SPONSORED BY: Robinson Outdoors, Tree Spider & ScentBlocker Products
Wild man and host of Nosler’s Magnum TV, Rob Dunham has the chance to hunt big game across the world. Growing up loving the wilds of the beautiful Saskatchewan province of Canada quickly helped Rob become the outdoorsman he is today. Cutting his teeth guiding bear and deer hunters, Rob soon graduated to running his own outfitting business while becoming a popular television personality. Rob’s one of the most well traveled hunters that I’ve had a chance to work with and we spoke recently about how he practices scent control throughout his adventures across the globe.
“Animals depend on their sense of smell- across the world- no matter what species they are. Scent control is an important part of my plan regardless of where I am hunting.” To Rob, and many other successful trophy hunters, scent control is an important piece of the hunting puzzle- it’s one aspect of their plan.
First Dunham starts by scouting. “I like to focus on areas with superior genetics.” Rob explained that regardless of where he is hunting, he scouts way more than he hunts and makes sure that the caliber of animal he’s after is in fact living in the area. If there’s not a trophy buck or ram living in the area, then there’s not a lot of sense hunting there. “I literally spend hundreds of hours each season scouting.”
“I use ScentBlocker gear and liquids to mask my scent plus take care of any odors on all of my gear. That’s the thing many hunters overlook- their gear. With the help of my scent control routine I was able to get within 60 meters of a world class Marco Polo ram in Kyrgyzstan and almost too close to several “Dugga Boy” Cape Buffalo in Africa.” Rob explained that like most North American whitetail hunters he stores his clothes in scent free containers, showers, uses all the liquids and sprays and basically does everything we coach whitetail deer hunters to do with their ScentBlocker gear. Depending on the terrain, temperature and animal- Rob will adjust what gear he’s using accordingly. When it’s hot and he’s hiking a lot, Rob utilizes the lightweight, moisture wicking scent killing gear like the Trinity 1.5 shirt. When it’s cold with blistering winds, it’s warmer gear like the Outfitter series which contains a reversible and removable WindBlocker fleece vest.
Dunham also added in that he tries to equip his PH, trackers, and cameramen in ScentBlocker Trinity gear as well. Along with having everyone on the team wear scent control clothing, they spray down all of their extra gear such as backpacks, tripods, shooting sticks, camera equipment, etc. Needless to say, a lot of spraying gets done in Rob’s camps and experience has shown- that’s what a successful hunt takes.
“Confidence is huge when trophy hunting. I might only get a split second to take that shot of a lifetime, and I need to believe that I can do it.” Rob practices all possible shots, stays in great physical shape, and does several other things to make sure that when he does finally get a shot, he’s not gasping for air, shaking like a leaf, and in a clear state of mind. “When the time comes- I need to know I can get it done.”
When asked about any last tips or advice, Rob had these things to say. “Adventure hunting is a lot different than chasing whitetails. When you’re next to a 13,000 pound angry African elephant, or three fired up Dugga Boy’s, and the wind shifts- it’s important to know that ScentBlocker provides real technologies to combat scent and help us remain undetected. These are life and death situations, scent control can save your life.” Also Rob added, “Like any whitetail hunter, always keep the wind in mind. Pay attention to how the animals use it, and be sure to pay attention to the small details. Spray down your boots, pack, and binoculars- anything that may have come in contact with your skin.”
Rob is a wealth of knowledge and a great guy to talk to. I’m glad for the chance to work with him and can’t wait to hear more adventure hunting stories. Africa sounds fun, but I think for now I’ll stick with whitetails who run away from me when they spoke instead of try to kill me- at least until I get into better shape. When adventure hunting- you don’t have to be the fastest guy in camp- you just don’t want to be the slowest!
To learn more about Rob, book a hunt with him, or see what he’s been up to, be sure to visit his website at http://dunhams.ca/. To find local show times for Nosler’s Magnum TV, please visit http://magnumglobalmedia.com/noslers-magnum-tv. To learn more about ScentBlocker gear useful for global hunting adventures, please visit www.scentblocker.com.
For more please go to: Robinson Outdoor Products
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