There is a lot of debate and discussion among deer hunters regarding the use of products to eliminate and cover the human odor. Opinions run strong, and some hunters will swear by certain methods and products while others will state just the opposite, with their own experiences to back them up.
There are a lot of odor-eliminating products available, and just as many cover sprays and products available, too. So we decided to throw our hat in the ring, presenting you with some general information on the products and methods out there while adding in our own opinions on what we’ve had success with over the years.
We’ll be focusing purely on products and methods to eliminate or cover up the human odor so as not to repel deer; we will not discuss lures or scents used to attract deer. We’ll also be focusing on products and methods for deer hunting alone.
Cover Scent vs No Odor
It’s important to remember that a deer’s nose and sense of smell work differently than a human’s. Not only is a deer’s nose more sensitive, but it is also able to distinguish and process a variety of smells all at the same time.
That means if you rely solely on covering your human odor by adding other smells, the deer will definitely smell that cover scent and may even be distracted by or curious about it. However, that deer absolutely will still smell your human odor in addition to your cover scent.
Your best bet will always be to work the wind to your advantage by keeping the deer upwind of you, so it never gets a whiff of you in the first place. Nonetheless, a carefully planned scent control plan can help you gain the advantage in those moments when that trophy buck comes out of nowhere, taking you by surprise downwind.
An effective scent control plan should employ a multi-layer approach, focusing strongly on eliminating and preventing human odor and other odd smells and then covering that lack of smell with one that is natural to the environment you will be hunting.
Developing A Scent Control Plan for Hunting Deer
Eliminating Smells
There are some pretty standard and reliable methods to employ when it comes to eliminating smells, with new advances coming around every few years.
The foundation of your scent control plan should involve removing odors from your body. There are a number of products that you can use to do so, such as odor-eliminating body washes, shampoos, deodorants, and toothpastes. These products help to remove human odor as well as eliminate odor-causing bacteria.
Body Wash & Shampoo
We like the odor-eliminating earth scent body wash and shampoo combo by Knight & Hale. It comes in a 16-ounce bottle and contains Odor-Stop to remove odors from your hair and skin. It also has a scent-free moisturizer so that it won’t dry out your skin. It is a little more pricey than other brands; however, it also is highly effective and won’t leave you doubting yourself and worrying about a deer catching your scent.
Clothing
There is also an ever-growing line of clothing with built-in materials that eliminate odors and prevent them from reaching the air. This clothing is often treated with anti-microbial metal and materials such as carbon, synthetic Trinity, and Zeolite that absorb scent molecules. You can find thermal underwear, face masks, hats, and socks with this scent-controlling technology.
One of our favorites is these scent-blocking gloves from ScentLok. They’re made of lightweight polyester with a spandex panel for ultimate flexibility and dexterity. They feature a carbon alloy that combines the odor-absorbing powers of treated carbon, activated carbon, and zeolite. These gloves also feature special material at the tips of the forefingers and thumbs, so you can still use your devices without removing the gloves. They come in Realtree Xtra camo and are available in medium and large.
Laundry Detergent & Dryer Sheets
Regardless of whether or not you buy into the idea of odor-blocking clothing, there are some very effective laundry detergents that eliminate odor and odd smells from clothing.
The Control Freak Scent Eliminating Laundry Detergent by Primos Hunting is a great example. It works to instantly eliminate odors caused by bacteria (such as body odor) as well as non-bacteria-caused odors (such as cigarette smoke, gasoline, and other laundry detergents.) It provides up to 24 hours of odor control.
There are even dryer sheets available; however, in our opinion, that’s going to be overkill. We’ve found that hanging your hunting clothes outside to dry and then storing them in a plastic tub or plastic clothing bag is the best bet. You can throw in a handful of dirt and leaves from the area where you hunt to give your clothing a very natural smell that will perfectly match the environment.
Scent Wafers
Another alternative is to store your freshly washed hunting clothes with scent wafers. They come in a variety of scents, but your best choices will be earth scents like these fresh earth scented wafers by Hunter’s Specialties.
