Anyone using Ozonics or an ozone machine (and willing to admit it)?

[540-Virginian]

Does anyone have or have used one of these things? Curious about your experience.

I have a buddy who swears by them and how well it works. I could never buy into this $300-$500+ product as I just never believed you could kill all scent. I shared my skepticism and he insisted I try his Ozonics unit this past weekend while archery hunting whitetails in Virginia. So, I took him up on the offer and tried it out. Here's what I experienced with using it.

Four does - a momma, two fawns, and a yearling - come over a ridge and head down right under my stand. I had the ozone unit above my head running. The two fawns and yearling doe seemed to have no idea anything was wrong, but the older doe was on high alert. Once they walked within about 5-10 yards in front of me, the older doe slowed and started looking in every direction. The others paused and watched her for a few seconds, then her two fawns just started browsing while the yearling doe watched the older doe and looked around like 'WTF?'

But that older doe knew something was off. She even looked up in the trees all around her until she finally was staring right at me. She checked me out several times before deciding I looked like a tree limb (thank you leafy jacket). Eventually, one of the little fawns that was browsing on the tree limb I had cut and dropped below my stand snorted the softest little snort I ever heard (I think she smelled my scent on the limb). That lead to the older doe walking off quickly (but not running) with the others following suit.

What's crazy is I could feel morning thermals hit my face, and then the back of my neck, and my legs several times those deer were there. I sprayed some powder after they left and the wind was flowing right to where they were. Now I'm like, "well, sheeet!"

 

[Finch]

I've never used one and feel pretty adamant that I never will. The day I feel the need to take an ozone device into the woods should be the last time I hunt. I don't care if others use them - just not my thing. Much like your sentiments until you tried your buddy's.

Your encounter really sounds like some I have without an ozone machine. I mean sometimes I feel my scent might be flowing directly toward a deer but it takes a weird turn at the last second before getting there. Know what I mean?

I think the Seek One guys did a test with one of these in a cardboard box and the K-9 still found them. Maybe not the best test but it was interesting.

 

[540-Virginian]

I've never used one and feel pretty adamant that I never will. The day I feel the need to take an ozone device into the woods should be the last time I hunt. I don't care if others use them - just not my thing. Much like your sentiments until you tried your buddy's.

Your encounter really sounds like some I have without an ozone machine. I mean sometimes I feel my scent might be flowing directly toward a deer but it takes a weird turn at the last second before getting there. Know what I mean?

I think the Seek One guys did a test with one of these in a cardboard box and the K-9 still found them. Maybe not the best test but it was interesting.

yeah im not sure if they truly smelled me or just smelled something. However, an older doe getting my scent in my experience has always turned inside out and bolted, alerting the woods from here to the other side of the mountain…

 

[Finch]

yeah im not sure if they truly smelled me or just smelled something. However, an older doe getting my scent in my experience has always turned inside out and bolted, alerting the woods from here to the other side of the mountain…

Yeah, I know what you mean. They make sure they tell the world! One of the worst sounds in the woods -maybe just under a pileated woodpecker calling.

 

[journeyman713]

This!

The link above, is what I have been using for a very long time, actually it's second one, the first one lasted 20 years (Alpine air).
It doesn't go in the woods. It goes in a room dedicated for it, where my hunting is hanging.
It defiantly works, and way better than washing cloths with 'Camo soap'!

 

[TSAMP]

I dont own one but a buddy has and swears by it. He has loaned it to me several times to take to Texas hog hunting. I've had 3 large boar come downwind of me. I shot 2. The 3rd walked straight in downwind. Started to feed. And bolted.

I think within a popup blind it has to work better than in a tree. I Don't know ill ever own one myself. But I'll keep taking it to hunt pigs.

 

[Roofer1]

Myself and folks I whitetail hunt with( in west central WI) all use them. my personal experiences lead me to believe that mature deer will eventually figure out that something is up, but that the ozonics do buy you enough extra time to potentially get a solid shot off when normally you couldn't. All that said, they aren't silver bullets. I still ALWAYS only sits stands when winds are favorable.

