When I was a kid I hunted with an "old-timer" who carried a piece of cloth wrapped around a stick that was soaked in skunk urine as his cover scent. I still remember that as clear as day...that was 35 yrs ago.
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saddle scent elimination
- Thread starter hunthRd20
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Amen. That is without a doubt the biggest challenge I deal with when deer hunting. And regarding the wind - In the pine-laden hilly country I hunt it's gonna swirl no matter what. I can develop a numerical model to try and predict the wind/thermal patterns and I'll still leak scent in multiple directions. That makes deer hunting so much more difficult. All I can do is try and be cognizant of my scent by keeping myself and my equipment clean (including ozone treatment) and wear carbon-activated clothing. Outside of that I'm rolling the dice every hunt.
And climb high so you have a chance of it blowing over them
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I'm assuming your talking about Baffin Titan boots since you mentioned removeable packs. Take the packs out and store them wherever as they are irrelevant concerning odor as they are inside the boot. Type of socks are irrelevant as well. I have a lot of boots so I just put new boots up in the garage loft for a couple years before I use them. The fastest way is to put them in a wheel barrel or something that can hold a lot of dirt and bury the boots in the dirt without letting any dirt go inside the body of the boots, Leave them in an outside garage or shed for a month or so and then check them for odor. The richer and damper the soil, the quicker the odors will leave. Sand for instance will not work as fast as dark dirt or even clay.
A lie is too strong a word. It is a disagreement.
A lie equals purposeful misleading.
And I practice scent control. So no disagreement with scent reduction
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I definitely say that all the time as do a lot of my friends that have been using it correctly and killing lots of mature bucks since using it.
Here's a saddle article a friend of mine wrote and it's primarily about saddle hunting but he's also a huge ScentLok guy that no longer pays attention to wind and it has been a game changer right along with learning how to hunt from a saddle.
Joining the Saddle Swingers Club By: David Ferianc
My approach to deer hunting has always been a bit different from the “norm”. While my friends were spending energy, sweat, and time toting, hoisting and hanging stands, I was still-hunting in the swamps, thickets and fields and although they razzed my methods, none of us were killing much.
My ego and positive thinking thoughts were that if Fred Bear could stalk and kill deer from the ground, so could I and in 1993 while wearing military tiger stripe camo and toting a Martin Warthog bow, I stalked through some pines to within 10 yards of a mature doe and sent an arrow through her heart. While I began deer hunting in 1989, this was my first deer and I have been hooked on bow hunting since.
While I never lost the adrenaline rush of that first kill, the fact that I was getting busted on a regular basis made me rethink my stalking methods. Even though I hated how cumbersome, clunky and uncomfortable hang-on and climber stands were, the benefits of hunting from above were obvious and I began using them.
Between 1993 and 2005 I took six 1 ½ and two 2 ½ year old bucks and several does. Being a Michigan resident I was a realist so those monster bucks I saw on TV and in magazines were basically hornography and fantasy to me as those age class and antler sized bucks just didn’t exist where I hunted. While more successful from stands, I missed the creative methods that secured my first few deer.
In early 2006 I stumbled across an out of place book resting on a pile of marked- down hunting gear. It was “Bowhunting Pressured Whitetails” and it was exactly what I didn’t know I was looking for. I couldn’t believe it when I read the back cover and the author, John Eberhart, was from Michigan!
Also on the back cover was a picture of John kneeling in front of a barn wall covered with mature bucks he’d killed on public and free permission lands in Michigan. Those same positive thoughts once again passed through my mind again, if he can do it, so can I.
Having bought and read that book in three days, a reoccurring theme in the book when hunting pressured areas was to do things most other hunters aren’t willing or are simply too lazy to do, which was right up my alley. Oh, yeah, and this guy used ScentLok and hunted from a saddle and had a complete chapter devoted to each.
