My Scent Control Thread Ozone, Carbon, Smoker, or ???

WTNUT

5 year old buck +
I have been bowhunting for 40 years (since 13). I started with washing cloths, packing in containers with leaves, dirt etch to apply a cover scent in the 80s. Then other cover scents similar to Vannella (Cover Up - in white bottle ) came about. I think this worked fairly well, but I was not hunting the age structure I am after now, and to be candid I don’t think deer were as tuned into bowhunting back then. A tree stand 10 feet off the ground was plenty high and you never were seen by a deer. Try that now.

The early 90s brought the first green Scent Lok liner. For the next 27 or so years I was a diehard Scent Lok fan and still am a fan. I believe it works. I kept my clothing clean, clean, clean and wore two to three layers of Scent Lok. I will not say I never got busted, because I did. But, I believe it helped a lot and worked far better than anything previously available.

Scent Lok is harder to find these days and last year with most of my Scent Lok probably well past replacement time, I started the transition albeit a slow one to going away from it. This was in part to getting use the the total comfort of Sitka Fanatic series (love hunting in this stuff).

Currently, I have been out in the stand 3-4 times so far this year without Scent Lok and going through a routine of getting my clothing super super clean and trying to stay as clean as I can. Yes, I take all the normal steps you can think of cleaning myself and my clothing. However, I have been busted by does every single time.

I went to Cabelas yesterday and purchased a set of AMP baseslayers. Why, I now it will at least help based on experience.

I intended to purchase an Ozonics machine that goes in the tree with you, and maybe a unit to clean hunting gear. They didn’t have the unit that goes in the tree and I talked myself out of the units to clean my cloths. My thought process is that I really believe the scent is not from my cloths. I think they are fine. My body - top to bottom - is highly likely to be the scent generator. Therefore, the only Ozonics I think might be worth the money is one of the three units that goes in the tree with you the Orion being the latest greatest, etc. etc.

Finally, I have had a few friends that use bee smokers to smoke their cloths each time they go out. 3 out of 4 of those friends swear by it and have been doing it for years with success. I am not there yet.

So tell me, with regards to the Ozone machines, which do you think works best and why. Do you still use Scent Lok or have you also tried to move on (understanding that as of 6 AM tomorrow I will be back in the Scent Lok boat when I climb in the stand)? And, have you ever tried the bee smoker route or another unique approach. I need to get this sorted out fast. I have some really nice bucks this year.


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Moved past Scentblocker long ago.

I have a Scentcrusher bag (ozone) that seems to be great at eliminating odors.

I often stand in the smoke of our burn barrel. It's a scent they are used to on my place as I live on my hunting property.

I believe ozone treatment of the clothing WITH a smoke works well. With that said i go to great lengths to hunt as far from deer as I can and to never walk in their territory. I burned out a lot of stands when I was younger. Less intrusive is best for me.

I don't have a ozone generator for the stand, just clothing.

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I’ve had bad experiences with smokers. Scent lock too.
Since we started treating our clothes with ozone things got better and I’m a believer. An ozonics machine is a pain and doesn’t generate much ozone. $100 bucks on Amazon will get you a good generator to treat your clothes in a room. Just don’t breathe it in.

Playing the wind is still a must.
 
I usually wear my green Scent Lok liner that I bought probably over 20 years ago. I don't think it has any effectiveness any longer. It may? I just like the layers and am too cheap to buy anything modern. I've been cutting large heartwood pieces of cedar and keeping them in my clothing tubs the past few years. Smells strong and smells like our property. I use a ton of red fox pee. I saw Winke wear some bootie scent control items when walking into certain stands in recent years... always meant to learn what those were and incorporate them into certain stands I go into.
 
I became a believer in an ozone bag this past week. My son in law was bear hunting near me and he keeps all his clothes in an ozone bag until he gets out of the truck. Here are a couple screen shots from a video He took. He actually petted this bear twice. It wasnt until the bear smelled his hand that he bolted
 

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What few tests that I've seen showed that none of products, including ozone worked when dogs were assigned to find people. The big thing that hurt the dogs is when the air was really dry, which makes sense.
 
I went a different direction a few years back. And honestly feel it has helped in my progression as a hunter more han anything else.

I just flat out stopped trying to get scent free.

Started hunting when scent elimination and the products were just starting to really become the next big thing.

I washed the clothes, put em in totes, hung them outside. Brushed the teeth, used the sprays, cover scents and ozone including the tree units. Only changed into hunting clothes in the field, those sub 10 degree mornings were quite brisk standing there catching the breeze. Even bought an industrial ozone unit for cleaning hotel rooms. Showered before every hunt. When I would stay with grandma during the rut to hunt the farm she thought I was half crazy for the stuff I did.

Got to the point I resented the process so much I hunted less.

Then one morning I overslept and just grabbed my stuff and flew out the door.
- Killed my biggest buck to date that morning.

Next year was just sick of the process so stopped it all and just went.

Really hit home when I started heading west.

But I would say that out of all of it, felt the ozone generator at home helped the most.

