If there is one thing that attentive deer hunters should know, it’s that scent control must be a multi-layered strategy to be effective. In other words, there is no magic bullet that makes the hunter disappear from a whitetail’s olfactory radar—arguably a deer’s most attuned alarm system. Further, there is no way that you can make your scent completely disappear because our bodies continually produce odor.

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In short, effective scent control starts before you hit the woods, continues while you are in the field, and must encompass everything you bring with you into the woods.

Using the right combination of products and procedures to minimize our scent signature, such as thoroughly laundering our clothes and showering before the hunt with head-to-toe scent elimination products, as well as dousing our clothing with a high-quality, long-duration odor destroying spray like Scent Killer Gold, is the baseline strategy smart hunters employ before heading to the stand. While this is an essential beginning, it is not the end by any means. 

Hunting Packs

It may not have been the case back in the day, but many hunters take a lot of gear with them into the field, from water and snacks to lights, cleaning gloves, mobile devices — the list goes on. Pants and jacket pockets only hold so much, which is why most of us carry our essentials in a daypack or fanny pack.

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A hunting pack is like a big odor sponge. We handle it with bare hands, we toss it on the floor of the truck, it hangs in our garage or a closet in the house, maybe the dog gives it a lick or two when we come home. The point is, hunting packs pick up a lot of odors that, if left unchecked, we carry into the woods with us. It makes little sense, therefore, to exercise extreme caution by making ourselves and our hunting clothes as scent-free as possible and then drag this large and untreated human scent wick to our stands.

A smart practice is to wash each pack with a scent-free detergent with the washer on gentle cycle. Once cleaned, let it air dry outside to prevent picking up unwanted household odors. After that, a bit of diligence and maintenance will make your pack an asset instead of a liability. Be careful where you store it and how you transport it so that it doesn’t absorb more odors. When it’s time to hunt, spray it down with with a scent eliminator at the same time you treat your clothing and boots.

The Small Stuff

Hunting packs aren’t the only nonclothing items we take into the field that can become saturated with unwanted smells. Consider all of the soft goods you take with you on the hunt. This could include a bino harness, gloves, rangefinder pouch, stool (if hunting in a ground blind), boot gaiters when hunting in snow, and a deer drag.

All of these items capture human scent and should be treated accordingly. As with our hunting packs, we like to give all cloth and nylon items we regularly carry a thorough preseason wash in scent-eliminating detergent and be careful throughout the season to store them in a way that minimizes the chance of absorbing unwanted odors. And as with our clothes and hunting packs, we’ll spray them down with scent eliminator before heading into the field.

Ground Blinds

Although treestands continue to rule the proverbial roost, pop-up ground blinds are increasingly popular as newer, more sophisticated designs come to market. We like them especially during rifle season since they allow us to stay out all day in comfort when the weather takes a turn for the worse. Yet, as with any fabric material, pop-up blinds can absorb human odors, and after a season or two of use and being stored in a musty garage or closet during the off-season, they can be a large source of unnatural scent.

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Prior to each season, we like to set up our blinds in the backyard and wash them with the same scent-elimination detergent we use for our hunting clothes. A garden hose with an attachable detergent dispenser does quick work of washing both the outside and interior of the blinds. Finish with a thorough rinsing and let dry. After setup, we’ll spray the blinds with scent eliminator for good measure. It’s a bit of work, but a small investment for success.

Keep on Wiping

We mentioned earlier that our bodies continually produce odor. Our hands, especially, can be problematic in this regard—particularly if we’re not wearing gloves. Our hands sweat and lose skin cells, so everything we touch can absorb human scent. Worse yet, the resulting odors compound by the hour.

This is why scent control maintenance is so important. We use Scent Killer Gold Field Wipes throughout the day—more frequently on hot days—to keep our hands clean and to remove our scent from those things we touch. Sure, it can be a nuisance and we don’t always remember to do it, but if big bucks count in your hunting game, it’s worth the extra effort.

The Oft-Forgotten Assets

It been proven that scent control can be further enhanced by adding cover or masking scents to the hunter’s arsenal. Think of cover and masking scents as doubling your scent armor. The aforementioned scent reduction strategies greatly reduce human odor. That’s the first layer of armor. Cover scents then dilute what human scent is left by adding another concentration of natural, non-alarming scents that a deer’s nose must work through. That’s the second layer of armor. Combined, they can be enough to encourage deer to move along without becoming alarmed, or it gives you those few extra moments needed to make a good shot.

Food-type scents, such as apple and acorn, can serve double duty as attractants. Cedar, pine and earth scents (our favorite) allow you to blend with the environment you’re hunting in.

For masking scents, fox and coon urine are popular with some hunters. They have the same effect as vegetation or food scents as far as diluting human odor, but also tend to calm skittish whitetails because these are smells they are used to encountering.

Many hunters understand the importance of spraying down their boots and clothing with a scent eliminator before hitting the woods, but achieving the ultimate scent-management strategy also means paying attention the often-overlooked details. Success comes in three steps:

1. Reduce human and unnatural scents on everything taken into the field.
2. Use cover or masking scent as a force multiplier in reducing scent signature.
3. Be cognizant of wind direction and always position yourself upwind of game.

These simple, proven strategies can go a long way to increase your chances of success this deer hunting season.

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