It’s easier to understand how to use a scent blocker more effectively if you have an idea of how it works. These work in two principal ways: either killing the smell before it is even produced or capturing it once it has. The process of smell in the human body starts with sweat. However, sweat alone does not produce odor until it has mixed with bacteria that starts to breed. This is what the animals in the wild smell even before they see the hunter.

Some of the strategies used to control scent attack the bacteria so that it does not get a chance to reproduce. Yet some eliminate the smell after it has been produced. However, it would be a travesty for anyone to say that all scent can be eliminated. The idea is to reduce the scent to levels so low that only the sharpest nose is able to dictate it.

It’s important that hunters treat the whole idea of scent blocking as part of their hunting strategy as opposed to an afterthought. What this means is that you should have the right budget for purchasing these products when the hunting season is upon you. You will then need to know the steps to be followed, as overlooking some of the steps could render the whole process ineffective.

With today’s scent-control technologies, it's easier than ever to block your smell. Here are some of the materials that go into these formulas to make them perform so well:

Zeolite
Zeolite is not a new technology. But it is new to hunting. Zeolite is a naturally occurring mineral that is formed from volcanic ash and alkaline groundwater. Its value comes from its highly porous structure which makes it an odor collector. The porous body invites odors in and traps them, ultimately removing them from the environment they are in.

Activated Carbon
Activated carbon, or activated charcoal, offers natural filtration. “Activation,” when associated with carbon or charcoal, means that the carbon or charcoal has been processed to have a surface area that is covered in tiny pores. These tiny pores chemically absorb or trap odor molecules that come into contact with them.

Engineered Polymers
An engineered polymer resin can also trap human odors. This synthetic material contains macropores and micropores. Opposed activate carbon only having tiny pores, the engineered polymers have macropores that provide a large surface area while the micropores work to trap human odor molecules.

Antimicrobials
Antimicrobial technology is similar to zeolite because it is also not a new concept. An antimicrobial is an agent that has been known to kill bacteria growth for more than 2,000 years. Tried and true. Unlike zeolite and activated carbon, which each work to trap human odors, antimicrobials penetrate the bacterial cell walls and prevent their reproduction.

Ozone
The ozone? Yep! Again, the ozone is not a new discovery. However, its use when it comes to hunting and scent-blocking is. Since the ozone is a made up of highly unstable gas, its first priority to cling to other molecules, some of which can compromise human odors.

In order to get the most out of your hard-earned dollar, you want to make sure you know exactly what you need and how to use it. What you should first determine is whether or not you want to apply them to your clothes, or if you want to put a lure in place instead. If you have a Decoy, you can also spray the decoy with a lure, but there is no sense in spraying the decoy with a scent blocker, as most decoys should actually look like a deer, and should not have any scent on it. There is nothing wrong with spraying the decoy, but you should not have to do it very often.

Once you have determined whether or not you are going to spray your clothes, or set up a lure, it should help narrow your choices down to which kind you need. If you want a lure, you just need to decide if you want a bottle in which you use a brush or a tip to apply to certain areas of either your clothing or your decoy, or if you want to put out a scent bomb in your kill zone. Most of the lures are sold in packages, so you will have the option of what to do and how you want to apply the lures out in the wild.

If you would rather go with a spray, then you will have a couple of different choices in which to choose from. You can go with an aerosol spray, which will ensure you are fully covered, but there will be some waste as it is in an aerosol form, which means it is more like a scattershot. If you’d rather have the option of having more of a direct amount applied, as well as choosing how weak or strong you want the scent, then you can go with a spray bottle and concentrate combination. This option gives you the flexibility to give you the right amount of strength to match the environment you are hunting within.

There are many different types that are available to you to choose from. Here are some of the more popular ones.

Aerosol Spray
The most common type is one that comes in an aerosol can. This is very easy to use, as you just spray it over your clothes before you go and set up. It should be sprayed over the top layer of clothes you are wearing; if you are wearing multiple layers, you don’t want the outer layer to conceal the smell you want to go out. The outer layer, if not sprayed properly, will give off the scent of wherever it was last, whether that was doing yard work or working on the car or was in the washing machine.

The great thing about the aerosol can is that it can be applied to your outer clothing multiple times per hunting trip if needed. Most of the sprays should last for the entire time you are out hunting, but if you happen to run into something while out in the wilderness, or you feel that the scent is starting to fade away, you can easily reapply at any time.

Lure and Scent Bombs
Another product line you could use is actually a scent that is intended to not only mask your own odor but to actually lure deer over towards you. Most lure scents are ones which have to be applied using a tip or a brush of some sort and can be applied to only certain areas of your clothing. Most of the lures are made up of some kind of deer or buck and their natural scent, which could be urine or excrement. Depending upon the brand, you can actually pick out a scent that is advertised to be from a bigger buck, which actually sends out a signal to other bucks that are nearby who want to challenge for supremacy. This will help bring bigger bucks over to your area, so you need to ensure you are ready for this kind of hunting.

The scent bomb does the same kind of thing, but instead of applying it to your clothing, you can actually drop it in an area and allow the scent to spread out into the woods. This kind of action will ensure the lure is where you want it to be placed, which should be right in the kill zone area you have planned out.

Spray Bottle and Concentrated Liquid
Another way these can be applied is using a spray bottle, which typically comes in a combo pack along with a bottle of concentrate for you to be able to make your own. This will allow you to decide how strong or weak you want it to be, which is advantageous, especially if you know the area you are hunting within. You should have an idea of how strong the aroma needs to be to block your scent to help draw the kind of deer you want to hunt.

The beauty of this product is it can be applied well ahead of time to the outer clothing you will be wearing on the day of the hunt. Depending on the brand and the concentration amount you use, you can apply the blocker the morning of, a couple of days ahead of time, or even a couple of weeks ahead of time. Depending upon how absorbent the clothing is you are wearing for hunting should determine how soon you will need to apply this kind.