This is my first year hunting deer with a bow. Do I really need rubber boots? I use all the other scent control stuff. I mean come on now, I've had deer practically walk into my turkey blind, and that's after I farted and smoked a cig.
Hunting & Fishing Rubber boots for deer archery?
- Thread starter Jig Stick
- Start date
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
The more you can do to hide the human scent the better, and when you want a 40 yd or closer bow shot you need all the advantage you can get. If the wind is right, or wrong, I don't care if you're wearing a rubber suit, he can smell you, or if it's to your advantage, he can walk right under your stand and eat acorns for 30 minutes! The rubber is less likely to absorb scent, and easier to clean it off. Your choice, so when that monster buck comes to about 75 yards, sticks is nose in the air and takes off the opposite way, you'll always wonder, did the boots do it?
The more you can do to hide the human scent the better, and when you want a 40 yd or closer bow shot you need all the advantage you can get. If the wind is right, or wrong, I don't care if you're wearing a rubber suit, he can smell you, or if it's to your advantage, he can walk right under your stand and eat acorns for 30 minutes! The rubber is less likely to absorb scent, and easier to clean it off. Your choice, so when that monster buck comes to about 75 yards, sticks is nose in the air and takes off the opposite way, you'll always wonder, did the boots do it?
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
There is no way in living hell I would archery hunt deer without wearing knee high Lacrosse boots. I also go to the extreme of never letting the boots hit anything but dirt after I get them cleaned up. I don't wear them in the truck, I don't wear them in the house, I don't wear them riding the ATV. They live life either walking on dirt or inside a Ziploc big bag
There is no way in living hell I would archery hunt deer without wearing knee high Lacrosse boots. I also go to the extreme of never letting the boots hit anything but dirt after I get them cleaned up. I don't wear them in the truck, I don't wear them in the house, I don't wear them riding the ATV. They live life either walking on dirt or inside a Ziploc big bag
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
Scent control is an obsession with nearly all experienced bowhunters.
I agree with 2 shots, the younger deer are less wary of scent, but older deer seem to very wary of human scent.
Always use non-scented detergent and try to be "invisible".
Personally, I use LaCrosse Aphpa Burley 1000g boots and add the chemical toe warmers when it is cold.
Scent control is an obsession with nearly all experienced bowhunters.
I agree with 2 shots, the younger deer are less wary of scent, but older deer seem to very wary of human scent.
Always use non-scented detergent and try to be "invisible".
Personally, I use LaCrosse Aphpa Burley 1000g boots and add the chemical toe warmers when it is cold.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
Dam u guys! Do u guys prefer Lacrosse or Irish Setter boots? What scent eliminator brands do u like? I bought a kit that had soap, spray, laundry detergent, and deodarant in it from gander mountain. Do certain brands work better than others?
Dam u guys! Do u guys prefer Lacrosse or Irish Setter boots? What scent eliminator brands do u like? I bought a kit that had soap, spray, laundry detergent, and deodarant in it from gander mountain. Do certain brands work better than others?
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
We here it is in a nut shell. This is a buddy of mines process and he is the most successful hunter I know. He has harvested over 50 140" on public ground and multiple 180" deer and 1 over 200".
Step 1: Buy a scent safe carbon filtered recirculation air container.
Step 2: Disinfect your laundry room and bathroom and then spray them down with DeadDown Wind.
Step 3: Was your clothes in scent free uv free wash and transport them covering your skin veterinarian type gloves so not to touch them. Place them in the carbon lined recirculation box.
Step 4: Shower with some type of scent killer soap.
Step 5: Spray your entire body with some type of scent killer spray.
Step 6: Dry off with towels which have gone through the same process as your clothes in their own box of the same type as discussed above.
Step 7: Place that towel on the floor and stand on it so as not to touch the floor.
Step 8: Dress with a set of clothes from the box.
Step 9: Drive to your hunting location.
Step 10: Change clothes into your second set from the box which has been kept in a scent free bag on the way to your location.
Step 11: Go to you stand.
Step 12: Change clothes into your third set from the box which is in a scent free bag inside your backpack.
Step 13: Hunt
Now to me this is crazy and no fun, but his success speaks for itself.
And by the way, his boots are dang near ruined before he ever puts them on. He scrubs them with a brush and carbon wash to get the rubber smell out. His new boots usually are already cracked from the repeated washing.
I say shower and spray down good and put on some rubbers and go hunt. It works for me here, and I would say the deer here are the most pressured deer in the country.
We here it is in a nut shell. This is a buddy of mines process and he is the most successful hunter I know. He has harvested over 50 140" on public ground and multiple 180" deer and 1 over 200".
Step 1: Buy a scent safe carbon filtered recirculation air container.
Step 2: Disinfect your laundry room and bathroom and then spray them down with DeadDown Wind.
Step 3: Was your clothes in scent free uv free wash and transport them covering your skin veterinarian type gloves so not to touch them. Place them in the carbon lined recirculation box.
Step 4: Shower with some type of scent killer soap.
Step 5: Spray your entire body with some type of scent killer spray.
Step 6: Dry off with towels which have gone through the same process as your clothes in their own box of the same type as discussed above.
Step 7: Place that towel on the floor and stand on it so as not to touch the floor.
Step 8: Dress with a set of clothes from the box.
Step 9: Drive to your hunting location.
Step 10: Change clothes into your second set from the box which has been kept in a scent free bag on the way to your location.
Step 11: Go to you stand.
Step 12: Change clothes into your third set from the box which is in a scent free bag inside your backpack.
Step 13: Hunt
Now to me this is crazy and no fun, but his success speaks for itself.
And by the way, his boots are dang near ruined before he ever puts them on. He scrubs them with a brush and carbon wash to get the rubber smell out. His new boots usually are already cracked from the repeated washing.
I say shower and spray down good and put on some rubbers and go hunt. It works for me here, and I would say the deer here are the most pressured deer in the country.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
Need? No
Helpful? Possibly
Worth it for piece of mind? You decide.
I wear them when hunting whitetails from the tree stand.
Need? No
Helpful? Possibly
Worth it for piece of mind? You decide.
I wear them when hunting whitetails from the tree stand.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
What the hell did Howard Hill and Fred Bear ever do without all these modern necessities?
Know exactly where the deer are at any given time...
Don't over hunt an area....
ALWAYS hunt into the wind.....
Killing a big deer is the result of being just a tad smarter than he is....
Rubber boots are great things to keep your feet dry in a swamp, until you sweat the hell out of 'em. Scent control products are over commercialized and no better than a simple box of arm & hammer. Don't even get me started on "activated carbon".
What the hell did Howard Hill and Fred Bear ever do without all these modern necessities?
Know exactly where the deer are at any given time...
Don't over hunt an area....
ALWAYS hunt into the wind.....
Killing a big deer is the result of being just a tad smarter than he is....
Rubber boots are great things to keep your feet dry in a swamp, until you sweat the hell out of 'em. Scent control products are over commercialized and no better than a simple box of arm & hammer. Don't even get me started on "activated carbon".
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Night Hunter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Step 1: Buy a scent safe carbon filtered recirculation air container.
Step 2: Disinfect your laundry room and bathroom and then spray them down with DeadDown Wind.
Step 3: Was your clothes in scent free uv free wash and transport them covering your skin veterinarian type gloves so not to touch them. Place them in the carbon lined recirculation box.
Step 4: Shower with some type of scent killer soap.
