My feedback on Scent-lok
Connecticut
So this year I have got very detailed on my gear and keeping it clean, proper soap etc. I have now with this protocol and wearing scent-lok gear have been seeing deer on almost every time out. I know there will be skeptics but I am just telling you my findings. Maybe it's just a good year for me but all the details this year in this area has helped a lot. If you are not seeing deer something to think about. I have not been busted yet this year.
can you give details on exactly what you are doing
I've had the same routine for years to control scent, and there are years where I see lots of deer and years where I see far fewer. Is it the scent control? The number of deer in the area? Luck? Wind direction? Hunter pressure? Food source available? Water? Time of year? High pressure? Low pressure? Moon phase? Cold? Heat? Stupid deer? Stupid hunter? You get my point.
I don't own one piece of ScentLok, because in my opinion it's impossible for a piece of clothing to lock in your scent. Every pore on your body secrets odor and that includes your mouth, ears, nose, from under your coat, etc. You could put yourself in a zip lock bag, and deer would still smell you if the wind is right.
Look at this way - you wash your clothes in the same machine as your regular laundry. Do you think that just by using a certain soap that no other scent came in contact with your clothes? No way. There's soap and softener residue all over the interior of the washer. What towel do you use to dry yourself when you take your scent free shower? Where was it stored? Did you walk through the house after the shower where maybe there was the smell of last night's pot roast? Think that's not in your hair?
I agree, do what you can, but it's more about wind direction then anything else in my humble opinion.
Hey, if it works for you and you believe in it and it gives you more confidence, that's all that matters. I do believe it lessens the scent cone in your area and if a deer does get a whiff, maybe they think you're farther away or whatever.
I'll ask you this, if you fart, can you smell it when you have the suit on? ;)
I'm not saying it's the perfect answer. I do believe all the little details add up. At the end of the day it's still hunting so there's no guarantee of success. It might be my new boots, or it might be the new gear, or it might be the shower ritual but at the end of the day I think all the little things add up to make you a little more successful.
Bt made a good point about confidence in your set up.
Answer the fart question!
I just farted without a scent lock and I could.
So that leads me to another question. How exactly does one play the wind when the wind is changing every other minute? Im still relatively new to bowhunting(4th season). I look at the wind in the am and it calls for a S wind but when i get there its a N wind. By the time i get strapped in its a W wind. Serious question though.
Steve7 - sounds like you're hunting in a tornado, suggest you move :)
Seriously, I know there are times where the wind is changeable, so if your stand location is only good for one wind direction then you're screwed, I don't care what kind of scent control you're using. I have one spot like that, need a wind out of the north or northeast for it to work, otherwise I should hunt from my truck. The only thing to take away from my comments is this - wind trumps cover scents every time in my book. If a dog can smell drugs triple wrapped and sitting in the gas tank of a car, what chance do you think you have of fooling a deer if the scent is blowing right into his nose??
I am also a realist. Nothing can't contain my farts
I also stopped using my washing machine. I hand wash everything outside in the bins that I store it in
My point is if I have trail camera set up and I see deer on them all day long. I should see them when I hunt. If the deer aren't showing up when I'm hunting there must be some something at play which is probably be me. It could also be my entry onto the property but anything I can do to swing the cards to my favor I'm willing to make changes