 

[Truaxdw]

Tyler Freel runs the tundra talk podcast, he uses them when bear hunting, the crew on there talks about wolves coming from down wind and not spooking and they attribute it to the Ozonics

 

[540-Virginian]

I think the Seek One guys did a test with one of these in a cardboard box and the K-9 still found them. Maybe not the best test but it was interesting.

I remember this article - flaw I found was the dog knew/was trained to find someone in a box so he searched the boxes. When i read instructions on the Ozonics unit from their site it seems you need to mount it a specific way to experience the proper effect.

But you gave me an idea mentioning this test. I’ll try to get the unit again from my buddy and perform a simple test; ill put a giant juicy rare cooked venison back-strap on a plate and turn the ozonics unit on, then walk my three hungry dogs down wind…

 

[Roofer1]

ill put a giant juicy rare cooked venison back-strap on a plate and turn the ozonics unit on, then walk my three hungry dogs down wind…

I'd put my sniffer to the test for that as long as I get the steak when it's over. Mmmm.... back strap

 

[Glendon Mullins]

I have never used one, but like you I have a buddy that swears by his, the first year he used it he killed a giant hog while we were in georgia, so I think that is what sold him on it lol. He has had better luck since he has started using, I will admit. But i seem to have no problem killing them without one also.

 

[540-Virginian]

To add, one thing i didnt like was its more stuff to bring into woods. You have to use a screw in mount that the ozonic unit can sit perched above your head, and when the wind shifts i found you could smell the ozone (don't want to breath in that shit for long) meaning you had to move and shift the unit to blow in new wind direction.

So i felt bulky, extra stuff to mess with when setting up and then having to move more. Maybe the ground blind is better application but if that stuff swirled in the blind Id hate to have to breath it for more than a few seconds. Its literally bleaching the air.

 

[huntngolf]

I have one and use it occasionally, generally when winds are 5 or less. More than 5mph and don't use it. Don't seem to have better luck with or without it but some deer do behave differently when its running. Like others have said they know something is different but they usually stay around long enough to get a shot off. Have had a few deer bolt from smelling in but they usually don't snort and blow from smelling this in my experience. I think their main strength is it gives people more confidence in what they are doing, which generally makes them better hunters. Still definitely have to play the wind though

 

[mproberts]

Yeah in general I get weirded out by the toxicity of ozone. Sure it might help a little bit in the perfect situation, but doesn't seem like it's worth the expense, hassle and possible health risk to me.

 

[Billy Goat]

I know they work in apartments. Plug in an ozone machine and it can get bad smells out of apartments when the renters had cats.

I don't know how well they work in a hunting scenario, just likely too much going on to contain everything. Plus I hear they can give you a pretty good headache.

If they were cheaper I'd try one. Current price point I'll keep playing the wind. Tho I'm getting really tired of these light and variable winds we been having since Saturday.

 

[540-Virginian]

Tho I'm getting really tired of these light and variable winds we been having since Saturday.

Right!! All day Sunday it was west then east then south wth lol

 

[PredatoronthePrairie]

They kinda work.

Had one sold it.

Infield, felt it was a waste of time.
At home, felt it did work on clothes.

Ended up being one more thing to mess around with.
Plus O3 is terrible for the lungs. Always triggered my asthma when around it.

 

[young7.3]

My dad used one and they work the best in a ground blind. Less as good in a treestand


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[540-Virginian]

They kinda work.

Had one sold it.

Infield, felt it was a waste of time.
At home, felt it did work on clothes.

Ended up being one more thing to mess around with.
Plus O3 is terrible for the lungs. Always triggered my asthma when around it.

Interesting and now that i think about it, my throat was feeling soar/scratchy and i had a cough for a few hours after hunting. I thought maybe it was allergies but i rarely have them be so acute and short lived. maybe it was the few times I could smell the ozone swirling around my head. I never breathed it in heavy for long, just a few seconds while i readjusted the units direction. But i did read on EPA site side effects are cough and can cause asthma to flare…

 

[Ksfarmer]

I have friends that have them and say theh wont hunt without them. Deer come in down wind all the time etc. I think thermals could be giving them false security myself. I have used the ozone bags for clothes. Now when a deer hits where i walked, they follow it and lick everything peice of brush i touched walking in. My brother in law says the same. Kinda weird.