Step 5: Spray your entire body with some type of scent killer spray.
Step 6: Dry off with towels which have gone through the same process as your clothes in their own box of the same type as discussed above.
Step 7: Place that towel on the floor and stand on it so as not to touch the floor.
Step 8: Dress with a set of clothes from the box.
Step 9: Drive to your hunting location.
Step 10: Change clothes into your second set from the box which has been kept in a scent free bag on the way to your location.
Step 11: Go to you stand.
Step 12: Change clothes into your third set from the box which is in a scent free bag inside your backpack.
Step 13: Hunt
Now to me this is crazy and no fun, but his success speaks for itself.
And by the way, his boots are dang near ruined before he ever puts them on. He scrubs them with a brush and carbon wash to get the rubber smell out. His new boots usually are already cracked from the repeated washing.
I say shower and spray down good and put on some rubbers and go hunt. It works for me here, and I would say the deer here are the most pressured deer in the country.
</div></div>Sounds a lot like what I do ^ pain in the ass but worth it to me. The hunting pressure is bad in my area also and anything you can do to limit the amount of your human odor getting to a big buck's nose the better. Repeat "<span style="text-decoration: underline">worth it to me</span>"... There are some easy days when the wind is just right and I'm hunting long range, usually on a powerline when I can relax a little and not go through all the steps of trying to be scent free.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tripwire</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Know exactly where the deer are at any given time...
Don't over hunt an area....
ALWAYS hunt into the wind.....
Killing a big deer is the result of being just a tad smarter than he is....
</div></div>
I also follow those rules ^ to the best of my ability.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Night Hunter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Step 1: Buy a scent safe carbon filtered recirculation air container.
Step 2: Disinfect your laundry room and bathroom and then spray them down with DeadDown Wind.
Step 3: Was your clothes in scent free uv free wash and transport them covering your skin veterinarian type gloves so not to touch them. Place them in the carbon lined recirculation box.
Step 4: Shower with some type of scent killer soap.
Step 5: Spray your entire body with some type of scent killer spray.
Step 6: Dry off with towels which have gone through the same process as your clothes in their own box of the same type as discussed above.
Step 7: Place that towel on the floor and stand on it so as not to touch the floor.
Step 8: Dress with a set of clothes from the box.
Step 9: Drive to your hunting location.
Step 10: Change clothes into your second set from the box which has been kept in a scent free bag on the way to your location.
Step 11: Go to you stand.
Step 12: Change clothes into your third set from the box which is in a scent free bag inside your backpack.
Step 13: Hunt
Now to me this is crazy and no fun, but his success speaks for itself.
And by the way, his boots are dang near ruined before he ever puts them on. He scrubs them with a brush and carbon wash to get the rubber smell out. His new boots usually are already cracked from the repeated washing.
I say shower and spray down good and put on some rubbers and go hunt. It works for me here, and I would say the deer here are the most pressured deer in the country.
</div></div>Sounds a lot like what I do ^ pain in the ass but worth it to me. The hunting pressure is bad in my area also and anything you can do to limit the amount of your human odor getting to a big buck's nose the better. Repeat "<span style="text-decoration: underline">worth it to me</span>"... There are some easy days when the wind is just right and I'm hunting long range, usually on a powerline when I can relax a little and not go through all the steps of trying to be scent free.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tripwire</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Know exactly where the deer are at any given time...
Don't over hunt an area....
ALWAYS hunt into the wind.....
Killing a big deer is the result of being just a tad smarter than he is....
</div></div>
I also follow those rules ^ to the best of my ability.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
Scent control is a major factor in repeatable success on large deer in my experience.
Scent control is a major factor in repeatable success on large deer in my experience.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
are the Hunters Specialties products any good?
are the Hunters Specialties products any good?
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
I have 2 pairs of rubber boots I wear on alternating trips. When not hunting they hang outside all fall upside down on the side of the fence. They never go in the house or garage. I don't like putting boots in a bag because your foot odors from the inside are then transferred to the outside. Hanging them outside all fall dries them and airs them out.
I have 2 pairs of rubber boots I wear on alternating trips. When not hunting they hang outside all fall upside down on the side of the fence. They never go in the house or garage. I don't like putting boots in a bag because your foot odors from the inside are then transferred to the outside. Hanging them outside all fall dries them and airs them out.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
I dont believe in Scent control . Every one has there own thoughts about it , Last yr i killed 3 Deer on Public Land a Doe a 9 and 8 Pointer i never use scent to control my odor the 9 and doe was at about 30 yards away when i shot them with a Muzzle loader.
I dont believe in Scent control . Every one has there own thoughts about it , Last yr i killed 3 Deer on Public Land a Doe a 9 and 8 Pointer i never use scent to control my odor the 9 and doe was at about 30 yards away when i shot them with a Muzzle loader.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
If you think you need them, then get them. If not, don't worry about it and hunt smart (use the wind, light and noise to your advantage) and you'll be fine. A lot of gear or equipment is a confidence thing, be surprised how little you actually need to be successful. But, gadgets and gear can be fun.
By the way, I never hunt without my rubber boots on....but I do hunt some wet areas. Dry feet and, if, they help contain or control the scent left behind, so much the better I guess.
If you think you need them, then get them. If not, don't worry about it and hunt smart (use the wind, light and noise to your advantage) and you'll be fine. A lot of gear or equipment is a confidence thing, be surprised how little you actually need to be successful. But, gadgets and gear can be fun.
By the way, I never hunt without my rubber boots on....but I do hunt some wet areas. Dry feet and, if, they help contain or control the scent left behind, so much the better I guess.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
Most screw up when trying to mask there scent, just my opinion, but for one it takes the fun out of it, and will eat up the time you have in the woods.
I call coyotes, bow hunt deer, etc and the most I have ever applied was a spray and those times I did, I noticed or thought I noticed game reacting differently around my blind or set up.
Probably the best advice I could offer is to take your hunting jacket, pants, boots, etc outside and let them air out for a week or so.
My process at the beginning of the year. Pull out my hunting clothes from the trunk in the closet, smell them, gag, wash them, hang em outside for a week, go hunting. I even put a little mink oil on my leather boots. Go kill shit.
+100
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What the hell did Howard Hill and Fred Bear ever do without all these modern necessities?
Know exactly where the deer are at any given time...
Don't over hunt an area....
ALWAYS hunt into the wind.....
Killing a big deer is the result of being just a tad smarter than he is....
Rubber boots are great things to keep your feet dry in a swamp, until you sweat the hell out of 'em. Scent control products are over commercialized and no better than a simple box of arm & hammer. Don't even get me started on "activated carbon".</div></div>
Most screw up when trying to mask there scent, just my opinion, but for one it takes the fun out of it, and will eat up the time you have in the woods.
I call coyotes, bow hunt deer, etc and the most I have ever applied was a spray and those times I did, I noticed or thought I noticed game reacting differently around my blind or set up.
Probably the best advice I could offer is to take your hunting jacket, pants, boots, etc outside and let them air out for a week or so.
My process at the beginning of the year. Pull out my hunting clothes from the trunk in the closet, smell them, gag, wash them, hang em outside for a week, go hunting. I even put a little mink oil on my leather boots. Go kill shit.
+100
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What the hell did Howard Hill and Fred Bear ever do without all these modern necessities?
Know exactly where the deer are at any given time...
Don't over hunt an area....
ALWAYS hunt into the wind.....
