RE: washing before hunt
Just make sure it is no scent - some of the soaps are earth scent and even the ones that claim to be are not. Test it on you Dog. Take a bar and callthe Dogover to you, just hold it out like nothing special and if they sniff it and pull away it has scent - if tehy keep on it, even for a few seconds, they cannot smell it and are trying to get a wiff.
Proven trick - try it and you will be surprised.
I use DDW soaps and Code Blue Spray. No smell and we generally have good luck keeping the scent down. You know it when they blow and just can't get a wiff and keep trying.