Can we really fool a deer’s nose? by Dr. Shan Twit.

In order to consistently close the distance on a whitetail deer with archery equipment you must
first RESPECT their nose. Although there have been numerous studies on the subject it’s hard to really
know just how sensitive a whitetail deer’s nose is. I’ve read that humans have anywhere from 5 to 20
million olfactory receptors while the whitetail deer has upwards of 290-300 million receptors. But as if that
wasn’t enough, a deer can smell multiple odors at the same time. Since a deer’s nose is much more
powerful than ours, is there a way to consistently fool it? Although I don’t think we can completely fool a
deer’s nose 100% of the time we can get pretty close. The key lies in paying attention to the details and
taking an almost OCD like approach to scent control.

In order to have a snowman’s chance in hell at consistently getting within archery range of any
deer let alone a mature buck, the hunter must understand not only how powerful the whitetail’s sense of
smell is but how much we stink. Humans sweat and with it bacteria forms and ultimately odor follows.
Even when we don’t think we smell we do, especially to deer. The key to consistent archery success is to
recognize that and to plan accordingly. The good news is that at the end of the day we have one
advantage over the whitetail deer, our brain. As long as we learn from the mistakes we’ve made in the
past we’ll be more successful on future hunts, but proper scent control plays a big role in whether or not
that happens.
Below are the steps I take to reduce my scent foot print in the whitetail woods:

1) Wash your hunting clothing with unscented laundry detergent without UV brighteners. Like
most married men I share my washer and dryer with my wife. She uses fabric softener and regular
detergent that have distinct odors that even I can detect with my less than stellar nose. Put it this
way, if you can smell ANY odor on your clothing, you KNOW the deer can and from a much far away.
I never throw my hunting clothing and gear directly into the washer after she uses the machine or I’ll
contaminate my clothes. Like most hunters, unfortunately I don’t have a separate washer/dryer for
myself so I must share the machines with my spouse. Before washing any of my outer hunting layers
I toss in all of my socks, underwear, T-shirts and towels I’ll be using during the season with unscented
laundry detergent that contain no UV brighteners. I also wash my sweatshirts, jeans and any other
clothing that I only wear while driving to my hunting spots. I NEVER drive my vehicle while wearing
my actual hunting gear because a vehicle is a human odor trap. Immediately after removing the
clothes from the dryer I’ll hang them outside for a couple days (assuming there’s no rain in the
forecast) before placing them in my scent-free storage bags. Next I’ll toss in all of my back packs,
safety belt, face mask, hats, gloves, neck warmers, etc. in the wash. Once again, after removing
these items from the dryer I’ll place them outside to dry for a couple days then place them into my
scent-free plastic bags. By running two loads with unscented detergent prior to putting in any outer
camouflage layers you pretty much eliminate the chance of the conventional laundry detergent
residue from the washing machine contaminating your clothing.

Note: Do not put any pine branches, dirt, leaves or any other material in your plastic containers or scent-free bags because it will actually cause moisture to develop and mold/odor is sure to follow. Only place 100% DRY and CLEAN clothing into air tight containers otherwise you’re looking for trouble. I’ll repeat all of the above steps after every hunt during the early part of the season because of the warm weather. Once the
temperature drops I can get away with hunting 2-3 times before I must wash my outer layers again. I
always rewash the 1st and 2nd layers that I wear closest to my skin for obvious reasons. It’s always a
good idea to have several washed undergarments ready to go prior to the season for greater
efficiency.

2) Eat clean. Although everyone’s physiology is different there are certain foods that produce odor in
most people. During the hunting season I try to avoid garlic, heavy spices, dairy (often produces flatulence), too much sugar, a heavy meat diet, alcohol (for obvious reasons) and last but not least…
coffee. I enjoy a hot cup of Joe as much as the next guy but coffee causes dehydration because it’s a
diuretic which increases your urgency to urinate. If you’re thinking, “I’m not giving up the things I love
just for a deer” then you have decided to tip the odds in favor of Mr. odocoileus virginianus.

