The importance of scent control when deer hunting cannot be overstated. Whitetail deer have evolved an incredible array of defense mechanisms to keep them away from not only wolves and coyotes (depending on where you hunt) but also to keep them out of range of a rifle or bow. A deer’s sense of smell has been estimated to be anywhere between 50 and 100 times better than that of a human’s. Both bucks and does have the capability to gauge scent strength giving them an idea of the type a danger a certain scent presents – more specifically, how far away that scent may be.


One intelligent way to put the odds more in your favor is to locate multiple stands throughout a property. This not only allows you to take advantage of deer movement activity, but also enables you to utilize the wind to your advantage. You never want to be up-wind from a deer. Put some thought into stand or blind placement – that can go a long way in leveling the playing field.


There are a myriad of products on the market now to cover your sent. They range from sprays for your clothing, odorless deodorant, shampoo and soap (for yourself as well as your camouflage), and even “buck bomb” scent canisters that can be placed in the area surrounding your preferred hunting area. I consider the clothing sprays and personal hygeine items scent control, where buck bombs, acorn canisters, etc. can be viewed as scent cover with the added bonus of being excellent whitetail lures.


A major step of the scent removal process is to remove as many dead skin cells from your body as possible. Most people do not realize this, but dead skin cells are what actually creates a scent trail. Use a body scrubber that has only been used with non-scented body wash. Another suggestion is to bypass the soap all together and just get a good rinsing with water, taking care to scrub aggressively.


Put on some civilian clothes for driving etc. and when you arrive at your hunting location, wait a few minutes for exhaust fumes from your vehicle to lie down – this is also an often overlooked part of scent control. My suggestion is to get dressed with your base layer and over garments in the field. Make sure that all of your hunting apparel is stored in a scent-free bag. If you do not have a charcoal or carbon lined bag, a non-scented trash bag should suffice.


Below are some products currently available to help with scent control while whitetail deer hunting:





While taking these tips into consideration will not guarantee a monster buck, they will go a long ways to ensuring the reason you do not see a deer is because they caught your scent from a few hundred yards away.

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