Taking Scent Control to the Next Level
Five million. Thats how many olfactory receptors a human has. Olfactory receptors are what the human body uses to smell. Dogs are known to have good smell, they have approximately 220 million olfactory receptors in their nose. Now compare this to 297 oflfactory receptors in whitetail deer and it's no wonder deer continously outsmart hunters year after year. Scent control is a hot topic in the hunting world nowadays and has been for about the last decade give or take. If you are just getting into the world of bowhunting or deer hunting in general, you have probably heard something about scent control and playing the wind. In my opinion, although it is such a hot topic, scent control is still an overlooked part of many people's hunts. I am what you would call a scent freak, meaning I don't want any part of me to smell like a human and I take ever precaution available to leave as minimal scent as possible in the deer woods. Scent control starts before hunting season starts. I will normally wash my hunting clothes using a scent killing laundry detergant. (My personal preferance is Scent Killer) I then dry my clothes using Scent Killer dryer sheets. As soon as my clothes come out of the dryer I put them in a plastic tote and take them to the back yard. I will then hang them outside for 2-3 days and then re-enter them back into the plastic tote. My next step is to put some type of artificial scent in with the plastic tote and clothes. I have used pine needles before, or Hunters Specialties Scent Waffers do a good job as well. This is all dependent on the area you are hunting as well. Typically some type of earth base scent is a good choice for most all hunting applications, regardless of location. The next step is to wait for hunting season. Once hunting season arrives, a lot of hunters make the mistake of putting their clothes on before leaving for their hunting property. This is a big mistake because your clothes come in contact with a lot of other smells before you enter the woods. Even before I leave the house I will take a shower using Scent Killer soap and shampoo to help eliminate any scent I have on my body. I will leave everyting in my plastic hunting tote until I am at my property, then I will get dressed. I then spray everything down again with Scent Killer from head to toe. I am also a strong believer in rubber boots. Especially in the warmer months. They do a great job of controlling scent. The next thing you have to pay attention to is the wind. I will never hunt an area if the wind is wrong. I'll only hunt stands that have the wind in my favor. I never want deer to know I am in the area at any point in time. The easiest deer to hunt are deer that don't know they are being hunted. If they start to pattern you and know where your stands are and they can smell when your there, you've made the game way harder than it needs to be. Always remember that scent control is a huge factor in hunting trophy whitetails and something that I believe more people need to pay better attention to. Follow a couple of these tips and you will have better hunting come next fall. Do your research and find products and a system that works good for you and you'll be amazed by the results.
