Deer Hunting Scent Free Basics

Deer hunting is an opportunity to fill your freezer with plenty of healthy meat and enjoy a wonderful sport, but deer hunting “scent free” is essential for a decent deer hunting season. One of the biggest mistakes new deer hunters make is trying to cover up the human smell with doe scent and forgetting how to eliminate odors for scent free deer hunting. While doe in heat scent is a great hunting tool, being scent free is by far more important than smelling like a frisky doe.

When I married my wife, she was not used to being around an avid deer hunter. She literally killed my scent free deer hunting quest one year by washing my camo in tide and using fabric softener to get the smell out. I had to soak my gear in tomato juice for several days and rewash in clean water to get the floral scent to go away, and even today I prefer to use another set of scent free deer hunting camo over that set. She knows better now.

Scent free deer hunting is important because the deer are very good at smelling humans, and they spook very easily. Scent free deer hunting is achieved in several ways. First, there is the condition of gear; to be scent free deer hunting gear, the camo must never be washed in floral detergents or be around the smells we tend not to detect. Then, there is the condition of the hunter; to be a scent free deer hunter, regular soap is not recommended, special deodorant is necessary, and habits need squelched! Finally, there is masking; to have scent free deer hunting, it is essential to mask smells with natural and deer attracting smells.

Here are some scent free deer hunting tips:

Wash your body in natural peanut butter instead of soap. 

Use scent free deodorant, specially formulated for hunting. 

Never use fabric softener on clothing, even underwear. 

Hunt downwind. 

Be sure to shower prior to hunting to eliminate BO. 

Do not smoke in your camo. 

Use cover scent at all times. 

Try scent-lok gear. 

Don’t forget to use cover scent on your tree stand. 

Dry your camo outside instead of in a dryer. 

Never eat in your camo. It will get the food smells on it.