Scent wafers, in general, can be pretty strong sometimes, so if your hunting clothes have been stored with wafers since last season, you may want to hang them outside to air out for a few days before heading out to the woods. Some people truly swear by these wafers and will store their clothes in a tub with a handful of these wafers, then pin one to their hat, and place a few about their tree stand, too.
Our personal opinion is that that approach is overkill: the scent will be so strong that it will stand out as “not right” to the deer. After all, the goal is to blend in with your surroundings, not to stick out because you smell more like the woods than the woods do.
However, many hunters swear by this approach; if it works for them, more power to them. In the end, it’s all about what is the most effective for your and helps you to have a successful hunt.
Sprays
There’s one more product that you’ll want to consider adding to your regimen for eliminating odors. These are scent-eliminating sprays.
They’re great for spraying all over yourself and your clothing as you put on each layer of your hunting clothes. But, they’re also great to have on when you’re in your tree stand, so you can spray yourself again if it gets too hot and you start to sweat. These sprays absorb and neutralize odors, helping to further prevent odors from forming.
One of the most highly recommended scent-eliminating sprays is by Dead Down Wind. It’s formulated to control a broad range of odors, including body odor, food, and even gasoline, to provide the most effective scent control possible.
Introducing New Smells
Many hunters like to introduce new smells to their clothing and boots after eliminating human and contaminated odors.
Scent Wafers & Sprays
We’ve already looked at scent wafers, which is a very popular way to further reduce your scent presence and help you to blend into the environment. Another option is the use of cover sprays. Like the scent wafers, these are available in a number of scents, and you can likely find a spray and wafers in the same scent.
There is some debate on the efficacy of these sprays. For one, these scents are synthetic, so it’s quite possible that they smell little like their intended scent to a deer’s nose. And adding scent on top of scent may do little more than momentarily confuse a deer and delay them catching your human odor. Of course, that delay maybe all the time you need to take down that trophy buck.
But there are some natural methods that you can use, too.
NaturAl Materials
Earlier, we discussed the use of natural materials to scent your freshly washed clothing. This creates the most authentic cover scent as you use items that smell exactly the same as the environment you’ll be hunting in. You can also grab a handful of dirt and leaves and rub yourself down with it once you arrive at your hunting location. This can be a very effective method and can be used with odor-eliminating soaps and detergents alone.
Animal Urine
Many hunters also swear by using various animal urine as a cover scent. Raccoon urine, such as this 2-ounce bottle by Code Blue, is a very popular choice as not only are raccoons common throughout most whitetail habitats, but they also have a tendency to pee a lot, so that this scent won’t stand out as “wrong” or out of place. You can apply animal urine to your boots and along the base of your tree stand.
Basic Scent Control Plan
Considering all of these products and the importance of eliminating odors, we’ve put together a basic scent control plan for use when hunting whitetail. Again, we’re not discussing using scents and lures to attract deer, just scent eliminators and covers to not repel deer. This scent control plan is easily adaptable, and you can modify it based upon what products you favor or have on hand.
Regardless of what your scent control plan is, take care not to pick up contaminant smells once you’ve gone to the trouble of eliminating odors from yourself and your hunting clothes. That means not wearing your hunting clothes when gassing up your vehicle.
Gas stations are a notorious source of contaminant smells for hunters. The pump nozzles are covered with gasoline and other odors, and you can very well step into a puddle of gas or oil with your hunting boots -leaving a very blatant scent trail behind you in the woods. This is why it’s wise not to wear your boots until you make it out to your hunting location and wear gloves while pumping gas.
Final Thoughts: What Is the Best Scent Cover?
A good scent control plan can help to give you an edge when it comes to outsmarting whitetail deer. While it’s difficult–if not impossible, to completely eliminate all odors, following the advice discussed in this article and pairing it with smart hunting tactics like always using the wind can better your chances and make the difference between that trophy buck getting spooked and running off and that buck walking right up to you, completely unaware.