Scent Management
Scent management can either make or break an elk hunt. Personal hygiene, camp odors, dirty smelly gear, perspiration, excess alcohol consumption, smoking, bad breath, all are factors that if not given adequate attention can and will give you up and expose your scent to the elk. If you are a rifle hunter these are all very important to your success. If you are a bowhunter, they are critical.
I have personally witnessed elk spook from nearly half a mile away after a brief wind came up behind me and took my scent to them. It took a few minutes, but one cow’s head came up, then another and another and every one of them was essentially looking right where I was. As a group they all turned and trotted over the hill in the opposite direction.
Personal Hygiene: While remaining squeaky clean in elk camp is darn near impossible, there are a few things we can do to help manage this aspect of our scent. 1) take a brief sponge bath daily washing down the really rank areas with a damp cloth or towel. Use fresh water only as most soaps have some measure of fragrance. If you have scent free soap , use it. 2) Change your underwear daily if possible. Awe it ain’t all that bad. Yeah...stick your face in it and see if you still think the same way. 3) Avoid eating foods that give you gas.
Camp Odors & Smelly Gear: Camp odors adhere to everything. Cooking odors, smoke from fires, fuel, food, toilet odors all can attach themselves to your hunting gear. The best way to avoid having a problem with camp odors is not to wear your hunting duds in camp one minute longer than you have to. If you need to eat or enter the cook tent before heading out in the morning, wear the clothes you slept in. Wait to don your hunting duds until you are ready to leave camp. When you return to camp, take your hunting clothes off and store them in an air tight container or sealed plastic bag. I prefer the bag method and usually toss in some sage or pine needles to add their odor to my clothes.
Perspiration: Hunting at high altitude is hard work and you are going to sweat no matter what the outside temperature. Sweat produces bacteria and bacteria produce odors. To minimize the potential for these odors to get into you clothing, use some of the new anti-microbial polypropylene garments right next to your skin like Under Armour ™ or similar gear. Not only does this type of gear help to reduce odor produced by bacteria is also wicks moisture away from your skin which will keep you warmer on those cooler days. Carry scent free wipes with you in a Ziploc bag. Wipe down scent sensitive areas once or twice a day and replace the used towlet in the Ziploc baggy. If you use carbon based scent management clothing, be sure to remember that once that carbon layer has become saturated it will no longer provide you with the same level of protection. Carry an extra set, or use it sparingly.
Excess Alcohol Consumption and Smoking: Excessive alcohol consumption will cause the alcohol to leach out of your body via the pores in your skin and will be a dead giveaway to the elk of your presence. Smoking in the field is just plain stupid. Smoking in camp adds odors to everything it touches. Smoking period will kill you. Enough said.
Bad Breath: This is the one almost every one forgets. Almost every odor in your body comes out through your mouth or your nose. Everything you eat or drink, every medication, any sinus condition; whatever comes out of our mouths heads downwind. What can you do? Be careful what you eat and cleanse your breath whenever possible. Brush your teeth (and your tongue) daily with scent free tooth paste or baking soda. Take fresh apple slices with you in a baggy. They will help to cleanse the odor coming out of your mouth and provide a good source of energy.
KNOW the Wind
There is probably no other single environmental factor affecting the potential outcome of an elk hunt more underrated than the wind. The smart elk hunter knows that the wind can be his greatest asset or his worst enemy, and he factors its affect, its presence, and its direction into his total elk hunting strategy. An elk’s sense of smell is its primary detection mechanism against danger. It is important to keep in mind that the wind in elk country is constantly changing and the smart elk hunter knows this and is always alert and prepared for the change. One of the worst feelings while elk hunting, though sometimes unavoidable, is to make a long stalk on a nice bull only to feel the coolness of a breeze hit the back of your neck as you are about to settle down and take the shot.
Tip: A general rule to keep in mind while elk hunting is to hunt uphill in the early morning hours and downhill in the latter morning and afternoon.
This will allow the hunter to take full advantage of the wind caused by the natural heating and cooling of the earth’s surface. In the early morning hours cooler air will flow down slope because it is heavier and there is little warm air below rising to resist it. Once the sun comes out and the earth’s surface begins to warm, the ground heats up and a convection effect begins to take place where the air near the surface warms and begins to rise. Eventually, on most days, this rising effect of the warmer air will overcome the weight of the higher cooler air and cause the wind to shift and begin moving up the mountain. The successful elk hunter will plan on this and ensure that the wind is in his face as opposed to on the back of his neck.
