| I know a lot has been written about eliminating | | | | Hunting whitetail deer, mule deer, elk, and other big |
| human scent while deer hunting. It still amazes me | | | | game animals will require the hunter to recognize this |
| that so many hunters neglect this aspect of hunting | | | | fact and take steps to ensure that they be as odor |
| big game. Although human odor cannot be 100% | | | | free as possible. |
| eliminated, it can be minimized or reduced to the | | | | For the sake of comparison, one could use this |
| point that deer will not notice it or even react to it. | | | | analogy: A fire sprinkler system consists of sprinkler |
| The reason that the human odors can never be | | | | heads that are designed to trigger when the heat |
| completely eliminated is because we are naturally | | | | level reaches a certain temperature. If the |
| producing human odor molecules 24 hours a day. | | | | temperature does not reach a certain point, the |
| I think we can all safely say that the # 1 defense | | | | sprinklers are not activated. In similar ways, deer |
| mechanism for deer is their nose. Deer not only use | | | | have a certain threshold of human and foreign odors. |
| their nose to avoid danger, they use it during mating | | | | When the threshold reaches a limit, the deer will |
| season and also when foraging for food. They are | | | | avoid the area altogether or go on high alert and bolt. |
| constantly checking and testing their surroundings | | | | On the other hand, if steps are taken to minimize |
| with their sense of smell. It has been said that deer | | | | these odors, deer will not react to them or notice |
| may avoid an area for up to a month after being | | | | them at all. |
| spooked by human odor. | | | | Depending on if you are actually hunting or not, scent |
| When hunting whitetails, the most important thing | | | | control should be considered when setting up stands |
| that you can do is minimize your odor and other | | | | or just scouting your hunting area. The closer you are |
| odors that you may pick up along the way. How | | | | to the actual hunt, the more concerned you need to |
| many times have you witnessed hunters filling up | | | | be with scent control. |
| with gas with their hunting clothes on or perhaps | | | | In future articles I will get into the actual products |
| sitting in the restaurant right before the hunt? Now | | | | that are on the market today for scent control that |
| get this, it has been documented that deer have | | | | you can use to fool that big buck. The most |
| winded hunters from ¾ of a mile away! That is | | | | respected whitetail hunters in the world use these |
| a very good reason for not only bow hunters to | | | | products all the time and you should be too. You will |
| eliminate their scent, but gun hunters as well. | | | | not only begin to see more deer, but have them |
| Every big animal has a sense of smell that is | | | | close enough to shoot with a bow. |
| hundreds, if not thousands times superior to humans. | | | | |