Rog's Rod & Nimrod

Our SD archery deer season opened back on the first of the month, and SD deer hunting in one form or another will be open well into January. Relative to this, I have subscribed to the North American Whitetail magazine for the past year. Most articles are a litany of how various hunters across the nation took record book deer during the past season. In almost all instances, the hunter took a particular deer he or she had pursued for the past several years. They used trail cameras to monitor whereabouts and place stands in strategic locations.

In the current September 2019 issue of NAW, the article “Olfaction VS. Fiction” by Clint A. McCoy DVM gives us tips on how to successfully bag a mature buck. Olfaction refers to a deer’s ability to detect human scent. Let’s take a look at McCoy’s recommendations.

Point One refers to bodily hygiene. Take a pre-hunt shower with scent-free soap. Apply unscented prescription-strength antiperspirant. Brush teeth with a baking soda-based toothpaste as breath, not perspiration, is the #1 give away.

Point Two refers to clothing. Launder hunting clothes in soap that is free of fragrances and UV brighteners. Then store the clothes in an airtight tote and dress in the field before hunting.

Point Three refers to footwear. Wear knee-high rubber boots in order to minimize the level of foot odor projected onto the landscape. McCoy stores his boots in an air-tight tote he keeps in the bed of his truck, and he adds corn stalks to the bottom of the tote to add some cover scent.

In Point Four McCoy talks about scent eliminating sprays. He feels that the sprays can’t hurt anything, but he’s not a big believer. Instead he likes the new ozone scent-elimination technology.

Point Five deals with cover scents. While McCoy admits that he has seen some bucks react favorably to Conquest EverCalm, he believes that mature bucks have this “smoke screen” thing figured out.

Point Six deals with the afore-mentioned ozone. He began using an Ozonics brand field generator two years ago and he’s sold on it. These units may work, but they are pricey at $300 to $600 dollars.

Well, Dr. Clint A. McCoy obviously knows more about deer hunting than I do. His recommendations have merit, but I’m not going to bother Betsy with new laundry requirements, and I’m not going to change clothes in a sub-zero degree wind chill. I’d also rather spend that $600 on a new auger and some ice fishing electronics. If I were asked to make a deer hunting presentation, I would show some pictures, tell some stories, admit that I’ve never taken a Boone & Crockett record book buck, and make the following recommendations.

First and foremost, always pay attention to the wind. Hunt into it, and when taking a stand, make certain that you will be downwind from approaching deer. This practice will negate all of McCoy’s recommendations.

Learn from experience the travel habits of the deer, and use your head in placing yourself in strategic locations. Have patience. The deer will come. The noise made tromping around will blow most deer before you see them. Fifty years on the same West River ranch has given me a wealth of knowledge.

Realize that the slightest movement, not the color or pattern of your camo, will blow your cover immediately. I’ve been caught standing in the middle of an open pasture, and it didn’t matter until I raised my rifle.

Have complete confidence in your weapon, and practice before the opener. A good bipod or tripod is absolutely essential.

I have never gone overboard on the scent thing, but there was a time when I hung my hunting coat in the cedar trees a few days before the hunt. I also fondly remember the time Cousin Robert wanted to tag along with me to see how I hunt. When I realized that he had doused himself with Old Spice, I sent him back to the cabin.

With East and West River “any whitetail” tags in my pocket, I’ll have a fine time this fall. I may or may not get a muzzleloader doe tag as an “antlerless” tag came with my East River unit. I can always muzzleloader hunt that doe.

See you next week.