Doing Laundry for Better Deer Hunting
Filed under: Hunting Blog, Hunting Tactics
Most deer hunters are actively preparing for deer season
My preparation includes:
- Habitat/food plot work
- Practicing with my chosen weapon
- Scouting
- Hanging stands/positioning blinds
- Preparing clothes
Most deer hunters engage in some of the above activities. However, one of the most important and often skipped stages is preparing hunting clothes.
A deer’s best defense against predators is its nose. A deer’s eyes and ears are good, but they are simply not in the same league as their nose. I believe that a deer’s nose can detect clothes that have remained in a house, plastic tub, etc., as these tend to have odors that are not common in deer habitat. These strange odors can alert and spook deer.
A deer’s reaction to detecting these odors is probably closely related to the current level of predator related stress the deer are experiencing. If they are being harassed by coyotes and other predators, the deer are likely very vigilant and will display a keen reaction to unusual smells.
There is a lot of hunting at and adjoining my property. There are lots of coyotes in my neighborhood too. The topography is very hilly so the wind seems to swirl constantly. Given these crazy wind patterns, I must attempt to eliminate as many foreign odors as possible. To accomplish this, I wash all my hunting clothes with Dead Down Wind’s E1 Scent Prevent Laundry Detergent. Even though they were washed before being put up last year, I washed them again to remove as much odor as possible. Then I hung the clothes in the sun and allowed them to dry. The sun’s UV is an added cleansing agent.
When scouting or hunting, I use additional steps (shower, etc.) to remove as much scent from my body as possible. However, serious scent elimination means everything I take in the woods has been treated, washed, etc., to reduce scent.
Laundry is an important part of my hunting plan. It’s just as important as practicing with my bow – because without removing scent from my hunting clothes, my only shot this fall may be at the 3D targets in my yard.
Growing Deer together,
Grant
