Product Spotlight: New Calming Scents

Two days prior to opening day, a forward-thinking archer trimmed the shooting lanes from his stand, allowing the branches to fall on the forest floor in a natural fashion. As anticipated, the first deer of the season came meandering along and nibbled at the green leaves on the branch. Suddenly, the deer nearly turned inside out as it sniffed the part of the branch that had been touched by human hand. The archer was astounded. After laying on the ground for more than 48 hours, enough human odor remained to spook a deer. Remember that lesson: Pull-up ropes, tree steps, and ladder stands can also serve as “scent offenders” if hunters repeatedly touch them with their bare hands.

Hunters have attempted to fool the incredible olfactory abilities of whitetail deer for a century, with such tactics as doe-in-heat lures to attract bucks and such cover scents as skunk scent and raccoon urine. New on the market is a series of “calming scents” that simulate a deer’s bedding area. The discovery was made by a deer-farm worker who wanted to go hunting yet had no time to change. Wearing his duds, which smelled like deer, he had several encounters where deer should have spooked but were not. Taking the idea a step further, ConQuest Scents has bottled the scent of deer bedding areas:

The strongest and most natural cover scent ever collected for the whitetail deer hunter. This trademarked product contains all of the scents and smells that whitetail deer produce while in their bedding area. It is a simple concept of becoming a part of the area deer feel most comfortable and not threatened in. Apply to cover all human odors!