I used to smoke my hunting clothes quite frequently but due to my hectic schedule this year it was hard for me to find the time. So, like the most of us I went with the spays scent eliminators. etc., etc., and etc.. And wow, did I ever see a difference. Game was over if deer got down wind from me every time. But when I smoked my clothes the deer being down wind from me wasn't a issue. I use a "bee smoker" to smoke my clothes with a mixture or hickory chips, leaves that I gather around the yard here and and a small shovel full of ambers from my wood stove or I burn a pile of leaves with my clothes directly down wind. It never fails. I even smoke myself with my Bee Smoker right before I hop in my side by side or on the four wheeler. Mind you I still get a shower every time before hunting but firmly believe all the scent eliminator sprays in the world can't compare to smoke with its carbon and cover scent.
I was just wondering how many here take the time to smoke their clothes? And their methods of smoking their clothes and equipment? For me its's a simple bee smoker that I picked up at a farm store a few years back.
Merry Christmas my friends and God Bless,
John G., aka, Zwickey Fever
When out camping and hunting I do, but in town it is tough. Washing clothes in baking soda works well.
:coffee: :campfire: :archer2:
I have a buddy in Pennsylvania that started smoking his hunting clothes with similar results, deer directly down wind paid no attention to him, or the trail he walked in on. He uses a bee smoker also, he got an old locker from his work that is big enough for his clothes back pack and boots, he fires up the smoker, puts stuff in the locker, and sets the bee smoker in the bottom and leaves it for an hour or so, and re smokes as needed, usually after a morning hunt while waiting for the evening hunt. I've been using a campfire and putting my clothes down wind and had good luck.
Jason
Besides smelling like a smoked ham you cant beat it. Beats all the money that I spent on sprays over the years. My dad, who still hunts by the way, has been doing it for as long as I can remember.
I know smoking the clothes work but I got to wonder why? Don't critters relate smoke to fire? Or are they used to the smell from all the air pollution?
Quote from: Wudstix on December 24, 2020, 09:28:48 AM
When out camping and hunting I do, but in town it is tough. Washing clothes in baking soda works well.
:coffee: :campfire: :archer2:
Baking soda fades clothes
Quote from: M60gunner on December 24, 2020, 03:21:51 PM
I know smoking the clothes work but I got to wonder why? Don't critters relate smoke to fire? Or are they used to the smell from all the air pollution?
Guys this isn't scientific data but I think it's an association thing. Imagine if every time they smelled hickory chips they got a negative reaction like somebody wounding them. Wouldn't take long for many to associate the smoke w danger.
Association or lack thereof is the key. Even covering scent you're still breathing. How many of ya all haven't gone fishing early morning and smelled your partners morning breath? Biologists say deer can smell dead skin cells fall off your body. While something not associated negatively couldn't hurt it's not a far cry til it does.Hunt the wind.
Imagine turkey season. No way no how a turkey sound could alert them. Why after all the pre season scouting, calling, hunting dont the birds just respond positively to every yelp? Why do they change their pattern so to speak? Cause they've associated calling, banging car doors, cars stopping on a road with someone shooting at them. At least some do and they're more prone to make you show yourself or run away. Association guys imo
Quote from: Bowguy67 on December 25, 2020, 09:49:33 AM
Quote from: Wudstix on December 24, 2020, 09:28:48 AM
When out camping and hunting I do, but in town it is tough. Washing clothes in baking soda works well.
:coffee: :campfire: :archer2:
Baking soda fades clothes
Actually it has been shown not to fade any colors and alot of people use baking soda and peroxide and water as a homemade scent killer and it works as well as the stuff you buy but smoke works way better!!
I guess my clothes weren't in that study. Peroxide just as bad. Here's a test. I've never done it so perhaps your correct. Take an old shirt piece. Cut it in half. Wash it a few times in baking soda. Compare it to other piece. If it doesn't change great, I bet it does. Since I stopped it my clothes last way longer imo
Was just reading up on it. Says it won't. I find that hard to believe but unless I test it I won't for sure have more than an opinion. Interesting
Out here in southern Iowa we do a lot of clear burning early in the spring. Fire/smoke is as natural as the wind in my opinion. I haven't had to many bad reactions. I've actually had more negative reactions using sprays and baking soda. Deer can associate danger with a certain area let alone a certain scent carrying through the air. Example, if I take several deer from one stand, the deer get educated and stay away, especially the mature deer.
I started using a bee smoker this year in conjunction with a pretty strict odor reduction regimen. I smoke my clothes and gear as I dress before the hunt. Im also exposing myself to the smoke at the same time. My tesults have been impressive, but I have to say that I was already doing pretty well in not being odor busted even before the smoke.
I know that smoke does inhibit the growth of bacteria. Its one of the reasons why smoke preserves meat...it slows bacteria from forming.
How much smoke is a cover scent or an odor inhibitor I really cant say, but it does help reduce odor busts.
I still hunt the wind as best as I can but on small properties, in hilly terrain, the wind can be a crap shoot and it will for sure screw me eventually.
And my residual odor busts are now just about zero. Deer show no reaction when the cut my trail.
Smoke doesn't bother them and neither does fire. When I started hunting if you got cold you built a small fire to get warm and it didn't bother the deer but it would really mess you up when you were fiddlin with that fire and looked up to see a deer watching you As long as you keep on with the fire you are ok but when you reach for that gun they are gone.
