How Do I make my own Sport-Wash???

[no34570]

Hi Fellas
Does anybody know how to make their own sport-wash for hunting clothes?
You know the stuff I'm talking about?:???:

I can get it here in Australia,but it costs around $23 and it does about 15 washes,I thought I saw somewhere that you could use Bi-Carbonate of Soda and it will do the same thing,take out all human smell,no fragrances and kill the Phosphate level in your hunting clothes.
How about U.V.Killer? thats about $29 here.:roll:
Any scent eliminators that I can make?
I could use unscented washing powder that has no PH in it thats about $7 per 2kg,you know the "Greenie" stuff.
Any help would be appreciated
:drinks:
no3457P.S. I don't know if this is in the right place in the forum??[smilie=1:

[waksupi]

Baking soda would do the same thing, a lot cheaper. All in all though, I wouldn't worry about that, or the ultra violet thingy. Sales hype. You WILL NOT fool the nose of any wild animal. Watch the wind, and you will be ok. No matter what you do, you will not cover your scent. As far as the UV thing, definitely rigged to make sales to the unsuspecting. Animals work on thier nose, and movement. If you are downwind, or quartering, you are alright. And, don't move when they can see you. Wait until they are feeding, or thier vision is blocked in some way.
Pay attention to these two concepts, and you can get in their back pocket. I've been within touching distance of deer, and elk, by doing these things, wearing blue jeans and Tshirt, smelling like New Orleans ***** house. And managed to put an arrow or bullet in them, as long as I was hunting like I was supposed to be. Gimmicks, are just that. Get out there and get 'em!

[MT Gianni]

A bit of talcum or baby powder, UNSCENTED, will let you keep track of the wind direction. Keep some on a womans make up pad stuck to your bow or to the side of your pants and tap it if you are not sure. A small surveyors ribbon tape will do the same although if left out it is one of the motions game notice. Gianni.

[MtJerry]

Ingredients for Scent Killer:

16 oz. (2 cups) Peroxide ( yes, I use the brown bottled stuff)

16 oz. (2 cups) Distilled Water or water from a dehumidifier

¼ cup baking soda

1 oz. On non-scented shampoo (I use Hunters Specialties green shampoo)
(Or adjust amounts to whatever size you make accordingly)

Let sit for several days (1 gallon milk jug works good with lid loose) This recipe is also good for removing blood from your hands in the field after dressing your critter! No dried blood, presents a better image!


Here an idea for some scent free 'baby wipes'...

mix up a batch of scent killer as per instructions above...

take a roll of heavy duty paper towels (Bounty, Scott, etc..not the 49 cent cheapies)

cut the roll in half with an electric knife so you have 2 short rolls of paper towels(don't try a regular knife... it doesn't work). Pull the cardboard tube from the middle of the half roll

Find a rubbermaid or tupperware container big enough to hold the 1/2 roll of paper towels (and with a good sealed lid).

Put one of the 1/2 rolls of paper in the container, pour in the scent killer, let the wipes soak up the scent killer, keep covered tight so they don't dry out. Because the inner cardboard tube is out, pull the paper towels out the from the middle like a kleenex!

[PatMarlin]

Next deer you get, empty the bladder in a bucket and marinate your hunting jeans. Don't ever wash em'. That'll get you right up close and personal... :mrgreen:

[MT Gianni]

Pat, don't laugh but the standard bow hunting scent in our camp was to kneel in fresh Elk scat. It works as a cover. Scunk scent works but only in places where there are skunks so Australia is out there. Gianni.

[PatMarlin]

Well that's a sports wash of sorts. LOL.. :mrgreen:

[no34570]

Baking soda would do the same thing, a lot cheaper. All in all though, I wouldn't worry about that, or the ultra violet thingy. Sales hype. You WILL NOT fool the nose of any wild animal. Watch the wind, and you will be ok. No matter what you do, you will not cover your scent. As far as the UV thing, definitely rigged to make sales to the unsuspecting. Animals work on thier nose, and movement. If you are downwind, or quartering, you are alright. And, don't move when they can see you. Wait until they are feeding, or thier vision is blocked in some way.
Pay attention to these two concepts, and you can get in their back pocket. I've been within touching distance of deer, and elk, by doing these things, wearing blue jeans and Tshirt, smelling like New Orleans ***** house. And managed to put an arrow or bullet in them, as long as I was hunting like I was supposed to be. Gimmicks, are just that. Get out there and get 'em!

