Ozonics?

[Big G-2]

Sorry if this has been brought up before, but I'm just wondering if any of you use it?

I bought one last year, after a few of my friends swore by them. I really didn't want to spend the money on one, but my friends were pretty convincing... I have to admit, I was skeptical, but went for it.... I ended up shooting a nice 8 pointer, probably around 130"..... I was going to hold out for a bigger one I had been seeing, but it had been 6 years since I shot a buck, so I couldn't turn him down, especially with a bow..... Anyway, he did come in from down wind, but I honestly don't know if my scent was going over him or not. I was on a ridge, and he came in from below me, down the hill. So I have no way to prove if the Ozonics helped me get him or not, but?

Anyway, just wondering if any of you use them or not?

 

[yoderjac]

I looked at it. It is an expensive technical solution for a problem that a was already solved. Carbon suits work very well. Mine is Scentlok but their are others out there. You place your suit in the dryer along with all your freshly washed hunting clothes that you will wear under the suit (washed in scent free detergent). When the drier heats up, the carbon releases any scent that has been trapped.

Then you place the suit and hunting clothes in a sealable plastic tub. The carbon will absorb any remaining human odors remaining in the other clothes in the tub. Change when you leave the truck. Since the release of carbon suits for hunting, scent control has become a much smaller issue. I often don't even worry about playing the wind.

Important note: Always use a carbon head cover and gloves. Much of your scent will be released from your head and hands. Rubber boots are a must for me. They are never worn anywhere but in the woods.

A friend of mine has a brother who started one of those companies. She asked me my opinion before they got started. I told here marketing would be the key. There are less expensive solutions to the problem, but there are always guys looking for the latest new technology.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Big G-2]

Sorry, but carbon suits don't work. You can't get a clothes dryer hot enough to release the scent molecules. There has been many study's on scent suits.

 

[Bill]

Ozone comes up every now and then. My brother swears by his machine but I'm not up for carrying another thing to the stand. Last year we set up a pop up blind in the yard, hung our hunting gear in it and let the ozonics machine run til the battery was dead.

IMO it helped. There are conflicting opinions on whether a dryer will actually get hot enough to reactivate Carbon clothing. Ozone probably won't either. Most likely it fills the carbon with ozone scent.

Anyway, I believe it worked enough that this year I have a 8X12 portable shed set up with a real ozone generator for storing and purifying clothing. Before buying an ozonics machine check out Amazon there are plenty of less expensive options. The machine I bought produces waaaayyy more ozone for $100. You can't take it to a stand but I only want it for my clothes. https://www.amazon.com/Sylvan-Ozone...id=1476461103&sr=1-7&keywords=ozone+generator

Search portable ozone on Amazon and I believe there are options.

Caution: Ozone is bad for you. My shed feeds fresh air to the generator as it produces ozone. Making ozone out of ozone compounds the danger to your lungs. If you can smell your ozonics machine move it down wind. You don't want to be sucking it in.

 

[Big G-2]

Ya, I also have a machine like that for my clothing. I made an old storage closet in my garage, into an ozone closet for my hunting clothes.

 

[gunther89]

I bought a ozone car charger thing. Cost me 25 bucks and I just put my clothes in my car for awhile and let it run. It's a much better option then spending hundreds of bucks on a ozonics.

 

[Big G-2]

I bought a ozone car charger thing. Cost me 25 bucks and I just put my clothes in my car for awhile and let it run. It's a much better option then spending hundreds of bucks on a ozonics.

But that doesn't stop all the scent molecules falling off of you while in a tree. I agree, it kills bad human smelling clothing, but our bodies are constantly shedding dead skin cells that float around in the air. No clothing will stop that, but I could see how an Ozonics could dilute those skin cells or odors from reaching a deers nose.

 

[yoderjac]

Sorry, but carbon suits don't work. You can't get a clothes dryer hot enough to release the scent molecules. There has been many study's on scent suits.

You are right that there has been a lot of controversy over some of the manufacturer claims and even several lawsuits. Like most things in the industry, the claims are likely overhyped.

