Stop Cutting Scent-Control Corners

All you must do to limit your hunting success is cut corners. Simple as that. Consider these examples: Take the fastest route to your stand instead of the cleanest, and you’ll spook and educate deer. Don’t practice with broadheads, and you’ll risk making a poor hit. Wear your camo and boots while pumping fuel or gorging on fast food in your vehicle cab, and you’ll be an odor factory the moment you walk into the woods.

Bowhunting is a game of odds, and the odds are almost always stacked against you. Cut corners, and deer will almost certainly beat you at their game. In 25 years of bowhunting, I’m constantly reminded that playing the wind and embracing a complete scent-control strategy — no corner-cutting — can immensely boost a hunter’s success in having animals in range while remaining undetected. I’m not paid to say that; I’m speaking from real-world hunting experiences.

I’ve encountered countless big game animals and bow-killed dozens of them in two and a half decades. Firsthand, I’ve witnessed strict scent-control protocol buy me more time in shifting winds or even fly me completely under the radar. And regardless of the wind, scent-control helps me minimize my scent footprint when I scout and hunt.

Most hunters who’ve experienced poor results with scent-control products have cut corners but expected maximum results. It doesn’t work that way. As good as a scent-eliminating field spray is, it’s not the end-all solution. It’s merely a tool in the toolbox. If I’ve piqued your interest, follow along as I review the logistics of what I consider the standard for a complete scent-control system.

Laundry and Storage

Most hunters can’t afford to buy a dedicated washer and dryer for hunting apparel. I solve this by dousing the interiors of my regular washer and dryer liberally with a scent-eliminating spray like Scent Killer Gold, thwarting residual odors before loading my hunting apparel. Another option is Scent Kill Forest Edge Air and Space Deodorizer. After loading the washer, I use a scent-eliminating detergent like Scent Killer Gold Laundry Detergent or Ultra-Concentrated Detergent Strips (more convenient and less messy) and run a normal wash cycle. Next, I move the washed apparel to the dryer. I do this quickly, as wet laundry left too long becomes odorous. Reduce static with a Scent Killer Gold Dryer Sheet.

Once the dry cycle is completed, I douse my hands with a scent-eliminating spray like Scent Killer Gold, then transfer my fresh hunting apparel to an airtight tote, where it stays until I hunt.

Take It to the Shower

The human body teems with deer-spooking odors. You can manage them by showering with scent-eliminating products. Look to products such as Scent Killer Gold Body Wash and Shampoo and Hair Conditioner. Scrub well and rinse thoroughly. Dry off with a bath towel previously laundered in scent-eliminating detergent. Be sure to apply a scent-free deodorant.

If you’re sneaking in a hunt after work and have no time for a scent-free shower, do the next best thing. Wipe your face and other odorous areas with a field wipe like Scent Killer Gold Field Wipes; once your skin is air-dried, hit those areas with Scent Killer Gold Full Body Deodorant Spray, avoiding your eyes, mouth and ears.

Dress On Arrival, Undress After the Hunt

Most hunters cut corners in their scent-control program by wearing camo in their vehicle. I do this when spot and stalk hunting out west so I can strike fast, but when hunting stationary stands or blinds, I avoid it. Vehicles are cesspools of human and foreign odors, contaminating your apparel on contact.

Travel with your airtight tote and dress in your camo once you’ve arrived at your spot to keep your clothing free of contaminants. I always spray my hands with a scent-eliminating spray before touching my apparel, and I hit the clothes with it as an extra measure. Upon your hunt’s completion, change from camo to street clothes and store your camo back in the airtight tote.

Refresh Your Apparel Between Hunts

Wearing your camo on a few outings makes it susceptible to odor through skin contact and perspiration. Repeated washing and drying can decrease the apparel’s longevity, so it’s best to refresh the clothing by other means. I have an ozone generator that I put in the tote and run for 10 minutes to kill odors. Another option is to douse it with a scent-eliminator and hang it out to air-dry before placing it back into the tote. Add some Scent Killer Tote Tamers to your tote as an extra measure.

Destroy Odors in Common Spaces

Mainstream spaces — everyday areas also useful for hunting — inevitably become susceptible to contaminants. Think bathrooms, vehicles, campers, tents, laundry rooms and more. Destroy odors in these spaces with either an ozone generator or Scent Killer’s Forest Edge Air and Space Deodorizer with No Zone Technology.

Plan Your Hunts Around the Wind

Finally, always plan your hunts — your stand location and your access route — with the wind in mind. The HuntStand app provides a full weather forecast, and the Hunt Zone feature is particularly useful; it displays hour-by-hour wind details for 72 hours. The Hunt Zone tool that appears on the map also shows how your scent will disperse from any given location, which is highly informative for hunt planning.

Of course, the wind blows where it will blow, regardless of the forecast. Sometimes terrain or incoming weather can cause erratic and unexpected wind shifts. I like to hunt with an ozone generator if possible, but another way to cover your scent is with Wildlife Research Center’s Calming Scent Stick. Wipe it on the branches and foliage around your stand. When the wind shifts, it works as a cover scent while giving deer a sense that everything is OK. It’s also available in a spray bottle. Wildlife Research Center has several other attractant sprays and masking sprays that can potentially buy you time or cover you completely when the wind betrays.

The Takeaway

Some of you will see this system as a hassle. Let me assure you that scent-control efforts have never adversely affected my success. Quite the opposite, I’ve arrowed several deer over the years that were downwind or had crossed my downwind airstream before presenting a shot opportunity. It’s because I didn’t cut corners.

To that end, I challenge you: Stop cutting corners and see how a complete scent-control system can tip the odds in your favor. What have you got to lose?