Scent-Free Tips

[Michiganbowhunter_SQ2]

We have posts every year about bow tuning tips, and other type of tips. I think it is time for a thread about staying as scent free as possible. I think we all know the basics at the very least. But if you have a tip that you think not to many people know about. LETS HEAR EM!!

Or even just the things/routines you go through before a hunt to become as scent free as possible will help. Especially those just getting into hunting who may not know to much about it.

[ccwhitey]

i do the standard washing the clothes with scent free soap, spray off before heading to the woods, and my biggest success had been my scent-lock suit. i haven't been blown at since i purchesed it and i highly recommend it if you have the extra pocket change because they can be a bit pricey

[Brad6639]

My biggest tip is to buy "so you want to be a bowhunter" by Hunter Specialties, and follow every scent elimination tip they have. I used to do none of their advice, and I saw zero deer. Then I started doing bits and peices and started seeing deer, then when I did everything they said, I started shooting deer with a bow, and Ive seen a ton more. It isnt always cheap, but its worth it. The biggest expense is the scent away, but I found a recipe to make your own that works, so that saves you a lot of money right there. The most important thing is the scent free shower and keeping your clothes in scent free bags, because if you dont do that, the rest is a waste of time.

[RackBlaster]

I keep all my outer clothing in a separate scentproof bag, then my under garments like my baselayers, wool shirt, and other un-used clothing in a separate bag. I always wear Under Armour under my baselayers and if possible i will wash them after every hunt and do not put them back in the bag, i will just wear them home. One of the biggest things i have seen people do is put there boots in some type of bag to keep them scent free. The problem with that is the odor from the inside of the boot soaks in the outside as well. I know its impossible to be scent free, but i keep my boots in a wooden crate with the bottom of it filled with leaves, mulch, etc. . I also don't wear any cover scent. I will gather mulch, leaves , pine needle, etc. and fill up a couple of zip lock bags and poke some holes in it and keep them in with my clothes. Since i hunt alot by corn i will get some stalks and fold them up and just stick it the bag. Since i have been doing these things i have yet to spook a deer because of my scent, that i know of that is. I have had deer all around me and so far so good.

[Tony]

my outer clothing and rubber boots are stored in a rubbermaid container. these clothes DO NOT EVER get worn anytime other than while im hunting. i wash them in a unscented UV killer soap. i use a Scent loc jacket, pants and hood. i use regular light gloves. but they stay in my pockets 90% of the time anyways.

i play the wind as much as possible.

i dress in the field with my outer layers. but if its warm i will walk to my stand with my jacket and hood in my pack to be put on when im in the stand.

i shower BEFORE each hunt with Scent away soap. i then spray down before the walk in.

i wash my release strap in unscent soap and air dry it. i spray down my grip on my hunting bow lightly. i donot apply any spray to any othet part of my bow. i make sure i do not get any spray on my rest or string or cable slide.

if im hunting in acorn areas i put acorns in my runbbermaid container. otherwise i use the dirt scent wafers from Hunter Specialties. i have had these for 4 years and they still smell like dirt. all you have to do is put them back inthe container and they some how recharge.

again i try very hard to folow this regimen each timei go hunting. but i still prefer to play the wind as much as possible.

Shoot Strong

Tony

[Guest adrenaline_junky]

I was anything and everything that has fabric and that washable, then i hang them on the line. Once they are dry i seperated all the suits and put them in big Ziploc bags. After that i put them in the totes. I think the most important thing for me is i don't get dressed into my outter suit until i get about a 100 yards away from my vehicle. I don't think some people realize how much scent the inside of your vehicle can have. Well everything else is about standard Spray, scent drags, and H.S. wafers.

[Guest grunt0331]

I am not what you would call a scent control freak. I keep my clothes in a plastic tote that is lined with fresh pine needles or cedar mulch and I use scent killer spray. The big thing I think alot of folks forget is they wear the same hats all the time. i have my knockin around hat and my hunting hat.

I also make it a point of standing in the camp fire smoke. I think deer are used to that smell due to natural fires and controlled burns.

[Hardwood_HD]

i keep all my hunting clothes in a rubbermaid container like tony said.. i spray down when i get out of the truck in the morning then i spray once i get into the stand incase i sweated on the walk in

[bigbuckkilla89]

I keep all my clothes outside in a rubbermaid after I wash them in special scent free detergent. I always spray down with scent away before i go to my stand and i spray coon pee on my boots.

[MCH]

I do most of what has been mentioned above. I also take it a step further by washing my towels in scent free detergent as well. Next time you hop out your scent free shower and grab a towel, take a whiff.

Also, just a tip that I've heard while watching dream season. For those of you that keep Scent Lok clothing in plastic containers. Do not put any type of scent wafers or anything in there as well. A representative from Scent Lok says that is one of the biggest mistakes made by today's hunters. Apparently, the Scent Lok is supposed to absorb all the scent from the wafers and then lose its ability to absorb yours.

Now that's if you believe it works in the first place.:D

[BearClaw]

I use the Hunters Specialties products. Soap, shampoo, laundry soap, dryer sheets, spray. I spray when I leave the van and I spray again once on stand. I have a small 'staging' area right before I cross a little creek to make the final walk to my stand. I usually spray there as well before I go in. I store my clothes in a HS bag or luggage bag with the scent wafers (earth). I had two does come in last week and were 15 yds from my stand on the ay in. They stopped and put their noses in the air andstill came right in. I even wash my towel and underwear in the unscented soap! I just don't like to take any chances. It all seems to work. I had those two does come in around 7 yds right below my stand in the morning and they never knew I was there. I also started wearing a half-mesh hat on the way in because of the heat build up in a regular hat. The mesh lets the hot air out and I stay cooler on my walk in.

[Rhino]

First of all everything I wear under my charcoal lined suits is first washed in scent free detergent. My suits (complete with head nets and gloves) are kept in 5 gallon zip loc bags inside my big scent loc duffle bag. That way I won't forget some part of my complete outer layer of clothing. Extra gloves and headnets are kept in seperate zip loc bags inside that same duffle bag.

I usually leave my rubber boots outside to air them out as much as possible from a week or so before and during the season. If I feel like I need to spray them with a scent neutralizer, I will. I spray my fanny pack with a scent neutralizer and leave it outside away from exposure to foreign odors. Same goes for my Hunter Safety System. Like Tony, I'll wipe down my grip with a scent neutralizer along with the outside of my binocs, rangefinder or whatever I'll have hanging around me in the stand.

I go through all the prehunt shower, etc. routines like most of us and never use a towel that's been washed in standard household detergent to dry off. Most of them have a perfume smell. I also stick with using scent free deodorants too.

At home (the hunting camp) I use my electric cart to go to and from the woods but I dress outdoors before I go. If I'm hunting away from home I'll dress in my outer layers (scent loc or competitor) after I get out of my truck where I'm going to hunt.

On those early season warm afternoon hunts I'll put an extra dry T shirt and face towel in a zip loc bag in my fanny pack. I'll walk to my stand in just a T shirt on the upper half of my body. If I sweat getting to and into my stand I'll take off that T shirt, spray down with a scent neutralizer, dry off with the clean towel, put on the fresh T shirt and put the sweaty T shirt and towel in the zip loc bag. The lower half has to be the way it is if I sweat getting to and into my stand. I draw the line at changing my shorts in a treestand.