Have you ever heard the saying, “the nose knows?”
Some of us have bigger noses than others, but in general animals have a far more advanced sense of smell than the humans who hunt them. If you’re a seasoned hunter, you know that your clothing, your choice of hunting products and your hunting spot all help determine whether you go home empty-handed or dine on fresh meat that evening.
How well can animals smell?
We humans don’t survive by our noses. Unless, of course, you’re a professional candle tester with a calibrated nose able to detect the faintest fragrance. In contrast, most animals use their noses for security.
How good is their sense of smell? It’s said the average dog can identify smells more than 1,000 better than us. Of course, we don’t hunt dogs. What about bears?
Of all the animals in the woods, bears have the best sense of smell and can detect a rotting carcass more than 20 miles away.
Animals boast far more olfactory receptors than humans, which explains the advantage.
Search the Internet and you’ll find evidence of a multi-million-dollar industry built upon products capable of covering or destroying scent. You can even buy an ozone-generating machine that’s marketed to help remove odor from your clothing. Your scent and the scent of your hunting products absolutely affect your success in the woods. If you just want to sit and watch the birds, then go ahead and smell like a trash heap. That’s more opportunities for guys like me.
Have you considered your firearm cleaner?
Animals can smell nearly anything, including the cleaner and lubricant on your firearms. Not to pick on one brand, but have you ever used the bore cleaner from a certain company that uses orange bottles? The scent permeates your house for days. If we can smell it, imagine what the animals you’re hunting can smell.
The AMSOIL advantage
For this reason, we designed AMSOIL firearm products with as little scent as possible. While it’s impossible to eliminate scent from cleaners and lubricants completely, it is possible to use chemicals that minimize scent.
Proper application can also reduce scent. Here are my recommendations:
- First, clean your firearm with our Firearm Cleaner & Protectant
- Next, wipe down your firearm with our 100% Synthetic Firearm Lubricant & Protectant. Apply just enough to coat the critical areas, but not so much that the fluid is running in all directions
- Finally, allow your firearm to sit untouched for a few days. This allows the products to vent and decrease scent
Will your firearm be completely scent-free? No, but don’t worry; I guarantee that your clothes or what you ate for breakfast will be more odoriferous than the products on your firearm.
Here’s how I recommend cleaning your firearm:
Remember – reducing your scent is important, but it’s not the be-all, end-all. Do your research and use the products you trust. Just don’t rely solely on “scent-free” products. A good hunter presumes he always carry a scent and uses wind direction to his advantage to not alarm his prey. Apply these tips and you might just find yourself enjoying fresh meat for dinner this evening.
Happy hunting!