opinions on the use of cover scent

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bgtme

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I would like to hear others opinions on the use of cover scent.I have always used pure skunk scent that I would get from Minnesota Trap Supply.This stuff isn't watered down,its straight from the skunk.I keep it in a little scent dispensers.My wife won't even let me park my truck in the garage with her Envoy because it even gets into the interior of her car.Even with the bottle capped that is over a year old, people at the gas station ask me when I hit the skunk.I would think it would overpower any human smell.I read an article in The Trapper magazine in the 80's that I thought made good since to me.This man said if his wife had fresh cut flowers in the kitchen,you could smell them as soon as you went in the room.But later if she was cooking liver and onions,he could no longer smell the flowers.Here's the problem.My dad had a redbone gyp that would kill every skunk it came across,but even as bad as she smelled she could run and tree her own coon.My question is this,how can a canine with fresh skunk spray can sort out a coon track?And no she wasn't a 'me too'dog that would just cover another dogs tree.She could still have her own tree to herself or tree in front of the other dogs.Have I been smelling like a skunk for winters now,and it hasn't done anything to help me while calling?Any one have their own opinions or thoughts on this?
 
Coyote's probably got even a better nose, think it can't sort out human scent over the skunk spray. Waste of time, money and it gripes the women off.
 
If you run a search of "cover scents" you should be able to get a lot of info. IMHO, it is a complete waste of time and money. Play the wind and expect if a coyote gets downwind he will smell you. Plan your set-ups accordingly.
 
I agree,a good read,from a man thats been at it a while.I believe that each individual animal has his own personality,because some is bred in,and what that particular animal has been exsposed to in life.In several canine trapping the long distance lures, will have a skunk base to them.I remember reading an article from Gerry Blair,and his thoughts were a lot off canines will come in to the location"just to see what offed the skunk'.With that,I thought skunk would be the best cover scent.I also believe calling east of the Ole Miss is a lot different from the west.I normally call at night when about the only thing that comes into a killable range is fox.Coyote's will respond,but normally will just stand out of range and pace.I did have one that came up close enough I could have snapped a lead on him,but as a rule most callers around here kill more fox.I'm sure that to some coyotes, the skunk smell might even throw up a red flag,that might have gotten closer if not for the smell.I guess too,that one reason I think it might help my own style of calling,is because I call with the wind blowing to them.I know thats probably goes against everyone else's opinions,but I think a lot of them will have more confidence because they believe they already have everything in their favor,and let their legs out run their nose.Plus the wind will let your call carry farther.I guess thats why I worry more about a cover scent.It really doesn't cost that much,or that big of hassle,but it sure does stink.And it stinks all winter long.
 
One more for a waste of money. The fact that it fools a human's nose is no proof that it will fool a dog's.

Just assume they will smell you if they get down wind, and hunt to prevent that from happening.
 
I Trained search dogs for a few years and found it is very hard to trick a dogs nose, the only way I found to trick them is to use thermals and wind to your advantage, as for scent lock a fellow member of the SAR team had CSU do a test ---The certified trailing dog found the subject with ease dispite being decked out in scent lock and scent killer!!!! I would would say probably just a marketing gimmick. Work the wind that is the best and chepest route.
 
schepherd hit it right on , Thermals is sompthing most people dont even think about . Use the thermals and the wind to your advantage , Thats the ONLY way to out smell I mean out smart a coyote . Jerry .
 
I regularly use a cover scent I like to call "Hot Lead". Works every time. As soon as they smell it they fall over.

As I posted the last time this came up. Cover scents and scent blockers may help a little, but unless you de-scent your ammo, gun, sling, bipods, keys, boots, breath, and so on and on and on and on..............


Waste of time and money!!!!
 
I personally don't trust any scent eleminator, whether it be clothing or cover-up spray or something that claims to do away with your scent.

Jerry & others are spot on....Hunt with the wind to your advantage & be obsessive about the wind & use it to your benefit.
Whether you have all the scent products or not. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
I had enough hounds of all kinds,on certain days/nights absolutley can not run.Then some days you go out and wouldn't think they can run,they act like they are tied to them.I don't understand when some early mornings,people who burn wood,sometimes the smoke is going straight up out the the stack,and then some mornings,it comes out and rolls down around the house.I suppose thats the thermals you guys mentioned.If I call during the day,I'll always just give them some but not all of the wind.Seems like if they can run out to a tip of some brush/cover,but still not be directly down wind,they got to step out to take a peek.And day calling I'm usually tucked in where I got a little brace on the side of a sprout or small tree.But I have never called in a fox in the day.They just ain't to gutsy.I talked to a guy in Cal. and greys to him are just a nuisence day calling.There's several people around here that have never even seen one.We got about as many reds as greys and the only time you see them is calling at night.
 
Weasel,I can see your reasoning there.But when I was trapping canines most,not all,had a lot of skunk in them.I guess people have so many styles and and out looks,it just what ever they have faith in.Some canine trappers were neat and scent control FREAKS.While others laughed at them,and never wore gloves,spit at the set,whatever.But both types caught fur,pretty much in even numbers.
 
If you could hold your breath thru the whole call stand,you might eliminate a lot of scent. I always laugh when someone says they use the unscented form of something hunting. To human senses , almost everything a coyote might smell is unscented. I saw a study one time that estimated a bird dogs sense of smell to be several million times greater than a human.(how that was arrived at I do not know.)
I personally don't like the smell of cover scents and choose to stay away from them.
You can bugger a coyote at a call stand by being seen and he will move off looking back or stopping to try to establish what he saw.He can hear you and move off or stop trying to determine what he heard,, but if he smells you he needs no more information.He will just leave Dodge at a high rate of speed. Waste your money on better optics and more hunting trips.
 
Well,I guess I realize after running hounds for years,smell still baffles me, as well as dogs.Hounds have a pretty good since of smell also.But I have seen too many times where a coyote can run through livestock and the race is over.Other times I've seen dogs run an older track through more livestock and they run like they were tied to it.When you have broke dogs running a coyote thats packed in the middle of 30 deer and still bring the coyote out the other side I don't understand how that happens either.While bow hunting I've seen coyotes smell me but didn't move until they Knew exactly where I was,I agree if they know for sure Where you are at,they're gone.I don't think the 5 dollar bump in optics will help me that much.
 
I don't use any kind of scent cover. But then again my boots are usually covered in cow crap because I use them on the farm here. So I don't know what to tell you.

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"I yam what I yam so let me be
and I'll do my own thing."-Unknown
 
As far as nothing beats a coyotes nose argument.How in the world have I,or anyone else, had some wearing bracelets on the same day as the trap was set? No matter what people think they still aren't in the category of 'able to leap tall buildings in a single bound'.
 
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