Contributors to this thread:
I recorded/watched the Conquest Scents infomercial on one of the outdoor channels a few weeks ago. Has anyone tried this product? BTW, I couldn't find the search feature and likely went away some time ago. I used to use scents a long time ago, but went away from them because I don't like walking around too much when going to stand, just to place out scents that may or may not work. I also think some scents can be too concentrated and a bit overpowering and I would see less visits at a scrape with a dripper hanging over it than the ones that didn't.
I have tried and do believe that the ever calm "herd in a stick" works well. I wear rubber boots and put it on the top of the boot/foot portion and some along the sides of the treads. It definitely stops the deer form having such a problem when crossing my walking in ground scent.
I tend not to use it for anything else and I've started to give up on the "doe in heat" or other rut scents. Honestly I don't think that I've ever had a deer react to one of those. The opposite with the evercalm stuff though - they don't react to my scent.
I have used EverCalm on occasion over the past several years, rubbing it on the tree I am in. On those hunts, I don't recall any positive or negative reactions to any deer in the area, as in nothing stands out in memory as to "wow, that works" or "stuff is junk". So, maybe no outstanding reactions/memories of such is a positive? Sorry not much more help.
I have yet to see ANY scent-related product truly work as advertised, including evercalm. Scent eliminating sprays, ozone bags, carbon clothing, nose-jammer, countless doe in estrous scents. I have been bowhunting wily NJ whitetails since 1984. It's not all that difficult to test all these products out on a hunt to hunt basis, we have pretty high deer densities overall. I have tried everything to be scent free - you can't. I have tried these products as well and they just do not work - period. Deer urine products are nothing but snake oil as well.
I just take one of these and tie it to my hat. Works every time.
LOL, reminds me of those scent disks that smelled like dirt. I never got more busted than when I used them.
I'm a firm believer in EverCalm. Typically rub it on my boots when walking in, and put some on trees within range of my treestand. I've had several bucks cross my trail without any reaction, and had 3 or 4 bucks follow my trail to my stand. Have never had a bad reaction to it!
I have noticed the best cover scent by far is other users of the land. When I hunt next to logging operations I don't have to hide my scent as much. I have a friend who suggests I take a chainsaw and run it a bit but if I cut a tree that would be baiting. It is only partially in jest.
“ Deer urine products are nothing but snake oil as well.”
Wait.... I thought they were deer piss???
Kind of funny to have this one come up before the nose jammer thread has even had a chance to die a natural death… Maybe we could get filtered just copy and paste that whole thread over here? Just run a quick find and replace to switch “nose-jammer” to “ever calm”…
I have an actual serious question for Jack…
Since you’ve had the opportunity to observe such a huge number of deer in the suburbs… What have you noticed about their sensitivity to human smells overall? It kind of seems like a deer that has rarely been more than a few hundred yards from the nearest person would have his brain completely numbed… GreenMountain has a point there.... sometimes I wonder if the preferred suburban cover scent would be two cycle fuel or just go with suntan lotion when you’re hunting near a swimming pool.
Of course that pedestal mount you posted would appear to be evidence that not all of them are all THAT stupid!
"I have an actual serious question for Jack… Since you’ve had the opportunity to observe such a huge number of deer in the suburbs… What have you noticed about their sensitivity to human smells overall? It kind of seems like a deer that has rarely been more than a few hundred yards from the nearest person would have his brain completely numbed… GreenMountain has a point there.... sometimes I wonder if the preferred suburban cover scent would be two cycle fuel or just go with suntan lotion when you’re hunting near a swimming pool."
My area isn't really classic "Suburbs" per se - we now have like 8 acre zoning. To me suburbs are more like 1/4 to 1 acre lots. It's extremely rural and lots of hunting pressure. However, the deer absolutely can tell the difference between a landscaper carrying a weed-whacker, and a bowhunter walking with a bow in the woods. The scent of the landscaper, and mower for example may drift into bedding areas and the deer continue to lay. The bowhunter steps one foot into that area with his scent (which is impossible to cover) and all the deer blow out. I am not exaggerating. I think our deer are more hyper-sensitive to human odor than deer that get no human pressure at all. Mixed in with very large home lots, are even larger tracts of public land (WMA's) and many farms with hundreds of acres. All get pounded especially during gun season with the deer drives start. I know when I tried evercalm (bought it twice cuz thought I had a bad batch and also tried nosejammer) seemed like they were even more upset than just plain old jack-stank. Bottom line with these deer and most any whitetails, no gimmick is gonna fool them if they are in your scent line.. PERIOD.
