Using Scents and Attractants

Every hunter who has spent some time in the wilderness knows that a successful hunt depends on a number of factors. Most importantly among them is being invisible. A hunter needs to get close to the game to judge the age, hide, and the quality of the trophy. No matter what game animal you are hunting in North America, your ability to stay odor free is the key to a successful hunt. All animals have a highly developed sense of smell. Specialized sensory cells in the nose can detect the presence of prey, potential mate, or predator. Eyesight and hearing abilities may differ, but sense of smell is always well developed as a defensive mechanism. For staying invisible during a hunt, the right combination of attractants and cover scent is imperative.

Animals can smell food, predators, and mates from quiet a distance as they scour the breeze. Thankfully there are products available that almost eliminate the hunters scent and lure animals close to the hunter. Remember that cover scents do not completely eliminate the hunter’s odor, but only reduces or masks it to a level, where the game does not get alarmed.

Animals are wary once they detect human scent, but if you use a good cover scent, it will appear as if you are too far away to pose any danger to them. Four areas where hunters need to focus are odor elimination, scent control, cover scents, and attractants. There are a number of products available to wash your hunting gear and make it scent free, like scent-control soaps are recommended. Top of the line scent-control soaps not only eliminates odor from clothes, but the special inhibitors in soaps continue to eliminate odor from clothes for days. It is recommended that hunters keep their clothes in sealed bags. Before approaching your stand, it is recommended to spray yourself with scent-killing spray.

Scent-free personal hygiene products such as shampoo, body soap, and deodorants are also available. Some people perspire too much. While others who perspire using scent-free deodorants will eliminate body odor if any.  If animals that cross the hunter’s trail detect scent, they will flee. Therefore, even covering scent applied to trail boots is necessary to eliminate the hunter’s trail.

Cover scents are generally environment related such as pine, cedar, or fresh earth. Varmint hunters prefer animal scents, which have the aroma of fox urine, coon urine, or skunk.

Certain smoke scents stimulate the desire to feed in bears and hogs and draw them closer to the hunting stand. Smoke scents such as berries, fruit, dead fish, and spoilt meat are generally used.

Female Elk or cow emits a specific scent, which attracts bulls to mate. Such scents are also available for hunters. These are called attractants. A wide variety of deer attractants are available to attract marauding bulls. The scents available are female urine, male urine (to attract other males for a fight), or attract female in heat (estrus). Attractants come in different forms such as spray, liquids, dust, and smoke sticks.

Techniques and strategies

Use two types of attractants simultaneously. First distribute the doe-in-estrus scent liberally in the area and then cleverly distribute a buck scent in the vicinity. This tricks a larger bull into believing that there is a receptive female and a philandering buck near by.

Cleverly distribute the attractant scrapes in the area. Place a few strips on the trees at a height of five feet, so that the wind carries the scent further. Also drag a strip of scent to your tree stand or blind to create a trail. The best ways to do this is to tie a wet strip of doe-in estrus to a twig and drag it.  Avoid wet areas and densely weeded areas.

Pin solid wafers to your clothing to mask your odor. Solid scent wafers are preferred, as they do not spill or get washed away in rain.

Always use fresh attractants; fresh estrous scents sniffed by bucks which tricks them into believing that a receptive female is around and waiting to be mounted.

It takes some time to get the scent control system right. But, once you do, you are sure to bag your prized trophy.