Questions

[Ahzz]

A couple questions here.
1. What are your processes to make sure you are as scent free as possible?
2. What is your thought process when getting ready to put a stalk on a mule deer?

Thanks!

 

[hobbes]

1. Stay down wind
2. Stay down wind

 

[huntngolf]

What hobbes said

 

[Ahzz]

Really

1. Stay down wind
2. Stay down wind

need more answers anyway
Thanks

 

[Ahzz]

What hobbes said

Don’t really understand

 

[hobbes]

Really

need more answers anyway
Thanks

Besides stay downwind I try to decide if he's staying put or moving. The bucks I'm hunting are in the rut and typically on the move unless with a doe. I look for the best route to him that'll keep me out of site of not only him but other deer and down wind or cross wind. I don't typically have time to screw around so I try to make my plans quickly. Other than wind, I take no scent precautions.

Early season bucks that are bedded in the shade probably offer more time. In the alpine you have to think about thermals . Come in above a buck too early and the downward thermals will give you up. Come in when they are changing and they'll swirl and give you up.

 

[PredatoronthePrairie]

1. Personally don't care about being scent free.

2. Aggressive and fast, when possible. Double and triple check last known postion before talking off on the stalk

 

[hunterjmj]

Wind is your friend or enemy. Stay down wind.

 

[Wapiti1]

1. Impossible task, so I don't even consider it. No choice but to work with the wind.

2. If I can't see him during the stalk, get his position set with landmarks, OnX pin, etc and move in to a predetermined spot where I think the shot will be from, or where I think I will need to make the next decision.

If I can see him, same thing minus the pin in OnX, but I do landmark his position, then I keep tabs on him and work my way to my shooting location. Similar strategies for both archery and rifle. I'm a lot more aggressive with rifle, though.

If at any time during the stalk I think the wind is getting squirrelly, I abort. Usually, though, by the time I think the wind is bad, he already knows it and is gone.

Keep in mind that landmarks need to be in places that you can see all the time, or most of the time. You'll lose some during the stalk, as you cover terrain.

Jeremy

 

[RS_Non-Res]

Scent-blocker matching cammo, every thing incl socks, skivvies, gloves, hat, face cover, washed in scent-free detergent, all stored in scent-free dry bag. Necked and clean, scent-free deoderant and foot powder, and change into scent-free clothing at trailhead. Scent-killer spray on boots and hands. Start hunt.

That's all good for about the first ten minutes until i start sweating and breathing and stomping on branches on the hike up the first hill and bust out everything that's down wind.

 

[Rich M]

You are never scent free to a deer. So you stay cross-wind or upwind. Learn the thermals, typically uphill during day and downhill in eveing thru night and early am.

Is deer gonna stay there? Where exactly is he laying? Figure you have until the sun hits him…

 

[Time2time]

My approach for rifle or muzzleloader

1. Play the wind. But I do use some scent control stuff i.e. laundry soap, bar soap and deodorant. My thoughts there are I'm going to use soap and deodorant anyway, so may as well use scent control stuff. It might give me some advantage if the wind swirls, who knows though really. I'm definitely not adamant about it.

2. My thought process is #1 wind direction, #2 topography, #3 vegetation, #4 if i think the buck is going to re-bed. The re-bed thing is more of a gut feeling but also can be an educated guess depending on the time of day you turn him up. Considering all those factors I'll pull out onx and put a pin where i think the buck is (the hybrid view i think works the best for that). Then ill drop a pin where i think i need to get to have a shot.

 

[Time2time]

Another thing that can help is to take a picture with your phone so when you get into position and can't figure out if it was this bush or that bush you can have a quick reference.

 

[Marble]

You will not fool an elks nose. You may confuse it for a moment being all scentless, but it is not possible.

I have had success having all of my clothes scent washed, sprayed and not worn until I am actually hunting. But it gives you seconds (if any) of advantage.

You have to play the wind. One good gust of wind at your back headed to where you are hunting and you will be screwed.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[Ahzz]

My approach for rifle or muzzleloader

1. Play the wind. But I do use some scent control stuff i.e. laundry soap, bar soap and deodorant. My thoughts there are I'm going to use soap and deodorant anyway, so may as well use scent control stuff. It might give me some advantage if the wind swirls, who knows though really. I'm definitely not adamant about it.

2. My thought process is #1 wind direction, #2 topography, #3 vegetation, #4 if i think the buck is going to re-bed. The re-bed thing is more of a gut feeling but also can be an educated guess depending on the time of day you turn him up. Considering all those factors I'll pull out onx and put a pin where i think the buck is (the hybrid view i think works the best for that). Then ill drop a pin where i think i need to get to have a shot.

Thanks for your response

 

[Eli80]

I agree it’s impossible to be scent free. I think it was field and stream, but someone did an article using a police dog and scent free products. Long story short, none of them worked to fool a dogs nose.

What they did find was a cover scent delayed the dog though. The dog still found the person, but it bought an extra 10 seconds or so. I hunt in areas with a lot of juniper, so immediately went out and bought juniper oil. I have found it helps. I’m obviously not putting on cologne or pumping gas before I head out, but scent free detergent and soap and juniper oil has kept animals from spooking when they walked down wind or circled my spot when I was in a blind or came upon animals.

 

[Gun&BowSD]

As you can see from all the answers, wind is king. Using scent sprays makes you smell like a human covered in scent sprays.

When you are getting ready to make a play, take a good look around for other bedded deer.

Not always a stead fast rule but bucks will often bed close to, but opposite of does. If does are high, a buck may be in a pocket below, and vise versa. They rely on them as sentries. Smaller bucks play the same role in bachelor groups too.
Just one guys two cents. Cant get to the big guy if you run into four or five that bust you first.