Concealing your scent is one of the most important steps you can take during your hunt, but all too often, hunters for get to do it.
Your soap, cologne, or laundry detergent may smell good to you; however, how you smell can be a dead giveaway to your location when hunting. Even the faintest hint of these smells is enough to scare away a trophy buck and its friends. If you head to the mountains with your favorite perfume or cologne on, you may smell good to your loved ones, but you’ll likely be coming back empty-handed.
It doesn’t matter how little we think we “stink,” a deer can smell you coming from 300 or more yards away. Deer have an incredible sense of smell and use it to their advantage — their lives depend on it! If a deer senses a potential threat, it will run away before you can even see it.
So, how can you be invisible to their noses? Continue reading to find out more.
Use Baking Soda on Your Clothes
There’s no denying that your hunting clothing and gear get dirty, sweaty, and stinky and require washing. However, it’s important not to use your favorite laundry detergent to get your clothes looking (and smelling) like new. Instead, use baking soda or a fragrance-free/no-scent detergent to clean them and dry them on a drying rack or clothesline to avoid residual fragrance getting on your camo from prior loads.
Once your clothes are dry, you can add a layer in a plastic bag or your hunting pack. Between each layer, sprinkle some baking soda on your clothes to soak up any other lingering scents. To go the extra mile, leave an open box of baking soda inside the bag and then seal it up. For stinky boots, baking soda works well, too. Add a generous amount of baking soda to each boot and let sit until your next hunt.
Hold off Getting Dressed
It’s the morning of your hunt; the first thing you may want to do is get dressed in your hunting clothes. Sure, it may be convenient and a time-saver, but doing so can give your clothes time to soak in all the smells between now and hunting time. Think about it, your bacon and egg breakfast, the fuel pump, your car freshener, your hunting buddy right next to you — your clothes can soak up all of these smells before you’re even to the mountains.
So it is best to pack up your gear, still sealed up with the baking soda, and dress once you get to your destination. The extra five minutes this may cost you is worth it in the long run.
Mask, Then Attract
In addition to masking your scent, you can take an extra step and use a luring scent to attract the deer surrounding you. Luring scents are made to mimic the smells of the animal you’re after or to entice them by triggering a behavioral response. For example, the scents may be doe-in-estrus, urine, or tarsal gland scents, or the lure could be food-based that intrigue and excite big bucks.
Contact R & K Hunting Company
For more insider tips like concealing your scent, book your next hunting trip with R & K Hunting Company. Our skilled and knowledgeable guides have decades of experience and are ready to share their pro tips with you. For an unforgettable Rocky Mountain Adventure in Utah or Wyoming, book with our pros today.