waksapi
I was talking to some old hunters early this morning and they said the same thing,"It;s all load of C@#p,they just wash there clothes in plain water with baking soda and then put a bit of eucalyptus oil in the final rinse,dry them on a clothes line and then bag them with eucalyptus leaves inside." So I'll try that
Thanks for your reply
no34570

[no34570]

A bit of talcum or baby powder, UNSCENTED, will let you keep track of the wind direction. Keep some on a womans make up pad stuck to your bow or to the side of your pants and tap it if you are not sure. A small surveyors ribbon tape will do the same although if left out it is one of the motions game notice. Gianni.

Mt Gianni
Thanks for that tip,I like that one
Cheers
no34570

[no34570]

Ingredients for Scent Killer:

16 oz. (2 cups) Peroxide ( yes, I use the brown bottled stuff)

16 oz. (2 cups) Distilled Water or water from a dehumidifier

¼ cup baking soda

1 oz. On non-scented shampoo (I use Hunters Specialties green shampoo)
(Or adjust amounts to whatever size you make accordingly)

Let sit for several days (1 gallon milk jug works good with lid loose) This recipe is also good for removing blood from your hands in the field after dressing your critter! No dried blood, presents a better image!


Here an idea for some scent free 'baby wipes'...

mix up a batch of scent killer as per instructions above...

take a roll of heavy duty paper towels (Bounty, Scott, etc..not the 49 cent cheapies)

cut the roll in half with an electric knife so you have 2 short rolls of paper towels(don't try a regular knife... it doesn't work). Pull the cardboard tube from the middle of the half roll

Find a rubbermaid or tupperware container big enough to hold the 1/2 roll of paper towels (and with a good sealed lid).

Put one of the 1/2 rolls of paper in the container, pour in the scent killer, let the wipes soak up the scent killer, keep covered tight so they don't dry out. Because the inner cardboard tube is out, pull the paper towels out the from the middle like a kleenex!

Mtjerry
Thanks for that,that sounds like a good recipe and a handy tip for those wipes,I might try them,thanks again
no34570

[no34570]

Next deer you get, empty the bladder in a bucket and marinate your hunting jeans. Don't ever wash em'. That'll get you right up close and personal... :mrgreen:

Are you serious????LoL:-D

[redbear705]

"smelling like New Orleans ***** house."


Now maybe that is why I cant sneak up on'em! :)
JR

[44man]

Don't use skunk scent! I have played with it at a distance from a stand and deer HATE it. As soon as they get a whiff, they make all kinds of noise and leave.
Fox scent is the best and we have watched bucks lick it off trees. Deer and fox get along just fine and we even seen fox jumping at a doe's legs like it was playing.
As far as the ultra violet thing, there is truth in it. I had nothing but trouble years ago when the wife washed my hunting stuff. Deer ALWAYS spotted me even when the wind was right. Different detergents have different amounts of whiteners, some are not bad. As she changed soaps, results would change.
When I went to sports wash, trouble stopped and I am never seen unless I move but if I sit still they lose interest. I have drawn my bow on too many deer while they stared through me and shot them with no trouble to say it doesn't work.
One secret is to never wear dark camo. Stuff like the early Realtree is way too dark. They are finally coming around and improving it. They design camo for people, not deer. You are better off with a white shirt.
The very best camo for deer is blaze orange, they can't see it at all and you blend into everything.
You are better off looking like the sky then a big black blob. Deer can't see those tight pattern changes on a lot of camo, you want BIG light areas. Skyline camo and ASAT is great stuff. So is a white "T" shirt. I even wear snow camo in the fall when in a tree full of leaves.
I walk through a store full of camo and I am amazed at how dark it all is. They need spotlights in that department because the whole room is dark. There is none that I would buy.