I began assessing hunting areas differently and keyed on accessing hunting areas other hunter’s; simply overlooked, wouldn’t access because it involved crossing rivers or lakes, or were difficult to access because the swamps, cattails, briars, brush or whatever were too dense to lug those noisy, heavy and cumbersome stands through and the book mentioned those were the exact areas where mature bucks were pushed into during Michigan’s deer season.
I had been using ScentLok, but found out after reading the scent control chapter that I was improperly caring for it, using it and not using everything else needed in conjunction with my suit for a complete scent free regimen. After learning what all I needed and how to properly care for and store my ScentLok garments, it made an immediate impact on my success on taking mature Michigan bucks.
From that moment on I began only targeting 2 ½ year old and older bucks in Michigan and quit considering even reaching for my bow when a 1 ½ year old buck came into view. That was a strange new feeling, but I felt empowered as a hunter when they casually passed by.
I referred the book during each season and the saddle chapter kept arousing my curiosity to the point that I searched for what John referred to as a “seatbelts gone wrong” saddle and in 2010 I bought a used one on EBay and quickly realized this was 100% for me.
It’s mobility, 2 ½ pound weight, 360 degree directional shooting ability, lack of noise, security and the comfort of being in a half sit/half stand position was it, I was all in. The saddle was a one time “stand” I could roll up, store in my pack or wear, and use in every tree I prepare for the rest of my life. That alone was a monetary game changer!
For my DIY freelance hunts, the fact that the size, shape, and straightness of trees just didn’t matter anymore, I could hunt exactly where I wanted instead of close by because the right tree would accept my saddle whereas it may be suited for metal stands. Why wasn’t everyone using one of these and why didn’t I take it more seriously when I first read about it in 2006?
I was completely sold after taking a doe my first saddle hunt from a skinny split-trunk walnut that was crooked and leaning too much for any hang-on or climber.
If you’re thinking, “big deal, you killed a doe” and that’s where the story ends, I’d see your point. But let me break this down, I’m exclusively hunting public and free permission properties and since properly using ScentLok and hunting from a saddle, I’ve killed all of my biggest bucks with my most recent being a 171 inch 11 point on a DIY public land hunt and there’s absolutely no way that buck gets killed had I not been using a saddle.
Whether you believe me or not, I’m living breathing proof with before and after stories and photos that hunting from a saddle creates more kill opportunities. Since using a saddle I’ve been able to take bucks from trees that were previously to small in diameter, to crooked and sometimes even to big in diameter (as in the case of a giant ancient burr oak in the middle of a corn field) to accept conventional hang-on’s or climbers.
As the mature bucks began tallying up, I became a proud, card carrying member of a club I created and termed as the “Swinger’s Club”, for saddle hunters that “Hypothetically” swing in trees.
In 2011 I took a good Michigan buck and another from out of state.
During a midday November hunt in 2012, I took a 3 1/2 year old Michigan buck.
In 2013 I killed two 3 1/2 year old Michigan bucks and 3 does.
In 2014, I took 2 good bucks, one in Michigan and one out of state.
I believe you get the point, in the 8 seasons since using a saddle I’ve arrowed and recovered 12 mature bucks ranging from 2 ½ to 6 1/2 years of age and five of those bucks were personal bests when I shot them. They just kept getting bigger because I was becoming much more dangerous.
Seven mature does for the freezer have also fallen in those 8 seasons. While I quit paying attention to wind direction in 2007, many of those kills were primarily due to me switching to using a saddle because I wouldn’t have been able to hunt in the tree’s I did had I still been using conventional stands!
These stats aren’t to brag, but to prove a point about the versatility and effectiveness of saddle hunting. It simply makes you the most dangerous hunter you can be when hunting from trees.
If further proof was needed, I think the most recent of my kills is a perfect example and sums up the entirety of everything I’ve covered about converting to a saddle.
For the third time I drew a coveted Iowa tag and had no private permission. I decided a DYI public hunt would have to do and felt confident I could pull a decent buck from one of the places I scouted back in 2011.
