Animals in the wild don’t last long without a keen sense of smell. Black bears, for example, use their nose to find food, especially forage like clams, berries, and animal carcasses. Without a good nose, many bears would starve.
Whitetail deer use their sense of smell to stay alive too. Not only do they find food, they also avoid predators with their noses. A deer actually has two “noses,” the kind we’re used to seeing, and a vomeronasal organ, which opens at the roof of the mouth. Scientists believe this organ is used primarily for sniffing out good mating partners, but it still demonstrates a deer’s reliance on smell.
In fact, it’s been estimated that the part of a deer’s brain that interprets smell is nine times larger than a human’s. With more scent receptors than an average dog, deer are fully equipped to smell practically anything, including hunters looking to bag a trophy.
So how can you avoid being smelled out before you get the chance to shoot? Use these simple tips and you’ll give yourself an added advantage in the field.
Control Your Body Odor
One of the first things you can do to prevent a buck from smelling you out is to start at ground zero: your body. Good hygiene not only makes your spouse happy, it keeps your body odor from overpowering your clothes. Use scent-free soaps and shampoos, and shower before every single hunt. Follow up with a scent-free deodorant and you’ll be clean, comfortable, and scent-free for hours.
Bag or Seal Your Hunting Clothes
Properly cleaning and drying your hunting clothes is a smart practice, but it won’t do a whole lot of good if you store your apparel with shirts and pants covered in the flowery scent of laundry detergent. Many hunters prefer to seal their hunting clothes in plastic bags and storage containers, keeping their apparel quarantined from encroaching smells.
Wear Your Hunting Clothes for Hunting Only
Your favorite hunting jacket might be the most comfortable and warm piece of clothing in your closet, but if you wear it to work, the bar, the diner, and the shop, it’s going to pick up those smells. If you want your hunting apparel to be as scent-free as possible, leave it at home until it comes time to hunt.
Don’t Forget Your Boots
Lots of hunters are very thorough when it comes to keeping their pants, shirts, and jackets scent-free, but then trudge out into the woods wearing boots that have been dragged through mud, gasoline, grass, oil, salt, and hundreds of other contaminants. Remember that contact with the ground means your boots pick up smells quickly. A good practice is to store your boots in a plastic bag, wear a pair of sneakers when driving to your hunting grounds, and put your boots on only when your ready to start walking.
Wear NOMAD Hunting Apparel
Having the right clothing can make a big difference in the success of your hunt. NOMAD hunting apparel is leading the way in scent-reduction technology with two innovative techniques. The first is infusing the fabric with nitrates, which masks the body’s odor. The other is a volcanic rock called zeolyte, which traps the odor inside the clothing. With NOMAD hunting apparel, you are better equipped to hide your scent from the buck of a lifetime.
Visit the online store from NOMAD and check out our large selection of hunting apparel. You’ll find a complete collection of layered hunting garments, all designed to give you an advantage in the field.