Hygiene and scent

[M McDindi]

A few posts down from the OP's original post, he says he's talking about "Africa". Keep it simple. No scented deodorants/colognes. Use the bath soaps provided. Since your laundry nearly universally done for you everyday you don't have much if ANY say so it what they use or how they do it. Clothes are generally air dried on on a line. You'll always be stalking in from down wind. And lastly, if you're hunting with local trackers or govt game scouts......they'll nearly always be providing.....uuummmm....enough cover scent for everyone.

I've taken a few guys over that as soon as they hopped off the truck they'd be spraying themselves silly with all the fancy scent blocker "stuff". The PH's and trackers would not say anything, just exchange "looks" with each other and then laugh their asses off later.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Actually the only scent prevention I have seen in Africa, besides the daily shower and clothes washing, is the burning of zebra dung while sitting in a blind. Two of my PHes have done this to hide our scent.

 

[Philip Glass]

Yes stay away from highly scented stuff. On Safari there will likely be at least three of you together so there is little reason to worry about how you smell. Animals smell your breath not your clothes or even your BO. It is primarily your breath (spoke to a Dr. doing some research at DSC a while back) so stay downwind just like you always would do.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Using your logic I'd need 20+ outfits on my next hunt, I am taking 3. I never had an issue with game getting spooked by laundry soap scent. Just stay downwind within smelling distances.

+1. I've hunted with smokers, sat around campfires with heavy smoke and never bathe on a week long elk hunt. I believe the main factor is the wind direction? AND, I'm not sure the majority of animals hunted have ever smelled a human being so does it really spook them? They also know what wood smoke smells like because of forest fires. I've had a number of elk within 15-20yds of me during rifle season and weren't spooked at all. I think scent is much more of an issue when archery hunting up close and movement by the hunter WILL spook elk. These are just my observations when hunting elk and deer here in Colorado.

 

[sgt_zim]

Thanks for the welcome!

New clothes is what i have the hardest time with.
And of my wife washes clothes. Then theu all smell like tide amd downy. Haha

Dead Down Wind, Scent Killer, and a few others make laundry detergent and dryer sheets. That's what I use for deer hunting

Amazon.com: Dead Down Wind Laundry Detergent | 40oz Bottle | Natural Woods | Gentle Laundry Detergent for Stains, Odors, Hunting Accessories, Gear and Clothes, Safe for Sensitive Skin: Clothing

Buy Dead Down Wind Laundry Detergent | 40oz Bottle | Natural Woods | Gentle Laundry Detergent for Stains, Odors, Hunting Accessories, Gear and Clothes, Safe for Sensitive Skin: Liquid Detergent - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

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Amazon.com: Wildlife Research 1289 Scent Killer Gold Autumn Formula Laundry Detergent 32 FL OZ: Sports & Outdoors

Buy Wildlife Research 1289 Scent Killer Gold Autumn Formula Laundry Detergent 32 FL OZ: Liquid Detergent - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

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[Sika98k]

View attachment 394426
No perfume in it.

Tell them to wash your cloths without detergent.

Nothing will make you smell good. USE THE WIND.

The big problem with a lot of laundry detergents is the use of optical brighteners in them. Apparently these are more readily detected by animals.
Scent ? Keep the wind on your face.

 

[Hogpatrol]

And we all know guys who just crawled out from under the grease rack, jump in their Super Fund SIte pickup truck, light up a butt or cigar, drive to their spot, traipse in the the woods making all kinds of racket and then kill a monster buck.

 

[Sika98k]

Just find some animal dung laying about before you start your stalk and rub it all over yourself.

We used to do that when hunting elk here in the US and it works fairly well.

Yes but you end up smelling like s##t !

 

[Hogpatrol]

Just a heads up, after hunting season, if they're overstocked, the local WallyWorlds put on sale all of their scent abatement bathing and laundry products. I load up and usually have enough for two or three years.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Just a heads up, after hunting season, if they're overstocked, the local WallyWorlds put on sale all of their scent abatement bathing and laundry products. I load up and usually have enough for two or three years.

Good idea! But I prefer not to bathe or launder my clothes when hunting, so I guess I'll be hunting alone? Ha! Ha!