Killing a big deer is the result of being just a tad smarter than he is....
Rubber boots are great things to keep your feet dry in a swamp, until you sweat the hell out of 'em. Scent control products are over commercialized and no better than a simple box of arm & hammer. Don't even get me started on "activated carbon".</div></div>
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
I always took descenting showers and descented clothes prior to hunting. I don't know if it worked or helped or not.
Maybe taking the middle road and airing them out would be some middle ground.
I always took descenting showers and descented clothes prior to hunting. I don't know if it worked or helped or not.
Maybe taking the middle road and airing them out would be some middle ground.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
I have heard of outfitters that would only allow their clients to wear rubber boots. The main reason was they didn't want human scent remaining in the woods from all the going to and from. Big deer can tell if humans have been present in an area, even if they aren't there at the time, if they continue to smell that presence they avoid the area all together, they didn't get big by being stupid! I agree with letting your gear "air out" put them in a box of pine needles, leaves or whatever under the overhang of a porch for a month, can't avoid scent all together but youcan sure keep it to a minimum and play the wind when you get in the woods.
I have heard of outfitters that would only allow their clients to wear rubber boots. The main reason was they didn't want human scent remaining in the woods from all the going to and from. Big deer can tell if humans have been present in an area, even if they aren't there at the time, if they continue to smell that presence they avoid the area all together, they didn't get big by being stupid! I agree with letting your gear "air out" put them in a box of pine needles, leaves or whatever under the overhang of a porch for a month, can't avoid scent all together but youcan sure keep it to a minimum and play the wind when you get in the woods.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
I read an article a couple days ago about a guy that tested scent theory using a k9 unit. a person was hidden in 3 different scenarios - the first was full on B.O., no shower, street clothes, leather work boots from the factory, etc. the dog was lead to the location where the person was hiding, allowed to run, and the dog found the guy in 20 seconds.
scenario 2 was rubber boots, scent control spray and other precautions, without going overboard. dog found him in 18 seconds.
scenario 3 was every concievable odor control measure possible, 2 layers of carbon/silver clothing, pine needle gum, 10 different sprays, etc. dog found him in 12 seconds...
My thought is this. And keep in mind, i hunt URBAN deer. The deer in my area key in on the smell of rubber boots...they know the smell and associate it with sharp sticks flying through the trees. I've seen a decent buck hit my buddy's foot path 20 mins after he walked thru with his rubbers on, and the deer stopped dead on the trail and did a 180 with tail up.
I have a pair of Morel 10" camo's, they are PVC uppers, vibram soles and comfortable as hell. I wear BDU's or Outers brand camo microfiber pants. I only have 3 different scent masks one is rolling in fresh dirt or once in a while spray with that crap in the yellow and white bottle with the 99.9 on the label...it smells like rotting leaves and dirt.
My GO TO scent mask is smoke though. standing next to my car, i'll gather some leaves together, wad up a few of them and light them on fire, get a nice smolder going and soak it all in...i'll then rub them on my clothes.
Deer in my area are so used to smelling burn barrels and backyard bonfires that they pay NO attention to the smoke smell at all.
The deer i pay attention to who would key in off my smell are the OLD wary does. The bucks get braindead soon. put some deer snatch in the air, get the buck paying attention to pussy and tarsal before they smell you and watch your wind. hunt the funnels and WATCH THE WIND. skill and planning win out over gadgets and doo-dads every time. I believe in a good camo pattern, something with enough breakup to cut your outline (i am really fond of the Outers brand at wally world to be honest), and putting your stand in the right place. take the most direct path to your stand possible, and don't cut the travel paths.
I got winded last saturday...no snort, no wheeze, just tail in the air. I had eaten enchiladas the night before...and sleeping with the wife was full on chemical warfare. I KNOW that deer got a whiff of an air biscuit and she decided that it didn't smell like acorn farts, so she moved on. most days, I have deer 10-30 yards from my tree completely oblivious to my presence until i fawk up with movement or sound. I hunt down wind of my quarry, and keep the wind in my face.
I read an article a couple days ago about a guy that tested scent theory using a k9 unit. a person was hidden in 3 different scenarios - the first was full on B.O., no shower, street clothes, leather work boots from the factory, etc. the dog was lead to the location where the person was hiding, allowed to run, and the dog found the guy in 20 seconds.
scenario 2 was rubber boots, scent control spray and other precautions, without going overboard. dog found him in 18 seconds.
scenario 3 was every concievable odor control measure possible, 2 layers of carbon/silver clothing, pine needle gum, 10 different sprays, etc. dog found him in 12 seconds...
My thought is this. And keep in mind, i hunt URBAN deer. The deer in my area key in on the smell of rubber boots...they know the smell and associate it with sharp sticks flying through the trees. I've seen a decent buck hit my buddy's foot path 20 mins after he walked thru with his rubbers on, and the deer stopped dead on the trail and did a 180 with tail up.
I have a pair of Morel 10" camo's, they are PVC uppers, vibram soles and comfortable as hell. I wear BDU's or Outers brand camo microfiber pants. I only have 3 different scent masks one is rolling in fresh dirt or once in a while spray with that crap in the yellow and white bottle with the 99.9 on the label...it smells like rotting leaves and dirt.
My GO TO scent mask is smoke though. standing next to my car, i'll gather some leaves together, wad up a few of them and light them on fire, get a nice smolder going and soak it all in...i'll then rub them on my clothes.
Deer in my area are so used to smelling burn barrels and backyard bonfires that they pay NO attention to the smoke smell at all.
The deer i pay attention to who would key in off my smell are the OLD wary does. The bucks get braindead soon. put some deer snatch in the air, get the buck paying attention to pussy and tarsal before they smell you and watch your wind. hunt the funnels and WATCH THE WIND. skill and planning win out over gadgets and doo-dads every time. I believe in a good camo pattern, something with enough breakup to cut your outline (i am really fond of the Outers brand at wally world to be honest), and putting your stand in the right place. take the most direct path to your stand possible, and don't cut the travel paths.
I got winded last saturday...no snort, no wheeze, just tail in the air. I had eaten enchiladas the night before...and sleeping with the wife was full on chemical warfare. I KNOW that deer got a whiff of an air biscuit and she decided that it didn't smell like acorn farts, so she moved on. most days, I have deer 10-30 yards from my tree completely oblivious to my presence until i fawk up with movement or sound. I hunt down wind of my quarry, and keep the wind in my face.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
Early archery season can be warm here in southern Ohio. I want to be as comfortable as possible. No way in hell am I wearing rubber boots until November at least. I also believe scent control is somewhat over rated and a marketing scheme in a lot of cases. Hell last year I filled my buck tag in early Oct wearing camo shorts, sleeveless T from HS football days and Nike Shox. I had helped my dad do some work around his house all day and figured I would go sit for a little bit to relax. Hell I was even sitting in a bag chair just inside the old office building of the nursery we hunt. I had my 8 year old daughter with me to. She was also wearing normal clothes and neither one of us took any scent precautions. I will admit that I wasn't expecting much. But 2 bucks and several does all came within bow range. Find what works for you in your scenario and stick with it. That being said I would not venture out in the rut or when I take some vaca time to do more serious hunting without spraying down with some eliminator. But that and storing my hunting gear in several large containers with scent waffers is as far as I go. Won't find any fancy laundry detergent or deodorant in my house!
