I’m in the northeast and although mosquitoes haven’t typically been a problem up here this years adventures are taking me into the swamps and wetlands. I know there’s a lotta guys here from the south I was hoping someone had some ideas other than bathing in DEET lol.
Advice from another CT deer hunter:
1. I don't use DEET anymore - I have no tolerance for the way that it can soften/smear/smudge some plastics.
2. I now use 20% Sawyer Picaridin when I spray down with insect repellent. Picaridin doesn't damage plastics, and it's just as effective as DEET, for just as long, in my experience.
3. All my clothes, boots, and packs are pre-treated ahead of the season with Permethrin, but like others have said, Permethrin doesn't repel mosquitoes very well in my experience. (It's by far the best product for keeping ticks off you though.)
4. When the skeeters are real bad (like now in CT!), I spray down with Picaridin when I leave my truck, and I turn on a Thermacell unit that I keep at or above my waist. Checking trail cameras in the CT swamps in August, I also wear a neck gaiter and ball cap that are sprayed down well with Picaridin, and the skeeters still buzz my ears and face but they don't land and they don't bite. If there's
no wind and I'm standing still, the Thermacell keeps them from doing that - but the conditions need to be right for the thermacell repellent to linger and build up around your immediate space - it doesn't work as well when there's a breeze or when you're on the move.
As to your question about a chemical smell - yes, there is a smell ... DEET, Picaridin, Permethrin, and Thermacell units all have a smell. I have no way to know if it alerts *some* deer that avoid/evade me. But I still get kill opportunities, so it doesn't alert them all. As they say, you can't kill deer sitting home on your couch ... so when the skeeters are bad, I use the Picaridin and Thermacell and play the wind to my advantage as best as I can ... because otherwise I wouldn't want to be out there.