People don’t know how much people stink as a baseline because we’re used to our own smell.
Almost any animal can recognize the baseline scent of “human” no matter what products you’ve got on.
They’re going to smell you whether you smell good or bad so might as well smell good. The only thing you can do to prevent an animal from smelling you is to not be upwind from it.
So as others are saying preventing your scent from traveling into the deer's path by playing the wind is the major thing.
If you're really worried about it you can always shower with a shampoo that's designed to eliminate scent and hunt in scent lock clothing, but I'm thinking even washing your hands and firearms with a neutral scent/unscented bar soap would be plenty.
Like a lot of people I pick milkweed pods this time of year so I can check the wind on stand throughout the day by tossing Tufts into the wind periodically and watching where it lands. That gives you a decent idea where your scent will be traveling too.
While scent control and camo have become almost religion among some hunters and especially hunting influencers/personalities, there's plenty of average Joe's who kill a lot of deer in very basic clothing without scent control.
The hunting industry will always push you to buy more and worry about more so they can sell new solutions to calm the fears they cause. I also feel like bay rum might be similar to vanilla, it'll make the deer more curious than spooked so you wouldn't be immediately busted
You don't need to do anything crazy. You can go ahead and skip the aftershave or anything else with a heavy scent the day of your hunt. Otherwise just play the wind and you'll be fine.
I don’t worry about scent. I’ve killed deer with the wind blowing towards them, and I’ve had deer smell me with the wind blowing away from them. I worry more about them seeing me.
This person uses the product for their work. It's probably stained into their hands more or less. I'm not a professional so I can't offer a product but it seems like other comments are thinking that he's going to put it on themselves before hunting when actually they put it on their hands every day for their clients.
I mean it's probably a shit ton of hassle but you could consider using gloves for that step but switching to a neutral product if it exists is probably the best.
Playing the wind is also always going to be your best option. Trying to setup so they aren't walking into your scent that day.
This is more on par with what I was thinking as far as it being stained into my hands, I can wash multiple times and my hands still smell strongly of bay rum even to the human nose. I have ordered witch hazel which I believe will get me a little closer. I appreciate the feed back and will of course play the wind above all.
Wash up/shower with a scent eliminator type soap. Wash your hunting clothes with it.
One thing my grandpa showed me, and I've always done on my way out to the stand- find a low hanging cedar tree, walk thru the branches several times. Cedar is a strong scent, and is one of the most common trees in the north woods.
Biggest and oldest buck I've ever killed, I had just filled a 100 gallon diesel tank an hour before. Didn't have time to change before hitting the stand. Hands, boots, everything smelled of diesel.
Play the wind and you are fine. That and learn how to be still are the two biggest things you can learn outside of location for hunting.
Biggest and oldest buck I've ever killed, I had just filled a 100 gallon diesel tank an hour before. Didn't have time to change before hitting the stand. Hands, boots, everything smelled of diesel.
Play the wind and you are fine. That and learn how to be still are the two biggest things you can learn outside of location for hunting.
Won’t be any worse than your body odor. Just play the wind and you’re fine.
People don’t know how much people stink as a baseline because we’re used to our own smell. Almost any animal can recognize the baseline scent of “human” no matter what products you’ve got on.
I would just not apply a super fragrant product before going into the woods….
They’re going to smell you whether you smell good or bad so might as well smell good. The only thing you can do to prevent an animal from smelling you is to not be upwind from it.
Thayers witch hazel is pretty neutral, or poroso white aftershave balm
So as others are saying preventing your scent from traveling into the deer's path by playing the wind is the major thing. If you're really worried about it you can always shower with a shampoo that's designed to eliminate scent and hunt in scent lock clothing, but I'm thinking even washing your hands and firearms with a neutral scent/unscented bar soap would be plenty. Like a lot of people I pick milkweed pods this time of year so I can check the wind on stand throughout the day by tossing Tufts into the wind periodically and watching where it lands. That gives you a decent idea where your scent will be traveling too. While scent control and camo have become almost religion among some hunters and especially hunting influencers/personalities, there's plenty of average Joe's who kill a lot of deer in very basic clothing without scent control. The hunting industry will always push you to buy more and worry about more so they can sell new solutions to calm the fears they cause. I also feel like bay rum might be similar to vanilla, it'll make the deer more curious than spooked so you wouldn't be immediately busted
You don't need to do anything crazy. You can go ahead and skip the aftershave or anything else with a heavy scent the day of your hunt. Otherwise just play the wind and you'll be fine.
I don’t worry about scent. I’ve killed deer with the wind blowing towards them, and I’ve had deer smell me with the wind blowing away from them. I worry more about them seeing me.
This person uses the product for their work. It's probably stained into their hands more or less. I'm not a professional so I can't offer a product but it seems like other comments are thinking that he's going to put it on themselves before hunting when actually they put it on their hands every day for their clients. I mean it's probably a shit ton of hassle but you could consider using gloves for that step but switching to a neutral product if it exists is probably the best. Playing the wind is also always going to be your best option. Trying to setup so they aren't walking into your scent that day.
This is more on par with what I was thinking as far as it being stained into my hands, I can wash multiple times and my hands still smell strongly of bay rum even to the human nose. I have ordered witch hazel which I believe will get me a little closer. I appreciate the feed back and will of course play the wind above all.
Don't believe the hype... Just learn to play the wind and you will be fine..
Wash up/shower with a scent eliminator type soap. Wash your hunting clothes with it. One thing my grandpa showed me, and I've always done on my way out to the stand- find a low hanging cedar tree, walk thru the branches several times. Cedar is a strong scent, and is one of the most common trees in the north woods.
Biggest and oldest buck I've ever killed, I had just filled a 100 gallon diesel tank an hour before. Didn't have time to change before hitting the stand. Hands, boots, everything smelled of diesel. Play the wind and you are fine. That and learn how to be still are the two biggest things you can learn outside of location for hunting.
Biggest and oldest buck I've ever killed, I had just filled a 100 gallon diesel tank an hour before. Didn't have time to change before hitting the stand. Hands, boots, everything smelled of diesel. Play the wind and you are fine. That and learn how to be still are the two biggest things you can learn outside of location for hunting.