My biggest issue with ozone, was it turned into a trigger for my asthma. And everytime I would run the unit it would set off an attack.
Ran an ozonics once in an enclosed blind with 1 window open. Thought the dam thing was gunna kill me. Sold it last year for half of what I paid.

But, in hindsight I haven't killed a booner yet either so maybe I'm just a poor deer hunter, ha.
 
My scent control regime is OCD at best. Shower each time. No scented laundry detergent ever or dryer sheets. My wife hates me. Lol. I also don't touch things with bare hands, always gloves and into the ozone cabinet or bag. I'm a firm believer in ozone when coupled with a good pre-hunt routine. I also use an Ozonics in the stand religiously. I will say, with all this, I haven't been busted by deer smelling me for years now. Maybe it's luck but, I've had a lot of deer downwind and mature deer at that. I rarely even worry about wind direction anymore. It's changed how I hunt
 
IMO it's the practice of being scent conscious that is effective not the products associated with scent elimination. Those who use these scent eliminating products are way more scent conscious than the average hunter and that is why they get the perception that it's the products doing the job when in reality it's the careful and prepared hunter that deserves the credit. It's the placebo effect.

With that being said I use campfire smoke and non estrous doe pee :emoji_sunglasses:.
 
FWIW, if you are breathing that ozone in while in the stand, that stuff ain't healthy.
 
Deer hunting is just like golf ... every guy thinks that new equipment will improve their game.

I like the concept of the ozone bag, may look into it. I have had great success with Rubbermaid tubes, and putting white & red cedar branches in. Wash the hunting clothes in no scent detergent. I have a no scent bag for in the back of my Kawi Mule to throw cloths in and put on when I start my trail to the stand.

I have some scent lok, scent XYZ, etc. clothing also.

I keep cedar/earth scent disks in my bow case, and all of my equipment is in a tube with cedar limbs also.

I also shower & brush my teeth every time time before I go out to hunt a stand. I have separate towels, underwear, socks, etc. that are washed in Tide Cheer just for hunting.

When I come in, I will hang my cloths outside to air them out before putting them in the tube.

If you feel that ozonics is the answer, then I am sure they will accept your money. I am just not sure how it will make that much of a difference over the above? The human body will give off sent eventually and you cannot eliminate that.

I think a A big area of focus is ... sound/movement & the wind.

I think many people burn out stands by using them too often, checking their cameras out there too often, bumping deer on their out, and hunting them in bad winds.

Regarding sound/movement, a deer's ears are amazing sound receptors. Any sound or movement on the way to the stand, getting into the stand, sitting in the stand can bounce a deer. Mature bucks often stage in transitional cover and will watch/listen to an area before entering.

I have 2 buddies who are amazing hunters. Between the 2 of them they probably have 5-6 bucks each in the 150" to 185" range and 1/2 have been with the bow. Yes they use scent control clothing, store their stuff in tubs with tree branches; however, what they won't do is hunt a stand in an area they have scouted a good buck in with the wrong wind.

Learn to hunt the wind and you will be amazed at how well your scent free cloths/ozonics work :emoji_wink:
 
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I used to worry about that stuff, making sure I showered right before, using scent blocker sprays and detergent. Then I'd go use my climber or carry in my ladder stand, and would be sweating bullets. One of the down sides of having to hunt public land. But then I'd still kill a deer after sweating my ass off. Unless they came in from downwind.

Now all I worry about is the wind. Saves time, money, and is lots more convenient.
 
If you feel that ozonics is the answer, then I am sure they will accept your money. I am just not sure how it will make that much of a difference over the above? The human body will give off sent eventually and you cannot eliminate that.

no not ozonics. A $75 ozone generator off Amazon. Generates a billion times more ozone that a dinky ozonics machine. (Severe exaggeration but lots more for sure)

agree with everything else. If the wind and even temp isn’t right I’m not going. I rarely hunt mornings because most of my access is through fields. I’m not bumping a deer in the dark that might be back “clueless” in the afternoon.

My rituals and rules are borderline nuts!
 
Everyone always thinks product X works because they swear they had a deer downwind and they didn’t get busted. I’d say without a visual source you really have no clue what the wind is doing. Thermals, terrain, scent dispersion, and many other factors come in to play with wind. Then you factors in hunter habits, where they have been, how they store their clothes what they eat and you can run into additional factors.

I hate to tell you but you can not eliminate your scent profile. Maybe and a huge maybe you can reduce it but you will never eliminate it. I haven’t fallen for the marketing ploys yet. If you hunt the same stand 3 days in a row of course there is going to be a scent signature there. I’d be curious why the OP was busted. Did the deer come from behind you? Did they catch movement and move to an advantageous location? Was it marginal wind? Was your entry into the stand a place deer travel near? Did you walk thru vegetation? They very well may have seen you before you saw them. Once they see you in the tree of course they are going to investigate.

How many hunters have went out to a stand and had the wrong wind? Did you get down and move? Abandon your hunt? I do that immediately if I notice the wind isn’t doing what I need it to do for that set up. I also have methods that I continually use to monitor the wind from my tree.

