Well, I’m sure I have your attention now. Many are thinking what the heck in Robbins up to now.

There is a hunting tool that I don’t have to purchase? What is this magical item? Why is this the first time the old man is sharing this information with us?

These are all very good questions. First of all, we have discussed the importance of this tool for decades. Heck, back when I was taking my first steps in the woods my Grandpa Robbins shared it with me, so I’m passing the same information along to my grandchildren just as it was done with me.

As was the case with me as a young hunter, I thought there was more to it than that. Now I’m sure my grandkids look at me and think, there has got to be more to it than that. Actually, there isn’t. No fancy equipment, no new-fangled gadget, it’s very basic. Use the wind as your friend, hunt the wind.

Let me lay out it for you. You have scouted the perfect set-up, you have done your due diligence, your stand is at the prefect distance from the well-traveled trails, you have practiced with stick and string from an elevated position, you have taken into account thermoclines, wind direction and every little detail has been gone over in your head a zillion times. Then, it happens. The wind shifts ever so slightly and you hear that sound that no deer hunters want to hear — a deer blowing at you. You have been winded.

There are hundreds of things that can be done to make us scent free. From soaps to diet to scent eliminators, the market is flooded with ways to feel a fool with a whitetail’s nose, but there are only a handful of sure-fire ways to make sure you don’t get “blown at.”

Here it is folks: the easiest way to beat a whitetails’ best defense is use the wind to your advantage. Always, always know and understand wind direction.

While a good tree and background is important to a set-up, it shouldn’t be more than wind direction. Here in our part of the whitetail’s world, we need to know and understand wind direction. For starters, historically the wind blows out of the south about 50% of the time in October, with about 40% of the time it’s out of the west. In November, the winds start to do a 180, with 50% of the time out of the west and 40% out of the south.

These two facts should be put in your mental toolbox when choosing a set-up. Whether on the ground or in a tree, wind direction can, and will, mess up that perfect hunt.

Deer hunters know the best plans aren’t haphazardly prepared. Instead, they’ve been mapped out. These whitetail gurus use every available tool and technology to increase their understanding of a target buck’s habits and behaviors. They’ve calculated his every move in order to plan and implement a strategy for his ultimate demise. Precise geography is important, and in the end, success hinges on being in exactly the right place at the right time.

But even the wisest of strategies can fail if the smallest of details aren’t adequately considered. And as anyone who’s spent time chasing whitetails knows, these “smallest of details” are often a hunter’s rogue, a whitetail deer’s microscopic odor molecules.

Scent-control clothing is a hunter’s primary weapon in regulating the three most common odors that alert deer. And controlling these pesky bacterial, metabolic and ambient odors begins with the first layer of clothing that touches a hunter’s skin. Any successful hunter understands that this is all with a good base layer.

Now, there are times when the wind shifts and you need a little extra help. When that wind does shift, you as a hunter have two options — leave or tough it out. The majority of us will stay in hopes the wind will shift to our favor, but that doesn’t always happen.

With all that said, there is one company that has been at the forefront of scent-free clothing, ScentLok. I have been using and found good success in ScentLok’s AMP. What I like is that ScentLok has gone the extra mile by introducing base layers of AMP garments that place a triple threat of odor control technologies in the precise areas they’re needed to combat odor while ensuring maximum comfort and mobility. The use of Fusix and Carbon Alloy Fusix technologies were born in a lab, but have been whitetail tested in the field for a couple of years.

This science is complicated and far over my head. The end game for me is this: does it work for me and mine in the field? When used with base layer AMP, we have good results. But, remember, you still need to hunt with the wind to your favor.

ScentLok “suites” have been common in the whitetail for years, but most recently being able to take the same technology to base layers was a new idea when they were introduced but they have taken scent control to another level. The key to using the proper base lay is comfort. If you are aren’t comfortable with the clothing closest to your body, you are not going to wear it.

While everybody is concerned about clothing, which is important, there are small pieces to the scent-free puzzle that are often overlooked.

Often, we have discussed how using “barn style” boots are important. There are plenty of boots on the market today, but then again comfort for you may not be the same as comfort for me. It’s important to find a good boot that is not only comfortable but warm. The boots you wear for spring turkey aren’t going to work during your fall deer hunt.

While deer hunting, we tend to sit longer and need a good boot which offers insulation. For me 1,200 grams of thinosulfate is a minimum for me during the fall. It seems the older I get the colder my feet get. Teaming footwear up with layering socks can help a lot.

While headgear is great looking in the restaurant but oftentimes will keep you comfortable on stand. For some time, we have found that either wearing a lightweight hat or no hat while walking into a stand is best. It’s basic science. More heat will escape from the head, especially if your hair is thin (not that I would know from personal experience).

This brings up the point of pre-hunt showering. It’s a must to try to get a shower with scent-free soap before you head into the woods. Don’t stop and don’t get fuel on your way to your hunting area. All your hard work will be gone once you step foot at the gas pump. Staying scent free is a mindset. It will take a while to change old habits but you can do it.

Hands and face are another piece to the scent-free puzzle. A face mask is important and I have found that ScentLok offers several different versions, depending on weather conditions. Keeping your face covered will help with scent control, but also is huge to help with you blending in.

Over the years we have discovered that lightweight camo gloves with hand warmers or “hand pouch” will keep your hands not only warm but also ready when they are needed. There is nothing worse than having the buck you have been working close enough for a shot, only to find that your fingers aren’t working properly because they froze. Of course, it’s not that good for your fingers either.

Whichever way you plan on keeping scent free, keep your system consistent while making changes when they need to be made.

There is no worse feeling than doing all the proper land work, your bow is shooting dots, everything is perfect, then Mother Nature throws you a curve and the wind shifts, and the sound that all deer hunters don’t want to hear comes from the shadows. Take your hunting to the next level this season by doing everything in your power to control your scent. Take it from an old man. This one thing will make you a better hunter, which in turn, will fill your freezer.

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

ORCHARD PARK — In preparing to make his first NFL career start, Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett ...

Jim Swearingen’s 220-245-624 led the Daybreakers League at Lucky Lanes. Other individual scores were Dave Jones ...

Well, I’m sure I have your attention now. Many are thinking what the heck in Robbins up to now. There is a ...

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

Copyright © Observer Today | https://www.observertoday.com | PO Box 391, Dunkirk, NY 14048 | 716-366-3000