Hunting Cover Scents That Just Don’t Make Sense
Skunk, raccoon, red fox, cedar, persimmon, acorn, and earth. These are just a few of many kinds of scents a hunter is likely to find on the market to use. All of them have their use, but sometimes, no matter how great they sound, some scents just don’t make sense to use. That isn’t to say you should never use them, it just means that you need to use common sense when to or not use them.
How many times have you seen a skunk in a tree? I know I never have, and I think I’ve seen some pretty strange things in my time in the woods, but that isn’t one of them. So does wearing a skunk cover scent make any sense when crawling up into a tree stand for a long day of hunting? Even overlooking the smell, no, it doesn’t.
How about wearing persimmon scent when hunting in the middle of a cedar forest? Or just the opposite, cedar scent in the middle of a persimmon patch? Acorn scent in the middle of a corn field? Are you seeing what I’m getting at yet? No matter how great these scents are, the success you have with them is determining when and where to use each of them.
It seems like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised at how often hunters use scents that just doesn’t fit well with the circumstances they’re hunting in. The only scent in the list above that lends itself well to any hunting situation is the earth scent, and even it has times when natural earth from the actual area is best to use. When hunters choose a cover scent, they need to be well aware of the area they are hunting, including the type of plants and animals that are a part of the natural habitat.
So, before going out and buying a cover scent that your buddy in the next state over had success with, do a little research and see what is the best for you and where you hunt. It could make the difference of being skunked by scent savvy deer or being the talk of the hunting camp.
hunting, hunting sense, hunters, scents, cover scents, habitat, deer, deer hunting
July 16th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Personally I can’t imagine wearing skunk scent at all. That sounds like it would be awful.
By the way, I thought the idea was to have no scent. Am I missing something here?
July 16th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
I am still skeptical of cover scents since I am positive nothing can cover the exquisite smell of bacon and eggs, chili, and woodstove smoke on my clothing. I see plenty of game. The problem is my shooting…
July 16th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
Trust me, Kristine, it is. My cousin and I tried it one time when we were younger and wasn’t allowed back in the house until we washed off under the hose with a can of tomatoe juice.
No scent is the best way to go, but cover scents (something natural to the area animals are use to) can further help hiding any odors that may be present.
Bill, I agree, those smells are awful hard to cover up. And who would want to, right? Nothing can beat them. I have the same problem with my shooting at times, too.
July 17th, 2007 at 4:48 am
Yeah, I just walk on by the skunk set when I visit my local hunting retailer. Some Tink’s I bought last year came with a nice DVD on when and how to use cover scents and attractants.
July 23rd, 2007 at 7:30 pm
I’ve always wondered about some of these scents myself. Why would you want to smell like a skunk while in a tree? Seems like a deer would just have to look right at you, ’cause you know he’d be curious about that, too.
July 23rd, 2007 at 9:41 pm
[…] have written because I think it every time I’m in the scents section of any store - Hunting Cover Scents that Just Don’t Make Sense! How many skunks do you see in trees? How many acorns in the ole corn field. Great points […]
July 24th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
I missed that post. It reminds me of an article I wrote a few years back. “Sense about Scent” deals exactly with what you wrote in your excellent post. Not only do many hunters use the wrong cover scent but also the wrong deer attractant scent, like estrus doe in early October. It’s mistakes like that, that will let the deer instantly know that something is not right and therefore I is best to avoid this area or stay out of sight.
-Othmar Vohringer-