That being said, before I started using a carbon suit, I got blown on most of my hunts. It was the exception for me to get deer into bow range without olfactory detection. Since I've been using carbon suits, it is very rare for me to get blown. I regularly have deer come in down-wind from me with no detection.

I will say this: Carbon suits are not the only factor in scent control. I shower immediately before each hunt. I'm fastidious about scent control. When I shoot a deer on my farm, I leave it and head back to camp. I change out of my hunting clothes before returning to track and recover the deer.

However, there is no question in my mind that carbon suits and one effective component in my scent control regime. Nothing is 100% effective and practical.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Big G-2]

You are right that there has been a lot of controversy over some of the manufacturer claims and even several lawsuits. Like most things in the industry, the claims are likely overhyped.

That being said, before I started using a carbon suit, I got blown on most of my hunts. It was the exception for me to get deer into bow range without olfactory detection. Since I've been using carbon suits, it is very rare for me to get blown. I regularly have deer come in down-wind from me with no detection.

I will say this: Carbon suits are not the only factor in scent control. I shower immediately before each hunt. I'm fastidious about scent control. When I shoot a deer on my farm, I leave it and head back to camp. I change out of my hunting clothes before returning to track and recover the deer.

However, there is no question in my mind that carbon suits and one effective component in my scent control regime. Nothing is 100% effective and practical.

Thanks,

Jack

I have had plenty of friends that spent lots and lots of money on carbon suits, and they ALL said they don't work, get busted all the time.

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

 

[bigeight]

I buy a couple pounds of activated carbon powder for about 20$. Put it on my skin/face, make a rosin bag out an old sock for patting down in the field, and turns any clothing into a fresh carbon suit when added to a tote full of cloths and shaken.

I have a small 400 mg ozone generator that I run in a small closet, or run the hose into a Rubbermaid tote for my cloths.

The big one I think that helps me the most beyond those 2 items is taking triple chlorophyll tablets 2x a day during the season as well as drinking an ounce of the chlorophyll liquid before each sit and chewing Chlorophyll gum on stand. I figure I always smell someone's bad breath before their BO :)

All pretty cheap items, affective , and none have a picture of a buck on the packaging when purchased :)

 

[yoderjac]

I have had plenty of friends that spent lots and lots of money on carbon suits, and they ALL said they don't work, get busted all the time.

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

And that is fine. Testimonials only go so far. I remember a buddy telling me he didn't think his carbon suit was working too well. I didn't want to stand to close to him cause I could smell him from 6' away! Carbon suits can't fix stupid. And, I'm not completely convinced that it is the "absorption" characteristic of carbon that is the functional component. If the outer material is not a big scent holder and the carbon simply provides a blocking function, a coverall tucked into rubber boots, gloves, and a head-cover may simply keep a high percentage of human scent in. The simple fact that hunting clothes are washed with scent-free detergent and stored in a container that protects them from human related scent absorption is probably a big factor whether they were stored in the same container as the carbon suit or not.

I'm sure there are other factors at play as well. Things like temperature and humidity can affect how much scent we produce (actually bacterial excrement produces) and how easily that scent is transmitted to a deer. Another consideration is dilution. Human scents are not uncommon in the areas I hunt. It is not human related scent alone that causes a negative reaction from deer. It is when that concentration (PPM) is sufficient for a deer to be concerned that the predator is proximate enough to be an immediate danger. So, scent elimination is a misnomer at best. We are really talking about scent reduction and containment.

From my perspective, the bottom line is this: If you are being blown by deer on a regular basis, you need to find some means of scent control beyond what you are using. If you are not, you have probably found a good enough system of scent control. I don't think expensive systems are worth the marginal gain (if any) beyond what I've found in my case.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Buckly]

But that doesn't stop all the scent molecules falling off of you while in a tree. I agree, it kills bad human smelling clothing, but our bodies are constantly shedding dead skin cells that float around in the air. No clothing will stop that, but I could see how an Ozonics could dilute those skin cells or odors from reaching a deers nose.