I think hunters get busted most times because of hunter error. Access to stands are wrong. They get caught moving from deer they didn’t know were there and the deer get to a down wind area. I also think a lack of concealment plays a part. Solid green blobs in trees don’t look natural. Stands that stick out year after year in the same tree also are an issue. How many hunters take the time to brush in their stands? Who cuts shooting later too close to the season or are ultra aggressive when cutting shooting lanes? If someone came into your house and moved your kitchen table into your bedroom would you notice? When you did notice what would be your reaction?

Here is another thought. Let’s say stand X is great for a SW wind but only marginal for a SE wind . You plan to hunt the stand in the evening. The weather app tells you that you are going to have SW winds up until dark but the wind after dark will switch to SE. The wind isn’t going to be constant SW until dark then swap to SE winds. Throughout your entire hunt there will winds that also blow SE plus thermals will be dragging your scent down and to the SE.

I don’t shower as a rule to hunt. I do shower in the morning when I wake up but that’s just my routine. I don’t shower before PM hunts.

When I first started hunting my property I was busted a lot. Wrong stand, wrong access, bad stand choices. Hunting morning stands in the evening and vice versa. I can’t tell you the last time I was busted. It’s been a solid 4 years. I took a very serious approach to stand access and keeping pressure very low. Do you exit in areas where deer visit after hours? That’s as good as getting winded. I know most of you have watched a doe group walk past your stand and then hours later watch a buck follow their exact path. Pretty good nose eh?

I do store my clothes in a bin in the utility room to keep them separate from the house smells but I have also taken a nap in my base layers and went on an evening hunt to see plenty of deer without issue. I rarely wash my exterior hunting clothes in season and when I do it’s with normal in unscented detergent. I contest that any deer that gets downwind and catches your scent is going to bust you. Some deer may just not care but a mature deer or an old flathead and it’s game over for you regardless of what magic bullet is in your routine. If these products actually worked I think we would have a shortage of deer.
 
I have a metal locker i keep all my gear in. Pipe ozone in. Boots, bow, clothes, binos, etc. It definitely helps.
 
Some deer may just not care but a mature deer or an old flathead and it’s game over for you regardless of what magic bullet is in your routine. If these products actually worked I think we would have a shortage of deer.

agreed. And like I said I’m a nut! but I’m using ozoned clothes as I shed more smell. There is no silver bullet. They either know your there, or guaranteed they know you were! (That’s where I think we fail.). Get on and off stand without being busted is a 4 hour thing. Being caught, is a 36 hour thing.

I’ve found mature bucks are actually less bothered by my scent than a flat head is. I hate old does!!!
 
Some great thoughts and ideas in this thread...some very diverse approaches to scent control. I do not think you can eliminate scent, but I do think you can lower your scent load. For me it comes down to:
  1. keep all clothes and gear in an open air timber frame shed before and after every hunt
  2. shower, brush teeth, clean ears, blow nose before each hunt
  3. I do use Scent Killer on my boots and clothes? Not sure if it works? Gives me peace of mind...
  4. I bring 2 apples on every hunt...one I eat in the stand, and one I smash and grind into the bark of the tree once in my stand to cover my scent
  5. before climbing into the stand I grab a handful of leaves, moss, etc. and rub it into my pant legs
  6. I brush in and drop trees down wind of all my stands to make it difficult for deer to get behind me
  7. and I NEVER hunt a stand in a bad wind...I think this is the most important.
 
I’ve had bad experiences with smokers. Scent lock too.
Since we started treating our clothes with ozone things got better and I’m a believer. An ozonics machine is a pain and doesn’t generate much ozone. $100 bucks on Amazon will get you a good generator to treat your clothes in a room. Just don’t breathe it in.

Playing the wind is still a must.

Yes, if i get one for cloths it will be one from Amazon that is unrelated to any hunting company. Saves a ton.


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I went a different direction a few years back. And honestly feel it has helped in my progression as a hunter more han anything else.

I just flat out stopped trying to get scent free.

Started hunting when scent elimination and the products were just starting to really become the next big thing.

I washed the clothes, put em in totes, hung them outside. Brushed the teeth, used the sprays, cover scents and ozone including the tree units. Only changed into hunting clothes in the field, those sub 10 degree mornings were quite brisk standing there catching the breeze. Even bought an industrial ozone unit for cleaning hotel rooms. Showered before every hunt. When I would stay with grandma during the rut to hunt the farm she thought I was half crazy for the stuff I did.

Got to the point I resented the process so much I hunted less.

Then one morning I overslept and just grabbed my stuff and flew out the door.
- Killed my biggest buck to date that morning.

Next year was just sick of the process so stopped it all and just went.

Really hit home when I started heading west.

But I would say that out of all of it, felt the ozone generator at home helped the most.

My biggest issue with ozone, was it turned into a trigger for my asthma. And everytime I would run the unit it would set off an attack.
Ran an ozonics once in an enclosed blind with 1 window open. Thought the dam thing was gunna kill me. Sold it last year for half of what I paid.

But, in hindsight I haven't killed a booner yet either so maybe I'm just a poor deer hunter, ha.

Very valid points i am very concerned about ozone and breathing. How did you use it at home? It seems if all clothing were in a tote when used it would not bother you.


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