An Odor to Die For: The Best Scent Control Products for Deer Hunting
1. Duke Cannon Big 'Ol Brick of Hunting Soap
Having a clean, unscented body is a great place to start when trying to control your scent afield. Duke Cannon soap has been around for quite some time now and is mostly marketed to men but I’m certain this stuff works regardless of your gender.
This ain’t no squirrel huntin’ soap. This is big soap for big game hunting. At a hefty 10 oz., it’s double the size of other hunting soaps, and it’s made with a unique formula that captures odors, smothers them, and prevents their release. It’s like a Special Forces combat mission against your scent. After all, true hunters know that getting winded is not an option.
2. Dead Down Wind Men’s Antiperspirant Deodorant Stick
Once you’ve cleansed yourself you’ll want to keep the odor away by making use of a good unscented deodorant. Dead Down Wind fills that need with a simple, unscented antiperspirant deodorant that is affordable that comes in either bar form or a soft solid form. Dead Down Wind is safe on sensitive skin and is a good place to start your second phase of scent control.
Help remove odors before you head out for the day with the Dead Down Wind’s new soft solid deodorant that removes chemical and organic odors. Hygiene is an important part of complete scent prevention for hunting.
3. Wildlife Research Super Charged Scent Killer Clothing Wash
Your clothes are also a big part of your overall scent profile. If your wife or loved one (we all know you’re not washing your own clothes) uses any sort of scented clothes washing detergent then your prey can smell it too. A good unscented clothes wash should be used on all of your hunting clothing you plan on wearing in the field to eliminate any scents either from the factory or that happen to come from your detergent or fabric softener.
4. Scent Crusher Ozone Gear Bag
There are a myriad of smells that can get quickly attached to you in between the time you’ve gotten dressed to go out hunting and the time you actually get to your hunting spot. Whether this is the air freshener in your car, that McMuffin you picked up on the drive over, or the coffee you spilled on your lap, there is a good chance if you’re wearing all of your hunting gear on the way to the stop you’re picking up scents that will alert any potential targets. The Scent Crusher gear bag uses a small ozone generator that can eliminate any organic scents from your clothing and protect them from outside smells while being stored inside the bag.
5. Wildlife Research Scent Killer Gold
Scent Killer is extremely popular and for good reason – it works very well for a simple spray-on solution. Scent Killer Gold comes in many forms and can treat just about anything from hats, jackets, socks, boots, and even slings if you’re worried about the smell of your fabric alerting any potential prey.
Can deer really smell me?
Even if you can’t smell yourself it’s likely that deer can smell you. Research shows that deer can smell somewhere between 100 times and 1,000 times better than we can. While this might not be a problem for those hunting at long range, bowhunters and pistol hunters may run into more situations where deer are scared off by our natural (or unnatural) scents. Taking a few simple steps to eliminate as much of your scent as possible is a good way to ensure you’re not throwing out any additional red flags for your prey.
How Far can Deer Smell me?
While it may not seem like a possibility, deer can actually smell you from about half a mile away (about 900 yards). Long-range shooters have a far better chance of their scent not making it perfectly downwind to their target but it can happen. Using a small puff of artificial smoke can give you a good indication if you are upwind or downwind from your target and if you have the choice you should always be downwind of your target so that you’re smelling them instead of them smelling you.
If there any way to eliminate the smell of my urine while I'm hunting?
While the scent of a human is generally something that will scare off deer, human urine can actually act as a short-term attractant for curious deer. However, if you’re really concerned that your urine is going to turn away any potential bucks, you can always add a drop or two of doe urine in the place you’ve made your pit stop and you can take the rest of the day to hunt worry-free.
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