Novice Question

[moog5050]

I have been reading as much as possible to prepare for bow season since this is my first year. On opening day, I saw five deer, but only three came in range and that was a mother with two fawns and I decided to pass. Sat the rest of the day with no luck.

To my question, I have been anal about trying to ensure scent control. I have washed all hunting cloths and boots in scent control soap after cleaning the washing machine and hung them to dry outside. The clothes have been stored in a tote with earth scent wafers. I also sprayed down with a earth scent control before entering the woods on day one. I had to use my wife's Tahoe to travel to my hunting area since I drive a sedan. After I got home, my wife thought that the car smelled (due to the earth scent) and promptly, without telling me, added some potpourri to the truck.

This morning I get in the truck at 4;30am for my second day and I smell the stuff. All my efforts to control scent and now I am driving in a car that smells like a perfume factory. I opened the windows and sprayed down with the scent control before going in the woods. Didn't see a thing this morning. My gut tells me that at a minimum, being in a truck with potpourri was a bad idea. Will that kill your hunt (assuming you do everything else possible to eliminate scent)? I am now rewashing all the hunting clothes and trying to decide what to drive for Friday's hunt. It may be the sedan with a call for a truck if I bag anything. Thoughts? Could this ruin that area for more than 1 day?

[adirondackarcher]

i would suggest leaving all your cloths in a tote until you get to your spot, get dressed once youre there. i dont think it would ruin your area for more than one day, the only way i could see it ruining and hightening the deers alert level would be if you flooded their area as you went in with the wind for instance if you smell perfumish even a little and you walk in to the south with a western wind and their bedding area is down wind, you flooded it and probably caused them to move. on another note, ive had a similiar situation happen to me but i took it with a grain of salt and when i was 40 yards from my stand wind blowng directly to my left there was a big doe bedded she was only 20 yards away, i wasnt out for a doe i had been watching a nice buck for days so i slowly kept on and she watched me climb into my treestand it was unrealistic she stayed there for 45 mins before she got up stretched and walk off. point im trying to make is anything could have happened just clean up the truck and cloths and get back to it! GOOD LUCK!!

[NYbuck50]

Hunt the wind.... No amount of scent killer can get rid of your scent.. If you play the wind correctly, you can spell like potpurri and gas station and it wont matter

[bkln]

+1 on what Buck said, play the wind...its cheaper too :-)

[moog5050]

Trying to play the wind and funny thing is, I thought the deer would be entering from the West (due to food plots, trails and water). I have seen tons of tracks to the West too. Its a predominantly west wind. However, the only deer I have seen have been entering my area from the East. I hate to move the stand now, but may have no choice. After seeing deer 15 minutes into my first day I thought this may be easier than expected. I guess I need to be more patient.

[phade]

First, drop the earth scent stuff. I'm not a fan of cover scent - and I am a scent control fanatic.

Here's my regimen:

1. Clean washer and Dryer (real men tell their ladies they are getting a set just for hunting...lol). I mean, scrub it...take the agitator cap and wipe all the grime off of it. You'll smell it and see it.

2. Talk woman into using the new non-scented detergents for regular laundry use. We use All free and clear from September to December.

3. Wash your clothes...I hang most of mine but will dry some smaller items.

4. Drop the tote idea...and pick up a tough plastic scent bag. It's not better than a tote, its the same as effectiveness, but it's shapeable...which is great when you need to cram it in the vehicle.

5. Go to Wally World and spend $20 on a camo shirt/jeans. Use this as the set of clothes you wear while driving...change at site. Treat them like hutning clothes same a prep and storage.

Now...all of that is just back-up to the real deal...hunting with the wind and your entry/exits in mind.

Maybe the girly smells busted you...maybe you hunted the same spot and used the same entry/exits...need more info.

Edited October 3, 2012 by phade

[phade]

Trying to play the wind and funny thing is, I thought the deer would be entering from the West (due to food plots, trails and water). I have seen tons of tracks to the West too. Its a predominantly west wind. However, the only deer I have seen have been entering my area from the East. I hate to move the stand now, but may have no choice. After seeing deer 15 minutes into my first day I thought this may be easier than expected. I guess I need to be more patient.

One of THE biggest mistakes people make when hunting deer. Hunt smart. If sign tells you to move...MOVE. This, honestly, was the hardest thing I had to learn hunting. It took me many years and instead of shooting mature bucks, I was shooting dinks because I was NOT using the sign I found, saw, heard. I hesitated to move for fear.

I think hunting it 2x had more to do with it than the smell.

[ants]

The most important thing is to keep the human stink down. The arm pit smell, the oily hair smell the rotten crotch..

