Makes no sense (scents)

[deadeye]

What's your thought on the three scent issues.
1. Attractant - Buck scent, doe pee, Estrus etc.
2. Your own scent - Scent free clothing, Scent blocker, Ozonics etc.
3. Cover scent - Nose Jamer, skunk, pine, manure, etc.

Here's my experience.
1. Attractant - Can and has worked but most bucks ignore it entirely.  Does often are alerted and leave the area where estrus scent is use.  This year I used Golden Estrus and another estrus product.  I had 6 Bucks walk directly down wind of my scent wicks and not a one gave any indication they noticed the estrus smell.
2. Your own scent -  Nothing you can do will eliminate your smell.  All tests confirm this.  But we do it anyway.  Odor killer spray does nothing.  Simply put, some deer will bold and leave the area (mostly mature does) while others will simply not care a whole lot about your smell.
3. Cover Scent - Interesting results here.  I will have to say the "nose jammer" spray does work to some degree.  I usually spray a short psst on my deer stand.  Not enough to over power everything (is smells like vanilla) but just enough that you know it's there.  Deer know you are there but don't usually snort and bolt out of the area.   

[glenn57]

my opinion and field experience is this. basically sometimes they work great sometimes not. I hunt in big woods.

as far as your scent I agree sometimes they don't care some times even a little suspision there gone like a bolt of lightning.

attractants.......never really remember a time when it alerted them. I however use them on one of the scent wicks tie it to a rope and drag it behind me and have smaller bucks follow it up. I use these as a cover scent also and have deer in my opinion check it out, again there not the monster bucks. and by using it as a cover scent I don't mean I bathe in it. I put it in these little canisters with cotton balls and set them in an area around my stand.

I have used the cover scent ocassionally, the one that smells like dirt. no opinion, however once there is snow I don't use it.

I have tried rattling with no real results. I use the can bleat call and am with 100% certainty the buck I posted in the contest came to that!!

[dakids]

What's your thought on the three scent issues.
1. Attractant - Buck scent, doe pee, Estrus etc.
2. Your own scent - Scent free clothing, Scent blocker, Ozonics etc.
3. Cover scent - Nose Jamer, skunk, pine, manure, etc.

Here's my experience.
1. Attractant - Can and has worked but most bucks ignore it entirely.  Does often are alerted and leave the area where estrus scent is use.  This year I used Golden Estrus and another estrus product.  I had 6 Bucks walk directly down wind of my scent wicks and not a one gave any indication they noticed the estrus smell.
2. Your own scent -  Nothing you can do will eliminate your smell.  All tests confirm this.  But we do it anyway.  Odor killer spray does nothing.  Simply put, some deer will bold and leave the area (mostly mature does) while others will simply not care a whole lot about your smell.
3. Cover Scent - Interesting results here.  I will have to say the "nose jammer" spray does work to some degree.  I usually spray a short psst on my deer stand.  Not enough to over power everything (is smells like vanilla) but just enough that you know it's there.  Deer know you are there but don't usually snort and bolt out of the area.

Agree, every deer acts differently.  What doesn't bother one deer will scare the cap out of the next.

[Boar]

heres what makes sense to me. my little brother, has shot 4 nice bucks in the last 4 years. the only thing he brings to the table cause I advised him to, Leave all the junk and gimicks at home, find a spot and stick to it, it will happen. ever since then all he has ever done is just that. picks a spot and just sits there all day, some times it happens on the first day, some times it happens on the last day, but it happens. dont second guesse your spot. pick it an stay with it.

[Cody Gruchow]

Here's my opinions and experiences with it all

1.) attractants- I've tried them all. I have tinks #69 i am using right now and also golden estrus. Certain times of the year work better with the scents. Pre rut they work. When the rut is on they get ignored for the most part. Just last week I had golden estrus out on a trail. Grunted and a small 6 pointer came out, he walked right down the trail and walked about 5 yards from it and right past it and didn't even give it a curtiousy smell. My big 17 pointer from 2013 I shot as he was smelling the scent wick I had code blue on. Never had it scare a deer away though.

2.) cover scents- I don't use them much except the nose jammer. An have had deer down wind an you can tell in there body posture that they are nervous but don't run away, snort or blow.

