Odor Eliminating and Cover Scents for Bow Hunting

Many people are not sure what works or just flat refuse to spend the money on commercial products to wash their hunting cloths, body, or to apply before and during their hunt. Some folks just prefer to pick something up that is just scent free or the other philosophy is "Just hunt the wind". That is all fine but have you ever thought that you are always upwind of some animal in the woods. Big bucks circle around before entering an area, so I bet he will be downwind and pick you out before you see him. Making sure you are as scent free as possible is very important, especially if you want an opportunity to arrow a big mature buck!

With so many odor eliminating products on the market people have a hard time selecting something off the shelf. When I am working at Academy Sports and Outdoors people often ask me, "What works the best?" I tell them that I have tried several different products over the years like, Scent-Away, Scent Shield, Dead Downwind, peroxide and baking soda, etc, but the one I feel has worked the best is Tink's brand of Odor Eliminating Products.

Neutralizing odors and keeping odors eliminated while in the stand is the key to success. The product I use is: Tink's Odor Eliminating Products as well as Tink's Cover Scents. Like I mentioned earlier, I have used many products but I believe Tink's Products are the best for neutralizing, eliminating and preventing odors. The first step is to neutralize any odors, but keeping odor off is equally important so using a product that inhibits the growth of bacteria is a necessity while in the field and this is the reason we use Tink's Odor Eliminating Products, it does exactly what it is designed to do.  The Byotrol Technology that goes into every bottle of Tink's odor eliminating products is the reason it is so effective!

Tink's Odor Eliminating Products  have been independently tested by a company in Round Rock, Texas. The result of the testing showed that the odor eliminating products that carry the Tink's name are more effective than their competitors. The scientific research is even more proof that Tink's works better then other products.

To see a video from the Independent Lab. (click the link to the left) for more information about the testing.

Tink's Odor Eliminating Products

I have had several deer down wind that were not spooked or visibly alarmed while I sat 15 yards from them in a brush ground blind. Also, I have arrowed and video taped many deer within 20 yards while using Tink's Odor Eliminating Products.

Using a cover scent keeps you hidden as well. When using a cover scent use something that matches your area. You can't go wrong with Tink's Earth Cover Scent any where you hunt. The fresh dirt smell is a natural smell and could even lure in a deer fooling him to believe another buck is making a scrape in his area.

Cover Scents

Tink's Coon Urine and Tink's Red Fox P are also good cover scents. Coon urine is great for tree stand users while Fox P is more suited for ground or brush blinds.

In Texas we have a lot of cedar, so using Tink's Cedar Cover Scent is more applicable than using Tink's Pine Cover Scent. The Tink's Acorn Cover Scent works very good in Texas as well, and the aroma of the acorn can also lure a deer into your shooting lane. I really liked using Tink's Skunk Cover Scent however, the wife didn't like when I used it but it worked very good and a little goes along way!

There are some other things, you as a hunter, need to do to prevent being "winded" by the nose of the whitetail to be successful in the woods.

Avoid bad habits on stand!

Smoking or the use of oral tobacco while in the stand will decrease your success. I used oral tobacco for years. My first hunting season tobacco free was the year I saw more deer than ever while sitting on stand, shot bigger deer and had more opportunities at taking deer!

I took a friend of mine hog hunting with me once. I had hogs coming in every evening and was confident we both could get an arrow into a good hog. After taking the time to get scent free, he decided he needed a cigarette...needless to say no hogs were seen that evening.

During the hunting season avoid wearing cologne, after shave or scented deodorant. Give your vehicle a good cleaning as well. The lingering odors from that cologne, after shave, the pizza you carried home, or the hamburger you had for lunch can linger in your vehicle and though you may not smell them any longer they could carry over onto your hunting clothes and spoil a good hunt.

I will spray down my vehicle seats and the floorboard  with Tink's Odor Eliminating Product the night before I set out to the woods to prevent transferring odors to my clothing or body.  I have always changed into my hunting clothes when I get to our hunting property, but if my seats are full of odors it will transfer over to my clothes.

Carbon Bag

Have a couple sets of hunting underwear; t-shirts, socks, underwear that are separate from your everyday underwear. These items should be washed with hunting clothes and kept with them until you are ready to go hunting. Of course all your hunting apparel should be kept in a scent free bag, like a Tink's Carbon Bag or clean tub, such as a Rubbermaid tub, to prevent odors from collecting on your hunting clothes.

Try to fill up your vehicle the day before you set out to your hunting spot. Gas fumes on your hands, in your hair, etc will be harmful to your hunt.

Although there are probably hundreds of other things to avoid or tips we can mention, I will stop with just these few.

Keeping as scent free as possible and using covers scents will increase your odds in harvesting mature big game animals!


Tink's #69 Lip Curl Buck
added 08-30-2012