Staying scent-free

To stand a chance of killing a buck like this, hunters must do everything right.

Over many years, readers have asked me many questions pertaining to deer and deer hunting. Each one was answered, as time permitted, in some detail, but seldom is this information shared with other readers of my daily weblog.

Here are several questions asked of me in the past, that may be of help as you mentally prepare for the next round of deer seasons.

Scent control is paramount when deer hunting, especially with a bow.

Q. Are you happy when deer season finally ends after three months?


A. No, I'm never happy to see the season end. But then, I often go out and sit in the woods and watch for deer providing they aren't yarded up. There is no bow or firearm with me, but I'm studying deer habits, travel routes, and it is all a necessary part of hunting. I'll spend an average of 87 of the 90-day season hunting, and watching it end feels like I'm losing an old friend.

Q. What kind of a tree stand appeals to you?


A. I enjoy an open tree stand where playing the wind is necessary. I use the Gorilla brand ladder stands made by Eastman Outdoors. They go up easy, come down easy, and put me about 15 feet off the ground. They are safe, stable, easy to climb, and work for me.

Nice bucks like this often move out of bedding areas just before dark.

Q. Name your favorite trees for a tree stand? And why?


A. C'mon, that's too easy. Cedars and pines. I don’t like tamaracks because the needles fall off during the fall.  I prefer to sit back in the shadows of overhead boughs with heavy limbs on both sides. The only place I need to shoot is out in front and a bit to my left. I prefer deer to pass the stand from behind me and to my left, and that angle provides me with an easy broadside or quartering-away shot.

Q. Do you hunt the hardwoods?


A. Yes, I do. There aren’t many oaks in most of my hunting areas, but given the opportunity, I like to find where acorns are plentiful and where deer eat as many nuts as the squirrels. I also hunt from maple trees, and try to find what I feel is the best spot and offers the utmost in concealment. My stands in hardwoods make natural use of the big and small limbs. Most hardwood trees seem bare to someone who only hunts from cedars and pines, but with the right camouflage and a well-chosen location, a hunter can virtually disappear is they can sit still.

Q. Do you stand to shoot or do you shoot while sitting down?


A. Good questions. I prefer to shoot sitting down because it requires less movement. I’ve got a bum left leg, and dislike standing for two, three or four hours at a time.

Q. Do you cut shooting lanes for bow or firearm seasons?


A. No, and here's why. Remove a bunch of small trees, branches and other cover, and it removes the reason why bucks travel in that direction. I note where deer travel, pick a hole in the brush to shoot an arrow or bullet through, and do as little to disturb the area as possible.

Q. How often (days in a row) will you sit in a stand?


A. Much depends on the circumstances, but I may sit in a new stand for a day or two in the evening or morning. If I've got a a big buck coming through on a regular basis, and if the wind is in my favor for two days in a row, I will probably sit in the same spot both days. The big problem here is it is very easy for deer to pattern a hunter, and it becomes easier the more often you hunt a stand. I get bored sitting in one stand, looking at the same trees, and when we leased land, we had several tree stands and several coops or box blinds scattered around. It was easy to hunt a different stand almost every day. It paid off with good bucks.

Q. What is your biggest fear when deer hunting?


A. Getting spotted climbing into the stand. Each location should have a minimum of two routes in and two out, and I always rotate. Even if I hunt the same stand twice in eight days, the second time I walk to the stand by a different route than I used a week before. I always leave the stand by a different route than when entering it. Some of my stands have three and even four ways into them and away from them.

Q. What is the biggest problem for most archery deer hunters?


A. Playing the wind. The hunter must be downwind or down and slightly cross-wind whenever they hunt. How you avoid having deer wind you is up to you. Simply hunting only when you can have deer upwind of your position is great. Some believe in Scent-Lok suits, as I do, and others believe in sprays that help eliminate human odor. Being downwind of deer offers a great advantage. If the wind switches, leave.

Q. Do you wear rubber boots? Are you that fanatical?


A. Yes, I am that fanatical. Most of the time I wear knee-high rubber boots, but if I must walk through tall marsh grass I'll often wear hip-boots or rubber wader and I spray them down before walking to the stand. Years ago, when I wore leather boots, more than one deer trailed me to my stand. They don't trail me now. I also try not to touch any vegetation with my clothing or skin.

Q. Why do you pass up bucks that others would shoot?


A. That's really easy. I've shot well over 260 during my lifetime, and I no longer derive any satisfaction from shooting small bucks. I'd rather hunt for an old doe because they offer more challenge than a young buck. Hunting doesn't always mean a kill for me, and if a wee 6-point comes by, I draw and aim as if I'm going to shoot, and then ease off and let him walk. I no longer need to kill a buck every year, and I didn't shoot one during last season, but passed up 30 bucks I could have shot. Passing up bucks can be more fun than shooting one.

Q. How far do you go to control your scent?


A. Part of that was answered above. I do wear a clean Scent-Lok suit. I feel scent control begins at home. Be clean, keep your hunting clothing in an unscented plastic tub, carry the tub well away from the road or your vehicle, and carry a small fold-up chair. Sit down,remove your shoes, and pull your boots from the tub. Pull on your bib overalls or first your pants and then the hunting jacket. Spray the inside and outside of rubber boots with a good odor-removing spray, spray the inside and outside of your hat and cotton gloves, and pay particular attention to high-scent areas such as arm pits, back, groin, head and legs. I do this before walking to my stand, and spray everything again (including treestand and ladder) as well as safety harness once I’m in the stand. And then I watch the wind so I am downwind or across and downwind from active deer trails.

Stay tuned for more tips on remaining scent-free in the future.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors