Personal cover scents and odor neutralizers have been discussed.  How do you get rid of the smell of the gun cleaner?

-MD

I sight all my rifles in well before deer season and they stay dirty until the season closes.After the season they well get a good scrubbing and some oil.So the smell of cleaner and oil is not really a problem.

What's wrong with the smell of gun cleaner? Love the smell of Hoppe's.

I use a no scent cleaner...works good for me

Posted By Badger1 on 15 Sep 2012 09:39 AM
I use a no scent cleaner...works good for me

Same here.  I use the regular stuff right after the season closes and up to about a month or 6 weeks before it starts up the next year.  For the month to 6 weeks prior to season I switch to no scent cleaner.

I do this because I have heard the no scent cleaner does not have as good of rust preventive properties.  Also the smell of the old style cleaners brings back memories of yesteryear but I don't want to get busted by any deer. 

IMHO if you are like I am and try to get close to the game before shooting I think it is more of a concern than if you take 200-300 + yard shots more often.  I am not an expert on this and would love to hear what more experienced people say about it.

This is getting anal , first they say it's us then our cloths and now our weapons scare game away . How in the world was I able to do it in the 70'S being up close with that smelly weapon no scent lock or spray scent killer . Didn't need it then so what changed ? Deer don't know to be frightened by an unknown smell and actually the opposite will be observed often.

That's fine when your hunting non pressured lands ...but I hunt in one of the highest hunting pressured areas of our state....and literally have hundreds of hunters in a square mile area...so they do associate smells and movement with danger
Not to be mean...But the guys at camp say the same thing....... think I'm a tad crazy with scent control....going in under cover of darkness...limiting movement...yet..I am the one who shoots multiple deer...every year...in fact the only one to shoot a decent sized buck for several years...But Hey...what do I know???

Badger I know what you mean, deer pattern us just as much as we try to pattern them. In areas where there are large amounts of pressure on them they learn about us long before we figure them out. Knowing that I feel that success is linked to we the hunter to be as unpredictable as possible, as clean as possible, and above all else to use the wind in our favor. I also feel that some of "stuff" out there does work to a degree, but not to length that they say so. Lets face it humans really do stink. But by using these products and hunting smart can and will give an edge to the hunter.

mrmagoo

not to stir things up but I'm with MRD. Been hunting for 50 years and still don't use all of the scent stuff and our freezer is always full and I've had 'em walk within six feet of me. It's like the "smart phone" craze. They (being businesses) have used the propaganda mediums extremely effectively to convince people that they absolutely have to have this stuff to succeed. Just like Apple, not gettin' my $.

Now, that's not saying it may not help, but for me I just don't see the necessity of it for success.

Has to agree with Steve. I have been hunting since I was 12 or so and now is 67. I never killed a deer with scent control and I have shot hundreds of them. BOW hunting ten ft, rifle to20yds to 400yds. One would have to marvel at the old time hunters if all the new whistles and bell were needed. I also agree in part with Mark D getting ahead of the others when hunting and letting the others drive the deer to you. Relying on stuff never replaces skill. Unless you mask your breath somehow all the scent control is lost. Try passing gas if you smell it I think they will too. And just for the record I have tried scent control and even has a scentlock suit that I quit using. Again never killed a deer with scent control and I hunt Mi. which has a huge number of deer hunters. But each to their own.

The old time hunters I grew up around actually did practice some forms of scent control and cover. They'd use lye soap to bathe and wash their clothes, store them in cedar or cypress chests, and carry pears, apples, or grapes with them when they were in the woods. They'd have a snack, and practice scent attraction at the same time! I first learned about buck attraction scents from an old timer who would save the urine from a doe and put it out around him when he went hunting, even though we were running hounds. I still use that same trick, but for still hunting.

As for the gun odor, I've used silicone clothes and silicone spray ever since they came on the market, back in the late 60's. There is a slight smell when it's first used, but after a day or two, there is no residual smell.

Posted By PVIGILETTI on 14 Sep 2012 09:10 PM
I sight all my rifles in well before deer season and they stay dirty until the season closes.After the season they well get a good scrubbing and some oil.So the smell of cleaner and oil is not really a problem.

This ^

Dale

Some of us ( well me ) like guns, even cleaning guns and any reason to spend more time with guns is a good reason. Some have a gazillion smart phone accessories, let us have a few accessories for our firearms.

When I opened the gun safe recently I got a whiff of the cleaning solvent.    This led me to the question, "If my poor human nose can smell this stuff what about deer?"  In all the years of hunting I can never say I was busted because the gun smelled.  That is because I was right next to it and I smell like human.  Thanks for all the feed back.

-MD

I mainly do all that RT4 said except no Doe urine, I do however use pure vanilla Extract as a personal sent cover & also put some on my rifle , I have had a few fawn & yearlings smell my boots & not get spooked , I get a real charge out of it! I don't know exactly why it works ,but it does for me.

sulfer, I use vanilla extract when I go out of state and IMHO it works VERY well, in my home state it is illegal as pointed out to me by a pfgc officer, luckily I was not out hunting at the time!

why is it illegal?? Is it considered baiting?

No sure Steve, but the regs say no food based scents for cover or attracting, guessing it is considered baiting. I had a bottle in my vest pocket and was still at my truck when he approached and talked with me and pointed it out. He could have been a dick and let me walk 50 yards and busted me, I am sure some officers would have.

I would have to agree with most of the old timers here, started hunting back in the early 70’s was taught to get to know about the behavior, and habits of the animal that you are after, Scout the area you plan to hunt, look for signs of the animal your after. The feeding, and escape routes that may be used, and to pay attention to the wind.
Now that being said, danger is a learned experience. Whether it is from sight, sound or smell. Taught by the mother , members of its own kind, or self experience.
People will tell you things like you have to be “Scent Free“ to get a deer. Do not to gas up your car before you hunt because the smell of gas or oil will make a deer run away. (I guess this is why Deer never get killed crossing a road. )
Don’t bring strange smells into the woods, but a friend of mine shot the biggest buck of his life while smoking a cigarette, and eating sardines out of a can. ( I don’t know maybe the Buck had a bad cold that day or something.)
Don’t pee by your hunting stand, but a few years ago I killed a nice buck that came out of his way to smell the spot that I had just peed on. ( Too many cups of coffee before the hunt.)
It gets down to everybody is always looking for that edge, that magic cure to become invisible in the woods.
Just watch the wind, and use a little common sense.
I personally like the smell of my guns after I cleaned them. You know come to think about it, how come Hoppe’s, Outers, or Birchwood Casey hasn’t come out with a After Shave, or Cologne for men ?????