[dnepr]

of course I find this thread after I have ordered sports wash and scent free soap. I have never worried about these things before and just payed attention to the wind and the animals but this is my first archery season so I thought the extra advantage would be worth the expense .[smilie=1:

[HORNET]

As long as things have drifted off to cammies, anybody know if them tree rats can see that Orange? Squirrel season starts soon (haven't gone after them in years) and I can't recall...must be CRS. Don't know if I can use my orange camo (safer around here) or need to get some archery-style stuff. Any helpful suggestions?:confused:

[VTDW]

As stated above, just wash your hunting clothes in baking soda. I buy a LARGE box each year and it WORKS!!! Save your money bro. The only scent I use is cedar as my hunting area has lots of cedars. You can use baking soda and bottled water in a spray bottle to spray yourself down for a bit of added scent free time in the woods to.

Dave

[44man]

Hornet, don't worry about orange and squirrels, go ahead and wear it. Best stuff ever. I don't like it for archery season in certain areas because guys will see you and come back to steal your stand. Camo is for people to hide from people!
Watch a dog when there is a deer standing still in the yard. You can point to it and hold the dogs head in that direction and they can't see it unless the deer moves. Even deer have a hard time seeing each other and is the reason they have white under the tail. At dark all deer in front hold up their tails as they walk so following deer can keep track of them. The moving white is easier for them to see. The last deer will keep it's tail down. Now ask yourself if deer have dark green blotches on them with black branches. (Come to think about it, there are NO green animals on earth except lizards or such that birds hunt.) Ever watch deer as night gets close? You can see them fine and all of a sudden they disappear. That is also the time deer can't see each other too. In daylight, if a deer confronts another from the other direction, they don't know what it is and will stamp their foot and wait for the same recognition signal from the other deer. Once given they relax but still will not pass each other if they are strangers not from the herd.
When you confront a deer like this, the worst thing to do is to freeze. Act like another deer and stamp your foot at the deer. Move a little and copy the other deer. If you freeze like a lion does, the deer will run and hide behind brush to watch you. As soon as you move they will take off squalling like crazy.
Remember that the deer knows every single thing in their woods and fields. Every rock, stump and branch. Go in there and try to hide---what a laugh! How about if you act like another deer?
Do ANY of you study the deer you hunt or do you read the crap in magazines?
Granted things change when you are in a tree, you have to hold still until the deer can't pick up movement. (But if you are right, you can actually draw a bow and shoot a deer looking for the movement.) Should you be a big black blob or should you look like the sky and have light colors that gather the other colors around you?
Do you want to shoot a ton of squirrels? Get in a tree stand.
Sorry guys, I pay attention and don't believe a single thing I read. I am not a tropy hunter. If I would have killed a monster buck, I could write anything and be rich and everyone would believe it even if not true. I know the truth because I hunt the hardest deer to hunt---doe! I am a meat hunter.

[PatMarlin]

Well written 44. Kinda makes ya wonder how anyone harvested game before camo.. :mrgreen:

I get a chuckle out of the road hunters that drive up here during deer season. They've got the camo jeep. They've got the camo high back seat, and 4 of em' all done up in camo (Real Tree of course. :mrgreen:) right down to the camo makeup on their whittle white faces.

Then- armed for bear, they cruise the roads, and ask me if I know where the deer are? Me and the deer get a kick out of that one.. LOL!! :mrgreen: :Fire: :mrgreen:

[44man]

The worst thing I ever seen was a pickup with hunters in it cruising the back roads glassing for deer. What made me mad was the young boy in the truck learning how to road hunt on private property. All they have to do is ask to hunt. Why do they need camo or orange in a truck?
Deer are so dog gone easy to get that my seasons are cut short before I enjoy them. I just quit shooting at them a lot and just watch and learn more. They are wonderful creatures but are easy to understand. I have killed a lot of nice bucks here and in Ohio but can't stand the tough, strong meat. I give it away and keep the skull. I give away from 2 to 5 deer a year after I get what I want or run out of tags. If no one else wants meat I have to quit hunting. It hurts because we are getting more and more and they are getting smaller. To donate them to the poor, I have to pay the charge to butcher.
Bucks are so easy to get a shot at. A doe is super cautious because she has to care for young, nothing gets past her. I never understood the quest for monster bucks. You can't eat them unless you like old goat meat and you can boil the antlers for a year and still can't eat them. It's an ego thing I guess. I can't count the times a nice buck came in with a doe and I shot the doe.
I have a wall full of racks and can say I didn't eat any of them, someone else suffered. Lots of old people in town that can't stand venison but when I take them a platter full, they love it. Nice doe meat!
Yeah, I'm goofy! But I know deer inside and out. They taught me, not some guy that lucked into a monster buck that thinks he is the worlds greatest hunter.
I really love those guys that sit in an elevated, enclosed blind over a food plot on a managed ranch, shoot a big buck at 200 yd's and call it hunting. The only thing they know is that deer eat what was planted for them and if they wait in comfort, one will show up. How about a jacuzzi and a back rub while waiting?