Early archery season can be warm here in southern Ohio. I want to be as comfortable as possible. No way in hell am I wearing rubber boots until November at least. I also believe scent control is somewhat over rated and a marketing scheme in a lot of cases. Hell last year I filled my buck tag in early Oct wearing camo shorts, sleeveless T from HS football days and Nike Shox. I had helped my dad do some work around his house all day and figured I would go sit for a little bit to relax. Hell I was even sitting in a bag chair just inside the old office building of the nursery we hunt. I had my 8 year old daughter with me to. She was also wearing normal clothes and neither one of us took any scent precautions. I will admit that I wasn't expecting much. But 2 bucks and several does all came within bow range. Find what works for you in your scenario and stick with it. That being said I would not venture out in the rut or when I take some vaca time to do more serious hunting without spraying down with some eliminator. But that and storing my hunting gear in several large containers with scent waffers is as far as I go. Won't find any fancy laundry detergent or deodorant in my house!
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JasonB</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I read an article a couple days ago about a guy that tested scent theory using a k9 unit. </div></div>
That was in a Field & Stream that I paged through at the bone cracker's office a while back.....
Couldn't find the actual article, but here's the google results for field and stream article scent control test with police dog
Lot's of archery talk about it.....
The nose of a whitetail deer has up to 297 million olfactory receptors, a dog has 220 million. The K9 was finding the guy in something like 13 seconds regardless of the scent control method tested. Since the deer's nose is better than a dogs by up to 77 million more scent receptors, it stands to reason that the deer is even harder to fool than a dog.
Hunt into the wind............
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JasonB</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I read an article a couple days ago about a guy that tested scent theory using a k9 unit. </div></div>
That was in a Field & Stream that I paged through at the bone cracker's office a while back.....
Couldn't find the actual article, but here's the google results for field and stream article scent control test with police dog
Lot's of archery talk about it.....
The nose of a whitetail deer has up to 297 million olfactory receptors, a dog has 220 million. The K9 was finding the guy in something like 13 seconds regardless of the scent control method tested. Since the deer's nose is better than a dogs by up to 77 million more scent receptors, it stands to reason that the deer is even harder to fool than a dog.
Hunt into the wind............
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
I have been doing this for a very long time and have seen the net effects of wearing or not wearing the de-scented rubber boots in the deer woods. You will never catch me bowhunting without them.
If you are wearing your rubber boots in your truck then you do not have de-scented rubber boots any longer. The same goes for wearing them while riding the ATV or storing them in your house in the open. You will leave human scent on them if you are just handling them with your bare hands.
I am very close to the same concepts as was presented by NightHunter. It works for me very well, but it a bit tedious. It is a part of my personality and structure when it comes to archery hunting. It is a ritual and if I don't do the ritual it bothers my mindset
I do all this and still hunt where the wind is favorable for most instances, but if somebody tells you that they know where every deer is coming from then I will call BS. Well maybe if they don't control their scent then they can tell you where they will come from because none are coming down wind of them. I have deer coming downwind of me all the time while hunting.
I don't think you will ever remove all traces of scent, but I do think that just like noise, deer will associate the strength of the human scent with proximity. Deer live in a world full of humans and if they ran every time they smelled some human scent then they would run themselves to death.
I have been doing this for a very long time and have seen the net effects of wearing or not wearing the de-scented rubber boots in the deer woods. You will never catch me bowhunting without them.
If you are wearing your rubber boots in your truck then you do not have de-scented rubber boots any longer. The same goes for wearing them while riding the ATV or storing them in your house in the open. You will leave human scent on them if you are just handling them with your bare hands.
I am very close to the same concepts as was presented by NightHunter. It works for me very well, but it a bit tedious. It is a part of my personality and structure when it comes to archery hunting. It is a ritual and if I don't do the ritual it bothers my mindset
I do all this and still hunt where the wind is favorable for most instances, but if somebody tells you that they know where every deer is coming from then I will call BS. Well maybe if they don't control their scent then they can tell you where they will come from because none are coming down wind of them. I have deer coming downwind of me all the time while hunting.
I don't think you will ever remove all traces of scent, but I do think that just like noise, deer will associate the strength of the human scent with proximity. Deer live in a world full of humans and if they ran every time they smelled some human scent then they would run themselves to death.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ARPredatorHunter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Deer live in a world full of humans and if they ran every time they smelled some human scent then they would run themselves to death. </div></div>
Exactly, and that last sentence, in effect, contradicts your entire post.
We live and work a farm here, deer are a comonplace part of life, meaning encounters with them nearly 24/7. My house is as rural as it gets, and deer are in my yard within spitting distance of where my family of five live our lives. If human scent bothered them that much then they wouldn't be there.
In the average deer woods, noise and movement are a bigger trigger to flight than scent alone. The good woodsman who can limit/reduce his entire signature in the woods will the successful hunter. Anyone with any kind of experience hunting whitetails has seen countless times a deer stay put despite being able to smell the hunter, and not bolt until the hunter gets too close.
And, when the rut kicks in, a good buck isn't going to give a shit who's around if he's busy chasing tail..........
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ARPredatorHunter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Deer live in a world full of humans and if they ran every time they smelled some human scent then they would run themselves to death. </div></div>
Exactly, and that last sentence, in effect, contradicts your entire post.
We live and work a farm here, deer are a comonplace part of life, meaning encounters with them nearly 24/7. My house is as rural as it gets, and deer are in my yard within spitting distance of where my family of five live our lives. If human scent bothered them that much then they wouldn't be there.
In the average deer woods, noise and movement are a bigger trigger to flight than scent alone. The good woodsman who can limit/reduce his entire signature in the woods will the successful hunter. Anyone with any kind of experience hunting whitetails has seen countless times a deer stay put despite being able to smell the hunter, and not bolt until the hunter gets too close.
And, when the rut kicks in, a good buck isn't going to give a shit who's around if he's busy chasing tail..........
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jig Stick</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Do I really need rubber boots? I use all the other scent control stuff. I mean come on now, I've had deer practically walk into my turkey blind, and that's after I farted and smoked a cig. </div></div>
Sounds as though you answerd your own queistion.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jig Stick</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Do I really need rubber boots? I use all the other scent control stuff. I mean come on now, I've had deer practically walk into my turkey blind, and that's after I farted and smoked a cig. </div></div>
Sounds as though you answerd your own queistion.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
Have you ever wounder why the Hunting shows advertise there Products but they never show any Scientific proof there Products work all they have is some Guy or Nice looking Girl telling you that it works . I would like to see some real Proof that there stuff really works. Just my thought on it.
Have you ever wounder why the Hunting shows advertise there Products but they never show any Scientific proof there Products work all they have is some Guy or Nice looking Girl telling you that it works . I would like to see some real Proof that there stuff really works. Just my thought on it.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
Wild deer are most times gonna shag ass in one form or another if they get a nose full of human scent that they determine is in near proximity. The key to me is to reduce your scent to the level where they don't think you are near enough to be any sort of threat. I hunt in an area with a lot of deer, and have done so for 40 some odd years, so I get to watch their interactions with humans quite often. This goes all the way back to when I didn't much pay attention to scent control up to my current state of preparation. The deer here where I hunt are not your average farm or urban deer. These deer get hunted with a vengeance and learn to avoid folks fairly good. There are no encounters with humans here that turns out to be a non issue for them.
