Scent control

[2ski]

To what extent do you take your scent control? From the descriptions of some of the clothes for sale, some/most are storing their clothes in their own containers to minimize everyday smells contaminating them. Do you wash your clothes in scent free wash? Bath in any of the scent free soaps? I'm guessing most dont use any of the sprays that you see the hosts of hunting shows pushing since the pack lists getting postes don't include a bottle of dead down wind or anything.

Just some things I've been pondering as I've never had clothes that I only used for hunting, but am starting to change that. I've always just worried about the wind more than anything.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I generally store my clothes in their own container (currently a really large plastic bag) just to make sure I know where they are, not specifically for scent control.
Quite frankly I don't really take any scent control precautions other than washing in baking soda.

 

[tipsntails7]

I also store them in Rubbermaid containers, but really for organization . I wash them in scent free stuff just because I don't want I to smell like detergent. By day 3 everything is gonna stink, so you better be on the right side of the wind.

 

[MOcluck]

I wash in scent killer or baking soda so my clothes dont smell like detergent as tipsntails said. The best thing you can do is hang your clothes outside prior to hunting for a couple of days to air them out.

 

[MOcluck]

I forget to say no matter what you do or don't do ALWAYS PLAY THE WIND!

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

Wash in scent free detergent is all I do. After day one your going to start stinking, nothing you can really do but always play the wind.

 

[KMT]

I wash my hunting clothes in unscented laundry soap and don't use any smelly fabric softener . That's as far as I take it. I don't really believe in scent control clothing, and frankly think that the spray on stuff is nonsense.

 

[ltlacorn]

for back country scent control I would suggest everyone to take a look at Carbon Synergy. I don't dip my clothes in it like they suggest because it does darken your clothes. I do dip some wash clothes to use as wipes. If I get a little sweaty walking in, I'll take out a wash cloth and wipe down. This stuff does work and there are a lot of different ways to use it. Its cheap and is effective. I have done test with this stuff to show others the effectiveness.

 

[2ski]

Really as soon as you start to sweat you're throwing out stink. Just saw some detergent on sale and wondered if it was something I should think about buying.

 

[MOcluck]

If you don't have any detergent that is non scented then I say go for it ,can't hurt anything.

 

[Shrek]

Unscented detergent and I wash myself with 3d body soap for deer hunting in the south. You will never be able to fool a deer or elk completely but you can smell less "hot" . Where I hunt in Georgia there are houses and farms all around so the is always some human scent so the trick is to fade into the background and not smell near. I don't think it works out west in the backcountry.
When I'm home the cloths and boots are sprayed down with scent killer and the boots are never worn out of the woods. I'll walk as slow asIit takes to not break a sweat on the way to the stand. You still have to hunt the wind but you try to keep your scent to a minimum in the woods.

 

[twintips16]

Take this for what its worth........ This is one of my hunting partners routine. And he is far more in depth than anyone i have ever talked to. He wont let me go hunting with him unless I too, follow this routine.

First off he washes everything in sent free laundry detergent. He has a certain order. First is all the sheets to his bed. Then the towels and clothes he wears in the truck or hiking in to camp. Then his hunting clothes.

He sleeps in the sent free sheets, takes a sent free shower before the hunt, dries off with a scent free towel, and dresses into scent free clothes. IF he is using a vehicle to get to the hiking/hunting spot, there is a separate pair of clothes for that. He changes at the trail head into fresh clothes. Before the hunt he scent frees his truck. Using the "mythical" spray bottles and the same laundry soap, he washes the seats, dash, steering wheel, everything!!

He does all the washing of his clothes a month or so prior to the hunt. While on scouting trips he picks branches from trees in the area we are planning on hunting and locks those up with the clothes so they can gather the scent from the branches. The bins are Rubbermaid bins scrubbed with no scent laundry detergent. His bow gets the same treatment as the truck. Washed with laundry detergent.

At the trail head we spray everything with the spray bottle type stuff. He admitted once that he doesn't think that it works but he still does it. I guess he feels it doesn't hurt..... He uses scent free deodorant, the armon hammer stuff.

This i think is overboard but he believes in it. I follow it because it is what he does. Last year i had nine cows walk around me and it wasn't until three yards that i spooked one trying to move so i could pull on one. He has three elk killed in less than 20 yards, and a bear at three. So you know he trusts it. But like i said, take it for what its worth. I believe that you have to be smart about your scent but still think that hunting the wind is a better route to go.

But it cant hurt???? RIGHT!!!???

 

[unm1136]

I have spent a lot of time training working dogs. As such I have learned a good bit of scent theory. The old "hide the cocaine in the coffee beans" trick does not work because of the way that the dog's nose processes smell. So, cover scents don't work. Reducing scent overall should work, BUT, how much can you really reduce your smell after a week in the field? I am not saying that a deer or elk nose works the same as a dog, but dogs are what I am familiar with. If they are even close, it should equate. If they are not close, then it should not be too hard. I plan to hunt the wind, like my dad did for years in the 60s, before scent management became cool. Last year I was within 12 yards of a small group of does, (it was really cool, I had never seen does fight, but I saw one cuff and grunt at another one to get her moving toward the water hole) and I knew exactly when the lead doe, who was paying the most attention, stepped into my scent cone. I had not bathed in three days, and had NO scent control garments nor sprays, nor anything, as I was hunting turkeys at the time. Based on the wind, I was able to predict within a couple of yards where the doe would bolt, when she was able to get my scent.

I have a hard enough time affording my new hobby of backpack hunting, to have to afford and carry scent control stuff. I am just not sold on its effectiveness to justify its expense and weight.

pat