The IN’s and Out’s, the Do’s and Dont's of
Hunting Odor Elimination and Control
A Primer Of How To Keep Deer From Smelling You!
Prelude:
The sense of smell is a deer’s number one defense against predators. The only animal I encounter that has a more highly defined sense of smell than a deer is a wild hog.
Deer rely on their noses to find food, locate each other, and locate possible threats and dangers. A deer’s sight is sharp but being color blind (to a certain degree) they rely on detecting movement. And believe me, they are great at picking out and detecting the slightest of movement!
We are outlining the best steps for odor control and elimination to help the average hunter improve this problem and be more successful. We hope the following will offer some good and basic information.
ODORS Where and HOW:
Odors, or we should say malodors (offensive odors) are molecules of the source that attach themselves to or permeates a surface to which they adhere and stick.
Odors that are pleasant to us are malodors to deer. Yes the potpourris our wives use in the house smell really good to her and yes, even to us. But to deer it is a definite warning sign to get out and very quickly!
Our homes are full of odors that our olfactory senses become used to and we rarely even notice! Hair-spray, perfume, and after shave in the bathroom and bedroom, cooking odors throughout the home, pet odors in the house, and many more! The fabric in our vehicle adsorbs those onion and french-fry smells from that number 1 or 2 from McDonalds. Wendy’s, Burger King we had for lunch. The cigarette smoke, or from the snuff spit-cup on the dash.
Odor control for hunting is really very hard work!
The How and The Way:
Using a quality odor eliminator is the best defense to eliminate a deer from smelling you. That is why we invented No Scents At All odor eliminating products.
It works through chemistry. Even natural, organic materials produce odors that are chemical compounds. The No Scents At All products are formulated with an open-sided molecule that actually grabs the malodor molecule, migrates around it, then closes over it to encapsulate it and destroy it. Our Body Wash/Shampoo also utilizes Triclosen, which attacks and kills the bacteria on the skin that causes odors to grow on the body.
Steps To Take:
During hunting season, I personally quit using after-shave 3 days prior to the day of my hunts. All throughout hunting season I use only an unscented deodorants such as SURE or Right Guard unscented.
Washing And Drying:
I never wash and dry my hunting clothes when there is cooking going on in the house and I have managed to get my wife to not use scented candles or potpourri during hunting season.
Most people wash the clothes they are going to wear but completely disregard the equipment they will carry.
What you should wash and/or de-scent:
A) Clothing; Underwear, socks, shirts, pants, jackets, hats, face masks, rain suit, and gloves
B) Gear: Backpack, fanny pack, release for bow, gun sling, climbing stand, and any other gear you may carry or use.
1) Washing your clothes is easy. I usually make a “wet run” with washer with no clothes in it to rinse out any left over washing powder from a my wife’s previous wash so that I know the washer is clean.
Set your washer’s water level to lowest possible level setting to handle the amount of clothes you are washing. Set temperature settings to warm wash/cold rinse, and use the second rinse setting.
Add approximately 2-4 ounces of No Scents At All Concentrated Laundry Detergent to the wash and turn it on.
2) Drying your clothes: sounds easy? Well drying your hunting clothes is when most people negate the odor eliminating wash! Make sure there is no “fabric softening” sheets in the dryer. Remember! Clothes dryers operate by pulling air from inside your house into the dryer, heating it up and drying the clothes, THEN discharges it outside the house. Any cooking odors in the house will be drawn into the dryer and thus negating the whole process!
3) Once your clothes are dry, you should store them in something that offers scent free protection. Many companies offer scent free bags for this, however, my personal choice is a fiberglass or Samsonite type suitcase. If you decent them with No Scents All Spray, then you can store your hunting clothes in it and they will be air tight and remain odor free! They are also excellent because you can throw them in the rear of your vehicle and they are weather and waterproof! Plus you can get them very cheap at the local GOODWILL or Salvation Army store!
Personal Hygiene:
This is very important to eliminating odors on your body. The following is some things I do and for you to consider:
1) Stop using after-shaves 3 days prior to the day you plan on hunting.
2) Use a non-scented deodorant.
3) Shower or bathe with No Scents At All odor eliminating body wash/shampoo.
4) Remember: your hair collects and holds odors far quicker and better than your skin.
5) Bathe the evening before you hunt and if possible before you enter the woods.
6) Oral hygiene: Brush your teeth with a brand of toothpaste that has the least amount of breath freshener’s in it. If you use a mouthwash, try not to use one of the “antiseptic smelling” brands.
From Here To Your Stand!
Now you have to get from point A to point Z and hopefully get your deer! This process of traveling through the deers domain is just as important as the previous steps outlined above! Now you will be traveling through the area you hope that a deer will walk on his way to you! The last thing you want is to leave warning signs (smells) that will tell the deer you are in his vicinity and waiting on him.
1) You have successfully eliminated all the odors on your person
2) Spray down your equipment you will carry
3) Use scent free boots or a good quality rubber boot to eliminate the spreading of scent. New boots smell like rubber. When I get new boots, I use No Scents At All Laundry detergent and scrub the new boots with it using a bristle brush. Once they have been scrubbed, I hang them upside down on a fence post or rods driven into the ground in my yard and let them “Age” in the sun. About a month before hunting season opens, I will wear them scouting, walking through bayous, creeks and mud to break them in a little. Then de-scent them again prior to hunting day.
4) Riding my 4 wheeler to the general area I plan to hunt, I then get off and spray the soles, side, and tops of my boots with No Scents At All clothes and boots spray. If I decide to use any kind of cover scent, I will use raccoon urine in a spray bottle and spray this on my boots.
5) Next, I will use the No Scents At All clothes and boots spray and completely spray my pants and my shirt. Now I am almost ready to head to the tree.
6) I dip snuff, not a great idea for hunting but I have been dipping most all my life. I carry a spittoon bag around my neck. I NEVER spit on the ground when I am anywhere in the woods. To help eliminate the odor from the spittoon bag, I pour some No Scents At All clothes and boots spray into the bag after every time I rinse it out and clean it. I will swish the No Scents At All around inside, pour it out, rinse it, then add some No Scents At All to leave in there and combat the odor it will accumulate and generate as I use it.
7) If the weather is warm, I will remove my shirt and place it in my backpack as I climb the tree to help eliminate sweat saturation. Once in the tree, I use a small towel I carry to dry off the sweat from me, put my shirt back on, and will use the No Scents At All spray to spray myself and my hat as well.
BAD HABITS To Avoid:
Smoking and dipping provides a very heavy scent trail in the around and the woods surrounding you. Cigarette smoke drifts for a very long way and can spook off deer that you will never see!
If you can manage NOT to smoke while in pursuit of your quarry, then that is the way to go. If you do, make sure you use plenty of odor eliminating spray during the day while you are in the stand.
I dip snuff and that generates a considerable amount of odor on it’s own! I use a spittoon bag with No Scents At All spray inside to help eliminate the odor from being emitted. Every time I get a fresh dip, I also spray my hands and fingers to eliminate the snuff odor on them.
Urinating: I try to urinate before leaving the camp, when I get off my 4-wheeler, AND NEVER ON THE GROUND when in the woods or in my stand! I carry a urinal bag (actually 2 of them) in my backpack. This allows me to relieve myself when in the tree and to carry the offensive liquid back to the truck or camp where I can dump it there.
I hope this information will help you become a better hunter and be more successful in the woods
