Deer Hunting Scent Myths - Fox 9 News Tonight

[chucker34]

Did anyone here anything about this? My wife always gives me a hard time about scent control and says maybe if a big buck smelled me, he'd be intriguted and work his way toward my stand. Anyway, she called me very excited this morning to tell me there was some promo on the radio for a story Fox 9 was doing about a deer's sense of smell and the precautions hunters take to try and outwit it. I think the angle of the storty is going to be, how effecive is scent control for hunters? Regardless of what is proven on this segment or scientifically, I guess I'm a believer in trying as hard as possible to not smell like anything while in the field.

[KOTTKE]

I also heard that this morning on my way in, looking forward to seeing the results.

[deerhuntr8]

Should be interesting to watch.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

when is it on?

[BKB]

9 pm tonite

[CanOCorn]

I didn't flip on until 9:30 and didn't see it. Anyone care to post the results of the news story?

[NELS-BELLS]

The way I interpreted it was that the carbon comes from coconuts. It is like a sponge and it can only hold so much before it cant take anymore. That a dryer cannot fully regenerate the carbon to its full capacity and that there isn't enough carbon in the clothing to do much. They used dogs to see if they could find the person wearing the clothing and the dogs found them everytime.

So in summary, it may reduce your scent but will not eliminate it completely.

Maybe someone else interpreted the story differently.

Nels

[BigWadeS]

Nels,

I interpreted that to be about the same. The VP of Marketing for scentlock was saying deer get use to some non-animal smells in the wild with other activity, with the segement on the news they used dogs that are "highly trained" to locate a scent and follow that. I think the amount of success hunters have using scent eliminating/masking clothing and scents proves to work, IMO.

[nolte]

I'm with Wade on this one. I think the dog could smell any sort foreign smell and locate the person.

The suits aren't a cure all, but with a scent free routine they seem to make a difference. My cousin is a hard-core bowhunter and is in the field 5 times as much as I am. He won't go in the woods without it, and he was a major skeptic before he started using it. He has always been very conscious about scent control too. If he says it helps I believe him, and as a bonus I get all his old scent-free clothes when he gets new ones. It's a great setup for me.

[Dahitman44]

My $1.25 is this -- It all helps. Fox urine on boots helps, carbon clothes help, carbon spray helps. Fall scent spray helps. Doe in heat scent drag helps.

They all help some and you use a lot of them together they should help more. That is the way I look at it.

Anything that helps me get closer to a deer I am all for. it.

[CC Hurl]

I do not use scent lock clothing , but do alot to eliminate my scent. Affter watching there tests last night i still do not think i will purchase any type of scent lock clothing.

I am a firm beleiver of scent sheild products for clothes and scrub the body down good with there soap. This has worked good enough for me to take a ride on many a deers backs if i chose to. If you know what i mean. I have some good 3-D clothes, Good soaps and allways have multiple stands to play the wind.

Not saying scent lock don't work, but at this point i am not convinced. I wasn't before watching chanel 9. It just made me feel better about mt decision.

If those dogs did not find her last night i would be at Cabelas today. Just my opinion.

CC HURL

[KOTTKE]

I also watched the show last night. As an avid bow hunter I do put alot of confidence in my scentloc clothing. I also have a strict regiment of showering and deoderent all with scent sheild items. befor heading afield I also spray myself down with scent sheild. I have been very strict over the last 5+ years of doing this, and have seen an increase in opportunites to harvest a deer. Its not a mistake that the people who take the time to remove as much scent as possible that they are successful year after year. This reporter it would be interesting to know if she took any of these steps to insure a scent free environment. I don't think this was a fair test using dogs trained to find someone.

[Tippman]

I also found myself picturing her using perfumed shampoo and soap in the shower that morning then getting out and putting lotion on her skin. She next dressed in her regular clothes laundered in tide mountain mist detergent underneath that scent lok. I could keep going on but this is just what came to my mind, I could be way off. Also I have noticed my success increase since I've been wearing scent lok with deer just downwind and not picking me up.

