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My experience with Scent Control

I sometimes wondered, if the guys scoring on big deer year in and year out, hunting 25 - 30 feet up, would have the same success if they hunted only 12 feet up. I hunt for meat, and if I get a nice buck along the way great, my success with scent lock stuff is varied, sometimes I think it worked, sometimes think it made no difference. All part of the journey I guess, maybe that is part of what makes this sport a passion for many.
I can add this, shooting all last winter, spring, summer with the trad stuff made archery much more fun this year, like many I just got kind of tired
spending way too many hours finding that perfect combo of fine tuning everything, less time flinging arrows having fun.
 
d_rek said:
Scentlok is only one part of his extreme scent control routine which is, unfortuantely, what most people key in on and what he mostly attributes his success to.

Along with meticulously storing and caring for his scentlok he also purports to do the following:
  • Scent free shower before every hunt
  • Only dresses when he's at his hunting location/does not wear hunting clothes at any other time other than in the field
  • Alters diet prior and during season ie: no coffee, spicy food, etc.
  • Uses ozone to treat his clothes and vehicles
  • Shaves/removes body hair from certain regions during season
  • Uses no cover scents or sprays of any kind
  • Hunting at extreme heights of 30+ ft high

To be fair nobody is arguing with his success, or even his use of scentlok. But you should also look at the bigger picture of John's success which is his dedication to post-season scouting and deep understanding of deer behavior.

Everyone else is chiming in with their experiences. Other posters have already said it changed their hunts for the better.
Click to expand...

Doesn’t he drive a scent free van as well?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
“To be fair nobody is arguing with his success, or even his use of scentlok. But you should also look at the bigger picture of John's success which is his dedication to post-season scouting and deep understanding of deer behavior. “

Well stated.

I think that these very points are often overlooked when discussing his success. I would like climb to those heights in a tree in my areas and see the wind currents with milkweed.
 
I used to do everything on John’s list minus the shaving part and the ozone which wasn’t even available till just a few years ago. Not disputing that it doesn’t work for him. Obviously it does. My thing is just like @Murph4028 said, for me, it became a chore! And even with all that work deer still winded me if they got downwind. If guys want to do all that work I say go for it! I did it for a long time and I’m just kinda over it. Just my 2 cents
 
You can not beat a deer's ability to smell. It's not going to happen. Can you minimize the longevity, probably not. If someone said to me, I hunt the wind and am insane about scent control, I'd say ok i get it. Your going to extremes to prevent scent longevity, but most guys I know that use scentlok and such say "o I dont need to worry about wind, I use scentlok". IMHO this debate is sorta like peeing into the wind, the only way to 100% beat there nose is by smart setups with the wind favoring you. *note* wind in your favor doesn't mean it's always got to be hitting you in the face.
 
I was walking past a High-rise building recently on a very windy day. Big ole silver maple 20 yards in front of it still dropping leaves.

It was wild noting the wind direction, the building and how the leaves gave a visual example of the effect of the terrain on the winds path and ultimately how the leaves settled.

Not getting whiffed by a deer is always the top priority.
 
NikoTheBowHunter said:
How many of you all have 30 bucks in the records books from public land? Because according to John Eberhart he does and is all about that scent lock/activated carbon. Idk, after watching one of his interviews, I'm willing to give it a try, least to some degree.

Click to expand...

I do not have 30 bucks in any record books. I don't even have 1. But I do know that since I stopped relying on a suit and started hunting a topographical feature that is adjacent to bedding with the wind in my favor my deer encounters have risen dramatically. John Eberhart does credit scentlok for much of his success but I honestly think he is selling himself very short. John is a great hunter and a very smart individual and still would be without his carbon suits. If you watch any of his videos or interviews it's plain to see that he knows how to scout ,hunt, and time everything just right. I didn't intend for my post to take anything away from John. He is a better hunter than I will ever be.
 
tmattson said:
I sometimes wondered, if the guys scoring on big deer year in and year out, hunting 25 - 30 feet up, would have the same success if they hunted only 12 feet up. I hunt for meat, and if I get a nice buck along the way great, my success with scent lock stuff is varied, sometimes I think it worked, sometimes think it made no difference. All part of the journey I guess, maybe that is part of what makes this sport a passion for many.
I can add this, shooting all last winter, spring, summer with the trad stuff made archery much more fun this year, like many I just got kind of tired
spending way too many hours finding that perfect combo of fine tuning everything, less time flinging arrows having fun.
Click to expand...

