Sponsored by: Dead Down Wind
I can’t believe we’re finally heading into the 80’s; a sure sign archery season is here! If you’re truly part super-hunter, chances are you’ve spent a lot of time in our woods already chasing hogs and other critters. We live in a quite a place. Our little slice of Texas is fat with outdoor opportunities to keep us chomping at the bit for deer season; hogs, ducks, turkeys, dove, even bowfishing for carp, gar and Tilapia await us in the “off-season.” Addicts like me know there really is no “off-season,” but we still get giddy around “ON-SEASON,” too! Still, it would be nice if these warm fall days really gave way to the mythical days, we’ve all heard about where people actually wear cold weather gear.
Speaking of cooler temps, it’s been a heck of a hot summer in God’s country, hasn’t it? I spent more time getting busted by hogs than I surely spent dragging them out of the tow away zone! It wasn’t any surprise to me – no great riddle! I stank! The problem with hunting in hot temps is you can’t stop sweating! Trust me, I know what hot is – it was 106 degrees the last time I fed a hog a carbon I.V.
Controlling your scent can be a nightmare! During the summer months I keep a towel next to me and some Dead Down Wind (DDW) scent eliminating spray. I continually wipe the sweat off my face, neck and head then spray my face with a mist of DDW before also spraying off the towel; I’m always working on scent control even when I’m in the stand. My good friend and hunting buddy, Arron Cottongame, always keeps his DDW handy and even uses a new favorite of mine, Dead Down Wind Field Wash Cloths!” Not only do these wet-wipe styled cloths kill your scent, they actually cool you off. Arron’s a smart cookie; smarter than me anyway but that’s not saying much at all. Now the DDW wipes have replaced my towel on most occasions.
Hogs, arguably, have the best sense of smell in our woods; deer don’t come up much shorter at all; it’s flat tough to beat a deer’s nose! Just like hog hunting controlling your scent is as important as breaking up your outline, perhaps even more important. And, there are only three ways I know of to keep your stink to yourself – play the wind, scent control yourself and watch your activities before you hit the woods!
Before I hunt I wash in scent eliminating soap and shampoo, brush with scent free toothpaste, then roll on the scent destroying deodorant – I don’t want to offend any critters! DDW laundry detergent and dryer sheets do a great job of knocking the stink off my hunting clothes, too! The wipes, as I mentioned above, are my tool to combat the scent I’m still producing in the stand which means as incredibly affective as Dead Down Wind really is, it makes good sense to continue playing the wind as a safeguard. DDW is, it’s still important to play the wind in our warm weather. As a general rule, you always want to try to hunt downwind of the animals you are hunting.
Playing the wind and practicing my routine of scent control play critical roles in my success but there is one more issue I mentioned that we’ve yet to discuss. Did you get dressed in your hunting garb at home? What did you do after you were dressed? Everything we do in our hunting clothes adds scent. Did you stop to get gas? Did you stop in for food? Did indoor pets decide to hop all over you while you were dressing? If you can, dress after you get to the field. There are a number of products out there including scent control plastic tubs and giant “Zip-Lock” bags you can purchase to keep your clothes in – put them on once you reach your hunting grounds. If you insist, you can put your hunting clothes on when you leave the house but you must be aggressive with spraying down to control your scent. One place most often overlooked is the bottom of your shoes or boots. Remember the indoor pets, your vehicle, stopping to get gas, etc.? All of those situations put healthy doses of scent on you, especially on the bottom of your boots!
Controlling your scent takes a lot of work but the payoff may be the trophy of a lifetime! Sure, everyone knows someone that was at the right place at the right time, smoking in a stand, slobbering all over a .99-cent heart attack and hunting upwind when they hammered a trophy buck. What I can tell you is they were lucky; luck struck and they happened to be there, simple as that!
Those of in the woods right now are bowhunters. We’re a different breed of predator. We don’t depend on luck. We depend on stealth, strategy, hard work and determination to get animals on the ground. We depend on God’s timing and our own wits to see us through – Leave luck at the door with your human stench; take tenacity, grit and your favorite scent eliminating products; for me it’s Dead Down Wind. Do that and you just might bag the buck of a lifetime this fall.
Hunt hard, hunt often.
For questions or comments, Kevin can be reached at Kevinr@Just-Hunt.com.
Kevin Reese is an award-winning outdoor writer, photographer and speaker.
2011 POMA/Mossy Oak Pinnacle Award Winner – Best Newspaper/Web Article, 2010
2011 POMA/Mossy Oak Outstanding Achievement Award – Runner up, Best Newspaper/Web Article 2010
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Visit www.DeadDownWind.com to check out a full line of highly effective scent eliminating products!