3) Shower before each hunt. The most important step I take before the hunt even begins is to
ALWAYS shower with an unscented shampoo before I leave the house…ALWAYS! If you think you
can work in your garage, eat at the local greasy spoon diner, pump gas, etc. then change into your
hunting gear, hop in the truck, climb your stand and expect that 10 pointer you’ve been pursuing all
year to ignore your scent, you’re living in fantasy land. If the conditions are right, a deer can easily
smell human odor from over a quarter mile downwind. But check this out, if the wind is steadily
blowing in his direction, the air is moist, there’s been a recent rainfall before you walked in, you sweat
up a storm on your way to your stand because you overdressed or walked too fast, etc. he might wind
you from a half mile downwind, so making sure your body is clean is paramount.

4) Use odor neutralizing powder on your clothes/boots. One product I became a big fan of is called
Carbon Synergy. I learned about this amazing WI made product from Marc Anthony. Marc is known
for harvesting giant Midwest whitetails from the ground and he’s been promoting this product for
years. I personally try to learn about how to become a better deer hunter all year long and when a
hunter consistently brings down mature bucks, especially from the ground, I listen. After trying this
product myself I’ve become a believer! Carbon Synergy is a fine black carbon powder that adsorbs
odor and also contains silver which helps to suppress bacteria from forming in the first place. After
placing my clean hunting clothing/gear in a plastic tub, I sprinkle in some Carbon Synergy, shake it up
and voila everything is lightly coated with a fine black powder to help conceal human odor. Yes it will
make your skin a little black but I always shower again after each hunt so it’s not a big deal.

 

I want to share the story of a 4 1/2 yr. old CT buck I took on opening day in 2012 because I’m 100% certain using this product made all the difference in making the hunt a success. For the morning hunt I
decided to sit in an observation stand where I could watch a field the deer were using for feeding and
bedding. Because I was the only one hunting the area and the surrounding properties had little to no
hunting pressure I felt comfortable hunting the edge of an open field for the opening morning hunt.
Yes I’m aware that hunting a destination food source in the morning isn’t considered the best
approach but on this property it had merit because of the bedding area’s proximity to the field and the
fact that I could get in and out undetected.

At first light I spotted 6 bucks work their way off the field and into the neighbor’s property where they bed. One of the bucks was a perfectly symmetrical 8 pointer but at 300 yards away, even with binoculars I wasn’t 100% sure if he was in the 110-115” category or more like 125”. An hour after the last deer left the field I climbed down and went home for breakfast to strategize for the evening hunt. The landowner had a trailer sitting in the middle of the field that he used to haul brush. The western edge of the field is about 350 yards in length and is surrounded by an old 4’ wooden horse fence. On the farthest NW corner of the field there’s an opening in the fence because the 3rd beam from the top is broken so that’s where they enter the field.
The trailer was within 75 yards of this opening and I assumed they’d use the same spot in the evening
as they did in the morning. After lunch I took another shower and headed out but not before tossing a
5 gallon bucket in the back of my truck. When I arrived I climbed into the trailer, sat on my bucket and
voilá I had my “blind”. If the deer used the same spot in the evening it would be an “easy” hunt
because the trailer was downwind of the fence crossing. About 125 yards directly downwind of the
trailer is a 2nd spot in the fence where the top beam is broken and the deer use it as well.