Dan Infalt and a lot of other hunters do very well hunting only 10 feet off the ground. A lot of places have trees that don't let you get much higher than that. Dan calls this dating the fat girl lol. Not ideal but you work with what you got. I myself have killed 3 deer this year in my saddle between 5-15 ft off the ground. None of them are anything to brag about but killing is done that low and on the ground all the time. Drew from Wild Edge kills really big deer and he hunts on the ground from time to time as well.
 
ThePennsylvanian said:
but most guys I know that use scentlok and such say "o I dont need to worry about wind, I use scentlok"
Click to expand...

This is an interesting statement because I hardly ever see anyone say that, at least on this site. This conversation usually starts with a couple people saying "Scent Lok doesn't work, you have to play the wind" Then several people chime in and say, "I use Scent Lok AND play the wind" then go on to describe how they think scent lok clothing is just one tool of many that helps REDUCE their scent, thereby increasing their odds just a little. Those posts are completely ignored and people go back to saying "scent Lok doesn't work you have to play the wind". It's kind of comical at times.
 
ThePennsylvanian said:
You can not beat a deer's ability to smell. It's not going to happen. Can you minimize the longevity, probably not. If someone said to me, I hunt the wind and am insane about scent control, I'd say ok i get it. Your going to extremes to prevent scent longevity, but most guys I know that use scentlok and such say "o I dont need to worry about wind, I use scentlok". IMHO this debate is sorta like peeing into the wind, the only way to 100% beat there nose is by smart setups with the wind favoring you. *note* wind in your favor doesn't mean it's always got to be hitting you in the face.
Click to expand...

Agree completely. Just like I said in my original post I was scentlok to the core and took John's word as gospel and still had deer winding me as if I was wearing a speedo. It may help. And it may work better in cooler environments. Who knows. If it gives someone confidence and helps them hunt better somehow I say go for it. I am the type of guy that needs to see things for myself and my experiences with it were not impressive. Truth be told I don't even really think camo in and of itself really does much. I buy my hunting clothes based on function. I wear predator because it's warm and I don't have to layer as much and because it's built to last. That pattern really doesn't even blend real well here for most of the season. But my two remedies for a deers sight and smell is:

Play the wind
Keep movement to a minimum

Both of those are free and in my opinion neither one really have much of a substitute.
 
Murph4028 said:
I wanted to post this for informational purposes and for those who are on the fence about investing in an elaborate scent control regimen. These experiences are mine alone and I don't intend to advocate or discredit anything. I just wanted to share my experiences and I'll try to keep it short.....

2010-2017:

In 2010 began to make an effort to cover my scent. Before this I never really gave it a whole lot of thought. I began to purchase and religiously utilize products such as scent free detergents, field sprays, air tight containers, and cover scents. I never thought it would work completely but I thought it may help and could be the difference between killing and not killing a deer. During this time if I didn't have "clean clothes" to hunt in I would rather not go. I became somewhat dependent on the idea of "hunting clean". Keep in mind I also hunt in the South and you begin to sweat the moment you step out of the truck. Needless to say, throughout this time period I got winded. A lot. Either by a deer getting my wind or by a deer crossing my entry route. After this happening so many times I wanted to make a huge change and immersed myself in information put out by John Eberhart. I studied everything he did and decided to dive in head first with scentlok.

2018:

For me this was a season of experimentation. I learned a lot. I had a complete early season suit and a mid season suit with all required accessories to use it properly to include the gloves and facemask. I cared for it and used it EXACTLY like John E says to and it became an obsession to keep it in ready to hunt mode. It was constant work but if it worked to me it would be worth it. No matter how hot it would be early season (sometimes in the 90s) I would at a minimum be wearing a full scentlok early season suit with rubber boots, never taking my facemask or gloves off. I had mixed experiences with it. To sum it all up I seemed to still get winded by older deer but I would have younger deer meandering around under my tree with no clue I was there. Honestly, it took a lot of the fun out of hunting for me. At home, I was constantly tending to my scentlok garments or washing other gear in scent free detergent and ensuring my containers stayed sealed at all times. Hunting in that stuff in the heat was miserable. Hunting was becoming a stressful second full time job for me. I finished the season and that was that.

2019:

This year I conducted my first bowhunt in September in a full scentlok suit. While in the tree I thought to myself I'm not doing this anymore. Weather it works or not this just isn't for me. Hunting should be fun and it just wasn't anymore. I got home from that hunt and threw my scentlok stuff in a tote and decided I was done. Following that decision I have been running another experiment. The exact opposite actually. I don't wear scentlok anything and most of the time I haven't washed my clothes in a few hunts since the weather has cooled down . This year, taking the Dan Infalt approach, I have had more fun than ever hunting and scouting, seen more deer, and spent a whole lot less money. This season I feel like I have learned so much by getting away from the trickery and just employing old school woodsmanship, playing the wind, and forgetting everything else. I have learned that keeping the wind and thermals in your favor is the only form of scent control that is guaranteed to work. When I got my first still hunting kill, I was covered in sweat, hadn't showered in two days, and was wearing leather boots. The doe was so close I could lob a rock underhand and hit her. I killed her standing beside her at 15 yards with the wind in my favor. She had no clue I was there. I have had a bunch of other encounters like this, this season all without one ounce of scent control.

I didn't post this to detract anyone from employing any form of scent control. I wanted to share my experiences and what I have learned by not using it. I also wanted to inform those who are on the fence about buying scent control items that you do not have to spend the money on that stuff to kill deer. Playing the wind and pre planning your routes is free and adds to the experience. Hope this helps anyone who is interested.
Click to expand...
My enjoyment level rose .....after I started using Dan's tactics.....milkweed and all! Thermals, careful entry and knowledge of terrain and using it to funnel deer by has been a blast. I tried scent control stuff and it also proved to take the fun out of for me. Heck, if it ceases to be fun why hunt.....its a hobby. Hunting has always been about enjoying the outdoors with friends for me! Oh and by the way........using Dan's tactics and reading mapping for trophy whitetail gas produced more opportunities than ever. And.........it FUN!
 
BigAl said:
My enjoyment level rose .....after I started using Dan's tactics.....milkweed and all! Thermals, careful entry and knowledge of terrain and using it to funnel deer by has been a blast. I tried scent control stuff and it also proved to take the fun out of for me. Heck, if it ceases to be fun why hunt.....its a hobby. Hunting has always been about enjoying the outdoors with friends for me! Oh and by the way........using Dan's tactics and reading mapping for trophy whitetail gas produced more opportunities than ever. And.........it FUN!
Click to expand...

Exactly. Plus seeing this old guy on the internet who says he wears ratty clothes and never showers and he's putting down giants made me realize I don't need a special suit. If it works for a trophy hunter it's gotta work for me.
 
BigAl said:
My enjoyment level rose .....after I started using Dan's tactics.....milkweed and all! Thermals, careful entry and knowledge of terrain and using it to funnel deer by has been a blast. I tried scent control stuff and it also proved to take the fun out of for me. Heck, if it ceases to be fun why hunt.....its a hobby. Hunting has always been about enjoying the outdoors with friends for me! Oh and by the way........using Dan's tactics and reading mapping for trophy whitetail produced more opportunities than ever. And.........it FUN!
Click to expand...
 
John is a great hunter and he does credit scent control to much of his success. He also hunts a lot of destination locations in which deer could be coming from any direction. He knows what he needs to do to kill deer and he is good at it. Dan is very good at killing bedded deer in marsh. They both do a lot of post season scouting. THP guys do a lot of post season scouting but may have four guys busting the bushes scouting for the one that has a tag that week also. What all those guys have in common is a love for deer hunting and the willingness to put in however much work it takes to get the job done. They also Know their strengths and seek areas that play to them.
 
d_rek said:
Scentlok is only one part of his extreme scent control routine which is, unfortuantely, what most people key in on and what he mostly attributes his success to.

Along with meticulously storing and caring for his scentlok he also purports to do the following:
  • Scent free shower before every hunt
  • Only dresses when he's at his hunting location/does not wear hunting clothes at any other time other than in the field
  • Alters diet prior and during season ie: no coffee, spicy food, etc.
  • Uses ozone to treat his clothes and vehicles
  • Shaves/removes body hair from certain regions during season
  • Uses no cover scents or sprays of any kind
  • Hunting at extreme heights of 30+ ft high

To be fair nobody is arguing with his success, or even his use of scentlok. But you should also look at the bigger picture of John's success which is his dedication to post-season scouting and deep understanding of deer behavior.

Everyone else is chiming in with their experiences. Other posters have already said it changed their hunts for the better.
Click to expand...
Couldn't have said it better.
 
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