It’s important to keep in mind that this up slope/down slope convention is a general description of daily wind movement. It does not take into account the fact that wind is strongly affected by geography. By this I mean that things such as canyons, mountains, ridge lines, and other geographical features all affect the speed and direction of the wind, causing it to continually change direction. Altitude can also affect wind direction and speed. In general, the higher one goes, the fewer obstructions there are to interfere with the passage of the wind. As one approaches timberline or crosses over a ridge line, you may experience the wind surging from a gentle breeze to strong gusts. Wind direction may also change, sometimes as much as 180 degrees from what you may have experienced at a lower elevation. The smart elk hunter is always on the alert for any change in the wind, no matter how small.
Here are a few tips that may help you to keep track of the wind. Try tying a small six to eight inch piece of sewing thread to the end of your bow or rifle. Anytime you need to check the wind’s direction, just hold your bow or rifle up in the wind. The thread will always blow downwind. If the elk are in the same general direction as the thread is pointing, it is time for you to move. In such a case, especially if the elk are close, it doesn’t matter whether you go left or right, just move to get the wind off of your back.
Another tried and tested method for keeping track of wind direction and speed is to carry a small squeeze bottle of “unscented” white talc. Both the bottle and the talc can usually be found in your local drugstore. Talc is very light in weight and carries well on the wind. For a wind check, just gentle squeeze a small amount of the talc from the bottle into the air and note which direction it travels. Again, as with the thread, the talc will drift downwind or with the wind. If it comes back at you or moves left or right and you think the elk are in front of you, from a wind perspective, everything is cool…for the moment. Remember, wind direction can change at any moment. I can see a question forming in the minds of many who may read this. How much or how often should I be doing these wind checks. I guess my best answer is that you are out there to hunt elk, not be a weatherman. If you return to camp at the end of the day and a full bottle of talc is empty, then you are spending way too much time and energy checking the wind. Learn to look for other signs of wind movement such as the way trees may be bending in the wind, or the direction that the grass in a meadow is bending. These are subtle, yet very significant clues that a smart elk hunter learns to pick up on. Once you attune yourself to the natural environment around you, you won’t even need the talc.
Those who seek knowledge kill more elk than those who do not! For a lot more information on elk and elk hunting please consider purchasing one or all of my top-selling books on the subject.Click here.
For more information checkout: Elk Hunting 101, Click Here.
I have personally witnessed elk spook from nearly half a mile away after a brief wind came up behind me and took my scent to them. It took a few minutes, but one cow’s head came up, then another and another and every one of them was essentially looking right where I was. As a group they all turned and trotted over the hill in the opposite direction.
Personal Hygiene: While remaining squeaky clean in elk camp is darn near impossible, there are a few things we can do to help manage this aspect of our scent. 1) take a brief sponge bath daily washing down the really rank areas with a damp cloth or towel. Use fresh water only as most soaps have some measure of fragrance. If you have scent free soap , use it. 2) Change your underwear daily if possible. Awe it ain’t all that bad. Yeah...stick your face in it and see if you still think the same way. 3) Avoid eating foods that give you gas.
Camp Odors & Smelly Gear: Camp odors adhere to everything. Cooking odors, smoke from fires, fuel, food, toilet odors all can attach themselves to your hunting gear. The best way to avoid having a problem with camp odors is not to wear your hunting duds in camp one minute longer than you have to. If you need to eat or enter the cook tent before heading out in the morning, wear the clothes you slept in. Wait to don your hunting duds until you are ready to leave camp. When you return to camp, take your hunting clothes off and store them in an air tight container or sealed plastic bag. I prefer the bag method and usually toss in some sage or pine needles to add their odor to my clothes.
Perspiration: Hunting at high altitude is hard work and you are going to sweat no matter what the outside temperature. Sweat produces bacteria and bacteria produce odors. To minimize the potential for these odors to get into you clothing, use some of the new anti-microbial polypropylene garments right next to your skin like Under Armour ™ or similar gear. Not only does this type of gear help to reduce odor produced by bacteria is also wicks moisture away from your skin which will keep you warmer on those cooler days. Carry scent free wipes with you in a Ziploc bag. Wipe down scent sensitive areas once or twice a day and replace the used towlet in the Ziploc baggy. If you use carbon based scent management clothing, be sure to remember that once that carbon layer has become saturated it will no longer provide you with the same level of protection. Carry an extra set, or use it sparingly.
