Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Primitive Skills => Topic started by: big creek on November 03, 2006, 10:41:14 pm
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I think last year there was a discussion on using cover scents and soaps. Does anybody here use natural cover scents? And what about soaps and deodorant? Personally I use scent free laundry detergent, soap, and spray on cover scent. My experience is that they work, and would like to continue using them, but I would like to get away from supporting the big buisness hunting companies.
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Hey Big Creek- Know what you mean about supporting big companies.I havent used any of the various cover scents or soaps.What i do is use what is in the area-for instance down here i use "lighter knot" which is pine tree bark and sap.I make a smugde fire with lots of smoke and put my hunting clothes over it when i go to hunting camp -bow and arrows also as well as quiver. Has turnpentine smell to it-natural in trees-to fly in the face of convention-i also use chewing tobacco and hog scat on my mocs or sneakers-whatever i am wearing. Since hogs are natural to these areas.I try not to eat meat(dont eat it unless i harvest it) for a few days before i go hunting and eat mostly veggies and drink water-no salt or sugar.Sounds like a pain but its real easy-well at least for me.This stuff works for me-i guess what this long winded blurb is really saying is use whats natural for the area.I think woodsmoke and tobacco confuses animals and they are used to it-close proximity to man-havent found that associating it with man makes a discernable difference .-bob
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A 30 cent box of baking soda works great to wash your hunting clothes in. The best natural cover scent is the wind. Hunt into it. If the wind is blowing wrong for a stand, don't sit in it.
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I have hunted while camping and know that woodsmoke will cover over the human smell well. Never tried it on purpose. The turpentine thing wouln't work here. We have mixed hardwoods mostly. By the way I have used a soap called Grandpas pine tar for everyday use. You finish showering smelling like a baseball bat. It is supposed to be good for the skin also. I always include wind direction in my plans but it does not always work out. Last night would be a good example. The wind was from the South but swithched to the West for the hour before sunset. After the sun went down it was from the South again.
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THe wind is unpredictable here to-like others try to use it-hillbilly's suggestion is a good one i think-baking soda- i hunt mostly from the ground-too boring for me in a tree stand-amazing how pne scent works -isnt it?-bob
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I hunt in sage brush country, so I break off small branches of sage and put them in the duffle bag where I keep my cammo. Then when I go hunting I get some sage or buck brush (anything from your area with a strong odor) and rub it on my pants to create a little stronger cover scent. Justin
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I use local aeromatic vegitation for cover scent but hunting with the wind in your favor is the most important cover scent. If you are up wind from a deer or other game animal it doesn't matter what cover scent you have on, you're busted. Pat
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When I could hunt, I use to rinse my clothes in baking soda ,And hang them out doors.I also washed my rubber boots off before going into the woods. As far as cover scents on my body , I never thought they did any good. You still have to cover the scent you give off while breathing. It cancels out all other preparation you have made, so why bother! Hillbilly has the right idea use the wind. I have had pretty good luck in the past with this method.
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I agree-Use the wind when you can. Also-iagree with Matt E have to over youre breath as much as you can-thats why i try to eat veggies-no meat,salt,sugar before the hunt-trying not to smell like a predator-bob
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A friend of mine swears by apple flavored jolly ranches to mask his breath. Currently I brush my teeth with baking soda before a hunt. I have tried chewing on grass or leaves; don't know if it really works. Justin, is sagebrush as strong as sage from the kitchen? If so, it must work well.
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BigCreek I would say it smells less bitter, but is just as strong. Justin
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Hey Big Creek- Now thats primitive(chewing on grass and leaves)-Whowee must taste terrible!-bob
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Most of what I tried has been pleasent. Besides, part of the reason for doing this was to get the arm and hammer taste out of my mouth. It seems no matter how many times you rinse the taste lingers.
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I thought arm and hammer was a laundry detergent?-just kidding-hmm-wonder how laundry detergent tastes?haha-bob
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Oh yeah, I forgot to add that as for deoderants, you can get a hard deorant called " Thai Crystal" at your local health food store. It really works well. You sweat, because it is not an anti-persperant.
So it does'nt contain any aluminum chlorohydrate. It comes in a plastic twist type tube, or as a rock in a plastic bag.
Stickbender
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Hemlock, rub it in your hands and wipe it all over your clothes, also leave some in my clothes container.
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I've used all kinds of things that I find in the area. I'm a firm believer in scents, and I've used artificial and natural. I avoid fires at all costs due to a nice buck scenting me from a long way away after I put wood in our stove. He was sneaking up behind me...nothing I could do about it. It was years ago, but I've been paranoid about it every since.
I like cedar and persimmons. Both work great to rub on boots and clothes, but persimmons make your clothes a little sticky.
;D
It's not a cover scent, but I keep the scent glands off the legs of every buck I kill. You can freeze them in a plastic bag and tie them on your boots the next year. They work.
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I've always used dog fennel, cedar and pine rubbed on my cloths to help blend in...or step in a meadow muffin if it were fresh. I read an article last year about making your own cover scents that specified using materials that are indiginous to the area you're hunting in and when they were in season.
A funny story about cover scents...My long time hunting buddy, Richard, got the brilliant idea to use grapes as a cover scent because the grapes were so plentiful that year that the woods smelled like wine. He collected a good mess of grapes and put them and his hunting cloths in a garbage bag and smished them all together. After his cloths were well scented with "ole de grape" he hung them out to dry. When time came to hit the woods, Richard "dressed out" in his scented hunting cloths and headed out. Well, in Georgia, during the early archery season, it can be quite hot and sweaty and by the time Richard got to his stand, climbed the tree and settled in to cool off, it was apparent that the crop of yellow jackets was as aboundant as the grapes. Needless to say that was probably the least amount of time that Richard ever spent in his stand.
