Does Scent Control Really Matter

You’ve heard time and time again that you should cover up your scent when you go hunting. But is it really necessary? While, in theory, you could still harvest a deer even after you just devoured an egg salad sandwich out in the open, covering your scent will help give you the best chances of harvesting your wild game. Check out our tips below for why we think scent control matters for a successful hunt.

1. Deer Have an Enhanced Sense of Smell

Deer naturally have a stronger sense of smell than we do, and not by a little: by a lot. We mean 1,000 times stronger! They have over 800 times as many olfactory receptors in their nose as we do, and if that isn’t enough, they have an entirely separate organ that’s just for processing smells called the Jacobson’s organ. When we advise you to control your scent, it’s not just out of precaution, it’s truly a scientific necessity. If there’s something out of place in the woods, the deer will smell it. Spraying your clothes with a scent-eliminating spray and choosing your foods carefully will help ensure that those extra sensors don’t pick up a smell that they shouldn’t.

2. Not as Important in Banks Blinds

While covering your scent is important when you’re hunting on foot or in a treestand, it’s not quite as important when you’re hunting from a Stump blind. Our Stump blinds are designed to eliminate scent for you. The doors and windows are tightly sealed so that you can eat whatever you like inside the blind and the smell won’t escape the blind. The windows open silently so you can keep them closed, with the scent locked in, up until the moment the deer comes into shooting range.

3. Spray Yourself When Checking Your Trail Cameras

Even if you’re using a Stump blind and don’t need to worry about your scent when you’re inside the blind, you still need to be aware of your scent when you’re traveling to the blind or checking your trail cameras. If your trail cameras are set up along a shooting lane or a path that you’re expecting the deer to take to get to your blind, you shouldn’t compromise the spots with your scent. If you frequently check your cameras without using scent-eliminating spray, you’re leaving your mark on that area every time you visit it. The deer could eventually begin to associate that path with a human scent and avoid it when it comes time for hunting season.

Controlling your scent while you’re on a hunt is an important way to maintain your stealth. When you’re hunting on foot or from a stand you should spray down your clothes with scent-eliminating spray and avoid eating strong smelling foods, but hunting from a Stump blind gives you a little more flexibility. However you hunt this upcoming season, make sure you’re conscientious of what you need to do to hide your scent. Let our Stump blinds do most of the scent-eliminating work for you so you can concentrate on your shot placement, deer calls, and other things that will help you on your next fall hunt.

Do you think scent control matters? What do you do to control your scent? Let us know in the comments below!