Everyone knows that to be a good bowhunter you can't be seen by deer, heard by deer, or smelled by deer. But how many of you have ever done this. You wake up and get dressed in your " scent free" clothes and then go make yourself a cup of coffee and hit the road? Well you have just messed up right there. Your breath, your clothes, your hands smell like coffee. You're bringing foreign odors into the woods. 

Ahh and remember that time your wife or mom was getting ready for work ad you gave her a last minute hug? Well, last time I checked girls always smell good. And that perfume just got all over your clothes and there goes your chances for that deer if they get a whiff of that perfume. 

Ok so we know we forget sometimes and bring scent into the woods that causes us to have an unsuccessful hunt. 

I have a few solutions. First wash your clothes in scent free detergent. But make sure you run the washer through a cycle with no clothes and no soap first to get the scent out of them. After you have washed them in scent free detergent, hang them outside to dry so they don't pick up any smell from machine drying. 

Now, when you wake up and you are ready to do some hunting, drink your coffee, eat some breakfast do everything " stinky" you have to do and then take a shower in some scent free soap. This will eliminate body odors and make you neutral. 

Instead of throwing on your hunting clothes, put them in a plastic trash bag and seal it with a tie-up, and keep them there until you get ready to leave your vehicle and walk to your stand site. I know this sounds almost ridiculous, but remember, to be good at anything, it takes practice, hard work, and determination. So if you work hard and take every precaution your chances for getting a deer this season are greatly increased. The reason for doing this is because your truck, car or whatever you may drive has foreign odors in it. That coffee you spilled last week, air freshener etc., so be careful. 

Once you get in the field put your hunting clothes on and spray down with scent eliminator. Be sure to spay your hands really good, your hat brim and inside your hunting hat. Spray your backpack, gloves and anything else you will be touching. 

The Scent Shield and Wildlife Research products are what I use to eliminate my scent. They come in large quantities and they are reasonably priced too. And best of all they zap human and other unwanted scent. 

Brian Pullam, brian@bowhunting.net