I’d never actually hunted there, and hadn’t been back since 2011, but aerial and topo maps jogged my memory of a steep sided, twisting creek bed. It ran north to south through the entire public piece and that meant one thing; there had to be one or more preferred crossing points for deer traveling east to west or vice versa.
From experience I knew the steep banks along the creek would somewhere drop down, creating an easier area for deer to cross, sort of like a pinch point or path of least resistance. I showed up in the parking lot and was surprised there were no other vehicles. It was obvious I wasn’t in Michigan anymore.
There I began my regimented DIY hunt procedure of dressing for the weather and wearing a ScentLok suit as my exterior layer so as not to leave human odor on any vegetation I may brush against.
I checked my map and GPS and packed only the necessities for this hunt. Making as minimal noise as possible, I began my blind hike into the timber walking slowly so as not to work up a sweat.
I traversed the south edge of the property heading west until I hit the creek and followed it up the hill heading north. The twisting creek had wood debris and deadfalls all along it and there were occasional set of tracks and a few rubs along it but not enough at any point to make me believe I’d found the spot.
Then, hitting me like a hammer to the side of the head, just up ahead I could see where the steep creek banks dipped down creating a narrow flat on both sides of the creek. From a distance it looked to be the perfect crossing point I’d been searching for and once there I wasn’t disappointed as the sign was there to back it up. There were tracks on top of tracks heading east and west and rubs and active scrapes on the small stretch of flat ground. This was “The Spot”.
I looked for a tree that could cover a shot to the closest scrape and to the heavy creek crossing. A twisted, leaning maple with a dead tree leaning against it stood out plain and clear. I pulled my saddle from my backpack (it fits in the second smallest compartment), put it on and used it as my safety climbing belt for attaching my Cranford strap-on steps. I set up my ring of steps where the dead tree intersected the leaning maple. I would be well concealed by the crisscrossed trunks at roughly 20 ft. off the earth.
In Michigan I rarely hunt below 25 feet because mature deer actually look for hunters in trees and are simply much more educated and wary of elevated danger. However, in Iowa, regardless of cover (even on public ground), I knew I’d be ok at this height.
I attached my lead strap, pulled up my bow, and was hunting. The forest understudy was thick and infested with thorny briars, just the type of stuff big bucks like to hang out in and transition through.
For the record, my decision to approach from the south had nothing to do with wind direction, nor did my final choice of tree or its directional relationship to any of the nearby signposts. Since properly using ScentLok, I never consider wind direction for a hunting location or my approach to it. No, that’s not a typo, you read it correctly. I believe, no, I know human odor is controllable and the wind is not… But that topic is for another time.
Within 20 minutes I saw movement in the form of a harassed doe, mouth agape and panting, running from an overzealous spike. Following him were two fawns, confused and just trying to keep up with mom. They all used the dip in the steep creek bank and crossed the creek exactly where I suspected.
About 30 minutes later, a four point followed the exact same path, no doubt picking up the scent of the doe and her entourage. I paid close attention to where he and the others came from and went, storing away information for potential future hunts.
For the next 45 minutes I periodically heard leaves crunching and twigs snapping beyond my sight over one of the ravine hillsides to my left. At first I dismissed it as squirrels but some of the twigs sounded too large to be snapped by squirrels, hopefully time would tell.
If it were a buck, due to the thermals and swirling winds created by the undulating terrain features, he should be able to wind the ruckus that happened below if he had a reason to do so. So I tried to exactly re-create it audibly to arouse his curiosity and entice him over the hill.
I performed two short grunts, followed by one long whiny doe bleat and before the bleat completely trailed off, the crest of the hill exploded with a crash of sticks and a flash of antlers as a monster came thundering downhill towards my set up!
The steepness of the hillside gave me a bird’s eye view of his thick rack and I knew immediately it was at least 20 inches wide and was a shooter regardless of how many points he had. He hit the flat patch at the bank of the creek and came to an abrupt halt, head-on at 30 yards, staring in my direction, looking for what his ears told him should be there. I noticed a breeze blowing and swirling in almost every direction, including from me to him, and he never once got spooky or concerned.
