Free Scent Free
 

Free Scent Free


We all know how important it is to be scent free in the woods however; all of us also know how expensive these off-the-shelf-hunting-specialty products can be. I for one am flabbergasted by the prices and usually just buy the cheapest product, or whatever products is on sale, IF I buy anything at all.

I have also been researching “Free-Scent-Free” remedies or at least “Regular” products that can be purchased off the shelf that are not necessarily intended for hunting.

By starting this thread, I am hoping that we can all put our heads together and come up with home remedies for scent control that are cheap, yet effective, and are NOT marketed as a “Hunting” product.

Here are some of my home remedies, some are pretty well known and obvious, but it’s a start anyway……

I like to wash my clothes in nothing but unscented arm and hammer baking soda. Sometimes I throw in a little borax, especially with my Non-Cammo clothes as borax can have a bleaching effect.

When I go scouting in the woods where I hunt, I gather leaves, nuts, berries, twigs, etc, and put them all on the food dehydrator over night. Then I mix it all together to break it up with a rolling pin. I get potpourri bags from the craft store, or steal my wifes’ bags and pack some up. I keep them in my clothes bin. I figure that my clothes will smell not only like the woods, but the EXACT woods that I will be hunting in.

For washing ones body, there are ALLOT of products on the regular supermarket shelf that I am convinced are the same thing the hunting products are, except 10 times cheaper because it’s not a “Specialty” product.

Scent free “Dial” soap is just that. Scent free. It is a very basic mild soap. I will wash with that and wash what little hair I have with it. Also, it is worth looking into the products that are Hypo-allergic for people that have allergies to perfumes and such. Shampoos and deodorant can be found. I have never tried them as I have other remedies that work for me. I have also seen some Hypo-allergic laundry detergent, but have not tried it.

For shampoo, I just use the dial soap. But my wife put me onto this scent free deodorant that works. Alum. Just dissolve about a teaspoon of alum in a glass of water, fold up a wash towel, dip it in to soak it, and wipe down your pits with it. It doesn’t do much as an antiperspirant, but it will stay with you for the day and keep the bacteria (which causes the scent) away.

My wife will sometimes do my boots for me in the waning machine. I will have to ask what she does exactly, but she uses Alum in the wash. It’s something she learned from her mother because supposedly her father had a real bad stinky feet problem. Otherwise, I will scrub them by hand with arm and hammer and rinse them off with a garden hose. After they dry, and before and after every use, I sprinkle a little baking soda in them to absorb any odors.

I pack my lunch in a large zip-lock bag and package each individual item (sandwich, cookies, etc) in separate but smaller zip-lock bags. Afterwards, I put the garbage, wrappers, napkins, etc back in the large zip-lock bag and take care of it after I leave the woods.

My brother-in-law does this trick, but I don’t, but he swears by it……..

He is always smoking fish or meat or what ever. Before he hunts, he’ll get the smoker going and hang his clothes in the smoke for a few minutes. I think they just smell like smoke, and I think the deer might think that where there is smoke, there is fire, and where there is fire, there are people. But he says that it works for him.

Baking soda is a great product and I also use it as mouth wash on hunting days along with a baking soda unflavored tooth paste. It tastes like crap, but what ever it takes, right? I always carry a small box of baking soda, so I use some of that as a mouth wash if I take a lunch break out of the tree stand.

For toilet breaks, I avoid the out houses or public restrooms if at all possible. I keep a pee bottle, but if I need to empty it, I dump it out by the car, not in the woods. Number 2 is a different story. I don’t want to leave my scent in the woods, and I can go on the side of the road by the car, so I change into my “Driving” shoes an use an out-house or public restroom. I try to touch as little as possible and although it’s a little gross, I don’t wash my hands. I figure I’ll live and they will be washed either when I get home, or if I stop for a hot coffee on the way.

These are my strategies, but I am always open to hearing and learning more. I am especially interested in learning how to make a home remedie "Scent Killer" spray that I can use on my tackle and such. So let's hear them!……..

RE: Free Scent Free
 

nice post bjan.
I like to buy the large packs of unscented baby wipes. They come in handy when you don't have access to running water. I like to put the baking soda in a sock and use it like a resin bag dusting my clothes right before going into the woods.

RE: Free Scent Free
 

One thing I'm trying this year for the first time is clorophyl (sp?) gelcaps. I bought a jar of 90 at GNC for $8.99. I'll take one a day for the next three months. I have heard this can help reduce body odor. I guess it can't hurt. I wonder how I'll know if its working?

RE: Free Scent Free
 

I got this from a couple different places. I have not been able to try it yet but have heard it works great.

Scent Eliminator Recipe'


1 gal Hydrogen Peroxide 3%
1 gal Distilled Water
2 cups baking soda
8 oz unscented shampoo ( sport wash )

RE: Free Scent Free
 

Nice post here.
Play the wind, and worrying about scent free isnt as stressful as one would think.

RE: Free Scent Free
 

pute cloths hanging on a cedar tree before and inbetween hunts

RE: Free Scent Free
 

thanks

RE: Free Scent Free
 

http://www.fastestbows.com/articles/corrigan/scent_elimination_sprays.html

RE: Free Scent Free
 

Very nice post. Mennen has unscented deodorant (blue cap) that has no more odor than the specialty deodorant.

One thing I make a point to do when walking in is to rub the bottoms of my boots really good in a puddle/wet soil. I figure if there is any scent at all on their bottom from the cabin flooring, it will be left in the puddle.

RE: Free Scent Free
 

I use All Free and Clear detergent for washing my hunting clothes. Last season I had a mature buck walk under my tree on 4 occaisions.
Insatiable

RE: Free Scent Free
 

Dial unscented soft solid is the only deodorant I will use for two weeks before season until the season ends and I use unscented soap lathered up as shaving cream during the season. I think alot of the scented shampoos, soaps and shaving creams leave behind scent even if you've showered with non scent soap.

RE: Free Scent Free
 

Agreed and fully noted! One should ALWAYS play the wind. But I beleive in some level of scent control especially if a monster comes in when your calling. Chances are he'll approach from down wind and taking scent control precautions will depermin if my scent is traveling 5 yards or 55 yards. Plus my eye sight is not what it used to be, especially in the dim light of dusk and dawn. Also, I am only shooting 55lbs, so I figure I have a clean shot to 35 yards MAX in the worst conditions.

I don't want to go out there smelling like a truck stop mens room or a boquet of orchids. I also want to LEAVE as little scent as possible where I have been.

RE: Free Scent Free
 

It has been said that a person can greatlly reduce their scent by eating (and not eating) certain foods. Any experts have any info on this?

RE: Free Scent Free
 

So the hydrogen peroxide 3% in the brown bottles should NOT be used. Does it make a really big difference??? Wal-Marts alot closer than the pool supply.

RE: Free Scent Free
 

I wash all my clothes in baking soda and keep them in a plastic bag until I'm at camp. I hang my coveralls outside to keep them fresh. I used Arm and Hammer unscented deodorant and wash with unscented soap and shampoo. While hunting I keep ahydrogen peroxide mouth wash and an apple in my fanny pack to keep my mouth odor down. Other than that hunt the wind and don't get overly concernedabout scent.

RE: Free Scent Free
 

Use Xtra free and clear laundry detergent, $3/gallon. Unscented dryer sheets. Baking soda in a sock kept in my bow case to absorb odors and used as a rosin bag to dust before hunting. Mixed up a batch of scent killer.