Bowhunters of Utah

Who uses cover scent or scent blocking clothing. What works and what doesn't? Is it worth using? Let Me know your thoughts. Thanks

Depends on what animal you're talking about, but...

Humans stink. Nothing changes that.

I once had a room mate who had some serious digestive issues. When he took a dump, it was wicked. So I sprayed Pine Sol all over the place. Then it just smelled like somebody shit a Christmas tree. I figure the same holds true with any cover scents.

That said, I spray myself down heavily with scent eliminator. I use the odorless formula from Wildlife Research Center. It works, at least to my nose. I'm sure I still stink, but I think it makes the difference between a human is here and a human was here.

If I'm going to sit on a place for awhile, I sometimes smear Trophy Blend scent on limbs and rocks in the area. I don't think it really smells like it's supposed to, not to animals, but it gets them curious sometimes.

I get a kick out of that old nugget, "Keep the wind in your face." Right. Given the nature of mountain breezes where I hunt, especially in the late summer, if you do that you're likely to find yourself spinning in place.

I have always used some kinda scents. I think it helps but don't know to what degree. Just know that we need help to get some kinda edge to be able to get a little closer. I think that odor whether from the body or clothes can be neutralized or lessened to some degree that can make a difference.
I used Scent Killer (yellow/white bottle) for years until Primos came out with Silver XP. This actually took out the fabric smell from my jacket so I couldn't smell it anymore. Now I don't know if the deer could not smell it either but it took away that smell so drastically that it could have helped. I also use the 'earth' scents and Tinks Buck lure on vents attached to my pack or clothing. We have gotten real close even when the wind was not in our favor. I rubbed the glands from the legs of a dead buck on my buddy's clothes once and he had a very close encounter with a few does at 10 yards. They acted like they wanted to mate and didnt really seem to know that we were humans.

I don't know what works with elk but I do know that the elk urine is putrid and unbearable after a few minutes.

I have no experience with Scent control clothing but the concept seems logical. What I have been using seems to work so I haven't decided to go that route.

This is another one of those things that boils down to personal preference and experience.

You just gotta try it. I think it is worth it.

I will definitely try the gland rubbing again.

Are you kidding I wish they bottled elk piss, I would spray that stuff on and take the wife out for some steak. I love the scent of elk and when I get a good wiff up elk hunting it really gets me rendy. I use scent killer to wash my clothes, and spray it on me out hunting and ever since I have been using the stuff I never been so close to elk. I know it doesn't cover up all of human scent but for elk it's enough to get in close.

I had a couple drinks with an old friend of mine who's up from Corpus Christi visiting his family here. He's a cop down there and works with dogs. I have no idea how deer and elk compare to dogs when it comes to their ability to smell, but he sure got me thinking.

He had several good stories about the efforts that drug runners make to cover the scent of their contraband. It was especially interesting to hear him talk about scent myths that druggies believe and trust as fact. One example is the mistaken belief that coffee grounds will cover the scent of drugs. Doesn't work.

He talked a bit about human scent. He says that human scent trails can last for as long as two weeks because we're constantly dropping skin cells, hair, lint and fibers that carry our scent. So the old nugget about wearing rubber boots when you visit your treestand or trail camera might not be as effective as folks think.

But he also pointed out that when they train dogs, they don't train them to smell. They train them to pay attention. Certain breeds tend to work best as sniffing dogs not because they have better noses, but because they're less "ADHD". He speculates that living in a world that's supercharged with hundreds of different odors at any given time, an animal only pays attention to the smells that are important at the moment and will likely ignore the scent of a human unless it has a reason to pay attention to it, i.e., the animal is already on the alert.

Maybe neither here nor there, but I thought it was an interesting perspective.