Well, I'm now 71, and I stopped trying to fool a deers nose back when I was about 35 or 40. What a waste of time and money back then. I focus solely on wind direction (milkweed pods are your friends), and the deer are still dying, more so than they ever did with scents and washes. Your results may vary. :deadhorse:
BAK I agree. If they get down wind you are busted, but watch that milkweed fluff because that wind isn't always going where you think it is.
Here in good ole southern Indiana the wind can be extremely fickle. I've never found that spot with a perfect wind, wish I could! But I will say, I've had better luck with natural sent cover than I ever have with commercial stuff. Kinda like bass fishing, if you have confidence in something, use it!
(UP-DATE)-Yesterday evening I managed to get on stand. Light winds out of the north-east. Settled in for a few hour sit, until dark in timber. About an hour into my sit I had a mature doe come down along with 2 fawns. She circled up above me slightly until she cut my wind and my trail where I came in. Wind blowing from me directly to her and nothing. She had no reaction, she didn't act hinky in any way or form. About a hour later 8 more does took the first does path and not one reaction. About 10 minutes later a really nice buck came in just out of range cutting my wind and trail without reaction or getting hinky. He looked to be a 3 year old buck and I would have definitely took a shot at him if I was given the opportunity.
Mind you I do hunt the wind to the best of my ability but as everyone knows, wind swirls and deer are wild animals and dont always follow the script. As for smoking my clothes, Im convinced it truly works.
It may work but it clogs my sinuses big time. I do well with a scent control system. But it's definitely not 100%.
However the folks who can hunt the wind have it good. Here in Texas the deer and pigs go where they want. Every stand we have is surrounded by trails. They might take this one, they might take that. Heck the animals may split and some take each trail.
Also your elevation in a stand has a lot to do with how your scent drifts. As does humidity and barometric pressure. So sometimes when we think a deer is directly down wind and should smell us, nature does us a solid and keeps our scent drift up above them.
Of course other times it causes an eddy and swirl even if we thought the wind was right and then we get busted.🙄
I have regular success having deer not spook. Pigs however you aren't fooling them very often. Sometimes in a big group of young ones you can get by if you've done your part. But mature pigs make mature doe look like morons.
Either way having the wind in your favor when an animal gets close is definitely the best option.
I agree with BAK and degabe. You can't really fool a deer's nose. Still, I often employ all sorts of scent covers for fun. Few have given me any confidence that I was better off than simply hunting the wind.
I remember back in the 60's that my uncle use to put his clothes at the back end of his car's tailpipe while he ran the car for 10 minutes or so to de-scent them. Of course the cars had no smog controls on them back then. I can't vouch for whether it worked or not.
I met and hunted with a group from coastal South Carolina. They bowhunt the swamps in mid september. These swamps have continually swirling winds, and hyper alert deer. Before every hunt they build a big fire and smoke their cloths, even when the temp is nearly 90 degrees. They hunt a week together every year and really clean up on deer. It appeared to me that bowhunting there is impossible without smoking your body and cloths.
I'd try smoke. Never have... I do focus on the wind hard though. The day I gave up all that scent crap was the day I felt free. Hunt the wind, kill bigger deer not messin with all that. That's my experience. But smoke seems reasonable, but I just like clean and careful at this point. I'd like to see how they react, or don't...
Quote from: Overspined on January 01, 2021, 09:34:10 PM
I'd try smoke. Never have... I do focus on the wind hard though. The day I gave up all that scent crap was the day I felt free. Hunt the wind, kill bigger deer not messin with all that. That's my experience. But smoke seems reasonable, but I just like clean and careful at this point. I'd like to see how they react, or don't...
I still shower and wash the majority of my hunting clothes in no scent laundry detergent. I dust down my socks, underwear, thermals in baking soda but the outer layers, boots, hat. and pack I smoke with a bee smoker. Itry to smoke myself just prior of hitting the woods but it doesnt always happens. So far, so good as when deer circle down wid.
Smoke kills bacteria just like it does on meat and fish. As soon as you finish showing bacteria starts to form.
It worked for the indians.
They used smoke huts and sat in the huts before hunts so long A fine ash would cover their bodies ( and their lungs)
In one of the Saxton Pope books on Ishi the native indian they befriended it documents this technique.
Personally, i think it works to a degree, but cant stand being in smelling like an ashtray all day.
I tried it for a couple of seasons. Didn't notice any difference at all. Any deer downwind of me would snort & pronk away just the same.
I have noticed a difference in early vs late season, though. Early season has me in short sleeves for most of the day whereas the late season has me in a coat most of the day and barely any skin showing in the early/late hours. Seems that they can smell me a little further out in those warmer days. Then again, maybe it's just me stinking & sweating more in those warmer days...
Over the years I have not noticed any fading from baking soda that can't be attributed to normal wear and tear. Smoke works, but swirling breeze has saved more deer in Texas and elsewhere I'm sure.
GCook; you are indeed correct Sir, about mature hogs ability to make deer look foolish. Ground hunting mature hogs is for sure PhD level stuff. Don't think I have ever had a hog down wind of me that didn't leave in a hurry. Been at it in Texas since '98 and have 82 pigs to account for my efforts. All but two from the ground spot-n-stalk. Really a blast and frustrating in one.
:coffee: :campfire: :archer2: