Preparing for the Deer Hunt
By Adam JohnsonIn just a few short weeks a huge contingency of orange-clad gun-toters will be taking to the woods and fields in search of whitetail deer. Of course, some of us couldn't wait and have been planting ourselves in elevated tree stands hoping for a big-racked buck to wander by within range of our arrows. We bowhunters see a lot of deer, but we often wait for the "right" one. That would be a whitetail that has trophy potential. One thing I will say is that the reason bowhunters see more deer than the gun hunters is because we prepare better.
Even when I gun hunt I likely see more deer than the average gun hunter. That is because as a bowhunter I realize that scent control is important to the extreme. I would venture to say probably only one in ten of the gun hunters I know actually prepare well for their hunt when it comes to scent control. Then they wonder why all the deer they see are trying to circle around them.
It pays to wash all of your hunting garb in a scent killing solution. Then you must put it in a plastic bag. Some guys I know use pine boughs or a few drops of masking scent in the bag with the clothing. It's up to you.
You can buy scent-free deodorant and toothpaste. Sounds like overkill, but it's not. Scent free means no scent anywhere.
Put the clothing on when you are completely ready to begin the hunt, not before you hop in the car to drive to your spot. There are a lot of scents that can get transferred to you in a short period as you drive to your hunting area. It might be cold, but it pays to get dressed in the field before you walk in.
Those scent-masking suits work well, I'm told. I believe it would be worth trying one out in an upcoming season.
Some hunters try to mask their scent with attracting scents or musk-scented applicators, but if you are just mixing your human scent with these masking scents it's a waste of money. You must first get yourself stink free and then you can incorporate some of the attracting scents to get the deer closer to you.
One of the worst things that can happen to you is that you get up in your tree stand and you feel the urge to answer natures call. You can't urinate off the platform because then you have created an unpopular scent. You're in luck. There are a couple of manufacturers that have introduced pouches that will gel a liquid and kill any scent associated with it. These spare bladders are zip-locked and can easily hang in the tree next to you and be used a couple of times before they need to be tossed in a waste container somewhere.
If you haven't opted for a scent free presentation when you're deer hunting try it this season and I'll guarantee that you will see immediate results for the better. There are so many ways you can create that scent-free environment it pays to take advantage of them.
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