3.) I use scent blocker camo with rubber boots(spray nose jammer on bottom of boots) I try to be as conscious about my scent as possible. Camo doesn't get put on at home, stays in scent free bag and I get dressed when i get to the field. Even with all of this I play the wind no matter what. Sometimes wind swirls or changes but these extra precautions help, can't even give you a rough estimate of how many deer I've had with in 20 yards or closer to my tree on the down wind side or on the trail I walked in on and they don't bat a eye. There's only one deer that seems to figure me out no matter what and it's a big old smart doe.

[glenn57]

heres what makes sense to me. my little brother, has shot 4 nice bucks in the last 4 years. the only thing he brings to the table cause I advised him to, Leave all the junk and gimicks at home, find a spot and stick to it, it will happen. ever since then all he has ever done is just that. picks a spot and just sits there all day, some times it happens on the first day, some times it happens on the last day, but it happens. dont second guesse your spot. pick it an stay with it.

you advise him!!!!!! oh my excuse me..thats a rib splitter, bout choked on my glass of water...........well boar you know the rest.

but does he lose his keys............since you advise him!!!!!!

[glenn57]

seriously though this is a cool thread and interested in hearing more opinions!!!!!!

[Boar]

yu were waiting to do that wernt you

[glenn57]

yu were waiting to do that wernt you

yep.......I kinda owed you that!!!!!!!!!!!!

[The General]

I don't use anything besides different stand for different winds.  With that being said I did purchase and Under Armor, scent controlled cold fusion jacket and pants at $130 this year only because it looks cool and keeps me warm and was cheap.  I have no delusions that it keeps the deer from smelling me.  I do spray some of the stuff that smells like dirt on my hat before going out.  Does it help I have no idea.  I did have some deer coming in downwind this year and at about 80 yards away, my son (8years old) stood up and said, "hey dad there come some deer!"..............they took off but I don't think it was because they smelled us at the time.  Kids    

[deadeye]

Good one there General.  Believe me, for some people that "DEER, DEER" shout doesn't go away with age.  While at camp during this years season, my brother in law starts shouting (if you knew him, you would know he's loud when is not shouting), LARRY, LARRY, THERE'S A DEER ON THE FIELD". This was repeated several times each time louder than the previous shout.  I calmly ask him to get my gun (he forgot to take his out of the case when he came in from hunting) and shoot it.  I peeked around the shed and the deer was still there but it finally had to leave when my BIO had another loud outburst something about using my gun........  You had to be there to get the full experience

[Steve-o]

I've started wearing as much merino wool as I can afford.  They claim that merino wool is bacteria resistant and therefore won’t carry as much scent through repeated use without washing.

I’ve also bought into the idea of using firewood smoke as a cover scent on my clothes, boots, blinds, etc.  The jury is still out for me because I haven’t had enough close encounters to judge effectiveness, but I’m going to stick with it for a while.

Regarding deer pee as an attractant, I accept the fact that sometimes it works to bring deer closer or stop them, but most of the time deer just ignore it.  However my question is this.  How do companies collect and bottle as much “estrous” scent as they claim?

I think I heard once that operations control the light in the pens, which cause does to go into their estrous cycle.  I’m really starting to question if this is possible and if there is anything different between regular and estrous doe pee.

Does anyone have information regarding this?

[Boar]

well heres my other take on scent thingy stuff. I use to work for the DNR at Theif lake WMA,  as an intern in college, of course I know you cant tell, (hurry up get it out and be done) but one thing we did was to go around the public landings of duck hunters, and we would dump ash and charcoal from the facilitiy's wood stove down the out house holes, Why? to keep the smell down. It absorbed orders. Charcoal absorbs oders. what is the base of carbon? charcoal. what are the scent free suits based on? carbon. oder absorbing carbon...Charcoal. Carbon needs tobe heated to a cetrtain temp which is very high to be in the the active stated of oder absorbencey, to reach that state, FIRE! can reach that temp. soooooooooo I put chunks of coal from my campfire and ash from my pelet burner. in my tote of hunting closthes. its free. yes it helps, I often spinkle ash on me before going to stand.

[deadeye]

Bag it and sell it at Cabelas