Unfortunately there isn’t a tree within bow range of the opening so regardless of wind direction I can’t
hunt it and it’s difficult to hunt with a pop-up blind. About 2 hours before the end of legal shooting light
the first doe enter the field. Because Murphy’s Law kicked in she didn’t enter the field in the opening I
was sitting closest to. Right after the doe jumped the fence three other does followed suit. A few
minutes later the first of several bucks began filtering into the field. After it was all said and done there
was 6 bucks and 4 does in the field feeding directly down wind of me and they did so for 45 minutes
without even once lifting their nose to test the wind! To say I was impressed with the Carbon
Synergy’s ability to contain my scent would be an understatement! One of the bucks that entered the field was the 8 pointer from the morning hunt. He turned out to be about 115” so not a giant but a
really good looking buck, especially for CT. After glassing him for about 30 seconds he jerked his
head to look back at the fence crossing. I focused on the field edge and immediately got excited
because there stood buck #7, an awesome 8 pointer with a much larger body and he carried a rack
that was about 19” wide. This buck was obviously a 4 1/2 yr. old bruiser. It was awesome to watch
him stand on the opposite side of the fence while glassing the field like he was checking traffic before
crossing a road. He effortlessly glided over the 4’ fence and joined the rest of the herd and began to
feed. I was nervous the large group of deer would eventually catch my scent because the wind was
steadily blowing in their direction but the Carbon Synergy did an absolutely amazing job! I was only
wearing my cotton ASAT camouflage and because of the warm weather I chose not to wear any
ScentLok base layers. I did wear my ScentLok face mask but the rest of my hunting gear was simply
thin cotton covered in a thin layer of Carbon Synergy. One small 4 pointer actually bedded downwind
of me within 10 yards for almost 20 minutes. Eventually the bucks began moving to the south so as
soon as the little 4 point joined the group I made the decision to plan my stalk. This would be difficult
because I would have to crawl directly away from the trailer yet keep the trailer between me and the
deer to avoid detection. Once I got to the road I made an approximately 1/4 mile circle to get
downwind of the deer but I had to hurry because I was running out of shooting light. The plan worked
and once I was downwind I started to crawl into bow range. While closing the gap I kept a large brush
pile between me and the lead doe that was feeding out ahead of the 7 bucks. To the right of the brush
pile was the field and to the left were 3 mature white oaks and 2 walnut trees. All of the trees were
dropping nuts like crazy and the deer were heading straight for them. This was perfect because I was
in position to cut them off. Despite my scent control measures I was soaked in sweat from my
approach so I was glad to be downwind of the herd. When the lead doe worked past the brush pile
she almost busted me but after a 5 minute stare down she continued feeding. The 4 1/2 yr. old buck
was the 3rd deer behind the doe and when he got to 47 yards I bleated to stop him before sending my
arrow on its way. After a double lung shot he ran only 90 yards before falling over while in full stride.
It’s obvious that if the herd caught even the slightest bit of my scent while in the trailer, Mr. Big
wouldn’t have made his appearance and I would’ve gone home empty handed. Scent control
certainly helps and in this case Carbon Synergy saved the day. Here is my mug shot with the old
bruin:

 

5) Wear some type of moisture-wicking clothing close to your skin. Clothing that is in contact with
your skin must not absorb moisture but instead keep it away from your skin. This helps keep you cool
but also prevents scent-producing bacteria from forming. I like a polypropylene layer that has silver in
the fabric. Silver has literally thousands of uses but one of the most beneficial from a hunting
standpoint is the ability to kill bacteria which ultimately helps to prevent odor.

6) Use some kind of odor ADsorbing base layer.  I love wearing base layers on top of my moisture- wicking layer and I don’t think it gets much better than ScentLok.  You’ll be hard pressed to find a material better suited for scent contamination than carbon.  It’s not enough to cover human odor, we must do our best to contain it so it doesn’t reach the deer’s nose.

7) Use odor eliminating spray often. Even though I wash all my hunting gear, wear base layers and always shower before walking out the door, I still use odor neutralizing sprays because it’s an added insurance policy. I like Scent Killer but there are many brands out there. Outer spray products work by adhering to human odor, enzymatic action or masking the odors. I use a couple gallons of the stuff each year but you can’t rely solely on these products. I’m convinced sprays help but they cannot totally eliminate all of your body and clothing odor. I think of scent eliminating sprays as just another tool in the tackle box of tricks we have to tip the odds in our favor.