Excess Alcohol Consumption and Smoking: Excessive alcohol consumption will cause the alcohol to leach out of your body via the pores in your skin and will be a dead giveaway to the elk of your presence. Smoking in the field is just plain stupid. Smoking in camp adds odors to everything it touches. Smoking period will kill you. Enough said.
Bad Breath: This is the one almost every one forgets. Almost every odor in your body comes out through your mouth or your nose. Everything you eat or drink, every medication, any sinus condition; whatever comes out of our mouths heads downwind. What can you do? Be careful what you eat and cleanse your breath whenever possible. Brush your teeth (and your tongue) daily with scent free tooth paste or baking soda. Take fresh apple slices with you in a baggy. They will help to cleanse the odor coming out of your mouth and provide a good source of energy.
KNOW the Wind
There is probably no other single environmental factor affecting the potential outcome of an elk hunt more underrated than the wind. The smart elk hunter knows that the wind can be his greatest asset or his worst enemy, and he factors its affect, its presence, and its direction into his total elk hunting strategy. An elk’s sense of smell is its primary detection mechanism against danger. It is important to keep in mind that the wind in elk country is constantly changing and the smart elk hunter knows this and is always alert and prepared for the change. One of the worst feelings while elk hunting, though sometimes unavoidable, is to make a long stalk on a nice bull only to feel the coolness of a breeze hit the back of your neck as you are about to settle down and take the shot.
Tip: A general rule to keep in mind while elk hunting is to hunt uphill in the early morning hours and downhill in the latter morning and afternoon.
This will allow the hunter to take full advantage of the wind caused by the natural heating and cooling of the earth’s surface. In the early morning hours cooler air will flow down slope because it is heavier and there is little warm air below rising to resist it. Once the sun comes out and the earth’s surface begins to warm, the ground heats up and a convection effect begins to take place where the air near the surface warms and begins to rise. Eventually, on most days, this rising effect of the warmer air will overcome the weight of the higher cooler air and cause the wind to shift and begin moving up the mountain. The successful elk hunter will plan on this and ensure that the wind is in his face as opposed to on the back of his neck.
It’s important to keep in mind that this up slope/down slope convention is a general description of daily wind movement. It does not take into account the fact that wind is strongly affected by geography. By this I mean that things such as canyons, mountains, ridge lines, and other geographical features all affect the speed and direction of the wind, causing it to continually change direction. Altitude can also affect wind direction and speed. In general, the higher one goes, the fewer obstructions there are to interfere with the passage of the wind. As one approaches timberline or crosses over a ridge line, you may experience the wind surging from a gentle breeze to strong gusts. Wind direction may also change, sometimes as much as 180 degrees from what you may have experienced at a lower elevation. The smart elk hunter is always on the alert for any change in the wind, no matter how small.
Here are a few tips that may help you to keep track of the wind. Try tying a small six to eight inch piece of sewing thread to the end of your bow or rifle. Anytime you need to check the wind’s direction, just hold your bow or rifle up in the wind. The thread will always blow downwind. If the elk are in the same general direction as the thread is pointing, it is time for you to move. In such a case, especially if the elk are close, it doesn’t matter whether you go left or right, just move to get the wind off of your back.
Another tried and tested method for keeping track of wind direction and speed is to carry a small squeeze bottle of “unscented” white talc. Both the bottle and the talc can usually be found in your local drugstore. Talc is very light in weight and carries well on the wind. For a wind check, just gentle squeeze a small amount of the talc from the bottle into the air and note which direction it travels. Again, as with the thread, the talc will drift downwind or with the wind. If it comes back at you or moves left or right and you think the elk are in front of you, from a wind perspective, everything is cool…for the moment. Remember, wind direction can change at any moment. I can see a question forming in the minds of many who may read this. How much or how often should I be doing these wind checks. I guess my best answer is that you are out there to hunt elk, not be a weatherman. If you return to camp at the end of the day and a full bottle of talc is empty, then you are spending way too much time and energy checking the wind. Learn to look for other signs of wind movement such as the way trees may be bending in the wind, or the direction that the grass in a meadow is bending. These are subtle, yet very significant clues that a smart elk hunter learns to pick up on. Once you attune yourself to the natural environment around you, you won’t even need the talc.
Those who seek knowledge kill more elk than those who do not! For a lot more information on elk and elk hunting please consider purchasing one or all of my top-selling books on the subject.Click here.
For more information checkout: Elk Hunting 101, Click Here.