I was out cutting for next years food plot attempt and i remembered that the gun rack i was using sucked big time and only allowed me to hang 2 rifles that always jiggled around and scratched up my rifles. So when i was out cutting down the brush and trees and found a few really nice Cedar trees and so i took them down and delimbed them and set them to the side for later. Once i was done clearing out the area i spent an hour getting everything setup and went ahead and made the new muzzleloader rack. Looks rustic, which is what i wanted. Makes the bedroom smell amazingly fresh too.
Only setup for the rifles at the moment, I just needed to take a break and figure out what else i could add to it.
When i get the GRP in, its going at the very top, Right above the support bar.

The cedar where I live is maybe different from yours. If you cut live branches, they ooze where you limbed them. That cedar sap is the smell you are experiencing. Also it will take the finish off some woods and is a devil to get off of things. But if that is the look you want for a gun rack, that is all that's important.