8) Watch the wind!!! If you don’t pay attention to the wind you might as well stay home on the couch. At the end of the season I think back to what I observed while I hunting each stand during the different times of the year in order to help plan my next season. Regardless of whether a particular stand is better for a morning, evening or mid-day hunt I always take into consideration what the wind was doing and how the deer moved through the area with that wind direction. Based on those observations I hang my stands in February through early April during the post season then I’ll stay out of the area until the following fall and only hunt each stand when the wind is right. For example: If there’s a bedding area on the north end of the property and a lone apple tree to the south I like to have a stand between the apple tree and the bedding area but closer to the downwind edge of the bedding area. I then only approach my stand from the south and only when I have the correct N wind.

If I hunt that stand when the wind is out of the south my scent stream is blowing right into the bedding
area which kills my chance of seeing deer that evening. Because every time you hunt a stand you
disturb the area despite even the best scent control measures, it’s important to only hunt when the
conditions are perfect.

9) Don’t overdo it! The temptation is over hunt a stand based on really good activity observed in the
past is overwhelming at times, but one must resist that temptation. Trust me I sometimes give in to
such temptation because I’m not perfect. But…there’s a reason why we tend to have a diminishing
return each time we hunt the same stand. Too much activity in and out of an area eventually causes
that spot to go cold. Deer are very much in tune with their surroundings. Remember they live there
24/7 and we’re just visiting so we must keep our scent footprint to a minimum. If for example
someone broke into your home and didn’t steal anything, but moved your bed 5 feet over to one end
of the room you’d know someone was there. Deer are put on red alert when they come across our
scent. With continued foot traffic we increase the chance of educating the dominant buck in the area.
And once we do that he becomes much more difficult to kill. To rest a spot alone despite good deer
sightings in the recent past takes discipline but that’s what required in order to keep the element of
surprise in your favor. Of course every spot requires a different amount of rest. Some spots can only
be successfully hunted once or twice an entire season while others can be hunted a half dozen times
a year. With experience you’ll learn how much time to rest each spot. When you do this it will keep
your area fresh and increase your chances of harvesting the buck you’re after.

10)Walk slow! Regardless of the time of year I don’t walk to my stand, I stalk. By moving really slow
and pausing often you attract less attention to yourself, avoid overheating, make less noise, and you
might even get a shot on your way to your stand. The most important benefit of taking it slow is it
keeps your body temperature down which reduces sweat production.

11) Carry your outer lays on your pack on the way into your stand. I always carry my outer most
layers in/on backpack to prevent overheating on my way to the stand unless it’s a very short distance.
This is never more important than in the early season when it’s warm outside. Remember less sweat
= less odor!

12)Use terrain to your advantage. I love to hang stands near deep ditches, thick cover and creeks.
Using thick cover en route to your stand allows you to keep a low profile. In the hunt described above
I used the trailer to my advantage by blocking the deer’s view in order to be able to get far enough
away from the deer to pull off the stalk. Then while running across the open field I stayed in the ditch
in order to stay out of sight. Although terrain features help, my favorite way to access a stand is via
waterway. I LOVE using creeks to access my stand locations because it essentially eliminates ground
scent. If you find a creek running through the property always try to set up a stand as close as
possible to the creek, assuming it’s a good area to hunt of course. If you set up with the right wind in
the right spot you can keep your area fresh a lot longer by walking in the water until you reach your
stand. In situations like this you can hunt the same area a lot more often during the season without
educating the deer. I killed a buck I nicknamed “Beamer” by using a creek to access my stand. I first
captured Beamer’s mug shot in early November but didn’t bring him down until Jan. He stuck around
despite the fact that I hunted the area quite often because I accessed the area by staying in creek all
the way in and out of the stand. I also knew where “Beamer” bedded based on observations and
scouting cameras pictures. I left very little scent in the area because I used the creek for access and I
never hunted the stand unless I was both downwind of his bedroom and was able to keep the wind in
my face while walking in. As they say, the devil is in the details!

