Rtdcop
Pan Wrangler
Posts: 102
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Post by Rtdcop on Mar 24, 2005 5:00:39 GMT 12.75
I don't know how many of you will be interested in this, but I will put it out there for what it's worth.
An old timer down the road from me laughed at me when he saw my assortment of cover scents. After looking at the price tag on a few of the bottles he remarked to me, hey, I will sell you this stuff for 5.00 a gallon and laughed. A real bargain since I was paying 3.00 to 4.00 for a 10 ounce bottle. He then told me to make it myself and that he had ben doing it for years.
The recipe was simple - Since Paws likes things broken down here is what you need ;D
five gallon plastic pail with a cover
two gallons of boiling water
two gallons of dried or damp leaves from the area you hunt -- Oak, maple, birch, beech and pine works the best. I have had the best luck with damp fallen leaves that are very aeromatic.
One half gallon of topsoil from the area you hunt - damp mossy soil works the best here since it is aeromatic.
Dump your leaves and dirt into the plastic bucket then add your hot water and mix it up good. I wait an hour or two, then mix it all up again.
let it set overnight then pour off the liquid through a piece of cheese cloth or a strainer and it will smell just like the scents you buy in the store, and will last.
I have also added Cider and apple slices, since one of my stands is by an orchard and that also works well.
I was a bit hesitant at first, but after trying it out durring the Turkey season here and having deer walk within a few feet of me and downwind, I use it all the time now.
Another quick tip he gave me is for the guys and gals that smoke or work around petrolium products. If that smell is on your hands and it dosent go away after washing, try washing your hands briskly with tooth paste or tooth powder. I tried that and it seems to works much better than soap.
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Post by harleyhunter on Jun 24, 2005 9:11:47 GMT 12.75
Toothpaste also works to get the smell of stink bait off your hands.
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Post by Paws on Jun 25, 2005 5:10:00 GMT 12.75
We been using branches bows and pine cones in plastic bags with outr clothes for some time. That recipe looks pretty darn doable.
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Post by shiloh on Jun 25, 2005 6:23:03 GMT 12.75
I use a few scents, but generally just wear a carbon suit and have great results getting deer up close. I did once get the "bright" idea of placing my day's clothers, underwear, socks, longjohns, camo, blaze orange and all into a large plastic trash bag before a hunt. Into the bag I liberally poured cedar chips from when I'd opened a bag for my dogs' houses. I guess it worked as the clothes really had a strong cedar aroma, but the clothes were covered with cedar chips and splinters which made for an interesting day afield.
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Post by Carter Northcutt on Jun 26, 2005 0:49:50 GMT 12.75
I tried not showering a few days before going deer hunting several years ago. I don't recommend it. It got kinda bad being downwind of myself. Since then I have used the unscented soaps and neutralizing sprays and scent wafers. Much more pleasant for all around me
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Post by jayrog3006 on Jun 26, 2005 1:28:33 GMT 12.75
Ya, the scent wafer come in all different scents...even cedar. No more splinters (ya gettin this, Shiloh?) ;D ;D
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Post by RogueWarrior1957 on Jun 26, 2005 4:42:07 GMT 12.75
Believe it or not, Pure Vanilla Extract (diluted 1:1) is an effect scent masking agent. Cheap, effective, and already made up.
I had an incident while using "doe in heat" wafers a few years ago. These wafers are little plastic waffle thingies that look like something you'd put in the lavatory drain to keep it from stopping up. They're about the size of a silver dollar, and smell pretty funky. I was after dark while I hiked back to camp. Ever get that feeling that something is watching you? This was a remote area of NM that had been logged back in the 50's, but not much else since then. There was a high ledge alongside the logging road I was walking. I played my flashlight beam across the scrub oak and cedar on the ledge...there were glowing eyes. Next day, since my hunting partners didn't believe me, we went back up there and found some mighty big cat tracks (cougar). My contention is not to smell so much like "Kitty's" favorite meal, or you might become his favorite meal. I won't use deer cover scents since then.
All I have to worry about the vanilla extract is getting, or giving everyone else the munchies. It really seems to work. The evergreen trick with the clothes in a bag works well, as does the brewed concoction using local plants. Around here you can also rub sagebrush on your clothing and attain a degree of cover scent.
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Post by jayrog3006 on Jun 26, 2005 10:46:31 GMT 12.75
Hey Bill, Your're not supposed to put doe sent ON you. ;D
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Post by RogueWarrior1957 on Jun 26, 2005 11:43:11 GMT 12.75
Actually, Jaime...I had put the scent wafer on my arrow quiver and forgot about it. ;D The other scary scenario would have been if an amorous buck had mistaken me for "Bambi!" Resident Buck, "I'll teach ya ta flaunt them wafers, ya gravy suckin' pilgrim! You in a heap of trouble now, boy!" Gravy Suckin' Pilgrim, "Aaaaayyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeee! And now my impersonation of Jesse Owens!"
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Post by jayrog3006 on Jun 27, 2005 0:06:08 GMT 12.75
;D ;D ;D
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Post by shiloh on Jun 28, 2005 5:14:13 GMT 12.75
I had a game agent in CO tell a hunters' ed class being taught at the store that you should NEVER put cow-in-heat (elk) scent on you unless you want to be bred by a bull in heat. ;D THAT would be a memorable hunt!
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Post by Brikatw on Jun 28, 2005 12:52:17 GMT 12.75
Not the kinda memory I'd like for an elk hunt. That's just too close....woooohooo . Actually we have citronella (I think)bushes growing arond here so in some cases bug spray works well. In other areas where the gas and oil wells are the best cover scent is old motor oil and deisel. I guess it all boils down to what the deer are used to smelling. If it's apples use apples if not use pine or hardwood scent. I think if a deer smells something/anything that is out of place he'll alert. Pine in an oak thicket, oak in an oil feild, corn in a bean field. Just my 2 cents worth but I would guess the best scent is no scent at all
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Post by Mars on Jun 28, 2005 15:49:07 GMT 12.75
No scent is what I try for. I wash everything the night before in H.S. no scent wash and I mean everything, socks,hat,shirt, pants,drawers even my possibles bag. Then when I get up I shower with the same laundry detergent from H.S. from head to toe. Then I put on only the clothes needed to drive while the rest stay in a unscented trash bag. I even spray the truck seat with scent killer. I drive straight to my hunting area and put on the rest of the clothes and spray down with the scent killer then walk to my stand. I place any doe in heat lure or whatever lure on the way then redo the scent killer, including the weapon, once in the stand. I always figured the deer won't spook when they smell "nothing". It works, I've had deer come right to my stand and look up at me and just ignore me.
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Post by jayrog3006 on Jun 29, 2005 0:56:19 GMT 12.75
Mars, "look up at me and ignore me". Sure that has anything to do with scent? ;D
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Post by Mars on Jun 29, 2005 1:48:30 GMT 12.75
Kinda like the reaction from the wife. ;D
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