Tallow/lye soap for scent cover-up?

[Bettacreek]

The guys spent a chunk of change on laundry soap and the shampoo/body wash. I'm wondering if a simple, unscented tallow and lye soap would work just as well? Wouldn't it also be the same concept as the baby laundry detergent?

 

[Beekissed]

You can get a bottle of pine essential oil that is so strong it will last as long as you could ever want. Then you can scent your own melt and pour soaps for cover scent soaps. A drop or two makes for some pretty strong soap!

 

[Bettacreek]

Well, as an update, there are essential oils that are supposed to smell like dirt, pine, etc. There was also a piece on honeysuckle for deer hunts. Unfortunately, I think these would be too strong, but I could be wrong.
There's also anise, which is supposed to confuse critters, including fish. (???)

 

[miss_thenorth]

My hubby does not de-scent, and he's a bow hunter. When he first started hunting, he would go to extreme lengths to de-scent.--wash with certain soap, wash clothes with certain stuff, and then put all his hunting gear in a tote with pine branches and dirt etc.

Now, he just pays attention to which way the wind blows, get to know where he hunting, where the deer bed down, where their 'highways' are, where they eat. Depending on the wind, it helps him decide where to hunt and how to set up.

 

[pioneergirl]

I know my father (back in the 70's, lol) would leave his hunting clothes outside for 2 weeks before a hunt. He bow-hunted elk in CO and didn't do too bad.

 

[Farmfresh]

Man it must be a drag to have deer that are actually AFRAID of people.

Here in the city people have feeders in their backyards, people are out protesting with picket signs the plan to thin the deer population in one of our large city parks and deer often eat at my D1's round hay bales and drink out of her stock tank.

I don't think deer around here would mind if you were singing and dancing in the woods! They have seen it all. (Interestingly the record deer for the state have been bagged just a few miles from the center of the town several different times. I guess the feeders make a difference! )

 

[noobiechickenlady]

We don't go all out, but we make sure not to wear loud scents, no cologne or perfume. We use unscented soap and deodorant anyways. We'll leave our clothes outside the night before and don't smoke when we're in the woods. Occasionally we'll use a scent lure, but seldom is this necessary and at certain times of the year, with certain scents it can be flat out dangerous.

FF, I think the deer round here are smarter than the average bear. They will stand in my front yard & stare at me, then calmly go back to eating. I can get within say 15 yards of them. But let me have a firearm and they are gone like a breeze. I think they can smell the gun oil. I'm no good with a bow, haven't had enough practice, so I don't try to hunt with it yet.

 

[Bettacreek]

My hubby does not de-scent, and he's a bow hunter. When he first started hunting, he would go to extreme lengths to de-scent.--wash with certain soap, wash clothes with certain stuff, and then put all his hunting gear in a tote with pine branches and dirt etc.

Now, he just pays attention to which way the wind blows, get to know where he hunting, where the deer bed down, where their 'highways' are, where they eat. Depending on the wind, it helps him decide where to hunt and how to set up.

The guys here go all out. They study certain spots to find specific deer that they want. They then study the bed down areas, how many does, etc, then check the wind patterns and weather for the day. However, just because the wind will be blowing North for most of the day doesn't mean that it won't blow South enough to blow your cover. Either way, the guys simply want scent "removal" soaps and such, so instead of paying a fortune, I'd rather make it at home, whether scent removal is effective or not.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Well, you basically would need something that would take the humans smell off the clothes, and not leave any scent in the clothing in the process of cleaning it. so, I would have to assume (although I have never smelled tallow/lye soap before) that it would be fine.
The main thing you would want to avoid is the perfume smell. And don't forget vinegar in the rinse water and double rinseto make sure all residue is rinsed out. It should work. It is unbelievable what they charge you at the hunting fishing store isn't it? I use a deodorant crystal that i bougha the department store years ago. I went into a hunting store and they advertised the crystal for hunting and it was twice the price as what I paid for it.

 

[Bettacreek]

Well, you basically would need something that would take the humans smell off the clothes, and not leave any scent in the clothing in the process of cleaning it. so, I would have to assume (although I have never smelled tallow/lye soap before) that it would be fine.
The main thing you would want to avoid is the perfume smell. And don't forget vinegar in the rinse water and double rinseto make sure all residue is rinsed out. It should work. It is unbelievable what they charge you at the hunting fishing store isn't it? I use a deodorant crystal that i bougha the department store years ago. I went into a hunting store and they advertised the crystal for hunting and it was twice the price as what I paid for it.

Thank you so much! I just did a bit of searching on the crystal, turns out, you can easily "make" a crystal. I'm looking around now to find the cheapest source for the mineral. I could probably add this mineral into the soap to help.

How do you use the deodorant crystal? Is it literally a crystal when used as an underarm deodorant? Thanks a million again!