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OK. It's getting that time of year again. I'm sure we're going to start getting posts on scent reduction soon. It amazes me that folks will dump gobs of money on sprays and soaps and now ozone generators, when all it takes is some baking soda. I'm making this post in anticipation of the rush. It's an oldy, but a goody.

The Shamanic Baking Soda Method

A year or so ago, I was trolling for deer porn on Youtube, and I ran into a 30 minutes video. I'm not exagerating when I say that the first half of the video was spent with the two hunters removing clothing from their special scent bags and spraying everything down with scent reducing sprays. By the time they walked out to their stands, I was ready to throw something at the screen.

Yes, I know a good number of y'all are of the opinion that you cannot fool a buck's nose. I'm not sure. What I do may be all foolish superstition, but the advent of baking soda in my life was a watershed 35 years ago, at least it felt that way.

The method isn't original. I read about this back in the mid-'80s before marketers got on the scent reduction bandwagon. I've been using this method ever since then, and had great results. My advice is to read the method and give it a try. YMMV: I've moderated my method over the years from what I originally read. The author of the original article wrapped his head in plastic and did a bunch of other weird stuff that I just couldn't deal with. You're going to find that some things have more effect than others.

Been using Borax and Baking soda to wash my clothes for years. I don't do all the other stuff as I think you would have to stop breathing to not put out any scent. I do use unscented arm and hammer deodorant, might give the plain baking soda a try.

Clean your hunting clothing with baking soda. Then, it can’t hurt to place your hunting clothing into a plastic bag with a little “crushed” vegetation native to your hunt area! “Natural” cover scent! memtb

Cleaning with baking soda works, but it's a static thing. You then put clothes on, stop for coffee, get gas, heck just get in your truck that how many other stinky things have been in??

If you want to get stink of the clothes do it just before going into the woods, But yes, "scent free" is impossible because your body makes scent constantly.

"fool" the nose ain't happening, you just hope to either have them not care, or confuse them for the seconds it takes to get the shot.

Yep, wash in scent free detergent and then I put some spruce or fir branches in the bag with them, sage brush if it's for mule deer or antelope season.

yep

Yes, I recommend among other things to packing your outer layer in and not getting into it until you're in the stand.

I used to put my hunting duds in a plastic bag with some descenting powder and shake it. Then when I got to the place I park I put racoon piss (The stuff you buy) on my shoes and walk to the blind. When I got to the blind I put coon piss on a couple cotton balls and threw them out the window. There's coons everywhere and this was the perfect scent mask. There's skunks everywhere there too but that skunk scent, while very effective, gives me a headache(I guess I should quit gargling with it) and coon scent works just fine.

It's not permanent but at least you start off with a clean slate. You do what you can and try to keep your scent down to a dull roar.

I smoked like a chimney {cigarettes} for the first 33 years I deer hunted. Killed multiple deer every single year, most at distances of less than 50 yards. No better wind indicator than smoke. Deer absolutely will not smell you if you aren't up wind of them. I knew a professional game manager from the UK whose job it was to keep deer within the carrying capacity of over 30 estates. By contract he had to kill roughly 600 roe, red, sitka and muntjac per year or he didn't get paid. He smoked cigarettes constantly while afield and met his quota every year until he retired from game management. He agreed there's no better wind current indicator than smoke, that he'd be lost without it, that deer absolutely cannot smell you if you stay downwind and that they absolutely can if you are up wind, regardless of your best efforts at scent control. Another thing. I had deer come in to me many times that I would have sworn were directly down wind if It weren't for the constant stream of smoke. Had deer come in and bed down 20 yards to my right when I could clearly feel the cool breeze against my left cheek. The stream of smoke wafting from my cigarette and going just a few feet in front of them told the story. I strongly suspect most deer that hunters think came in down wind really weren't.

If you ever get funky shoes or boots, baking soda will fix the problem.

Many years ago I bought a Sent loc suit with all the bells and whistles...gloves, masks, Muck boots....and I had a black lab with a nose you wouldn't believe. I had the wife to keep the lab at the house while I went behind the house into the woods....like 300 yards and climbed a tree like 40 feet up....off the trail in. I called the wife once I am settled in and she turned Jake lose....immediately here he comes looking for me. I could see him like 100 yards out and he ran right by the tree I was in like 20 yards...lost my sent and turned around nose on the ground. Wound up under my tree looking up at me. I was amazed at what happened. After saying this, I have friends that say they work and never get busted wearing them. I do know that a line dragged with vanilla flavoring on your boots...deer will follow it right to your stand....killed several doing that.

My python boot was too tight, couldn't get it off last night

A week went by and now it's July, I finally got it off and my girlfriend cried, I've got stinkfoot

Stinkfoot, by Frank Zappa

While deer can smell man pretty well, they’re nothing compared to dogs and hogs. Deer will also ignore many smells that they get accustomed to; wood smoke, fuel (loggers and farmers), etc. I’ve always seen vanilla really throw off their noses, just like it does most stuff.

One former hunting companion swore by pipe smoke as an attractant. He liked Amphora which has a fruity smell. One time a friend was complaining about me and another guy smoking Cuban cigars in camp while we were frying bacon over the fire and an eight point buck comes walking up to within 30 yards of us.

My friend was going to shoot it but it was funny the deer could always keep brush bin front of him.

I once had a doe come up behind me and sniff me while I was taking a dump in the woods. 🤠

There's some good advice on not eating the yellow snow over by where them huskies go on that album as well.

I think it makes sense to avoid leaving ground scent where you expect deer to appear near your stand, but unless you hold your breath all day, if they're downwind, they're gonna smell you. What they do after that depends on conditions; how close you are, normal human activity in the area, etc. In any event, in this game we play with deer, I feel like I have to leave them some advantage, and scent is it. Hunt the wind, and try to keep them from smelling you, but containing or destroying scent seems like going a bit too far for a sporting endeavor when you add it to all the other stuff we have on our side.

I get a chuckle when I see those guys on YouTube hanging their Ozonics units in their fiberglass deer blinds or treestands. Seems like a lot of extra weight to tote around the woods for an unknown benefit. I'd prefer a jug of coffee and a sandwich.

I use non-scented laundry detergent at the end of the season, (ALL Free and Clear) and try not to wash my outer clothes until season is over. This way my hunting clothes have a whole year to air out on opening day. If I have to wash them during season, I use very little non-scented detergent and rinse twice. It isn't perfect, but I have had deer come really close to me nearly every year and I hunt at ground level. I keep outerwear outside of the cabin during hunting season and change my undergarments often, and I have several pairs of hunting pants. Let's face it, if a good breeze takes your scent to a buck's nose, you will be busted no matter how perfect you think your scent removal is. You are alive and breathing, nothing will help that.

I used to buy non scented detergent but switched to baking soda over the last few years. I'll throw them in the dryer too with earth scented wafers. Then they go into a garbage or other sealed bag till ready for use.

I used to be very anal about scent and my clothing but I've changed. I just don't feel like doing it any more. Plus as others have said if you are up wind they're going to smell you no matter.