Hunting Techniques

Cover Scents and lures
Like all mammals, humans have a certain smell about them that most other animals can detect and recognize. Most game animals associate this smell with danger, and will stay away from it. This can make it more difficult for hunters to get close enough for a good shot. Cover scents are natural or man-made substances that mask or cover up the human smell. You should begin your scent control efforts by bathing well with unscented soap and shampoo. Use scent-free deodorant and avoid any lotions or perfumes. Wash your hunting clothes with laundry detergent that has no scent and no fabric brighteners. Store your clean clothes in plastic bags so they will not absorb unnatural smells from your house (like bacon, solvents, wood smoke, etc.). When you go into the field, you may want to apply some type of cover scent to your boots and/or clothes. There are hundreds available. Be sure to read and follow label directions.

Lures or attractants are natural or man-made substances that are designed to lure or attract game animals. Most of them smell like food items or like the musk produced by animals during the breeding season. In either case, it is important to use an attractant that is found naturally in the area you are hunting. For instance, the scent of apples may cause alarm to a desert bighorn sheep that has never smelled an apple before.

Tips for use of scents:
  Apply cover scents directly to your boots, clothes, or skin (by label directions). DO NOT apply lures or attractants to your clothes or equipment. Instead, apply them to the ground, branches, leaves or vegetation within shooting range of the place where you will be located. Animals have keen noses, and may be able to locate you by smell if you apply the lure to your clothes.
  Use the scent of food items that are found naturally in your hunting area.
  Birds have a very poor sense of smell, so cover scents and lures are not usually an issue when bird hunting.
  Check local regulations to be sure that the attractants you are using are legal. Most states allow the use of scent products to attract game, but some products may be considered to be bait, which is illegal in some areas.

more advanced information

back to main section