That question has got to be in the Top 5 of all-time asked questions I get from all of you loyal Deer & Deer Hunting readers. My answer is never a quick one. When bow-hunting, hunting near home or hunting at a location that has shower facilities, yes, I shower using scent-free soap nearly 100 percent of the time before each hunt. Yes, each hunt! During warm weather, that means at least two a day. However, no one's perfect. I have let my guard slip on some ocassions, especially when gun-hunting in bitter cold weather. In these situations, I rationalize that I will be in an enclosed blind with lots of layers on...doesn't make a lot of sense, I know, but again no one's perfect! I have used nearly all of the brands of soaps out there (ATSKO Sport Wash, Code Blue, Wildlife Research Center Scent Killer, Hunter's Specialties Scent-A-Way, Primos Body Soap, etc.), and I can honestly say they all do the job.

Those are just my opinions, though. What do you think? We posed the question on this Web site last week, and the response was tremendous. Once again, more than 750 people voted. Here are the results:

How often do you take a shower before heading afield for a hunt?

100% of the time:     42%
75% of the time:       21%
50% of the time:       15%
Less than 50%:           6%
Rarely, if ever:          15%

Internet polls are far from scientific. However, these results indicate that D&DH readers are truly scent-conscious. That is the key to deer hunting success.

Thanks for your input, and remember to check out the home page for the next two questions in our on-going surveys.

--Dan Schmidt, D&DH Editor