The ozone should take care of the germs in the clothes and that's the big scent maker on clothing. I believe scrubbing down real good with a scent free soap removes a lot of the dead skin cells giving you some time before they start falling off again. Can't get them all but, everything helps. Then seal your skin in with multi layer clothing, paying special attention to covering your head and hands and don't ever touch anything with your bare hands.

 

[Tap]

The OP asked about Ozonics, not about ozone use for treatment of clothing, gear, vehicles, etc.
These are 2 completely different concepts.
Ozonics is designed for the open-air, elimination of continually produced odors (or, is it really designed to pry dollars from a hunter's wallet?) and ozone treatment of gear, etc is about eliminating existing or residual odors.
The concept behind Ozonics depends on the O3 molecule binding with continually produced odors in an open air environment. Does it "work" enough to fool a deer? It's hard to measure if/how/and why a wild animal reacts to stimuli. We often have no true idea if our odors ever really made it to the deer's nose. And evaluating the mindset or mood of that animal which probably already detects human odor at some level is even more difficult. I think it's safe to say that deer, in most areas, are exposed to human odor 24/7/365. How they sort out the level of threat and react to it is astounding.
There is not doubt that ozone destroys odors on objects. Industry has effectively used it for years.
Does ozone deodorize inanimate objects like the cab of a pick up truck or the inside of rubber boots? Most definately.

We should probably start a new thread on the broader topic of techniques that guys use for odor control. It certainly is a complex subject.

 

[yoderjac]

Tap,

You make valid points, but I think we were looking at this from an application perspective. Rather than get dragged into a technical discussion that most folks can't follow about the validity of "Ozonics", does it really matter if it works or not if there are much less expensive alternatives that achieve the desired result.

I kind of look at this like some of the weight loss supplements you see advertised on TV. "In one clinical study (that we sponsored), participants using our formula lost 3x the weight in 2 weeks as those taking the placebo." Sounds exciting on the surface. But if you conduct multiple small studies, one statistically favors your position so you publish it and ignore the others, then you look into 3x and find out the actual amount is well within the average daily body weight fluxuation, you realize that it may or may not have a positive effect and if it does, the effect is small. You can't always extrapolate to an application. Diet and exercise are hard but inexpensive solutions shown to work.

While I have not seen good hard data that would show Ozonics to be truly effective, if I did, I would put it more in the class with the TV ads for the next best break through in exercise machines. "It's the incline!".... or whatever. You can pay big bucks for the machine, use it and get great results, or pay nothing and do any of a hundred other forms of regular exercise and get great results. Or you can pay big bucks for the machine and let it sit in the corner and lay on the couch. It's not the machine, it is the exercise.

So, perhaps many of the answers here are more to address the underlying question as to whether Ozonics is a cost effective solution to evading the olfactory alert (verses simple detection) system of deer. The OP asks if folks use is or not, and many of the responses are "not", along with what they do use and why.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[bigeight]

Being in a room, or truck, etc after it was treated with ozone has me convinced enough to not use them in the field..I understand the concept of it being heavier, but anything that has that much of a distinct/powerful smell in an enclosed area is strong enough to be detected by a deer in the field. Maybe not alarming them, but it's definitely a strong smell.

 

[yoderjac]

I just thought I'd add an interesting story that relates to Tap's comment "I think it's safe to say that deer, in most areas, are exposed to human odor 24/7/365".

I was involved in suburban archery hunting for many years. I knew a guy who would use a smelly old t-shirt for archery hunting. In the suburbs, human odor does not spook deer. They have learned that humans, when limited to areas where they are "supposed to be" are no threat at all. Deer simply avoid direct contact. The guy would remove the t-shirt and hang it on a tree about 80 yards up-wind of his treestand. As deer would move through the woodlot, they would smell the human and simply avoid him by circling down wind. Just about 15 to 20 yards from him. While they would casually feed by, they would stop and scent check the human up wind making for a perfect bow shot opportunity.