Continuing to stare straight and then looking left and right, displaying every angle of his character-laden crown, he was convinced that the deer making the noise must have moved off. What does a frustrated dominant buck do, well this guy went about freshening his scrapes instead of following the script and hitting the creek bed crossing.
The biggest problem was he skipped the closest scrape and worked the others at bad shot angles! Also, the scrape line angled away from my position and it was semi-shielded by thick bramble and with each scrape he hit, he was that much closer to reaching the outer limits of my effective bow range.
Paying attention to where the four-point had walked earlier was going to pay off as I looked ahead and remembered a small opening in the brush at about 45 yards. I watched glimpses of his legs and colossal beams filtering through the brush, getting slightly farther away with each step until finally he approached that opening.
I drew my bow as his eyes were shielded by a tree trunk and stopped him with a vocal “myaat” noise. As I carefully picked my spot I heard rustling on the opposite ridge to my right and to my surprise there appeared another shooter! I knew I better focus and send my arrow before something stupid happened and as I squeezed the trigger on my release, Murphy’s Law slapped me right in the mouth!
Either to attack the other buck, or gain momentum for the steep hillside, he lunged forward and I watched in horror as my arrow arced towards the moving target hitting him much farther back than where I aimed.
The huge bodied buck spun and bounded back to where he first appeared, giving me a glimmer of hope with a glimpse of blood dripping from the opposite ham. He was laboring to ascend the hillside and then stood motionless at the top, staring back towards the other buck as if offended by the interaction.
I watched intently, hoping I hit an artery and he would fall over. As the footfalls of the other buck closed in on my location, I took my eyes off the wounded brute for just a few seconds and when I looked back, he was gone.
The mature eight-point passed within easy bow range, unaware that anything detrimental to his health was within close proximity. This proving further that my map-scouted DYI location, meticulous scent control and most importantly, the mobility and versatility of my saddle, was everything I knew it would be...deadly!
With 45 minutes of daylight left, I quietly released my saddle, descended the tree and backed out smoothly. While I hated the thought of coyotes, the rain predicted in the early morning, and this being public land, I knew my best chance for recovery was to leave him overnight. It would be a long sleepless night.
Back at camp my buddy Eric waited anxiously to hear the details and helped me pass the time with conversation and dice games. Eric sacrificed his morning hunt to help me and we set out before first light using our flashlights.
I climbed into my tree and told Eric where I last saw the buck standing and sure enough he found blood. I joined him and we began to slowly follow the sparse blood trail. After crossing several small ravines, on a heavily brushed mound topped with a fallen tree, there he lay. A monster by any standards but amplified by the fact that he was taken on public ground on the first hunt of my Do It Yourself adventure. A day in the life of a bow hunter doesn’t get any better than this.
Here’s why the saddle is the hero of that story:
1). There’s absolutely no way I could have freelanced with a hang on stand or climber over deadfalls and through brush without making noise or getting it occasionally hung up in brush.
2). I couldn’t have hung any conventional stand in that twisted, leaning maple tree and it was the best suited tree for the location. But it was a no problem with my saddle.
3). The buck was likely bedded close to where I first heard him on the hill which is where he came from, meaning even if there had been a suitable tree for a conventional stand, which there wasn’t, the noise of the set-up would have certainly spooked him from his bed and I never would have even known he was there.
Just out of curiosity, if you're hanging your gear out for a few days to dry. Isn't it picking up all the smells from our normal day to day activities? The neighbor mowing the lawn. The farmer that spread manure. The chemicals the neighbor sprays on his lawn etc.
Why not toss it in the dryer on low tumble dry cycle? We do that for our scentlok... I'm just going to continue to use O3 on my stuff (that I can). It does get the stink out.
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Why not toss it in the dryer on low tumble dry cycle? We do that for our scentlok... I'm just going to continue to use O3 on my stuff (that I can). It does get the stink out.
