(TacticalNews.com) – Concealing your scent from the animals you’re hunting involves a lot more than simply staying downwind from them. For serious hunters who want to ensure their prey won’t get a whiff of them, scent control requires commitment, investment and strategy.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has put together a video explaining what it takes to minimize your scent:
A deer’s sense of smell is far more sensitive than that of a human being. For example, they can smell the trail of another deer that passed by hours beforehand. Since your smell is unfamiliar, they will avoid it if they can. This is why controlling your odor is vital to a successful hunt.
Scent control begins before you ever leave for the field. Your hygiene will play an important role in keeping your scent out of a deer’s nostrils. On the day of the hunt, take a shower using a body soap or shampoo that has scent-neutralizing properties. When you dry off, make sure you use a towel washed in scent-negating soap as well.
Once the shower is done, antiperspirant is necessary — but again, you have to use a kind designed to eliminate odors. Scented deodorants will be a red flag to animals in the wild.
All of the clothing you intend to wear should also be washed in scent-negating detergent, then stored in a plastic container so it doesn’t run the risk of absorbing smells from other garments in your closet or dresser. Thanks to the wonders of modern science, you can even purchase scent-free clothing, which are essentially clothes that absorb the smell of your perspiration in the field.
Scentlok hats and face coverings will also help to contain your scent. Your breath will have a smell regardless of what steps you take to negate it. But, you can take steps to minimize the scent of your breath. Avoid spicy foods prior to a hunt, and eat fruits that attract deer, such as apples. The idea here is to disguise the scent of your mouth using odors found in nature.
When in the field, wear rubber boots to prevent your scent from being left on the ground. Scentlok also makes products to spray on clothing that help keep your scent at minimal levels.
If you want more information on the natural senses of deer, check out our article on deer vision here.
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