a deer scent me

Whay say ye?

I'd say you're full of it!

If you've hunted deer more than once, you've had deer scent you. The reason you didn't see them or hear them is because they scented you first and snuck away before you even noticed. They're kinda sneaky that way......kinda why they don't all get killed. Kinda what makes it somewhat of a challenge to hunt them.

That said, scent control of your hunting clothes during the off season is kinda like watering your garden in a downpour. I wouldn't worry til right before season. I fall turkey hunt with the same camo that I bowhunt with. When turkey hunting I use insect repellent heavily and sweat like a bear chasing them ugly birds all over tarnation. When I get home, I wash 'em in scent free detergent, hang 'em outside and I'm good to go the next day.

 

[pat86323]

I understand that, trust me. I have been hunting for a long time and will stick by my thought on the skunk. Would you put cologne on before you went hunting......id guess not because you dont want to smell too strongly. Why wouldnt you take it the other way and try to stink less, and not have uv brighteners in your clothing? (deer do see in the ultraviolet spectrum) Regardless of how effective it is or isnt, it is never a bad idea to try to pay attention to detail.

 

[Kingcreek]

My hunting buddy is a scent control freak. I don't work at being "scent free" but I don't walk through spilled diesel fuel or fry bacon in my hunting clothes either. He kills almost as many deer as I do every year.

 

[matrem]

Learning about deer hunting 35 or so years ago, my dad was the first person I knew that hung his hunting clothes outside, with the thought of at least minimizing human scent.He seemed (to me, at least) to have far more success than the average Ohio deer hunter in the 1970s.
After many seasons of hunting whitetails, mostly with bow in hand, one thing that I believe to be fact :
Less human scent will NEVER hurt your chances.
I also believe that the best scent control efforts don't hold a candle to having the wind in your favor.

 

[UpTheIrons]

I'd say you're full of it!

If you've hunted deer more than once, you've had deer scent you. The reason you didn't see them or hear them is because they scented you first and snuck away before you even noticed. They're kinda sneaky that way......kinda why they don't all get killed. Kinda what makes it somewhat of a challenge to hunt them.

Yeah, you are probably right.

The thing is, we hunt with the wind where we are. The Texas Hill Country has some pretty severe extremes when it comes to wind, and there's very little shifting directions, it's either strong from the north, strong from the south, or very still.

If the wind is from the south, Stand A is where you go. If it blows from the north, head out to Stand B. That works pretty well. One doe that I spooked was downwind from me, and she bolted after I shooed away a bee that was buzzing in front of my face. Maybe she did scent me, because she came from downwind, but she didn't run until I moved.

We're also pretty close to the ground. Our tallest bow stand is 12', and we've got a few box blinds on the ground, too. I think 7 yards is the closest I've had a deer come to me and not see me.

I think I'll do what I did last season: leave my clothes in a pile next to the washer until the week before bow season, then wash 'em and put 'em in the Tink's bag.

 

[UpTheIrons]

Less human scent will NEVER hurt your chances.
I also believe that the best scent control efforts don't hold a candle to having the wind in your favor.

Right. I just use camo jeans and long-sleeve t-shirts washed in scent-killer detergent. We also play the wind. If that doesn't work, well, better luck tomorrow!

 

[G23/40]

Wash the clothes in scent free detergent. Dry with forest floor scent dryer sheets.
Store in garbage bag with pine cones and pine needles.

 

[brandon_mcg]

i do as G23 stated. i put all my hunting clothes in a garbage bag with pine needles.

my father-in-law who bowhunts religously simply leaves all his clothes out on the porch swing. i guess nature is as good a cover scent as youre gonna get.

 

[FLAvalanche]

My stuff gets washed and then put in a tote that has about 3" of corn on the bottom of it.

Stuff comes out smelling like corn.

 

[hardluk1]

I have use1 main product for scent control for around 28 years. Arm & Hammer bakeing soda. Not the laundry soap, just the dry powder. Also you can get there unsented stick for pit stink. I will wash my cloths with a A&H and mix some in a blender with water for a spray bottle in in the field. Dry to my undies and hair, inside my boots. It's cheap and just works. Had way to may deer over the years nap next to me with there fawns.Had deer catch me nap'n and be looking at me all camo out around 10feet away and just stand there look'n . Just simple works. Throw it all in a plastic bag with some A&H and thats it. Never got into any carbon or store bought stuff.

 

[natman]

For the record, I've never had a deer scent me

For the record, I've never noticed a deer scent me

Let me fix that. I'll guarantee that at some point a deer has scented you and been gone LONG before you realized it was around.

Like wearing camo it's not an all or nothing thing. You will give off some scent no matter what. Minimizing it, covering it and hunting into the wind will help. Just because it's possible to see a deer when giving off scent doesn't mean that your odds are better when you don't.