Cover or no cover...

[zachc]

OK so I've been reading up a lot about scent control here lately. I've always been cautious about controlling my scent when it comes to deer hunting but I know I could control it a lot more. A quick rundown on how I usually do it is: wash all of my clothes and gear (that can be washed) in fresh earth laundry soap, store it all in my bag/tote with fresh earth scent wafers, and spray down each time with fresh earth cover scent. I have had a lot of success doing it this way but have also been busted a fair share, so I'm thinking about switching things up this year and maybe trying a new tactic. A lot of what I'm reading talks about using baking soda for pretty much everything, does anyone else use baking soda for scent control? If so how? Also what I'm getting at is what do you guys use, a cover scent or try to go scent free (using scent elimination)?

[mrbb]

I've used baking soda since the 80's
wash my things in it, sprinkle some on things and
showered with it too
it does help to hide scent i tHINK

now as for a cover scent, i don't buy any, any more
I much rather use natural things in my area i am hunting
i gather acorns and pine limbs from my area and store in with my gear all the time
i take pine trees and use limbs as cover added to my treestands, to both blend me in better and help hide my scent
i have a lot of pine trees in my area
i take a small bottle of so called scent killer with me in my stand, and spray down once there
i think a lot of scent is carried in on the walk in, if you sweat at all, your making scent
I also never wear any hunting gear from home to area, i always change into hunting clothes/gear at the truck before walking in, and i wear as little as possible going in to nOt sweat
over the past many yrs, i don't ever notice getting winded, , but I know i do a lot of extra's. Few will or can do
I never wear same gear 2 sits in a row, without washing, i have a full room in my house dedicated to storing my hunting gear, and it is kept scent free yr round, NOtHING but hunting gear ever goes in this room, and i never go in it without being as scent free as i can be, I also keep fresh pine tree branches in this room, and a few containers of acorns too lol
30 yrs of bow hunting, i found what works for me?
but its a personal deal with how far you want to go with trying
ran the line of cover scents, from fox urine to you name it
i prefer to try to bring NO scent in to a set as i can
I feel adding any, just makes deer look for source
and or makes them nervous, something i try to avoid doing
i don't even use doe in heat scents anymore

[Genesis 9:3]

I have youngsters and I don't have a room to put all my stuff in... so I put all my clothes in a rubber maid tub and keep it closed up in the basement till season comes around. I washed it at the end of the season with any non-scented UV-free color enhancer free detergent I can find and then hang them out to dry. When they go into the tote, i put in leaves, baking soda, acorns, an apple maybe... when I get to out of the truck I strip down to my underwear and put on my hunting clothes. As I put them on, I have a small fire in a tin can with a metal lid to make smoke... I try to be downwind in the smoke as I dress... although this year I have a bee smoker, so I'll be using that. I've never noticed any benefit to using store bought scent controls - but I have heard good things from people who squirt fox pee on their boots or likewise.

Oh, I opened a bottle of doe in estrus two years back and then left it, half filled, where I hunted last year... the ground around it was torn up and I later found two antler sheds next to it... something sure thought it was interesting! I'll definitely be doing that again this year!

[Toke2]

I too use the rubber made tote. A large one for all my clothes, boots and pack. In it, I put about 2-3 earth scent wafers ( they last the whole year). I do spray down with dead down wind, just before walking into the woods. Have not been busted ( that I know of) since starting this about 3 years ago. I do use a scent free shampoo/soap when I shower. It think some of the more veteran guys will tell you that just as important as scent control - is hunting the wind. Tough to get busted if you are downwind of where the deer are coming from. I know this works well, as last year after the season, I hung my hunting coat in the closet with our other coats, and the wife and kids complained that all of their coats suddenly smelled like DIRT! Mission Accomplished.

[Weasel]

Years ago I used nothing but earth scented cover scents. Saw tons of deer every year. Tried going the zero scent route for a few years just using totally scentless laundry wash and sprays. Deer sightings went down. Went back to earth scented last year and killed a deer on both archery opening mornings in OH & PA. Saw a ton of deer the rest of the year, passing on a bunch of young bucks. Coincidence? Maybe but I'm sticking with the earth.

[Mikebaker]

Years ago I used nothing but earth scented cover scents. Saw tons of deer every year. Tried going the zero scent route for a few years just using totally scentless laundry wash and sprays. Deer sightings went down. Went back to earth scented last year and killed a deer on both archery opening mornings in OH & PA. Saw a ton of deer the rest of the year, passing on a bunch of young bucks. Coincidence? Maybe but I'm sticking with the earth.

I can agree with you on this. Last year I went 100% scent free last year and had my worst season. I was just thinking how I won't do that again this yr. earth scent is what I've used when I've shot a lot of my biggest bucks.

[zachc]

Think I'm gonna stick with my normal fresh earth as far as my gear goes. Maybe pay a little more attention to myself, baking soda showers, brushing teeth with baking soda, and what not. Gonna have to pull out all of my gear this week and get it washed up and ready.

[Scott07/OH]

You will never be completely scent free!

But being scent conscious definitely helps.

Keep clothes in a scent tight container to avoid unwanted outside odors.

I wash my clothes outside and hang dry them outside. I never put them in the washer/dryer because of all the fabric softener smells and detergent that goes in there on a daily basis.

I keep my base layers washed every few hunts because they get the sweatiest.

I also stopped using earth scents or acorn scents. Think about it, that stuff is all man made, it will never be as accurate as the real thing. Deer are smart, the mature deer know the difference. Stick with pine boughs or leaves in your scent tote to keep things natural.

The main thing is to play the wind and use your entry/exit routes based on the wind.

[deerguy10]

the past 2 seasons I have went as scent free as possible with no cover scent and had probably 2 of my worst seasons. so this year I decided to stick with all my scent free prep but go back to using fresh earth cover scent spray and wafers as well. I got the confirmation I needed Sunday afternoon to stick with the cover scent. I decided to hunt what I thought was a secluded area on an otherwise heavily hunted public property. well, after hiking all the way into the spot I had been scouting, I found a highway of orange marking tape on the trees leading to a climber that was fastened to the base of a tree that was 15 yards from where I intended to set up. obviously my spot wasn't secluded enough. I then hiked back out and was going to just throw in the towel and leave, but I decided to set up in a tree line in between to bean fields that were still bright green and stick it out for the evening. although I was in my climber, I wasn't able to get more than 6 ft off of the ground, but it was enough to give me a better vantage point across the fields. at this point I was sweating heavily and sure I was wasting my time, but I sprayed down with scent away fresh earth and clipped on my wafers and reluctantly followed through with my hunt. sure enough at about 7:15 I had a doe come out directly down wind of me and fed at 40yards for about 20-30 mins before moving off into a thicket on the field edge. she never gave me a shot but, just witnessing how calm she was, was success enough for me. I don't think she had a clue I was there. needless to say I will be sticking with the fresh earth cover scent for a while.

[Big_Holla]

Smoke.......nothing I have ever tried works better.....not carbon clothing, scent killers, etc......