TwistedLimb
New Member
First, I would like to preface my post by saying that I mean no disrespect to anyone here. We are all entitled to our opinions and I respect those who disagree with mine. Also, I do not work for Scentlok nor do I receive any benefit whatsoever from Scentlok or any other equipment manufacturer. I purchase my equipment at the retail level. Lastly, I apologize if you find this post lengthy.
I’ve noticed several posts in this section of anecdotal stories given as proof that Scentlok does not improve a person’s ability to see more game. We have all heard of uncle Pete who left his gas station and on his way home, while wearing his Levy’s, dirty Red Wing boots and a red flannel coat, decided to sit on a stump by the side of the road and shot a huge 10 point. Or our neighbor’s cousin who shot that “monster” last year right off his still running ATV. These stories are not statistically relevant. There are some who still believe that smoking two packs a day will not negatively affect their cardiopulmonary health, or that failing to wear seatbelts will not increase the chance of injury in an accident. However, large sample statistics prove them wrong.
I am not trying to convince anyone to purchase anything. I want to share my personal experience with Scentlok and I hope someone here may benefit from it, which I believe is the reason most of us visit this forum. Although I am new on this forum, I am by no means new to hunting. I shot my first deer in 1973. Since then, God has blessed me with the good fortune of being able to hunt in every continent except for Antarctica. When Scentlok first came on the market I was a huge skeptic. After all, I had already harvested plenty of deer and other game. Way back then, we would mask our scent by using several methods such as keeping our clothing in plastic bags stuffed with pine cones/needles, or keeping the tarsal glands and urine from the deer we harvested, fox urine, deer hair stuffed in pouches made from panty hose, etc. Eventually, a friend convinced me to try Scentlok.
At first, my results were no better. Not because the science was bad, but because I was careless and didn’t understand it. I still see other hunters at the Waffle House, Walmart, and pumping gas still in their camo hunting clothes. Many years ago, that was me. Not surprisingly, Scentlok didn’t work for me then. However, once I began to get more serious about scent control it was a night and day difference. I began to see more deer. More important, the deer were closer to my stand location and way more relaxed. There was a noticeable reduction of the classic signs of nervousness - noses high in the air and stiffed legged stomping.
Admittedly, I am not as good as some of the other gentlemen on this forum at scent control, but I do practice what I feel are common sense scent control techniques that work for me. Obviously, I pay attention to the wind. I like to hunt high in the tree (at least 25 or 30 feet) to minimize the risk of being spotted and to keep any remaining scent as high as possible. Any clothes associated with hunting is washed in Arm and Hammer scent-free hypoallergenic laundry detergent. I don’t mind the small stains, so I don’t wash Scentlok clothing often to keep the carbon from washing out (only put it in the dryer per their instructions). I never ever wear my hunting clothes or boots around town or even indoors, everything stays in plastic vacuum seal packing bags. Before hunting, I shower with one of the scent free soaps, apply scent free deodorant, put on underwear that I sprinkled with carbon powder (ACP), put on a pair of scent free shorts and a scent free long sleeve T, and I am off. Upon arriving to my hunting location, I exit my vehicle, remove my hunting boots and clothes from the vacuum bags, change out of my travel clothes, dress in my Scentlok, and put on my Lacrosse rubber boots (also sprinkled inside and out with ACP). I initially under-dress to avoid sweating while walking. After the hunt, everything is aired out for a few minutes and returned to the plastic vacuum bag. That’s it! Not a huge inconvenience. Could I do more? Sure. I want to continue to perfect my skills, but I am extremely satisfied with my results so far.
In conclusion, is Scentlok so good that it will remove the gasoline odors emanating from your boots or the smell of that ham/cheese/onion omelet from Waffle House? No Way! However, it is my experience that when used correctly, Scentlok’s technology will increase your chances of seeing game. I hope the Scentlok skeptics would at the very least attempt a reasonable level of effort at scent control before attacking the science.
I’ve noticed several posts in this section of anecdotal stories given as proof that Scentlok does not improve a person’s ability to see more game. We have all heard of uncle Pete who left his gas station and on his way home, while wearing his Levy’s, dirty Red Wing boots and a red flannel coat, decided to sit on a stump by the side of the road and shot a huge 10 point. Or our neighbor’s cousin who shot that “monster” last year right off his still running ATV. These stories are not statistically relevant. There are some who still believe that smoking two packs a day will not negatively affect their cardiopulmonary health, or that failing to wear seatbelts will not increase the chance of injury in an accident. However, large sample statistics prove them wrong.
I am not trying to convince anyone to purchase anything. I want to share my personal experience with Scentlok and I hope someone here may benefit from it, which I believe is the reason most of us visit this forum. Although I am new on this forum, I am by no means new to hunting. I shot my first deer in 1973. Since then, God has blessed me with the good fortune of being able to hunt in every continent except for Antarctica. When Scentlok first came on the market I was a huge skeptic. After all, I had already harvested plenty of deer and other game. Way back then, we would mask our scent by using several methods such as keeping our clothing in plastic bags stuffed with pine cones/needles, or keeping the tarsal glands and urine from the deer we harvested, fox urine, deer hair stuffed in pouches made from panty hose, etc. Eventually, a friend convinced me to try Scentlok.
At first, my results were no better. Not because the science was bad, but because I was careless and didn’t understand it. I still see other hunters at the Waffle House, Walmart, and pumping gas still in their camo hunting clothes. Many years ago, that was me. Not surprisingly, Scentlok didn’t work for me then. However, once I began to get more serious about scent control it was a night and day difference. I began to see more deer. More important, the deer were closer to my stand location and way more relaxed. There was a noticeable reduction of the classic signs of nervousness - noses high in the air and stiffed legged stomping.
Admittedly, I am not as good as some of the other gentlemen on this forum at scent control, but I do practice what I feel are common sense scent control techniques that work for me. Obviously, I pay attention to the wind. I like to hunt high in the tree (at least 25 or 30 feet) to minimize the risk of being spotted and to keep any remaining scent as high as possible. Any clothes associated with hunting is washed in Arm and Hammer scent-free hypoallergenic laundry detergent. I don’t mind the small stains, so I don’t wash Scentlok clothing often to keep the carbon from washing out (only put it in the dryer per their instructions). I never ever wear my hunting clothes or boots around town or even indoors, everything stays in plastic vacuum seal packing bags. Before hunting, I shower with one of the scent free soaps, apply scent free deodorant, put on underwear that I sprinkled with carbon powder (ACP), put on a pair of scent free shorts and a scent free long sleeve T, and I am off. Upon arriving to my hunting location, I exit my vehicle, remove my hunting boots and clothes from the vacuum bags, change out of my travel clothes, dress in my Scentlok, and put on my Lacrosse rubber boots (also sprinkled inside and out with ACP). I initially under-dress to avoid sweating while walking. After the hunt, everything is aired out for a few minutes and returned to the plastic vacuum bag. That’s it! Not a huge inconvenience. Could I do more? Sure. I want to continue to perfect my skills, but I am extremely satisfied with my results so far.
In conclusion, is Scentlok so good that it will remove the gasoline odors emanating from your boots or the smell of that ham/cheese/onion omelet from Waffle House? No Way! However, it is my experience that when used correctly, Scentlok’s technology will increase your chances of seeing game. I hope the Scentlok skeptics would at the very least attempt a reasonable level of effort at scent control before attacking the science.