Content Provided By: Brian Stephens, StickemArchery.com Founder
If you talk to most of the consistently successful big game hunters they will tell you to hunt the wind and control your scent. Big Mature Bucks as we all know can be very difficult to hunt. I am of the school of putting everything in your favor that you can to get a chance.
Like many of you I spend a great deal of time, money and effort to improve my hunting properties each year. Take the additional steps to manage your scent by hunting around the wind and using the most effective Hunting Scent Elimination Products you can. I will typically use some type of scent control clothing whether it is a full suit or base layers under a jacket and pants. This can be an effective way to control your scent but there are some additional things I do as well….
Beyond using a Carbon or Scent Controlling Clothing here are some other steps in the scent elimination process to consider:
1. Shower to eliminate as much of your body odor and bacteria as possible. In recent years, a number of companies have created soaps to help neutralize body odor, and some products eliminate bacteria and slow their return.
2. Next is wait to get dressed until you get into the woods if at all possible
3. Once you are dressed use a field spray to eliminate any remaining odors that you may have picked up from your vehicle.
4. A trick that I have learned over the years is having field wipes with me to wipe away any sweat once I get into the stand if it is during the early season. This can be very useful when we hunt in the Southeast during August and September. This tactic can also be helpful if you are bowhunting the backcountry and cannot shower daily.
5. I will typically use a spray once I am in the stand and ready to hunt.
Below is a borrowed diagram that highlights some of the areas of the human body that have higher concentrations of bacteria resulting in high concentrations of odor. It should not seem to surprising that areas such as arm pits and feet have high concentrations of odor. One area that is often over looked is your head and face/mouth. I have to admit that I have taken this part of scent elimination for granted.
Scent-Killing Sprays
Many sprays eliminate bacteria and odors found on skin and on the outside of garments. I will spray down my suit/clothing and boots before heading to the treestand or blind. If you don’t wear a carbon suit, spraying your clothes with a scent eliminator will help keep your odor to a minimum.
Carrying a bottle of scent eliminator and spraying down periodically as you hunt helps keep odor levels low. Spraying the inside of boots is a good practice based on the level of odor that can be produced. Feet can sweat a lot on the way to and from a treestand. Wearing rubber boots is the easiest way to eliminate odor. Insulated rubber boots keep you warm and scent-free.
The last thing you want to do is leave human odor on your boots so deer heading down the trail a few hours later can smell it. Studies have shown that human odor can linger for days after you leave the woods, so make sure your feet and boots are odor-free before you leave the truck! Your head and mouth give off more odor than any other part of the body. By leaving your hood behind, you are gambling with your hunt.
Now let’s talk about Lethal Scent Elimination Products
If you have watched any of the hunting shows you see a number of commercials for a variety of Scent Elimination Products. So, which one do you chose? I am not sure there is a silver bullet out there but I have used most all of these products and have found Lethal to be one of the most effective. One of the reasons I why I started to use Lethal is because of the company behind the product. The parent company OdoBan has over 30 years of experience in creating products to eliminate a variety of odors.
"LETHAL is “Powered by OdoBan”; the same OdoBan® with 30 years of manufacturing experience. We are the Odor Eliminating Experts! In fact, we are so good at eliminating odors; we know how to make you disappear. We have a lab full of chemists and microbiologists on staff that allows us to tweak and improve our products on a real time basis. We outperform the competition because we have the experience, scientific knowledge and expertise."
FIELD SPRAY & ACTIVATOR
Lethal™ Human Scent Eliminator Field Spray & Activator, created by chemists and field tested by professionals, contains the latest in human scent elimination technology. Lethal™ Field Spray & Activator has a separate concentrated activator that charges the product with odor eliminating bonding agents. A permanent binding effect takes place. This is not always the case with other scent eliminators.
Also because you activate this product yourself you know that you are getting the freshest product possible. This product lasts 90 days after activation.
4x ULTRA LAUNDRY DETERGENT
When hunting deer and other big game, eliminating the human scent is crucial to your success. Lethal™ Human Scent Eliminator Laundry Detergent works as part of the Lethal™ system. It contains 24 loads of the latest in human odor elimination technology. Our high efficiency, low foaming formula cleans dirt and removes human odors from hunting clothes.
• Unscented
• Non-Allergenic
• No UV Brightener
• For Standard and High Efficiency Washers
• Cleans & Eliminates Odors
• 24 Loads of Single Use Pouches
• Great for Travel
SHAMPOO & BODY WASH
Don’t let your shampoo or body wash give you away. Lethal™ Human Scent Eliminator Shampoo & Body Wash works as a two-part system that first cleanses hair and skin removing body odors from human fats, salts, lactic acid, butyric acid and amines. Then second rinses free and clear leaving behind no residue or fragrance. It’s ultra concentrated so a little bit goes a long way. Each box contains 18 single use pouches of shampoo & body wash.
• Unscented
• Sulfate Free - Gentle on Skin
• pH Balanced
• Contains No Triclosan
• 18 Single Use Pouches
• Great for Travel
