Baking soda for scent control

RockinU

Lil-Rokslider
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Jul 20, 2019
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as a Wisconsin whitetail hunter of 26 yrs you cant tell me that a good scent control practice doesnt help. If nothing else it will buy you precious time when needed most

As a whitetail hunter for 37 years, and a whitetail guide for nearly 20 years, I will tell you that if they smell you, your chances go way down, and as someone who has read the research, and watched the dog tests that they've done on scent control products, I can tell you that the only one that bought any measurable time was the ozone generator, and that they time it bought was very minimal, and in a controlled environment. What conclusions that leads you to is for you to decide.
 

SoDaky

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At some point in time/space there is 'recognition'.They recognize dam fools first and earlier.At '37 years' you're just a kid at this game but it'll come.
There is also 'toleration'.In many cases whitetails will tolerate some scent of humans.In fact,most whitetails will.Think about it instead of arguing glittering generalities.(even some elk tolerate some human scent.The 'spigot' elk in parts of Mt come to mind)
There also is a flip side.'Scent' can be used as a weapon and helper to success.Again,broad pen strokes are meaningless.
 
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RockinU

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 20, 2019
Messages
115
At some point in time/space there is 'recognition'.They recognize dam fools first and earlier.At '37 years' you're just a kid at this game but it'll come.
There is also 'toleration'.In many cases whitetails will tolerate some scent of humans.In fact,most whitetails will.Think about it instead of arguing glittering generalities.(even some elk tolerate some human scent.The 'spigot' elk in parts of Mt come to mind)
There also is a flip side.'Scent' can be used as a weapon and helper to success.Again,broad pen strokes are meaningless.

Glad you can discern my level of experience, and how much time I've put into my craft from a brief internet interaction, yet remain in opposition to "glittering generalities". Of course there is some tolerance, and there is no never, and no always, but in glittering general if they smell you, you're beat. I'll leave you to such advanced and hard to conceive ideas such as strategic weaponizing of sensory input ( I hear you can do similar stuff with sight), as I think that's a year 47 class...
 

Poser

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Dec 27, 2013
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Durango CO
Back in my Whitetail days, I went through a scent control phase for a few years: showered with scent control products, scrubbed my body with a coarse brush to remove excess skin flakes, washed my hunting clothes constantly in scent free detergent, wore Carbon layers and kept them activated, stored them in airtight bags, changed clothes in the field (memories of having to do jumping jacks before getting butt ass naked at 4:30 am on cold mornings....), used wet wipes in the field to wipe off sweat, rubber boots, changed base layer shirts in the tree and stored the sweaty one in a airtight bag.... the whole 9 yards. Then I went Backcountry elk hunting for a week and came back to TN completely uninterested in any of that. I stopped caring or worry about any of the scent control measures. Nothing changed in my hunting outcomes, in fact I killed the biggest Whitetail of my “Whitetail career” during the “not caring about scent at all” phase.
 

jmez

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Jun 12, 2012
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Piedmont, SD
Pretty similar experience as Poser. After my first back country hunt I quit all of it.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk
 

SoDaky

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sd
Hey B Soda may help your bad breath who knows?Give it a try.
I shot my first archery bull in the 70s and have hunted the 'back country' all my life so spare me those life changing ,eye opening.'back country' experiences.
I don't nor ever have done the 'scent control extreme thing' but also have a brain and will always use any practical,reasonable means to reduce my scent signature wherever or whatever i'm hunting.
To each their own,stink away as u will.
 

kiddogy

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idaho
you really want to control or mask your scent ???? just rub some elk chit all over your body ,or, piss in a bottle and pour it over your head, or , better yet, just find something dead and roll in it.
 

rvanbw00

FNG
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Sep 2, 2016
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Union Mills, IN
I went and bought a couple lbs of baking soda and keep it in a container that I can "squirt" it in certain locations - namely boots. I, for one, can attest to the vast reduction in dead animal smell after putting it in my work boots. Will this eliminate a prey animal's ability to pick me out in the woods? Not for a second. But it does knock the edge off.
 
Joined
Jun 25, 2015
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scent control is like eating garlic and covering it with a mint. too many olfactory receptor cells to get around. i think the game will always be able to detect both. now if your hunting an area where game come close to people and homes they may be more tolerant. the scent control part might come into play if say the game is use to people smell but maybe not the differential fluid on your cloths hunting right after work ect... or the baconator you just ate on the way hunting lol...
 

kiddogy

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scent control is like eating garlic and covering it with a mint. too many olfactory receptor cells to get around. i think the game will always be able to detect both. now if your hunting an area where game come close to people and homes they may be more tolerant. the scent control part might come into play if say the game is use to people smell but maybe not the differential fluid on your cloths hunting right after work ect... or the baconator you just ate on the way hunting lol...
hmmm,..baconator . now i'm craving a gut buster.
 
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In someone's favorite spot
There is no such thing as complete scent control but there is a such thing as being able to be scented at 400 yards instead of 100 yards. Cleanliness keeps your scent imprint smaller but you can never make it go away.
This is exactly where I stand on the issue - if I can make an animal think I'm a lot further away than I really am, then it's worth the trouble.
 
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Nov 14, 2019
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Like others have said, you cannot and will not ever eliminate your scent 100%, but the non-fragrance soaps and detergents will help to reduce your scent signature and radius of contamination. Wind is the biggest factor. Your scent trail can hang for a long time also so plan how to approach your stand or blind accordingly.
 
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Nov 18, 2019
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I need to try the baking soda. I like playing the wind but all told guy I know that kills biggest bucks consistently smells of Winston and Right Guard. Lol
 
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Dr Randy Ulmer talks about how he feels his shoes with baking soda before a hunt. He thinks it helps to cut down human scent. That guy is a killer too.
 
Joined
Nov 14, 2019
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Some guys stink like pot. Some guys smell like they just smoked a couple packs of Marlboro's in a confined area. If you're downwind of the animal, it doesn't matter. Campfire smoke is a great cover too, but wouldn't you think a deer would run AWAY from a fire? Realistically the wind and your scent trail as you approach your stand are about all that matter.
 
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