Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters hunting clothing that "glows in the dark" to deer eyes?

Even baking soda ain't all that, deer you can seem to fool sometimes. Generally bucks much easier than does.

But the ultimate test to no odor is downwind wild pigs...

I"ve only ONCE seen a group go downwind and not smell me... this in teh days of doing all the extra work. IMHO the wind current was carrying up and over them... hence they came and I got a shot anyway.

I made what we call a sweat box down here to bowhunt out of. Plywood, all seams caulked shut. Doors and only 3 small windows to shoot through, weatherstripped. Don't open window until ready to shoot.

Even bought some of that charcoal scent block crap... can go sit in that and on a norht wind, if they go dowwind of the box, they often still smell me somehow.

So I simply don't hunt on norht wind or only then if its raining and really no wind to speak of.

NOTHING makes a hill of beans difference to deer other than movement and smell. Wear what you want, be still, and hunt the wind. Anythhing else that you get away with was pure luck mostly.

Deer are what's known as "protanopic." They have attenuated receptivity to the red part of the spectrum.

There's a link here that will show y'all what deer see:

What do Deer really see?

You can upload a photo and see what the deer sees.

Reds are muted. Hunter Orange looks about the same to a deer as freshly turned maple leaves.

Regarding scent control, you may find this hilarious, but I will put it out there anyway. In fact, I may apply for a Federal grant to study the concept.

Become a White pine tree, that is, smell like one.

I built my cabin in 1997 out of White pine. Wall logs, floor and ceiling. Initially I noticed the strong scent of pine, but became used to it, however visitors notice it immediately when they walk in the door. When people ride in my truck they want to know where is that smell coming from.

First I noticed a difference in coyote reaction. Some would circle downwind of my setup before I could get a shot, but would continue upwind into my setup. Since then I have noticed an increase in close encounters with deer.

If I took all this observation more seriously I would build a cabinet out of rough sawn White pine boards to store hunting clothing and boots.

Ok, you can quit laughing now.

I'm all ears for a method to end the scent on our breath. The rest of the scent proof technology is wasted effort til you can solve the problem of breakfast down the pipes before you hit the woods.

You bring up a good point: Cover Scents.

I have no doubt that the white pine is getting into everything, and I have no doubt it is being picked up by the game.

My question is this having a positive effect in all cases?

In some cases, having a distinct scent that masks your body scent might be preferable. However, it is also something that can be associated with you or with a lack of positive outcomes. That is, the animal keeps being attracted to the pine scent, but there is nothing good to eat when they get there.

The reason I promote the Baking Soda regimen is that it tries to attenuate my scent. I stink less, and so when a deer does pick me up, he's not thinking about a human at close range. He's thinking of a human much farther away. My goal is to try and just be part of the landscape.

I don't know if cover scents are good or bad overall, but I do know minimizing my stink is probably a good thing to do. I know I get busted more when I've got a 3 day stink on then when I'm only a few hours away from my last shower. No amount of skunk urine or cedar boughs or oak leaves is going to change that.

Speaking of scent and wind. In about an hour from now I'm going to leave work early and go bow hunting (crossbow that is). The freaking wind is blowing 25 to 30 with higher gusts out of the West.

This won't help my cause. However, I'll pretty much know where it's coming from and shot'em before they reach that point if I can. Even the slightest breeze will carry it, so it's not a whole killer. I washed everything last night and it's in a Tink's carbon bag. But if they get downwind, they'll smell me.

My wife says that about me.

If you use a cover scent, instead of smelling like a human, you'll smell like a human with fox pee on him.

EXACTAMUNDO!


But Bubba spends millions each year trying not to smell like Bubba.

Yeah, I hunt into the wind and it seems to take care of the problem. I stick to man scent and don't hunt in a direction that puts the wind on the back of my neck. Seems to be working pretty good so far.

Scent and movement are indeed the key. Been deer hunting over 40 years now and 90% of that was at ground level on the windward side of a huge hillside. Even a light breeze coming across the valley will sometimes swirl around on the hillside, and suddenly the wind's not in your favor anymore. And if they see you move it's GAME OVER.

Lots of deer find that to be an interesting smell though. It's new, and they're curious. I've had them follow me through the woods often when using fox pee on my boots.

Movement is key even for dogs which are certainly smarter than deer. I have a rat terrier that loves to bark at yard bunnies on the other side of her fence. If I see a rabbit in the yard through the glass door to the deck I'll alert Lil and she'll dash out to the end of the deck searching. If the rabbit doesn't move she won't see it. More than once rabbits have made it across the yard without being spotted by making a series of short dashes when they see she's looking in another direction.

Scent definitely key for deer too. Was sitting part way up a mountain in upstate NY on a calm day. Spotted a big doe way below me, could barely see her for the trees (I spotted her movement). She stopped her walk and put her nose next to the ground. She snorted a couple times and zip, gone. Couldn't have been very much scent at all drifting all the way down to where she "found" me. (I was in sculpture mode of course.)

Other than that, deer have acted like, "What the hell is that new thing?" curious no matter what I was wearing.

Or the process of Methane elimination out the back. I tend to eat a lot of spicy food and it does make a difference!!!!

Over the years I have found something that has worked really well for me in the scent department. Before I tell you what it is, I will say that this year alone, I had 11 deer directly down wind from me from 10-60 yards in light to moderate breezes. This happens every year to me and rarely do I get winded. Maybe once per 30-40 deer? This year one of the does lifted her nose as if she was smelling me and I thought, oops, I am busted. She then proceeded to nibble on a few thing and lay down right downwind of me about 30 yards. a buck spent 6 hours not quite directly downwind of me but certainly within the cone at 40 yards. I am only up about 16-18 feet.

Here is my method. I shower with one of the hunting soaps and shampoos. Then, all outerwear is stored in a big duffle with bunch of oak leaves. Next I have a face covering. This greatly reduces the breath issue. Lastly I breath out of my nose. Frankly, I am amazed every time it works. Here comes a deer and I figure I am busted and they dont alert and it blows my mind. This only works 1 day though. If i forget to put everything in the duffle with leaves, I am toasts. YMMV.

"and do not feel handicapped. I've shot deer in brown Carharts.

(and how the deer got into those clothes I'll never know!)"

Captain Spalding? Have you tried hunting elephants in Alabama? I hear the "Tuscaloosa" there!!!


Time for a strange interlude. Sorry I just couldn't resist!!!

The last time that gag was pulled...

Lassparri: "They threw an apple at me!"
Groucho: "Well, watermelons are out of season."

(A Night at the Opera)