Scent control while backpacking

[BigDuckHunter]

If this has already been discussed, please point me in that direction. All I could find was related to whitetails.

Being from Iowa, I’ve spent lots of time chasing whitetails and scent control is a huge part of the game. I keep my clothes in a scent free tote, hang them up outside during the season, take scent free showers before the hunt, avoid eating in the stand, etc.

I’m going on my first backcountry bear hunt in a few weeks and I just can’t figure out how I’m going to tackle the scent issue. Obviously I’ll have to eat and build fires and I won’t be able to shower while I’m out. Nor do I have the room in my pack for fresh clothes everyday. How do you guys tackle it? Do you just play the wind and disregard scent control? What about leaving your scent in the field?

 

[Hoodie]

Youŕe gonna need the wind no matter what, and you´re gonna stink no matter what.

For peace of mind, I shower with scent-free soap before I go out and wash my clothes in SportWash and baking soda. I carry baking soda, scent free wipes, and unscented deodorant on backpack hunts. I try to stay relatively clean. I don´t hike in in the clothes I hunt in. Merino wool clothes are far better than synthetics for scent.

But I still stink after a few days. No way around it. If the wind is blowing the right way it won´t matter.

 

[jmez]

Play the wind.

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[boonez40]

Wood smokes will kill the oder bacteria on your skin that causes body oder. But i am afraid your are just going to have to be tough and get in the water.

I have taken a bath in a creek or river several times during a hunt.

Sometimes a guy in a tree can wait way to long to get down because you just have to wait a few more minutes. I watched a buck moving through the pines headed my way for an hour but he took a turn up a logging road.
By that time, it was to late, I couldn't get unhooked from the tree quick enough and shit myself 30 feet up.

It was cold, snow on the ground and the water was even colder.
I had to wash myself and my base layers. Standing in a creek naked, I just hoped no one walked by.
Left my base layer hanging on my climber to dry and I hiked up the mountain to my other stand. Can't say I killed a buck that day but I did encounter another buck, he was in the thick brush and never presented me with a shot.


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[TxxAgg]

A bear has a better sense of smell than a deer anyways. I don't think you could fool him.

 

[rodney482]

forget about all the scent tactics and use the wind.

 

[Jgriff]

No matter what you do, always play the wind.

 

[GunsAreFun]

Wood smokes will kill the oder bacteria on your skin that causes body oder. But i am afraid your are just going to have to be tough and get in the water.

I have taken a bath in a creek or river several times during a hunt.

Sometimes a guy in a tree can wait way to long to get down because you just have to wait a few more minutes. I watched a buck moving through the pines headed my way for an hour but he took a turn up a logging road.
By that time, it was to late, I couldn't get unhooked from the tree quick enough and shit myself 30 feet up.

It was cold, snow on the ground and the water was even colder.
I had to wash myself and my base layers. Standing in a creek naked, I just hoped no one walked by.
Left my base layer hanging on my climber to dry and I hiked up the mountain to my other stand. Can't say I killed a buck that day but I did encounter another buck, he was in the thick brush and never presented me with a shot.


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You’re way more dedicated than me.

 

[Poser]

Best best is to just get over that aspect and accept that it’s out of your control.

 

[boonez40]

You’re way more dedicated than me.

Yes, I agree

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[Moserkr]

Wood smoke and rub fresh cedar boughs on your clothes. Then play the wind cause thats what really works. I put on scent killer deodorant before i take off into the backcountry and leave it behind. Dehydrated scent free wipes for “baths”. If you have access to clean water for a backcountry bath then i would do it. But i have a hot tent to crawl into when im done. That rarely happens and i still have only 1 set of dirty clothes to crawl back into.

 

[2ski]

Yep. It's been said s dog can smell that you're having a hamburger with ketchup on it. A bear can smell all the ingredients in the ketchup.

 

[Poser]

Also, good chance of strict fire bans being in place this fall so don’t count on using smoke. Just stink and learn to enjoy hunting once again. The difference is smell of a “clean” human vs. a dirty human is pretty minimal to an animal.