Scent Control Tips

By Andrea Haas

We all have different views and opinions on scent control while hunting. Some feel scent control is just a way for companies to get you to buy their products and make more money. Others may not use any scent control products at all and still see deer while out hunting, feeling they don't need to follow a scent control regimen in order to harvest deer. 

Personally, I disagree with both of the above. Yes, the hunting industry is just that, an "industry". And yes I'm sure you can go hunting, using no scent control at all, and still see deer. But, there's no denying that deer use their amazing sense of smell as one of their defense mechanisms.That alone is reason enough to at least experiment with different scent control products & find something that you feel works to your advantage. 

I think that a good scent control regimen should be at the top of your list when planning out your hunting strategy, along with hunting stands only when the wind is in your favor for that specific spot. Here's a few tips & products that have worked well for me in the past!

• Wash your clothes using scent control laundry detergent. We always wash a load of our every day clothes first using the scent control detergent to help rid the washer of the smell of our everyday detergent. Make sure the detergent does not contain UV brighteners as they can make your camo appear to "glow" to a deer in low light situations. Scent Killer Gold Laundry Detergent is a great option. 
  

• Air drying your clothes outside is ideal but you aren't always able to do that. When drying our clothes in the dryer we like to use dryer sheets to help prevent static build up. I like Scent Killer Autumn Formula Dryer Sheets. 
  

• Keeping your clothes scent free until ready to wear is crucial. I store mine in a Watson Airlock Bag. The "Bottomless 26" bag has 7,000 cubic inches of water resistant storage. A 4680 cubic inch scent free storage compartment gives you plenty of room to store your clothing, plus there is a separate compartment just for your hunting boots! 
  

• As soon as possible before going hunting shower using scent control body care products. For women the Scent Killer Gold for her Value Pack from Wildlife Research Center works great! The shampoo has all the great scent killing abilities as the original, but this one is formulated just for women. It's safe to use on color treated hair and is a lot more moisturizing. The Value Pack contains Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash, Scent Killer Spray and a bath pouf. 
  

• Brush your teeth with scent control toothpaste right before heading out to hunt. I like the e2 Scent Prevent Toothpaste from Dead Down Wind. 
  

• Don't wear the same clothes you will be hunting in while driving to your hunting property, otherwise you will just be wasting your time with the above steps. I pick out an outfit to wear while driving to the property, wash it in scent control detergent with my camo and store it in my airtight bag until ready to head out. Keep your hunting clothes in their scent free bag or container and bring them with you but don't change into them until you are at your property & out of the vehicle. 

• Finally, I spray myself head-to-toe with scent eliminating spray after getting dressed before heading to my treestand. These sprays help kill bacteria & limit the amount of human scent detectable to a whitetail. I use the Scent Killer Gold Spray mentioned above that is included in the Value Pack for women.

Good luck to everyone this season and I hope these tips will help you! Do you have any tips of your own that I didn't mention here? Let us know by leaving a comment!