There was a huge difference in my before and after deer encounters with the numbers of deer I have within range more than quadrupling when I started to pay closer attention to such. I also have a LOT of stories of deer to human encounters where I got to watch the deer's reactions to the intrusions. I have seen them do everything from lay down on the ground and let people pass them, to just standing still and letting folks pass, to sneaking away, to running and snorting. I do everything that I can to reduce my signature including hunting with the wind in my favor the best I can ascertain. I know that what I do works well for me as I do not get detected even though I have an awful lot of deer wandering around down wind of me every year for a lot of years now. That is all the scientific proof that I need. I have never failed to fill all available tags and I do so using archery tackle only.
Wild deer are most times gonna shag ass in one form or another if they get a nose full of human scent that they determine is in near proximity. The key to me is to reduce your scent to the level where they don't think you are near enough to be any sort of threat. I hunt in an area with a lot of deer, and have done so for 40 some odd years, so I get to watch their interactions with humans quite often. This goes all the way back to when I didn't much pay attention to scent control up to my current state of preparation. The deer here where I hunt are not your average farm or urban deer. These deer get hunted with a vengeance and learn to avoid folks fairly good. There are no encounters with humans here that turns out to be a non issue for them.
There was a huge difference in my before and after deer encounters with the numbers of deer I have within range more than quadrupling when I started to pay closer attention to such. I also have a LOT of stories of deer to human encounters where I got to watch the deer's reactions to the intrusions. I have seen them do everything from lay down on the ground and let people pass them, to just standing still and letting folks pass, to sneaking away, to running and snorting. I do everything that I can to reduce my signature including hunting with the wind in my favor the best I can ascertain. I know that what I do works well for me as I do not get detected even though I have an awful lot of deer wandering around down wind of me every year for a lot of years now. That is all the scientific proof that I need. I have never failed to fill all available tags and I do so using archery tackle only.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
Been using LaCrosse Burlys for 20+ years. For the type of hunting most of us do in MO you will be hard pressed to find anything better. Anything you can do, including wearing scent-free rubber boots, to reduce trace odor will definitely be worth the effort.
Been using LaCrosse Burlys for 20+ years. For the type of hunting most of us do in MO you will be hard pressed to find anything better. Anything you can do, including wearing scent-free rubber boots, to reduce trace odor will definitely be worth the effort.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
Like most of these guys above I'm a believer in scent control. I always wear my rubber boots during bow season. I hunt in Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati area and we have some large deer. I'm fortunate enough to hunt on a lot of private land. That being said I share the property with others. We look at it as a courtesy to practice good scent control. That way we don't spoil it for each other. I keep all my hunting clothes in a garbage bag with dirt scent wafers and sticks and things. Boots get the same treatment. I park my truck and change right there. If I'm in the states and not working at the war I hit my bag limit every year. I Shot a 140 last year on public land. Good luck!
Like most of these guys above I'm a believer in scent control. I always wear my rubber boots during bow season. I hunt in Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati area and we have some large deer. I'm fortunate enough to hunt on a lot of private land. That being said I share the property with others. We look at it as a courtesy to practice good scent control. That way we don't spoil it for each other. I keep all my hunting clothes in a garbage bag with dirt scent wafers and sticks and things. Boots get the same treatment. I park my truck and change right there. If I'm in the states and not working at the war I hit my bag limit every year. I Shot a 140 last year on public land. Good luck!
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
Sorry im not a Believer in Scent control , But if you think it works for you by all means keep spending your money on there Products , Im sure they will thank you for it. I know during bow season i have had deer walk with in 20 yrds of me and they never knew i was there and i have never used anything for scent cover sorry i just dont belive in it and i kill deer every year but if you think it helps you get an advantage stick to it.
Sorry im not a Believer in Scent control , But if you think it works for you by all means keep spending your money on there Products , Im sure they will thank you for it. I know during bow season i have had deer walk with in 20 yrds of me and they never knew i was there and i have never used anything for scent cover sorry i just dont belive in it and i kill deer every year but if you think it helps you get an advantage stick to it.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
I have been on both sides of the coin. I don't just think it helps, I know for an absolute fact. When everything is in your favor you can be dipped in human shit and get away with it. Things just aren't that way often enough for me.
I have been on both sides of the coin. I don't just think it helps, I know for an absolute fact. When everything is in your favor you can be dipped in human shit and get away with it. Things just aren't that way often enough for me.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
I personally believe the amount and speed of movement you make combined with the temperature and amount of clothing making you sweat account for more busted hunters than lack of proper "scent blocking" clothing. If you aren't sitting in a tree already most of that stuff sweats you bad when wearing it. Even rubber boots will waft stinky foot smell out as you walk once your feet are sweaty. I have had deer walk right over my tracks sniffing the whole time and never use rubber boots. I do rub my feet in the soil and leaves a bunch each morning to "smell local" and step in any deer "sign" I see along the way. My last 15 or so bow killed deer have been killed spot and stalk or ambushed from the ground. I rarely use a tree stand due to constraints on time to scout and due to habits of some of the deer we hunt. Trophies, none were, but they all tasted great .
I personally believe the amount and speed of movement you make combined with the temperature and amount of clothing making you sweat account for more busted hunters than lack of proper "scent blocking" clothing. If you aren't sitting in a tree already most of that stuff sweats you bad when wearing it. Even rubber boots will waft stinky foot smell out as you walk once your feet are sweaty. I have had deer walk right over my tracks sniffing the whole time and never use rubber boots. I do rub my feet in the soil and leaves a bunch each morning to "smell local" and step in any deer "sign" I see along the way. My last 15 or so bow killed deer have been killed spot and stalk or ambushed from the ground. I rarely use a tree stand due to constraints on time to scout and due to habits of some of the deer we hunt. Trophies, none were, but they all tasted great
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
Being a white-tailed deer outfitter (archery only until last year) and a biologist that has studied deer for the last 10 years and bowhunted for 17 years, I can tell you a few simple truths.
1. You can't fool a deer's nose into not smelling you. You can only hope to make them think you are further away than you actually are. Unless your down wind of course.
2. Deer are 100% unpredictable. Yes they tend to follow routines, but they rarely do the exact same thing all the time. They may go the same place to feed every night and be there the same time every night, but they will approach 100 different ways.
3. The more you think you understand about deer, the more you find you don't know.
4. Every deer has it's own personality (making them harder or easier to kill than others), and I find they are much more pronounced than dogs even. Working with wild and tame deer in close quarters brought me to understand this all too well. I find some mature deer to be in some ways OCD, and others just kind of blunder around.
5. Luck comes into play more times than not on mature deer being harvested by bow.
6. Woodsmanship is the key to being a good hunter. Understand your surroundings as the deer do, and you will become a much better hunter. All the toys and gear in the world does not make up for the lack of woodsmanship.
Being a white-tailed deer outfitter (archery only until last year) and a biologist that has studied deer for the last 10 years and bowhunted for 17 years, I can tell you a few simple truths.
1. You can't fool a deer's nose into not smelling you. You can only hope to make them think you are further away than you actually are. Unless your down wind of course.
2. Deer are 100% unpredictable. Yes they tend to follow routines, but they rarely do the exact same thing all the time. They may go the same place to feed every night and be there the same time every night, but they will approach 100 different ways.
3. The more you think you understand about deer, the more you find you don't know.
4. Every deer has it's own personality (making them harder or easier to kill than others), and I find they are much more pronounced than dogs even. Working with wild and tame deer in close quarters brought me to understand this all too well. I find some mature deer to be in some ways OCD, and others just kind of blunder around.