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I throw a couple of those Doe Urine wafers from Hunter’s Specialties in my backpack with my saddle and ropes, and hang one from my truck’s back seat during season. My wife hates getting in my truck from Sept-Jan, but it smells like a barn so she’s correct in hating it. Gives me the confidence that I smell like the right kind of keister when I hunt.
That's an awesome story and really speaks to the combination of everything, thinking outside the box, scent control, patience and using the right tool for the job. I'm a huge fan of scentlok and a scent control freak ( almost to the point of compulsion).
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That’s got to be horrible. Had a few drops leak in my tote years ago. Had to buy a new tote!!!
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All those incidental odors are already airborne anyway.
I can't prove it for certain, but more and more, I'm beginning to suspect that deer are not so much alarmed by those chemical smells that they encounter almost constantly.
I started thinking about that possibility one morning on the way to my stand. I parked in a neighbor's driveway and as I walked thru the back yard, I could smell the putrid stench of perfume laundry products blowing out of their dryer vent. Wow I hate that smell. But deer spend a lot of time in these backyards. They smell those types of odors constantly.
They smell all the chemical smells of farm life too.
Logging operations, road side odors, you name it. Deer encounter NON THREATENING odors all the time.
Its the odors of the human body that they avoid. Those are the odors that are predator odors that deer have evolved over the eons to fear.
Now, that being said, deer are individuals and they make decisions that humans can't predict. I'm still going to take odor and wind precautions but I wonder if it really matters when we are talking about some types of odors.
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Plenty of respect to @John Eberhart , but I just can’t see it being the end all be all in the south, and I think I even remember you pretty much confirming that on a podcast I listened to with you. My freaking eyelids sweat down here! If I lived up north I’d give scentlok and honest try. While I’m still hard to convince that it controls scent enough to absolutely not get busted, the technology is logical and I expect that it helps a good bit at reducing the scent to low enough level that the deer don’t alert nearly as often. At the end of the day though, you h e to be a good hunter and be where the deer are. There are great hunters that play wind and use zero scent control that are highly successful. I know you believe in your regimen, but you’re obviously a good enough hunter to go where you need to and get in un-noticed. If the scentlok works as good as you say it simply opens up more location options on more days.
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Haha, I dont mind those types of odors at all. I actually like the smell of a fresh hock gland.
Moderate skunk smell doesn't bother me.
Horse and cow barns...no sweat.
Pigs and chickens DO stink.
But what I hate smelling more than anything is the detergent aisle in the grocery store. Makes me want to puke.
Deer odors? Nothing wrong with those.
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Omg, that's a man committed right there. I know that's the smell of "love" but that makes me gag just thinking about it, lol
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Where I grew up I went to school right in the middle of mennonite dairy farm country. We ran for soccer practice and after 1.5 miles our turn around to go back was right at the open doors of a cattle barn. Nothing like huffing for every breath and getting a mouth full of that smell, lol
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The issue I have with this is I primarily hunt Northwest Wisconsin in the big words. Not much smells of humans there. If I would put things out where I live (4 hours away), there are scents that deer where I hunt would never have smelled. I do like to "air" out some hunting items where I hunt though.
I have scentlok and believe it works and take as much precaution as I can. I think the ozone will help my saddle to be stink free. The rest of my gear... Ropes, biners, etc gets put in scent free storage totes after hunting.
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I believe that you guys hunting big woods face more challenges than farm country and suburban hunters face.
I think odor busts fall into different categories, though.
Odors that are odd or something a deer has never encountered will most likely attract his attention and maybe even cause him to depart. But I'm not sure a bust like that has any long term impact on that deer. I put that type of odor bust in an entirely different class than when a deer gets a full nose of true human odor at close range, high humidity and light wind. You know, that type of bust that puts the deer into full panic mode.
Either way, I don't want to assume a deer is gonna react in any specific way. I want to be as low impact in every aspect that I can.
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