The Best Hunting Scent Strategy

sportwashAll people have a scent about them, and hunters are no exception to the rule. If the wind is in the favor of the deer, then they are going to smell us, quite literally, from as far as half a mile away. This is why the most successful hunters of buck take such great pains in order to try to eliminate as much of their human odor as is possible, masking whatever they miss to ensure that the deer cannot detect them or smell them coming.

The archery deer season can be a bit warm and humid, and this is a bad time of year considering the weather is so miserable for hunting in general. The hot and humid nature of the climate is a true enemy to deer hunters that are looking to control their scents while on the hunt.

The best scent control is going to begin at home. We already all know the importance that comes with showering with the use of soap and shampoo with no scent. Something else that you need to consider is your clothing. Regardless of whether or not your clothing is charcoal lined, you are going to want to wash all of your hunting clothing using a detergent that has no perfumes or scents in it, and then you are going to want to separate this clothing from any other household odors by making sure that your hunting gear and garb are stored in a plastic bag or plastic tub that has no scent to it.

The best choice for buying scent free laundry detergent is sport wash, which you can buy from Atsko.com or in the hunting section of Wal-Mart.

One of the most important parts of preparing for your hunt actually occurs in the washing machine. Your wife can wash your regular clothing in anything that she likes, but when it comes to your hunting clothes, only Sport wash should be used. Sport wash generally causes less than the commercial detergents, and it will work just as well to remove built up residues and other crud from your clothes. You may even want to convince your wife to use sport wash for all the laundry, if you feel so inclined.

Another thing that you can do to control your scent is to take a dietary supplement known as Nullo, which is designed to serve as a deodorant, however internally instead. It has been around for a number of decades already, and sells primarily to people that have problems with excessive body odor. You can use Nullo to neutralize the gases and bacterial cultures that your body produces, but it takes a few days or as long as two weeks in order to completely neutralize your body odors.

Originally posted 2009-09-21 03:23:16. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Bow Hunt Tips

If you’re ready to bow hunt and you’re new to hunting, take someone with you. As long as you’re comfortable in the woods and can find your way well, there’s no danger in actually going alone. But your first bow hunt will be better if you have an experienced hunter with you. And it is safer if you plan on using a tree stand or a ladder stand where you could potentially fall and be injured.

Before you go on that bow hunt, be sure you’ve practiced enough that you feel confident in hitting a target that you choose. But remember that putting a target on a bale of hay and hitting it in the bull’s-eye every time is nothing like hunting a live animal. The animal will move and will often sense you just before you shoot. This is in part because of your stand and because of the slight sound you make when drawing the bow. If you use a very light weight arrow, you may even alert the animal when the arrow releases from the bow as lighter arrows make more noise than medium or heavy weight arrows. Practice with the arrows and point weight you’ll be using to hunt with until you’re comfortable and confident that you can make the arrow go where you want it to.

Don’t forget to try to camouflage your scent before you bow hunt.  Don’t use heavily scented soap, cologne or aftershave before you hunt. Make sure your clothes are washed in detergent or fabric softener that doesn’t leave a heavy scent. And avoid things like campfires or cooking fires in your hunting clothes because they’ll absorb the smell of the smoke and alert the animals to your presence.

If you’ll be hunting with a stand, you’ll want to camouflage it with branches and greenery from around your area both to keep the deer from seeing it and to help mask the scent with the natural scent of the greenery. If you’re using a tree stand that requires climbing, be sure you understand how to operate the stand and how to set it up properly. Anytime you’re uncertain, you should have someone with you.

Remember to be quiet and move as little as possible when you bow hunt. When you spot your quarry, pull a full draw on your bow with the arrow tip aimed above the animal. Then slowly lower it until you’re at your target and ready to release the string. If the deer or other animal has suddenly frozen as if it senses you, aim slightly lower than you normally would in case the moment your bow releases the animal hears it and starts to bolt. They tend to crouch before they run so that would put the animal slightly lower.

If that happens, the ideal place to hit for a quick kill is actually with the animal moving away from you. About half way down the body behind the shoulder blades is the ideal spot to hit either the heart or lung when you bow hunt.

Photo Credits: Justin_D_Miller

Originally posted 2010-04-04 09:47:17. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Cold Weather Deer Hunting Tips

If you’re serious about hunting, you’re going to end up out in the woods before dawn more often that most people care to think about! And you’ll be out there scouting for deer in weather that would send most of us running into our dens with fuzzy slippers and hot cocoa, wishing for a roaring fire. You need to keep certain things in mind when hunting in cold weather, and you’ll want to be sure you have the right hunting equipment and hunting clothes to make it a more enjoyable experience, and to keep yourself safe from the elements.

Wear wool.

Wool hunting clothing provides excellent insulation against the cold. You won’t want to wear it against your skin, of course, but make one of your layers wool. And you should have at least 2 or 3 layers of clothing on, including long underwear. You won’t want to trek out into the woods wearing the clothing of 4 men, and getting your innermost layer wet with sweat—that defeats the purpose of trying to stay warm. But do take the heaviest layers of your hunting clothes with you. Then once you’re in the deer stand, you can put them on and stay warm. (Make sure your outermost layer is orange and reflective or whatever type of hunting clothing is required in your area.)

Cover your head.

Most of our body heat leaves us though the soles of our feet and the tops of our heads. Just wear a regular cap while you’re exerting yourself getting there and getting set up, then wear a thermal cap. If it’s really cold, you might want a thermal face mask to protect your nose and keep your skin from getting chapped. Be sure your ears are covered, and make sure you’ve got a decent seal around the neck opening of your hunting clothes (as well as at the wrists and ankles) to keep the cold air out as much as possible.

If it’s a wise choice in your particular area, get waterproof hunting gear like waterproof gloves and outerwear. And don’t scrimp on hunting boots. You might want to carry these, too, until you get in place rather than risk getting the insides wet where they will keep your feet cold, and you miserable. Rubber soled and rubber-outer-wear boots do an excellent job of keeping your feet dry. Be sure they’re insulated or the cold will seep right through your hunting boots and drive you to leave before you’ve spotted that trophy deer. Invest in the small heat producing packs that can go in mittens and boots as needed. These can make all the difference between an enjoyable day of winter-time hunting, and coming home stiff and frozen and wondering why you went hunting in the first place.

Finally, be sure your family or friends know where you’ll be, and carry a cell phone or other means of communication. While this is a good rule to follow all the time, it’s especially important when hunting in the winter.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-12-08 19:29:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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