5. Luck comes into play more times than not on mature deer being harvested by bow.
6. Woodsmanship is the key to being a good hunter. Understand your surroundings as the deer do, and you will become a much better hunter. All the toys and gear in the world does not make up for the lack of woodsmanship.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
Bucks are sometimes a little more wary than does. If your up high in a tree stand they are only going to smell you way down wind, not right under you. I use leather snake boots year round here in the south east. I just spray a little pine scent on my boots before waling to the hunting ground. I keep my clothes in a plastic bag when I'm done and spray pine scent on them. Here in NC & SC we have a lot of pines. If your on the ground, just use a scent of the sounding area to mask yours, like dirt and autumn leafs, or pine.
Bucks are sometimes a little more wary than does. If your up high in a tree stand they are only going to smell you way down wind, not right under you. I use leather snake boots year round here in the south east. I just spray a little pine scent on my boots before waling to the hunting ground. I keep my clothes in a plastic bag when I'm done and spray pine scent on them. Here in NC & SC we have a lot of pines. If your on the ground, just use a scent of the sounding area to mask yours, like dirt and autumn leafs, or pine.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Night Hunter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Being a white-tailed deer outfitter (archery only until last year) and a biologist that has studied deer for the last 10 years and bowhunted for 17 years, I can tell you a few simple truths.
1. You can't fool a deer's nose into not smelling you. You can only hope to make them think you are further away than you actually are. Unless your down wind of course.
2. Deer are 100% unpredictable. Yes they tend to follow routines, but they rarely do the exact same thing all the time. They may go the same place to feed every night and be there the same time every night, but they will approach 100 different ways.
3. The more you think you understand about deer, the more you find you don't know.
4. Every deer has it's own personality (making them harder or easier to kill than others), and I find they are much more pronounced than dogs even. Working with wild and tame deer in close quarters brought me to understand this all too well. I find some mature deer to be in some ways OCD, and others just kind of blunder around.
5. Luck comes into play more times than not on mature deer being harvested by bow.
6. Woodsmanship is the key to being a good hunter. Understand your surroundings as the deer do, and you will become a much better hunter. All the toys and gear in the world does not make up for the lack of woodsmanship. </div></div>
^ this ^........+1
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Night Hunter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Being a white-tailed deer outfitter (archery only until last year) and a biologist that has studied deer for the last 10 years and bowhunted for 17 years, I can tell you a few simple truths.
1. You can't fool a deer's nose into not smelling you. You can only hope to make them think you are further away than you actually are. Unless your down wind of course.
2. Deer are 100% unpredictable. Yes they tend to follow routines, but they rarely do the exact same thing all the time. They may go the same place to feed every night and be there the same time every night, but they will approach 100 different ways.
3. The more you think you understand about deer, the more you find you don't know.
4. Every deer has it's own personality (making them harder or easier to kill than others), and I find they are much more pronounced than dogs even. Working with wild and tame deer in close quarters brought me to understand this all too well. I find some mature deer to be in some ways OCD, and others just kind of blunder around.
5. Luck comes into play more times than not on mature deer being harvested by bow.
6. Woodsmanship is the key to being a good hunter. Understand your surroundings as the deer do, and you will become a much better hunter. All the toys and gear in the world does not make up for the lack of woodsmanship. </div></div>
^ this ^........+1
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
Agreed! Nighthunter you state it perfectly.
Agreed! Nighthunter you state it perfectly.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Night Hunter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Being a white-tailed deer outfitter (archery only until last year) and a biologist that has studied deer for the last 10 years and bowhunted for 17 years, I can tell you a few simple truths.
1. You can't fool a deer's nose into not smelling you. You can only hope to make them think you are further away than you actually are. Unless your down wind of course.
4. I find some <span style="font-weight: bold">mature deer</span> to be in some ways OCD, and others just kind of blunder around.
5. Luck comes into play more times than not on mature deer being harvested by bow.
6. Woodsmanship is the key to being a good hunter. Understand your surroundings as the deer do, and you will become a much better hunter. All the toys and gear in the world does not make up for the lack of woodsmanship. </div></div>Good stuff ^
the key for <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">me</span></span> here is <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">mature deer</span></span> since that is what I'm really after. No matter how much you prepare for, study habits, use scent control etc,<span style="font-weight: bold"> <span style="text-decoration: underline">most</span></span> mature deer (especially old bucks who have been 1) hunted hard 2) shot at or 3) wounded before by a human) are very hard to hunt, fool and or kill.
If I just wanted meat or thought it was fun to shoot a buck just because he had some sort of antler on his head even if it was tiny then I would not take nearly the steps I do on a hunt. I wouldn't worry near as much about wind direction or scent control because most young deer are not as conditioned to avoiding humans and hunters.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Conditions such as hunting pressure or lack there of can have a huge affect on deer behavior.</span> Around here almost 100% of every house has at least one deer hunter and the deer act accordingly. Less hunting pressure will usually mean easier to hunt deer. Some hunters may get away with more flaws due to the deer not being as conditioned to avoid them. Around here a mature deer is 4 years old, <span style="font-weight: bold">minimum</span> with the ultimate goal being 5+ and they can get very tough to kill after 4.
In a lot of areas young does and baby bucks are a dime a dozen and you are just plain missing the picture if you can't harvest one regularly and should try harder, learn the woods, play the wind and use at least some scent control or find another hobby if it frustrates you.
I believe what Night Hunter says about making a deer think you are farther away with scent control, I also believe a mature deer might think you were there days earlier and left some scent behind but are no longer an immediate threat.
At the very least, leave your hunting boots outside, I keep mine under a porch or in the bed of my truck in a rubbermaid container <span style="text-decoration: underline">without the lid</span> and you wouldn't catch me pumping diesel or eating at Waffle House in them. Every week or so I put my boots on, pour scent wash in the grass and squirt it with the hose and scrub them in the grass then put them back in the container after washing it. I spray them with scent killer then pine cover scent after putting them on when I'm headed to the woods. This will at least increase the number of deer you will see instead of running the few off that you used to because they hit your trail and never came by you.
<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #660000">In my opinion, people who do not use scent control are seeing less deer whether or not they know it or will admit it. Taking at least a few steps in scent control will help.
<span style="text-decoration: underline">Its kind of like this:</span>
Yes you can get a girl if you have no job, are fat and smell like ass BUT it is easier to get a good one if you bathe, make at least a little money and are not always on the computer.</span></span>
Yes you can leave work, smoke a cig, not shower, not change clothes, walk through the woods with the wind at your back and possibly
see/shoot a deer BUT it would be easier to get a good one if you took a bath, put on some clean scent free washed clothes, squirt on some cover scent, played the wind and sprayed your boots<span style="font-size: 26pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">.</span></span>
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Night Hunter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Being a white-tailed deer outfitter (archery only until last year) and a biologist that has studied deer for the last 10 years and bowhunted for 17 years, I can tell you a few simple truths.
1. You can't fool a deer's nose into not smelling you. You can only hope to make them think you are further away than you actually are. Unless your down wind of course.
4. I find some <span style="font-weight: bold">mature deer</span> to be in some ways OCD, and others just kind of blunder around.
