Jason N

I figured since we are bowhunters and we need to be scent free that I' d start this post to help some folks out! I' ve been guilty in the past of forgetting to wash some important items to make them scent free. Heres some tips:

1. Sweat the small stuff. Don' t forget to wash your release! This might be the one piece of equipment that is often overlooked, yet carries a huge amount of odor, bacteria and just plain dirt....especially if your release has any cloth or leather on it.

2. Underpants and socks need to be made scent-free. Washing and hanging your camo is useless if you' re wearing your FTD' s and socks that came right out of the dryer with a Snuggle sheet....not to mention the Gain you used to wash them with.

3. Most of us always get the basics....coat, pants, hat, gloves, etc. We often forget about our saftey gear. Wash that harness and pull-up rope. And spray your stand down too!

4. When you take the time to be as scent free as possible and you take a shower before the hunt just to get scent free DON' T forget to wash a towel and wash cloth in scent-free medium. Does no good at all to take a scent-free shower adn dry off with a towel from the closet....that dang ol' Gain again!

5. I don' t condone throwing your bow & arrows in a tub of water with Sport Wash, but at least spray them down with some scent eliminating product. Strings, cables, cams, etc. all collect dirt and scent. A light spray down can pay huge dividends.

6. If you use a day pack or fanny pack make sure to get it scent-free as well. Stuff that goes in it too. Grunt tubes, rattling antlers, knife, extra clothes, rags, drag rope, etc. all need to be scent free.

7. There is a miriad of scent-free personal hygene products as well. Get some scent-free deodorant and use it. There is more expensive brands designed specifically for hunting....others have had success with unscented deodarants like Arm & Hammer. Shampoo and body wash are availible at almost anyplace with a sporting goods dept. or your local sporting good store. Some go as far as brushing their teeth with baking soda and water.....it can' t hurt.

8. Store your de-scented gear in a scent-proof air tight container. Get dressed when you get out of your vehicle....you don' t want to go through all the above only to get the smells from your truck on all your gear. Take a small tarp or mat to stand on while dressing and keep it as scent-free as possible.

I hope this helps remind us all to get everything we carry into the woods as scent-free as possible. If you have a tip please add it. Good luck to everyone this season and be safe.

CBM SC

I think you need some Scent-lok seat covers for your truck also !!

Jason N

CMB, I was actually thinking about that this morning. I was wondering why I' ve never seen Scent-Lok seat covers or scent-absorbing canisters for under your seat....maybe we' re onto something!

Belle Island

Jason, how often do you go through this routine? Everyday? Once a week? Once a month? Once a year?

BobCo19-65

Dang, now thats really getting nit-piky. Hey if that' s what works for you then by all means go for it. I myself cannot justify the time getting that detailed. There are other places my time is more needed, especially during hunting season. I will usually wash my clothes every other time in sports wash and inbewteen, hang them out to dry, and I' ll shower every day in scent away soap and shampoo, but theres a limit. I enjoy my hunt even if I smell from a breakfast with bacon, and last nights garlic dinner.

Jason N

BobCO, a release with cloth or leather straps will hold an imense amount of scent. These are tips to help people be as scent-free as possible. I' m not suggesting that everyone should be fanatical about it, but awareness is helpful. If you don' t want to wash your release then don' t....I don' t give a hoot what you do or don' t do, I don' t think it' s nit-picky at all to take an hour to do some laundry or a few seconds to spray a mist on my equipment. In PA we can' t hunt on Sunday, so that' s a good day for me to catch up on this type of stuff.....we can' t hunt at night here either!

Belle, I usually wash all my gear at the begining of the season. Hats, gloves, socks & underwear get washed frequently with towels and wash clothes. My exterior camo is Scent-Lok....I wash it once a week typically, but it depends on my activity level and how much I sweat. My safety harness and such usually only get washed once for a season as long they are stored in a scent proof container. My bow will get sprayed down regularly along with my boots.

BobCo19-65

Gee thanks, you must make a lot of friends that way.

Jason N

I wasn' t trying to be ornery, I meant that literally. I don' t care one way or the other if you use my tip or protest it. It afects me none whatsoever. I' m just offering tips for those that want them. I feel it' s important to wash your release and you don' t....no big deal. Just a difference of opinion. I honestly wasn' t tying to flame you.

BobCo19-65

OK good, cause I wasn' t trying to put you down for what you do either. Like I said if it works for you then by all means do it. And I can most definityly understand spraying some scent away on it.

I guess that I personally don' t get as caught up in a lot of this type of stuff, and try not to get too caught up in the technical stuff. Some do and love it. I used to though. Now, I concentrate more on the enjoyment of the hunt itself, the fun in practicing shooting, and trying to spend time with the family even during hunting season (this is all of course while I' m not at work full time). It' s like Cheryl Crow says " if it makes you happy, it can' t be that bad" .

Man, I feel for ya though. It has to be tough not being able to hunt on Sunday. It used to be the same here in NY. But changed years ago.

BTW, I do find a lot of your suggestions very good.

jerseyhunter

Don' t forget just cause you stand on a rug to change in a parking lot doesn' t mean your not going to walk through someones oil or gas leak when you walk across the parking lot. Heck it may even have come from your own vehicle. Just a thought to ponder. Hey Jason I have a watch soley for hunting, you' ll be surprised how much that leather band can smell.My huntin clothes are my huntin clothes and that goes for the under garments as well. Never thought about that towel though.One more thing to keep track of and odorless[:@]