[Swill]

Kottke is right on the money here...

I noticed she had make up on and her hair was all done up when she was getting into the camo! I think the combo of a scent free shower, scent free deoderent, and a carbon scent shield is the way to go.

Also, did anyone else notice that they quoted 500-600 for camo? I bought the best camo jacket and pants available last September at Cabelas and I think I paid around 325.... Sure if you include scent lok long underware, hat, rubber boots, etc it could add up, but I thought she said the camo ran 500-600.

Plus, good quality, warm, regular camo can run a lot, so why not by the the carbon camo?

[Ray Mysterio]

Did the reporter wash her hair and body with scent eliminating soap? Probably not. I think if she would have taken every precaution that we hunters take, the dog test would come out differently.

Not a valid test if you ask me. And whats the deal with channel 9 doing an investigative story on this anyway. Not good for scent-lok. Reminds me of the "lets pick on 3 underage gopher hockey players who drink" story.

Mysterio

[snapcrackpop]

Don't forget the breath and using Gum-O-Flage..yuk.

I have read that a dogs nose is far superior to a deer's.

I am positive that if ScentLoc/Shield could pass the "dog test" they would advertise the heck out of it.

They can't, so they haven't.

[ozzie]

I am not saying the scent lock suits don't work but it has been stated that in the last 5 years people are seeing more deer using this product......but the deer population has also been up in the last 5 years......something to think about....I have no opinion on this but just a thought!!

[buzzsaw]

Here's the feed if you missed it.

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox...Y&pageId=3.1.1

[Powerstroke]

I've never had them and I never will. I'm new to bowhunting and I got winded the first few times out. Now I shower with scent killer soap, wash clothes with SC and spray down with SC before entering the field. I had a buck follow my trail right into to my stand today. He turned down the trail, snacked on the branches I cut an hour earlier and stood downwind.

Ever since I started using the soap and spray I've never been busted. carbon suit wouldn't matter, why spend the extra money? You all agree that the suit doens't help if you don't do the rest of the program....

[96trigger]

I agree powerstroke, you have to have a good scent regimen. The one time I used the scentlok suit and didn't use the soaps I got busted, probably by my shampoo and aftershave . However, I do think that the suits really help, especially if you don't have time to shower before you go out. I swear by my suit, I won't go out without it. However, it was expensive and it might not be for everyone.

[Swill]

Everyone says deer have great noses. How great? On a normal day with winds 5-10mph how far does your scent carry? 100 yards? 200?

And what if you are 15-20 feet up in a tree? Will your scent ever reach the forest floor?

I use scent camo, rubber boots, special soap and everything else, but sometimes I wonder if I am going overboard.

[doser]

I don't think you can ever go overboard with scent elimination.

[SartellMN]

Everyone constantly talks about scent elimination and what to buy. Save the money, shower, put on scent free clothing and play the wind. You can stink worse than a french fisherman and if the wind is in your favor, you will see deer.

[archerystud]

I've been "double" scent locking for quite a few years. After reading about how the carbon works and watching this news article I'm starting to question how well this stuff really works. Think about it, how much has the carbon absorbed while hanging on a rack in a store before you buy it??

At the same time I started using scent lok I also began a strict regiment with unscented soaps, deoderant.....etc. I'm starting to think that a lot of regiment is probably helping more.

I'll still use my scent lok but in the future I'll look at other options when I need to replace my clothing. Hunting clothes without scent lok are not cheap either.

[Dahitman44]

I saw a demonstration once where a guy lit a smoke and blew it into the carbon clothes. Then I tried to smell it and I couldn't.

My nose is not as good as a deer or dog -- no question, but I am positive it helps.

Remember one thing -- I am a membeer of the media and I would say not to believe 100% of what you hear, read or what a salesman tells you. Most of us follow that but when it comes to hunting stuff we fall like a nice doe on opening morning.

The "truth" lies somewhere in between in a hazy shade of grey.