randy1953 said:
Guys I stink,so how high should I go to get above the scent thermals. I have two twenty ft. Ladder stands and still get winded ! I use scent blocking clothes, shower twice a day and still get busted. I use scent control soap,laundry products. Any and all hints will help.
I agree with hunting the wind, but I have a suspicion you are missing something in your prep. or in your clothes, equipment prep. as well. My feeling is personal preparation of yourself, your clothes, and your equipment is about 20%-30%. If the wind is good, you can get away with more. If the wind is bad, you are going to get busted 8 times out of 10 no matter how good you are. You might get lucky 2 times with a bad wind, but usually not, and in late archery, you usually only get 1 chance. My problem this season is most of the property I have to hunt needs a W-NW-N wind. I can't count the number of S-SE-SW wind days we had in Tioga county. Even the last day of gun season- December 8- was a S-SSW wind. Usually by then it out of the N-NW and blowing hard and cold.
Some general tips--hunting boots- use for hunting only, don't wear until you are walking in- change to drive home as well.
Stands, bows, etc. - spray them down with scent elimination spray as well.
Clothes- don't get dressed until you get to the hunting area- I got a 24x36 rubber kitchen mat from Walmart to stand on getting dressed at the back of my truck.
Underwear- wash a couple pair with your scent free soap and keep them for hunting only.
Outer wear to drive in- I keep a pair of old pants or sweats- washed in scent free soap- this is what I wear to drive to my spot- then get dressed in my scent free hunting clothes- change when you get back to the vehicle.
Try different body washes- my wife says the green stuff makes me smell like carbon, and DDW doesn't cover body odor- I use Wildlife research scent killer.
Deoderants- best one I've found is Arm and Hammer unscented- again- gotta see what works best for you.
Bath towels- I have 2 I wash with scent free soap to use when I shower to hunt so I'm not picking up the smell of fabric softner as I dry off.
One last thing I do- and it's probably overkill, but starting 1 full week before archery starts AND CONTINUE until the last day of gun season, I only shower with scent free body wash and shampoo, only use scent free soap, only use scent free deoderant, and NO AFTERSHAVES OR COLOGNE. I even have scent free soap and body wash in my locker at work so I can shower after teaching my classes in scent free soap.
I hunt 18-25 feet with my climber, depending on the tree, the canopy, and the terrain around me. My pullup rope is 20'- when it is tight, my summit top is 20 feet from the ground, my feet are 18.5'- If I go higher, I judge by how much of my bow is suspended or off the ground.