-By Randy Cooper
As I said last week, chlorophyll is where I start but there is so much more to being scent free for hunting season. I try to get everything together before the season starts so that it is as effortless as possible and I don’t run out. Let me simply go through what I do when getting ready for a hunt.
I’d like to make an observation first. I have found that most women go out of their way to be as attractive in every way they can, even the way they smell. Every one of these women have one thing in common. They shave under their arms. The hair growing under a guy’s arms is a bacterial factory. When perspiration and bacteria mix with oxygen you have B.O. Plain and simple. This is why most guys, even after taking a shower in the morning, will smell ripe by 3pm if not before.
I know this is a touchy subject but let me continue. I have always weight-trained and I found that shaving under my arms did a lot for my appearance when I did a double bicep pose or was checking my form in the mirror while doing pull-ups for my Lats. Much to my surprise, I also found out that when I started shaving I didn’t smell nearly as bad late in the day as before. I’ve been shaving ever since. I’m a firm believer that this really helps me to stay as scent free as possible.
My scent-free regimen the day of a hunt starts by showering that morning. This does a couple of things for me. First, I wash off the oil on my skin and this makes a noticeable difference when it’s cold outside. When you expose freshly-washed, oil-free skin to the cold your pores shut and your body actually begins to insulate itself.
I then use a scent free shampoo and soap made by one of the well-known hunting supply manufacturers. I apply a scent-free deodorant as well. I’ve already washed my hunting clothes, underwear and everything I’m wearing with a scent-free, UV-free laundry detergent.
Here in Georgia we have what’s called the WAFFLE HOUSE. It’s a place you can eat 24/7. We always stop there for breakfast before going to the camp. At first we started going there just to eat; after a while though, we went there for entertainment. I would just laugh when we would sit down to eat and see hunter after hunter come in dressed in EXACTLY what they were going to hunt in including their blaze orange vests. They always sat in the smoking section. By the time these bozos got to the woods they smelled just like A PLATE OVERWELL WITH SAUSAGE AND HASHBROWNS SCATTERED, SMOTHERED AND COVERED. Don’t forget the dirty ashtray. It was hilarious and a crying shame all at once.
I never put on my camo until I get to my hunting site. There, I take it out of the scent free plastic bag I have them stored in. I completely spray every inch of the clothing with a scent-killer spray before I put them on. I spray my daypack and bow, too. You can also use one of the cover scents that smell just like leaf litter on the floor of the woods. I use rubber boots or, most recently, a special set of leggings that are waist high and come with a pair of slip-on shoes made of a scent free material. The manufacturer says that in tests, bloodhounds couldn’t track a man wearing these leggings. I’ve killed my biggest two bow bucks to date while using this product. I’m convinced the bucks never smelled my entry or exit trail to the stand. After all, isn’t that the whole idea?
The last thing I do is to use a mouthwash that totally deodorizes my breath even after brushing my teeth. I carry a small atomizer filled with scent killer in my daypack to use if it’s warm or I start sweating. If you’re hunting close to home and want to go ahead and dress before going, just put a couple of scent-free, large-size garbage bags over the back of the seat and one on the seat itself.
Sound like a lot of preparation? Maybe it is, but when I go through these steps my confidence is through the roof. I’m going up against the best nose in the woods. I need every advantage I can get to just be a spectator in his world. To be there without ever being noticed, like a ghost.
The bucks I hunt are older age class and got that way by being smart. One mistake on my part, one slip up because I got lazy then I might as well stick a fork in it because I’m done!! These are the techniques that I’ve found over many years work for me. Try them, tweak them and make them your own. You’ll thank me for it when the buck of your dreams walks into your shooting lane and you bring him home.
Comments