New hunter advice for scent control?

[JTBean]

This will be my first season hunting and I would like some tips on how to manage scent control during warm weather for both deer and hogs. What works and what does not work in our climate? I plan on hunting SHNF and around Somerville.

[MEsquivel]

Always keep the wind in your face.

[Bisch]

Always keep the wind in your face.

What he said^^^^^^, along with wash your clothes in scent free detergent, and shower in scent free soap.

Bisch

[SwampRabbit]

1) Wind
2) Wind
3) Wind
4) Scent free soap for you and clothes.
5) Rubber boots
6) Cover scent... I use smoke.

Then there are ozonics. I have never used them, but am convinced they must work. I like a challenge the majority of the time, so I haven't tried them in order to cheat the wind.

[PYBUCK]

Hunt the wind and don't think you can get away with not hunting it is all you need to know.

[JTBean]

1) Wind
2) Wind
3) Wind
4) Scent free soap for you and clothes.
5) Rubber boots
6) Cover scent... I use smoke.

Then there are ozonics. I have never used them, but am convinced they must work. I like a challenge the majority of the time, so I haven't tried them in order to cheat the wind.

I've never heard of ozonics?

[caughtandhobble]

Keep the sun at your back and the wind in your face.

[SwampRabbit]

I've never heard of ozonics?

Good! I wish I hadn't been trying to be complete and bringing it up.

It is a machine that produces ozone. Ozone "cleans" the air. It is also bad for your health, but what does that matter, right!? It specifically is supposed to be positioned above you so that it neutralizes your scent as it is carried down wind.

I've watched a few hunts where the hunter admitted that they were upwind of the animal and that they were using ozonics. These were not paid hunters, they just admitted to using it. In most situations, the animals would have spooked. I have not used it personally, so honestly, I can't give an honest opinion.

Hunting the wind, for me, is part of the challenge that I enjoy. I have hunted when I have not smelled to "clean" and have killed critters because I was on the right side of the wind. I like to spot and stalk hunt too... an no ozonics in the world will help you. I also don't like carrying complicated stuff out to hunt with me (one reason I may never self film a hunt.) But that is just me. These things also cost around $400+

Last year I killed my first deer with a trad bow. I sat at a location a couple of times before I determined that I was getting busted because the wind was not behaving like it was supposed to be behaving. The local wind was slightly different within a 20 acre spot. It took until about 10am for the forecast prevailing wind to actually take effect. I ended up switching to the other side of the prevailing wind to win over the suspecting deer and get one knocked down at 12 yards.

Best tool you can have in my opinion is one of those chalk spraying bottles. A feather works good too... but I like that I can puff the bottle and watch the wind as it carries it off and swirls, etc. A feather can be deceiving when you are in a pop-up, etc.

I cannot count how many times I thought the wind was supposed to be perfect for a spot until I showed up at dark... puffed that thing and had to go to a better spot.

Told my son we could go to a spot but the wind would most likely be horrible... he chose it anyways. Was supposed to be a lesson on how to pick the spot to the wind. We showed up and the local wind was in our face at that spot... I was happy when he turned around and said "Dad... the wind here is at our face, we should be good!" An hour later he dropped his first deer with a rifle at 50 yards.

Learn, learn, learn to play the wind. Everything else is just expensive insurance with no guarantees.

[SwampRabbit]

Keep the sun at your back and the wind in your face.

Preferably with something between you and the sun... that looks natural. Don't get silhouetted.

[JTBean]

Good! I wish I hadn't been trying to be complete and bringing it up.

It is a machine that produces ozone. Ozone "cleans" the air. It is also bad for your health, but what does that matter, right!? It specifically is supposed to be positioned above you so that it neutralizes your scent as it is carried down wind.

I've watched a few hunts where the hunter admitted that they were upwind of the animal and that they were using ozonics. These were not paid hunters, they just admitted to using it. In most situations, the animals would have spooked. I have not used it personally, so honestly, I can't give an honest opinion.

Hunting the wind, for me, is part of the challenge that I enjoy. I have hunted when I have not smelled to "clean" and have killed critters because I was on the right side of the wind. I like to spot and stalk hunt too... an no ozonics in the world will help you. I also don't like carrying complicated stuff out to hunt with me (one reason I may never self film a hunt.) But that is just me. These things also cost around $400+

Last year I killed my first deer with a trad bow. I sat at a location a couple of times before I determined that I was getting busted because the wind was not behaving like it was supposed to be behaving. The local wind was slightly different within a 20 acre spot. It took until about 10am for the forecast prevailing wind to actually take effect. I ended up switching to the other side of the prevailing wind to win over the suspecting deer and get one knocked down at 12 yards.

Best tool you can have in my opinion is one of those chalk spraying bottles. A feather works good too... but I like that I can puff the bottle and watch the wind as it carries it off and swirls, etc. A feather can be deceiving when you are in a pop-up, etc.

I cannot count how many times I thought the wind was supposed to be perfect for a spot until I showed up at dark... puffed that thing and had to go to a better spot.

Told my son we could go to a spot but the wind would most likely be horrible... he chose it anyways. Was supposed to be a lesson on how to pick the spot to the wind. We showed up and the local wind was in our face at that spot... I was happy when he turned around and said "Dad... the wind here is at our face, we should be good!" An hour later he dropped his first deer with a rifle at 50 yards.

Learn, learn, learn to play the wind. Everything else is just expensive insurance with no guarantees.

Great advice. It always makes me proud when I realize my son has truly learned something.

[Chunky]

I use to do everything possible, wash in scent free soap self and cloths, use cover scents, pack cloths in scent free containers, change in the field right before going to the stand, wear rubber boots, and I even changed my diet.....but man that was a lot of work. I did kill a few animals that I might not have otherwise.

I still wear rubber boots and wash in scent free/UV free soap, but mostly just play the wind.

[glpoe1]

Always keep the wind in your face.

Well, and stay as clean as possible with unscented soap for body and hair. Keep you cloths clean with unscented laundry detergent. Don't use smelly oils on bow or gun, etc. Play the wind like mentioned above is the absolute best advice and don't smoke for goodness sake. Best of luck to you.

[76aggie]

A guy once told me you can kill a deer with a bow even if your clothes are soaked in gasoline as long as the wind is in your favor. I don't know if that is true or not but you get the point. If you have a favorite hunting spot, try to have multiple set ups around the area to be able to hunt in any wind. Stay clean. I shower with unscented soap and shampoo before every hunt. Keep your hunting clothes clean and use unscented detergent. Sometimes I take my hunting clothes off when I get back to my vehicle and put them in a bag as to not soak up odors around the camp or my vehicle.

[Patton]

When setting up areas to hunt, keep in mind where the deer come from. Not just where you want them to be.

[SwampRabbit]

One clarification on smoke. I use a bee smoker to smoke my body and clothes/gear. I am not after the smoke smell per se. The smoke kills bacteria that generates odor.