5. Luck comes into play more times than not on mature deer being harvested by bow.
6. Woodsmanship is the key to being a good hunter. Understand your surroundings as the deer do, and you will become a much better hunter. All the toys and gear in the world does not make up for the lack of woodsmanship. </div></div>Good stuff ^
the key for <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">me</span></span> here is <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">mature deer</span></span> since that is what I'm really after. No matter how much you prepare for, study habits, use scent control etc,<span style="font-weight: bold"> <span style="text-decoration: underline">most</span></span> mature deer (especially old bucks who have been 1) hunted hard 2) shot at or 3) wounded before by a human) are very hard to hunt, fool and or kill.
If I just wanted meat or thought it was fun to shoot a buck just because he had some sort of antler on his head even if it was tiny then I would not take nearly the steps I do on a hunt. I wouldn't worry near as much about wind direction or scent control because most young deer are not as conditioned to avoiding humans and hunters.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Conditions such as hunting pressure or lack there of can have a huge affect on deer behavior.</span> Around here almost 100% of every house has at least one deer hunter and the deer act accordingly. Less hunting pressure will usually mean easier to hunt deer. Some hunters may get away with more flaws due to the deer not being as conditioned to avoid them. Around here a mature deer is 4 years old, <span style="font-weight: bold">minimum</span> with the ultimate goal being 5+ and they can get very tough to kill after 4.
In a lot of areas young does and baby bucks are a dime a dozen and you are just plain missing the picture if you can't harvest one regularly and should try harder, learn the woods, play the wind and use at least some scent control or find another hobby if it frustrates you.
I believe what Night Hunter says about making a deer think you are farther away with scent control, I also believe a mature deer might think you were there days earlier and left some scent behind but are no longer an immediate threat.
At the very least, leave your hunting boots outside, I keep mine under a porch or in the bed of my truck in a rubbermaid container <span style="text-decoration: underline">without the lid</span> and you wouldn't catch me pumping diesel or eating at Waffle House in them. Every week or so I put my boots on, pour scent wash in the grass and squirt it with the hose and scrub them in the grass then put them back in the container after washing it. I spray them with scent killer then pine cover scent after putting them on when I'm headed to the woods. This will at least increase the number of deer you will see instead of running the few off that you used to because they hit your trail and never came by you.
<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #660000">In my opinion, people who do not use scent control are seeing less deer whether or not they know it or will admit it. Taking at least a few steps in scent control will help.
<span style="text-decoration: underline">Its kind of like this:</span>
Yes you can get a girl if you have no job, are fat and smell like ass BUT it is easier to get a good one if you bathe, make at least a little money and are not always on the computer.</span></span>
Yes you can leave work, smoke a cig, not shower, not change clothes, walk through the woods with the wind at your back and possibly
see/shoot a deer BUT it would be easier to get a good one if you took a bath, put on some clean scent free washed clothes, squirt on some cover scent, played the wind and sprayed your boots<span style="font-size: 26pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">.</span></span>
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
I always wear rubber boots while bowhunting white-tails. But my newest thing in scent control has been to use a vanilla cover scent spray. All you need to do is go to your local grocery store cooking isle and get a cheap bottle of liquid vanilla. I mix it into a spray bottle with water and use it to spray onto my boots. While bear hunting in Canada the guide would use a similar setup with molasses to spray near the bait site. Deer have come litteraly licking their lips.
I always wear rubber boots while bowhunting white-tails. But my newest thing in scent control has been to use a vanilla cover scent spray. All you need to do is go to your local grocery store cooking isle and get a cheap bottle of liquid vanilla. I mix it into a spray bottle with water and use it to spray onto my boots. While bear hunting in Canada the guide would use a similar setup with molasses to spray near the bait site. Deer have come litteraly licking their lips.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
What Happens when you all spray your boots with cover scent and then walk through a stream with water or a Mud hole does the cover scent wash off , how long does it stay on your boots.. I know back in the day or pioneer ancestors never used cover scent and they killed game. and i saw a show on t.v. the other day they said a Brown Bear can smell blood up to 18 miles away COME on now thats hard to believe. Dont tell me you all believe that to.
What Happens when you all spray your boots with cover scent and then walk through a stream with water or a Mud hole does the cover scent wash off , how long does it stay on your boots.. I know back in the day or pioneer ancestors never used cover scent and they killed game. and i saw a show on t.v. the other day they said a Brown Bear can smell blood up to 18 miles away COME on now thats hard to believe. Dont tell me you all believe that to.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
Im not hear to argue with no one its just i see all the advertisement about scent control but you never see any proof by those Co that there product works check it out Your self watch those Fake Hunting showes and tell me if you see that it works or are you just taking them for there word.
Im not hear to argue with no one its just i see all the advertisement about scent control but you never see any proof by those Co that there product works check it out Your self watch those Fake Hunting showes and tell me if you see that it works or are you just taking them for there word.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
I've been hunting whitetails for almost 3 decades now, and I learn something new every season as they make me feel like a "rookie" once again.
Getting busted is part of hunting.
The best advice was given above:
1. If you feel more confident using something (product, tool, strategy) then use it.
2. The guy that was a biologist summed it up in his offering.
Are rubber boots necessary? No. Do they help? Maybe. There are too many other variables in the equation to definitively say that they really do. There are thousands of other variables in play. Truely, the only person that knows if they don't leave any scent whatsoever is God and the deer. We never will.
I killed a big doe with my longbow one October. Walked in - sweating like a pig - climbed a white oak - sweated all over the ground - cut branches - with my hand scent and sweat on them - let them fall to the ground - the big doe came directly under my tree eating acorns - if I had been wearing scent lok or scent blocker I would have been swearing up and down they work. I wasn't. I was wearing good ole fashioned cotton camo - back in 2001.
1. I have seen lure scent and cover scents work. The best I have used was "Scrape Juice Bowhunter's Setup".
There is no subsititute for the 3 main ingredients for a successful hunter:
1. Time spent scouting
2. Time spent hunting
3. Location
Not preaching, well... maybe a little, but mostly just sharing.
No matter what, good luck!
I've been hunting whitetails for almost 3 decades now, and I learn something new every season as they make me feel like a "rookie" once again.
Getting busted is part of hunting.
The best advice was given above:
1. If you feel more confident using something (product, tool, strategy) then use it.
2. The guy that was a biologist summed it up in his offering.
Are rubber boots necessary? No. Do they help? Maybe. There are too many other variables in the equation to definitively say that they really do. There are thousands of other variables in play. Truely, the only person that knows if they don't leave any scent whatsoever is God and the deer. We never will.
I killed a big doe with my longbow one October. Walked in - sweating like a pig - climbed a white oak - sweated all over the ground - cut branches - with my hand scent and sweat on them - let them fall to the ground - the big doe came directly under my tree eating acorns - if I had been wearing scent lok or scent blocker I would have been swearing up and down they work. I wasn't. I was wearing good ole fashioned cotton camo - back in 2001.
1. I have seen lure scent and cover scents work. The best I have used was "Scrape Juice Bowhunter's Setup".
There is no subsititute for the 3 main ingredients for a successful hunter:
1. Time spent scouting
2. Time spent hunting
3. Location
Not preaching, well... maybe a little, but mostly just sharing.
No matter what, good luck!