13)Shave. Body hair traps both sweat and oils which of course retain odor. Every year before the
season starts I shave the hair under my armpits and groin along with the top of my feet then repeat
the whole process about 1/2 way through the season. This is important because these areas produce
a lot of odor and every little bit helps. After showering I also never put on any moisturizing cream or
lotion because they all pretty much have odor plus they will contaminate my hunting clothing and gear.
When the weather turns really cold I’ll use Aubrey’s brand aloe liquid on my face. This product is 98%
organic, it helps keep my skin stay healthy and moist and most importantly has no odor.

14)Make extra effort to reduce your boot odor. Because your feet make contact with the ground you
need to reduce your foot odor as much as possible. I spray down my rubber boots with Scent Killer
but then sprinkle some Carbon Synergy powder or Scent Killer boot powder in each boot. Next I’ll
hang each boot upside down and outside for at least a week prior to the hunt if possible. Ideally one
should have 2 pair of boots to make the rotation easier. I find that it takes awhile for each boot to
breathe after a hunt, especially in the early part of the season. I notice on hunting videos the “pro’s”
often recommend placing your hunting boots in containers after each hunt. I don’t see a problem with
that but you must make sure they’re clean, they don’t have any moisture on either the inside or
outside of the boot and you must always sprinkle in some odor neutralizing powder first. After each
hunt I put my boots in the bed of my truck to air out on the ride home. When I get home I hang them
outside again to air dry. By placing hunting boots into a plastic container which lacks air circulation it
creates the perfect environment for mold which creates odor. I love my boot dryers. Another option is
to hang your boots on the dryer for several hours before either using them or placing in any container.
In my opinion only dry, scent-free boots should be placed into any airtight container.

15)Use unscented antiperspirant. Some people don’t sweat that much while others sweat a lot. Even
though I’m not a heavy sweater I still use antiperspirant during the entire season. I use it on my
armpits, lower back, on the top and bottom of my feet and my neck. I notice the less sugar I eat the
less odor I emit. Eliminating coffee will also help a lot. Another little trick is to take chlorophyll tablets
during the archery season which acts like an interior “deodorant”.
16)Get a haircut. I always cut my hair a little shorter than usual during bow season but especially in the
early part of the season. Because it can get downright hot in the first few weeks of season having
shorter hair keeps you cool which reduces scent.

17)Watch your breath! I always carry an odor neutralizing mouth spray in my pack while hunting and I
make sure to use it a couple times on each hunt. I like the Dead Down Wind brand. I also brush my
teeth with toothpaste containing baking soda which helps. Another option is to rinse your mouth with
plain old baking soda. I like to eat an apple while driving to my hunting spot. Besides being good for
you, apples help to naturally clean your teeth which reduces mouth odor.

18)Cover your head! We lose both a lot of heat and scent from the top of our head. Having said that I
always wear a ScentLok face mask. In the early season I’ll wear just the face mask but when it gets really cold I’ll wear a hat on top of the mask. I spray both my hair, hands, face mask and hat throughout the hunt especially during hot weather which keeps you cool and helps to control odor.

19)Wear ScentLok gloves. If you haven’t heard yet, I love ScentLok. I always use their gloves to help
contain my scent. If you happen to touch branches on the way in and out of your stand without any
gloves you’re committing a cardinal sin. By wearing some type of gloves you’ll have a barrier
between your skin and the branch and the extra insurance policy is worth it. If a deer comes across
your scent even if it’s after dark he’ll start to avoid that area. Deer can pick up scent we’ve left behind
hours after we’ve made it, so always keep that in mind. Remember it’s easier to kill a buck that
doesn’t know he’s being hunted.

Even if you take proper scent control measures there’s no guarantee you’ll fill your tag but it will
certainly help. The buck you’ve been after all season can walk into range from upwind yet hear you make
a noise in your stand, see you move or just change his direction for no apparent reason while you
helplessly watch him walk away but that’s why they call it hunting and not shooting. There might also
come a time when a shooter walks into range with that less than perfect wind and if you still pull off the
shot because he didn’t catch your scent, all the effort you put in will be worth it!