On a nearby military base that has about 65K acres of woodland for training, deer are regularly exposed to human scent as well. Troops train on a near daily basis in different training areas of the base. Troops give off a lot of scent, they talk on radios, the walk noisily, they are not interested in deer. Deer simply avoid them. When these same areas are open for hunting, deer will quickly blow a bowhunter who has not takes scent control precautions. Somehow they can differentiate between a human that is proximate and a danger giving off a modest amount of scent, and troops stinking up the woods 150 yards away.

The olfactory system of deer is amazing.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Bill]

I'm probably the odd man out. No way the deer I hunt are exposed to human scent 24/7/365.
Just measured on google earth from the center of my farm. The closest occupied homes are
.5 miles north
1.3 miles west
2.3 miles east
1.85 miles south
Young deer really don't care to much when they wind me. Probably because they haven't smelled enough humans to make the association. Let a two year old smell you and it's a different story.

Being in a room, or truck, etc after it was treated with ozone has me convinced enough to not use them in the field..I understand the concept of it being heavier, but anything that has that much of a distinct/powerful smell in an enclosed area is strong enough to be detected by a deer in the field. Maybe not alarming them, but it's definitely a strong smell.

I think what big eight points out is key. Ozone does have a strong smell as its being produced. Once treated clothing is removed from the ozone treating area it airs out pretty quickly. For me that's why I lean towards treating my clothing versus generating ozone at the stand.

Producing Ozone at the stand may help you a few times, maybe a few hundred. But sooner or later they will be conditioned to associate it with danger.

 

[Booner21]

I borrowed one for a year and was impressed enough I bought my own. It isn't the only scent control tool I use however it is always hanging above me.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[Tap]

Tap,

You make valid points, but I think we were looking at this from an application perspective. Rather than get dragged into a technical discussion that most folks can't follow about the validity of "Ozonics", does it really matter if it works or not if there are much less expensive alternatives that achieve the desired result.

So, perhaps many of the answers here are more to address the underlying question as to whether Ozonics is a cost effective solution to evading the olfactory alert (verses simple detection) system of deer. The OP asks if folks use is or not, and many of the responses are "not", along with what they do use and why.

Thanks,

Jack

I was simply pointing out that the OP asked about opinions on the effectiveness of Ozonics. He did not ask about contained ozone or carbon suits.
He did not ask about lower cost alternatives, either.
It was other posters that brought up the other odor control alternatives, not me. But once they were brought up, I did chime in an attempt to clarify the application difference between open air and contained ozone.
I was also questioning how "effective" can really be defined when we don't fully understand the behaviors of wild deer.

I've been known to morph some threads in the past and for that I apologize.
This was one case that I was trying to stick to the topic of the OP. I wasn't even going to post because I have never used Ozonics but when contained ozone and carbon were stated, I thought I'd remind readers of the apples and oranges angle.
There are dozens of strategy aspects as to how a hunter deals with not being smelled by deer that go well beyond ozone or carbon use.
It's a highly interesting subject to me.
I think I'll start another thread that covers a broader range of odor control practices.

 

[yoderjac]

I was simply pointing out that the OP asked about opinions on the effectiveness of Ozonics. He did not ask about contained ozone or carbon suits.
He did not ask about lower cost alternatives, either.
It was other posters that brought up the other odor control alternatives, not me. But once they were brought up, I did chime in an attempt to clarify the application difference between open air and contained ozone.
I was also questioning how "effective" can really be defined when we don't fully understand the behaviors of wild deer.

I've been known to morph some threads in the past and for that I apologize.
This was one case that I was trying to stick to the topic of the OP. I wasn't even going to post because I have never used Ozonics but when contained ozone and carbon were stated, I thought I'd remind readers of the apples and oranges angle.
There are dozens of strategy aspects as to how a hunter deals with not being smelled by deer that go well beyond ozone or carbon use.
It's a highly interesting subject to me.
I think I'll start another thread that covers a broader range of odor control practices.

I wasn't criticizing your post, simply saying that there is a difference between responses that broaden the topic and ones that take it on a wild tangent. I'm guilty of both. I also like to keep in mind that while an OP may ask a specific question(s), there are generally many folk who read an benefit from the responses so broadening a topic a bit can be useful. New threads work just as well.

Thanks,

Jack