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
Anybody that thinks that scent control to the best of your ability and doing your best to stay down wind of a whitetail deer, esp. wary ole does or mature bucks, doesn't have a clue. Yep, there are DEER killed every yr. by someone in their work clothes, after sweating all day, gasin up their truck and eatin supper in the same clothes, while sitting on a stump smoking a cigarette, BUT that is the exception to the rule. And more than likely, whether they were aware of it or not at the time, they were downwind of the deer. Leather boots retain human odor more than a knee high rubber boot...think about it. Think leather glove vs. rubber glove. I had a mature doe follow my foot tracks to my stand the other evenin shortly after my arrival on stand (before what little ground scent I may have left behind had time to dissipate), even after leaving my LaCrosse Burly's in a sealed container all the time, and spraying them with scent killer before I left the house. In the deer woods, like all other areas of life, nothing is 100%. If you want to just "kill a deer" it is fairly easy. If you want to step your game up a notch and consistently kill MATURE whitetail bucks or even wary old does, you will learn to stay down wind and do ever what is necessary to cut down on the amount of human scent you leave behind or spew from your body, including wearing rubber boots or even 'Elimitrax'. That is a fact.
Anybody that thinks that scent control to the best of your ability and doing your best to stay down wind of a whitetail deer, esp. wary ole does or mature bucks, doesn't have a clue. Yep, there are DEER killed every yr. by someone in their work clothes, after sweating all day, gasin up their truck and eatin supper in the same clothes, while sitting on a stump smoking a cigarette, BUT that is the exception to the rule. And more than likely, whether they were aware of it or not at the time, they were downwind of the deer. Leather boots retain human odor more than a knee high rubber boot...think about it. Think leather glove vs. rubber glove. I had a mature doe follow my foot tracks to my stand the other evenin shortly after my arrival on stand (before what little ground scent I may have left behind had time to dissipate), even after leaving my LaCrosse Burly's in a sealed container all the time, and spraying them with scent killer before I left the house. In the deer woods, like all other areas of life, nothing is 100%. If you want to just "kill a deer" it is fairly easy. If you want to step your game up a notch and consistently kill MATURE whitetail bucks or even wary old does, you will learn to stay down wind and do ever what is necessary to cut down on the amount of human scent you leave behind or spew from your body, including wearing rubber boots or even 'Elimitrax'. That is a fact.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
Not that it matters but I agree about trying to stay as clean as possible.
I shower with unscented soap and shampoo, wash my clothes in unscented detergent, store my hunting clothes in rubbermaid containers, and only wear my rubber boots while hunting.
I 've been wearing some form of rubber boot for 20 years. For the past 8 or so I have been wearing lacrosse alpha. I hate rubber boots. They are hot, heavy, and uncomfortable at times. My lacrosse are about worn out. Next year I am going to buy a regular cordura pair to see if I can tell a difference. I will still treat them accordingly.
Good luck!
Not that it matters but I agree about trying to stay as clean as possible.
I shower with unscented soap and shampoo, wash my clothes in unscented detergent, store my hunting clothes in rubbermaid containers, and only wear my rubber boots while hunting.
I 've been wearing some form of rubber boot for 20 years. For the past 8 or so I have been wearing lacrosse alpha. I hate rubber boots. They are hot, heavy, and uncomfortable at times. My lacrosse are about worn out. Next year I am going to buy a regular cordura pair to see if I can tell a difference. I will still treat them accordingly.
Good luck!
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
Actually I make my own scent killer and it works quite well. Brock, you said you weren't trying to argue. If you want to smell like raw ass in the woods, that is your business. I try to do ever thing that I do to the best of my ability. That includes remaing as scent free as posible and down wind of the critters as much as I can. I am not one to get in a pissin match with anybody, but if you care to compare trophy rooms I'm up for it.
Actually I make my own scent killer and it works quite well. Brock, you said you weren't trying to argue. If you want to smell like raw ass in the woods, that is your business. I try to do ever thing that I do to the best of my ability. That includes remaing as scent free as posible and down wind of the critters as much as I can. I am not one to get in a pissin match with anybody, but if you care to compare trophy rooms I'm up for it.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
My best firend will use anything on the market or what someone uses on a deer show. I love the raccoon cover scent, smells like he pissed himself. I use regular Camo an get as high as i can in a tree above the scent zone if thats possible. I have read articles about scent control it can't be done 100%. Field & Stream had a LEO us his dog to detect a person in five different boxes, the dog found him everytime with no time difference no matter what scent blocker he used. Scout, Conceal and stay out the woods, keep the wind in the right direction use one way in an one way out. You can't hide the scent just control the amount you spread.
My best firend will use anything on the market or what someone uses on a deer show. I love the raccoon cover scent, smells like he pissed himself. I use regular Camo an get as high as i can in a tree above the scent zone if thats possible. I have read articles about scent control it can't be done 100%. Field & Stream had a LEO us his dog to detect a person in five different boxes, the dog found him everytime with no time difference no matter what scent blocker he used. Scout, Conceal and stay out the woods, keep the wind in the right direction use one way in an one way out. You can't hide the scent just control the amount you spread.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
There Just no Proof to me that it works Pat , Indians never used it and they had to kill game to Survive. You probley do have a bigger trophy room if you hunt private land baited with all the new Food plot Vitamins and Nutrient supplements that are out there , I only Hunt Game Land in the Uwaharrie National Forest here in NC the deer don't grow big here, But i Kill deer every year and the way i do is i find rubs and Scrapes and i set up on them and get my Deer, All i know is i have never used and kind of Scent control and Yes i have been Down and up Wind of deer and i have killed both ways, All i want you to try is to hunt one year with out it and i bet you will still kill Deer, Horns are only good for stirring Gravy LOL LOL LOL cant eat the Horns.
There Just no Proof to me that it works Pat , Indians never used it and they had to kill game to Survive. You probley do have a bigger trophy room if you hunt private land baited with all the new Food plot Vitamins and Nutrient supplements that are out there , I only Hunt Game Land in the Uwaharrie National Forest here in NC the deer don't grow big here, But i Kill deer every year and the way i do is i find rubs and Scrapes and i set up on them and get my Deer, All i know is i have never used and kind of Scent control and Yes i have been Down and up Wind of deer and i have killed both ways, All i want you to try is to hunt one year with out it and i bet you will still kill Deer, Horns are only good for stirring Gravy LOL LOL LOL cant eat the Horns.
Re: Rubber boots for deer archery?
I always wear my 12" LL Bean rubber soled boots when I'm out scouting or hunting, bow or gun. Is it a huge factor... i don't know. But it gives me a little more piece of mind, especially when I watch deer feed right across my tracks into the stand and not seem to notice anything.
IMO, they're better boots for archery season as they don't have shit for insulation and, after years of wearing them, I'm almost convinced they do something to make your feet COLDER. For that reason, my dad has switched to Muck Boots for the colder months of rifle season, and he seems to really like 'em.
The Bean boots have the added benefit of a pronounced, 3/4-1 inch tall heel which, if you climb with a pair of spikes, offers really solid attachment of the hook to your boot.
I always wear my 12" LL Bean rubber soled boots when I'm out scouting or hunting, bow or gun. Is it a huge factor... i don't know. But it gives me a little more piece of mind, especially when I watch deer feed right across my tracks into the stand and not seem to notice anything.
IMO, they're better boots for archery season as they don't have shit for insulation and, after years of wearing them, I'm almost convinced they do something to make your feet COLDER. For that reason, my dad has switched to Muck Boots for the colder months of rifle season, and he seems to really like 'em.
The Bean boots have the added benefit of a pronounced, 3/4-1 inch tall heel which, if you climb with a pair of spikes, offers really solid attachment of the hook to your boot.