[moog5050]

Phade

Congrats on the deer. Its NICE. I did use the same hunting spot and entry/exit. My problem is that I am big (340lbs). So the only stand on the property that is supposed to hold me, is a two man ladder stand we set up. I can enter from the west next go around. I have been entering from an ATV trail to the east.

Changing at the hunting spot seems like a huge PIA, but that may be what I need to do.

[phade]

Thanks...that deer was shot not too far from you...in Wayne County. I live south of Rochester though by 20 minutes.

Big ain't a problem...If T-bone can...so can you. Some people are not fans of ladder stands as a preffered bowhunting stand because they feel it is not concealed enough. Hogwash. It's a stand and you just need to know how to use it. I shot that buck out of a ladder stand. Based on what is available in the market and your ability/tolerance to climb, I would look into a couple stands as a long-term investment. One fairly immobile stand is handcuffing you.

Honestly, if you want some help/advice, etc., or moving that stand, I'm more than willing to offer my time. Since I got a buck opening day with a total of five hours seat time...I'm on the sidelines until I hunt Ohio next month for a full week. Just getting out there to do something deer-related will be nice.

For entry/exits...go to Bing.com, find the property, then click on "bird's eye view" option, and zoom in to the property. Copy the pic and wipe out the location identifiers (streets, county listing, etc.) and post that pic up here. We'll show you your options. The internet makes one heck of a shortened learning curve.

[moog5050]

Thanks Phade. I live in Webster, but hunt property in Scottsville. I will try to find it on bing and post. I have a climber rated for 350, but never used it and figured I need some practice before going out with it. I might take you up on moving the stand. Don't want to offend my cousin who recommended the spot, but don't want to miss out due to bad location.

[moog5050]

Phade, I may take Friday off from work if you want to walk the area. I would be curious as to your opinion. I wanted to hunt Friday and Saturday, but moving may make more sense. Or perhaps I just need to learn how to use that climber. Fitness isn't an issue, I am big, but played NG in college and am still in good shape, just big.

Edited October 3, 2012 by moog5050

[phade]

PM sent your way.

Stand may very well be in a good spot, so your cousin could be on the money. Just need to look at the big picture to figure out how you can make the best of your situation to get you some tags filled.

Looks like there is a front Friday afternoon - with T-storms. Keep an eye on it...the weekend weather is probably as good as it gets from a deer hunting perspective for the first weekend in October. If that front pans out...Friday afternoon could be good hunting as long as the T-storms don't materialize.

[moog5050]

Just had the pleasure of having Phade review my hunting area and make recommendations for stand placement. He knows his stuff. Thanks for sharing your knowledge Phade. Very helpful and much appreciated.

[growalot]

Have you sat the area enough to pattern the deer?...For instance ...the deer in our area have a distinct routine..ALL year long...we live on the side of a steep hill...swamps on the west down hill....ridges east up hill side of property...the deer do this...go down hill in the morning...up hill in the evening and any mid day travels are N/S or S/N

Edited October 5, 2012 by growalot

[nybuckboy]

After I got home, my wife thought that the car smelled (due to the earth scent) and promptly, without telling me, added some potpourri to the truck.

This morning I get in the truck at 4;30am for my second day and I smell the stuff. All my efforts to control scent and now I am driving in a car that smells like a perfume factory. I opened the windows and sprayed down with the scent control before going in the woods.

OMG... read this to my wife and were both ROTFL. Exactlt like something she would do. She said I like that women and I don't even know her.

[mxsmitz201]

Doesnt matter what you do if a deer is going to wind you hes going to wind you. It cant hurt to be on top of your scent control but playing the wind is key.

[moog5050]

Buckboy, Made me laugh too.

[sampotter]

This is great! It's nice to see a thread that is useful to another member instead of some Hatfield/Mccoy deal. Phade is right on the money about not overhunting a particular spot. No matter what you do hunt the wind. Scent control is important but you shouldn't have to test it often.

[TheTruth2]

Im a HUGE scent control skeptic. the farthest i go is washing my clothes with scent free detergent and spraying down before entering the woods. Some guys take it to an extreme level which in my opinion is overdueing it. For example...ive hunted the same stand the past three evenings. the first night i tromped around looking for sign (new area) sweating my behind off. I sat that night and saw eight deer. the next night (same tree) i shot at a doe at4:00. got down and tromped around looking for my arrow and blood for an hour, once again sweating like crazy. i sat the rest of the night and saw seven deer. Last night, i sat in the same tree and saw five deer. Scent control is important, but not as important as many think....just my opinion =)

[bkln]

Not sure where you hunt but here in Dutchess the deer is so domesticated it makes no sense to cover anything....just go out there and enjoy yourself in the woods, no matter what you do they will always smell you, the questions is what is their reaction to it.... here is nothing, as long as you stay still, you can small like a garbage truck they wont care....have fun bro !