Ever calm is good stuff. I use it on my boots and pant legs, anything that will touch brush. I have watched does cut my tracks and sniff and remain calm and kept walking. I believe what it does is lessen the human scent and tells the deer that scent has been there for awhile so no need to be on alert. I also picked up some VS1 on close out when gander MTN went out of business. Haven't had much luck with it, buddy uses it and loves it. The only way to know is buy some and try it yourself and you'll see the reactions of the deer.
My experience with Evercalm has been much like that of JJJ. I use it on my boots on every hunt as I approach my stand. I've watched deer cross my path many times without spooking. Many of them pause to check it out. Some have followed the trail and come to regret it. Hope you all have a great season.
I have had a doe start to cross down wind and begin to get very nervous. I opened the cover scent and rubbed some on my pant leg and watched the doe calm down immediately. I was in a tree stand and could get away with limited movement. I'm a believer.
I agree with Jack on the deer's ability to discriminate our intents. I can see a lot of deer riding in my farmer friend's hay wagon but if I walked out into the field with a bow or firearm they would be long gone. They seemed to take delight in watching me put hay bails on the wagon. I don't think scent is the issue it is context. They seem to like to watch hikers and mountain bikers as well.
I don't use cover scents but I use deer urine, a lot of it I collect from my own kills or deer buddies have killed. I use it on drag rags and have killed countless bucks following along one of my drags. It is all about timing and when bucks are searching for hit does right before the main breeding phase of the rut, I have had great success. As far as evercalm I have combined it with my drag rags and never had a negative reaction, so I say if it gives you confidence in your set up than use it. Shawn
Count me into the 100% user group... Just as stated above, on my boots for the walk in and then on my tree once I'm in my saddle and hunting. Have had numerous mature does track me right back to my tree with no ill effects, and have had many pass downwind- curiosity peaks- but don't react negatively to it. I use it every hunt and have for 4 years or so.
I have used it in the past with good results. It certainly can not hurt but I can think of one hunt when a group of does staged up down wind of me about 75 yards. They knew something wasn't right. There were about 7-8 does. The two lead does kept pacing back and forth and wouldn't come in. They just stopped and staired my way. They stayed there for about 20 minutes and a couple actually bedded down. At that point I forgot I had some ever calm in my pack. I opened it up and seconds later almost all the deer turned their head and looked my way. They obviously smelled it. Within a couple minutes they were headed my way and a minute or two after that the lead doe was on the ground. I think what happened is they thought they smelled other deer so it made them lose the cautiousness.
Ive used it on my boots like many others and didn't see any negative results. I have had very good results with Fitzgeralds deer dander and have had does and small bucks walk down the same entry I came in on and right to the base of my tree.
If you use nose jammer and evercalm together does one screw up the other one? Just wondering...
If you pretreat them with Ozonics, you’re good to go, Mike;-)
I started 2 mock scrapes back in September utilizing Evercalm on the licking branches I tied up above them.
Just had one of the two get the actual scrape cleaned out, both licking branched were taken over by does, fawns, and bucks within 24 hours.
Love this product!
At this point I will not be adding scent to the scrapes as they are no longer “mocks” but natural community scrapes where I want them... 20 yards downwind!!
You only get out of a product how and what purpose you use it for...
I’m a loyal customer moving forward!
By the way... I don’t easily part with my $$$ but I’ll never bat an eye at the price point...
I'm starting to feel like a buddy of mine when somebody asked him if he's ever touched the Evil Weed, and he said "no, because what if it turned out that I liked it??"
If you use nose jammer and evercalm together does one screw up the other one? Just wondering...
