Hermon, Maine – October 19, 2026 -- Foggy Mountain®, the Maine-made outdoor brand that began with homemade cover scent handed out in mayonnaise jars, is marking its 45th anniversary with a product range that now covers hunting scents, insect repellents, and hats.
A Maine guide mixed the first scent in 1981
The brand dates to 1981, when Maine Master Guide Wayne A. Bosowicz of Foggy Mountain Guide Service introduced ProCover, a cover scent built for the hunters who traveled to Maine to hunt with him. Bosowicz recalled that 20 hunters would arrive with 20 different bottles of scents and lures, and most of them did not work. His team mixed its own blend and gave it to clients in mayonnaise jars before it even had a name. Hunters kept asking for more, so the guide service began selling it.
Ken Johnson acquired the brand in 1986. He kept the ProCover model of finding a need and filling it, under a simple premise: unique and useful outdoor products, made in Maine.
DeadRinger scents answered state-by-state rule changes
When state-level regulations began restricting which hunting scents were legal in the field, Foggy Mountain® launched its DeadRinger Synthetic Hunting Scents line. It includes DoeFire and Ruttin'Buck, which the company says give hunters a compliant alternative without sacrificing effectiveness.
Johnson said the company did not want customers caught without options as the rules changed.
Repellents and hats broaden the lineup
The brand now reaches beyond scents. Its PestEscential Insect Protection Products line offers Maine-made, all-natural insect and parasite repellents and abatement solutions, a response to demand for alternatives to harsh chemical repellents.
On the apparel side, the line is anchored by the Real Maine Crusher Hat and the distinctively designed Flapper.
Maine Outdoor Solutions says the next chapter will follow the same formula as the first 45 years. "The products evolve, but the approach doesn't," Johnson said.