This happened quite a few years ago but is one of those stories that is revisited each year(at least once) around the club camp fire. Pat
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lol there is lots of baking soda in toothpaste because it kills odor. It also helps to whiten teeth. I put some toothpaste on my toothbrush and then tip the whole thing in a box of baking soda. Kills bad breath and leaves it feeling nice and clean.
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Matt, put some lemon juice on your toothbrush then dip in baking soda, it will clean better and helps cover the baking soda taste.
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Bayberry leaves and or leaves from sweetfern were used by Mi'kmaq native poeples of the eastern canadian region as cover scents being rubbed on the body and clothing just prior to the hunt. Would probably be effective to store your hunting clothes covered in the leaves in an airtight bag. Pine needles would probably be a good for storing your clothes in. Would keep the moths away during the non hunting season. Cedar? Smudging would probably cover scets but may cause game to be wary. Animals probably think, "Fire baaad!".
Interested in hearing other ideas.
---Sean
Mi'kmaq Nation
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wood smoke and deer crap. i do eat meat. i just dont eat before hunting in the morning. and if its afternoon ill fast for the day eating after the hunt. a hungry hunter is a good hunter. ;Dpeace
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when i was hunting elk regulary i crushed garlic cloves and rubed them on my clothing. had 5 elk pass at 6' while sitting in a mannzanita bush. almost scarry. seldom do deer respond to smelling me or the garlic.
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I read in an article in an old field and stream mag about making your own cover scents. What it said was take some foliage from what ever plant that you want, and let it dry out. Once it is dry, crush it and put it into a jar then cover with vodka or some kind of alcohol(dont remember what kind), then put it in a dark place and let sit. Every once in a while shake it up. After a couple of weeks strain thru cheese cloth and put in a clean spray bottle. The alchol will evporate and leave the resign from the plant you put in the bottle. On a plus side the vodka does not really have much of a smell of its own. It said you can use just about anything. Use the branches and foliage.( hope that word is spelled correctly). Pines and cedars would really work great. hope this helps.
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I know of a couple of places that are great to see game but have a swirly wind due to the hills around it. You could be facing the wind and 40 yards away you scent is comming back across the place you expect the game to show up. I have used milk weed pod fluff to check wind and have found out about this swirly wind. The fluff can be seen for a long way and it really helps.
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Washing your clothes in distilled vinegar will neutralize any odor. It works great if clothes have been left in water and have mildew odor! Also you can buy cedar blocks and/or balls to put in your closet bag or whatever. Dried herbs put in a cheesecloth bag will do the same. ;D
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Once it is dry, crush it and put it into a jar then cover with vodka or some kind of alcohol(dont remember what kind), then put it in a dark place and let sit.
If I recall correctly, that's because most scents are based on hydrocarbon molecules and hence not very soluble in water. But alcohol, being a hydrocarbon itself, makes a good solvent for scents.
I read that you can sprinkle pepper on the ground to help prevent you being pursued by tracker dogs. Don't know if that would be of any use for deceiving your prey while hunting.
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if the pepper makes them sneeze you might get an undetected shot. ;D Pat
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Pat, be careful of Redbugs in the dog fennel. When I was a kid, I used to get them alot, and it was usually after running through, or hiding in dog fennel, while playing.
Stickbender
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Parsley is a good breath scent eliminater. Thats why they serve it at restrants
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Pat, I can relate to Richard's problem with the hornets. I was hunting in a marsh area Called the Corbett area a long time ago, and I had my buddy drop me off by a saw grass pond, because I knew it was a great place for deer. Well right next to it was small cypress head. Well I proceeded to find a suitable tree to put my tree climber on, and started up the tree. Well all around the tree were a bunch of honey suckle, and lots honey bees. I paid no attention to them, after all I was going on up the tree. By the way, it was the only tree that was bid enough in girth, to use my tree climber on. Well the higher I went up the tree, the more bees I saw, and I couldn't figure this out till I got just about 12 feet off the ground, when I looked up after lifting the foot part, and just about to raise the seat part, and right in front of me was hole in the tree about six inches, by twelve inches, and the bees were swarming out of it! Of all the trees, in this little cypress head, it was the only suitable tree for my tree stand, and it was a BEE TREE !! Well I pushed the ground floor button, and got out of there, grumbling to myself, and then noticed a nice oak head, with a nice big oak tree, with a nice big limb, looking out over the saw grass pond. So I climbed it, and waited, when I saw a swamp buggy heading for it, and I thought, ok, boys, flush him to me. Well no dice, about half way through, the guy up top, stands up and starts blasting, and then they pulled up a little, pulled a nice eight point buck onto the buggy. Well that just made my day. Sometimes it's just not your turn to win. Then to top it off, I went on the other side of the Oak hammock, and some nut was target practing, and bullets were heading in my general direction, and when I hollered at them, more came my way. So I just picked up my tree stand, and headed back up the road towards where my buddies were. The problem with the J.C. Corbette Area, is it is too accessable, and every nit wit that has no clue about hunting or safety, decides he is going to go there. So I very rarely ever hunt it. But anyway, that was my little interaction with bees......