 

[spike.t]

Never ceases to amaze me what people on here find to worry about.....and only time burned animal shit was to keep tsetse flies away....something very few people this side of the water even have thought about.....

 

[PeteG]

It is highly recommended to bath in the remains of the gut bucket when cat hunting.
Success guaranteed

 

[Red Leg]

A few posts down from the OP's original post, he says he's talking about "Africa". Keep it simple. No scented deodorants/colognes. Use the bath soaps provided. Since your laundry nearly universally done for you everyday you don't have much if ANY say so it what they use or how they do it. Clothes are generally air dried on on a line. You'll always be stalking in from down wind. And lastly, if you're hunting with local trackers or govt game scouts......they'll nearly always be providing.....uuummmm....enough cover scent for everyone.

I've taken a few guys over that as soon as they hopped off the truck they'd be spraying themselves silly with all the fancy scent blocker "stuff". The PH's and trackers would not say anything, just exchange "looks" with each other and then laugh their asses off later.

What he said!

@spike.t beat me to the dung burning - did do that a few times in Moz because of the bloody tsetse flies (they can be biblically bad). Not sure it helped, but we felt better for trying.

And @CoElkHunter - Please go with local custom and bath and change your clothes if we find ourselves in the same camp south of the Sahara.

 

[YancyW]

This is why I spend so much time and effort practicing long range....

 

[spike.t]

This is why I spend so much time and effort practicing long range....

Because you smell and nobody wants you near them?..........

 

[YancyW]

Because you smell and nobody wants you near them?..........

It beats having to wear clothes soaked in tree juice.

 

[Bonk]

I've found that coffee breath hides my scent real well so I make sure I drink a couple of strong cups before I head out into the woods.

If you're stuck in a tree stand or blind where the whims of a fickle wind will betray you I guess some scent control might help a bit but even then I choose not to use that stuff. I prefer the K.I.S.S. method of hunting.

Game will either smell you, hear you or see you. That means I need to use the wind, move quietly and be still when necessary. I do not dispute the value of using the wind but I've seen more game spooked by noise and movement than scent. YMMV.

 

[CoElkHunter]

What he said!

@spike.t beat me to the dung burning - did do that a few times in Moz because of the bloody tsetse flies (they can be biblically bad). Not sure it helped, but we felt better for trying.

And @CoElkHunter - Please go with local custom and bath and change your clothes if we find ourselves in the same camp south of the Sahara.

Red Leg,
I'm looking at all of the old African hunting photos on here and am wondering how often any of those hunters ever bathed when hunting? NEVER! Ha! You could fast forward those photos today, and those hunters would look just like our motley elk hunting group. We had one guy in our camp one year, that had field dressed three elk for himself and other hunters, and he looked like he had been field dressed himself with all the blood on his clothes. He wore the same clothes for two days! We had nine elk in the camp that year. I'm going to stop now because I don't want to scare the other hunters here. I'm looking forward to hunting in Africa someday!
CEH
Edit, because I like to be precise: The above adventure took place in 2001. We had nine hunters and we took SEVEN elk and the hunter with the blood on him, field dressed FIVE elk by himself. Three of those elk were for three hunters from Tennessee who agreed to let us use their horses to haul out our elk in exchange for the field dressing and quartering of their elk. Details matter.

 

[spike.t]

It beats having to wear clothes soaked in tree juice.

Or the gut bucket...if you haven't had the privilege of riding around with one for days you dont know what you are missing.....

 

[spike.t]

Red Leg,
I'm looking at all of the old African hunting photos on here and am wondering how often any of those hunters ever bathed when hunting? NEVER! Ha! You could fast forward those photos today, and those hunters would look just like our motley elk hunting group. We had one guy in our camp one year, that had field dressed three elk for himself and other hunters, and he looked like he had been field dressed himself with all the blood on his clothes. He wore the same clothes for two days! We had nine elk in the camp that year. I'm going to stop now because I don't want to scare the other hunters here. I'm looking forward to hunting in Africa someday!
CEH

A tin bath that could also be used for carrying stuff in or canvas bath tub were carried by quite a few