Some hunters refer to going home empty-handed as "getting skunked." Whatever you call it, one of the fastest ways to ensure you won’t fill a tag is to go into the woods smelling like one of the following:
1. Fast Food
You are running late and have a long hike ahead of you to your favorite deer stand. But there was no time to cook breakfast, so you decide to swing through a drive-through to get a breakfast burrito or sausage biscuit. DON’T! That smell is foreign to wildlife. Eating that in your truck will stink up all your hunting gear and soak in for a long time.
Instead, get up on time and make breakfast in a different set of clothes. Better yet, make it the night before and just warm it up to save yourself some time. Eat it before you get your hunting clothes on. Or, you could eat cereal, an apple, granola bars or something that does not have such a strong smell.
2. Perfume and cologne
Whatever you do, don’t wear either one of these and avoid hugging anyone that has this on their body. I firmly, but politely, ask my daughters and wife to avoid wearing perfume from the start of bow season until the last day of firearms gun season while riding in our hunting truck. Lucky for me, they all hunt too, so it is not a problem. For those of you with spouses who do not hunt, air out your truck and use some hunting deodorizer spray often or simply use another vehicle!
3. Smoke
Some pack or hike into camp and have a campfire as part of their hunt. There is not much you can do about a fire in this instance. You must keep warm and cook. However, you can try to keep the clothes you are going to hunt in away from the smoke as much as possible. This is particularly true of your outer wear.
Smoking cigarettes is not a good idea either. The smell lingers and any nonsmoker can tell you that the smell is readily apparent. If you are a smoker, you are going to have to pay extra attention to the wind direction and up and down drafts. I also avoid standing near the tailpipe of my truck or anyone’s ATV before heading to the stand.
4. Cleaners (yes, even gun cleaners)
Not many of us hunters wear our hunting clothes when cleaning up around the house. However, sometimes you might be in a hurry and the dog upchucked and you might be dousing the basement floor with bleach as you head out the door. Avoid this if possible. Also, it is great to clean your firearms thoroughly and often. However, doing so right before a hunt might give you away. I prefer to clean mine well before a hunt when possible and then set them in a place with plenty of ventilation to let the odors of the solvents dissipate as much as possible.
5. Fragrant laundry detergent
Most hunters know about this problem. There is a whole market of hunting-specific scent-killer detergents out there as a result. Don’t mix your hunting clothes with clothing that has been through the “normal” detergent cycle, either. The smells can transfer. I keep my hunting clothing in a wall locker in my basement and I always keep the door shut. Some store their hunting clothes in special bags. Some use trashbags with leaves and dirt. Not a bad idea!
6. Car deodorizers
I had a wet labrador get in our truck after a duck hunt one time and had to run the heater to get all of us warm on a bitterly cold day. That smell of a wet dog lingered for a long time, so I put a car deodorizer in the vent and I was surprised not only how good that smelled but how it lingered clear into summer when I opened the truck on a hot day. Reconsider how you deodorize your truck!
7. Dog and dog hair
Speaking of dogs, their smell will alert big game. Wolves (and dogs) are predators. Deer and elk know that very well. We have more than a few dogs in our house and I find dog hair on my hunting boots in my basement often. I started putting my boots up higher or in my wall locker so I avoiding taking Fido to the woods with me. Dog hair gets on everything, so consider that when storing any hunting gear--to include your pack. We hunt all seasons in our house, so when deer and duck season overlap, I need to be especially careful.
8. Body odor
You smell just fine to us, of course. But deer's noses are so much better than ours. Obviously showering before hunting is a good idea IF you do not use fragrant soaps and shampoos. Again, like laundry detergents, there is a huge market out there for soaps and shampoos that do not smell. Use them. Also, use one of the hunter’s deodorants as well.
If you have a long hike to the stand, consider layers and remove all the clothing you can so you do not break as big of a sweat and then let yourself cool down before applying your layers back on (just don’t cool too far down to where you are cold). Sweaty clothes smell for a long time and can get you busted.
This season, think ahead about the smells that you will soak up before heading afield and avoid the ones that will make it more challenging to fill a tag. This will go a long way towards putting the odds in your favor. Also, pay attention to the wind and do your best to be downwind of your quarry to enhance your chances of not being detected. Good hunting!