[no34570]

44man
I must say you opened my eyes and made me understand that it does not matter what you wear,if you move when a deer is around,camo or no camo and scent free or not you have just lost meat on the table and that all this hype for camo for hunting is just that,hype and it's a big business,I admit I went and bought $185 worth of Camo gear the other day,more olive green though and black pants from Ridgeline of New Zealand.

And I have to agree with you that camo is probably is for the wearer not to be seen by other people,thats what it was invented for was it not?.
I remember seeing Blaze Orange in the gun magazines and thinking it must be a safety thing that you guys in the US have to wear.

By reading your post I have decided to get some blaze orange and not hide for my deer but slowly stalk it and act like a deer would(even if Sambar deer are not in the US???) and learn more about them.
Thank you 44man for opening my eyes to the fallacies of deer hunting
Regards no34570

[Bret4207]

NO, NO, NO!!! A thousand times NO!!! You MUST wear the latest supertacticalextreme camo and you MUST use the latest tacticalextreme bodywash, hairspray, cologne and foot powder. Don't you guys read Field and Stream??? If you're using a ML you have to use the latest scope sighted tacticalextreme superdoopersabot propelled buy Jim Schmidtlys purple powdered powder. While doing this you'll need a super sniper tacticalextreme set o'shooting sticks with the optional hydraulic resonance deflector. Your scope for those long range 83 meter shots should be nothing less than the Loopypooled 11x43 power 85mm objective cat eye night vision mil-dot tacticleextreme range finding camo matte finish scope with boolit rise compensator and lazer retina burner.

Honestly, how some of you guys dare step out your door without these vital products is beyond me.

[44man]

I think the reason I have had so much fun with them is I started deer hunting with archery eq. That was when there were almost no deer at all in Ohio. I bought a little Red Wing Hunter and shot 3 deer that first season. One in Ohio, Michigan and PA. I didn't know a single thing about deer or how to hunt them. But they taught me more that first year then I thought possible.
All of my hunting has been up close and personal to this day and is the reason I use revolvers in gun season.
I have shot a ton of deer from the ground too and used to track them down in the snow without ever failing to get one. I figured out tracking tactics that work.
I have hundreds of stories and even wrote a little book but could not interest anyone because I did not kill a record book buck, they just never interested me. I have killed a lot of bucks and one was so big it took 5 of us to drag it out. Now I let them walk, the other guys around here can shoot them.
Where I live now there are so many deer it is getting boring. There are no trophy deer here to work with either, not like the monsters in Ohio. I am also sick to death of butchering the things.

[sundog]

A lot of years ago my grandfather fed his family (Dad was the oldest kid) on deer, ducks, squirrel, rabbit and other fine cuisine using his Mdl 92 Win in 25-20. They didn't have money for nor did they know about all this other stuff. Were they doing something wrong?

Dad made money trapping muskrat and delivering The Grit.

[PatMarlin]

I'm with you on the does 44. Your book would be most welcomed and you need to include "All about Meat Hunting- no trophys here" in the title. That would sell.

I'll buy one.. :drinks:

I'm new to hunting and bought some Cabelas cammo a few years back, but it was basically good rain gear that squashes up in it's own pouch for snow and rain. Outer shell coat hood and bibs that can be carried and used when it get's real cold.

The other was a blaze orange guide vest, and I can carry my food and water, etc. in that plus help keep from getting shot.

Living in the woods has taught me the deer know when it's hunting season, and they know not to graze on the roadside during season. As soo as it's over, they're right back in plain sight.

I got my first deer 2 years ago. A large blacktail doe with no camo, my Marlin 1895 in 45-70 and my cast boolit. That was a bang flop drt kill at bout' 60 yards and the girl bled out like a stuck pig instantly. Ate right up to the hole, and the whole darn animal was good eatin'.

I could careless about a big buck or trophy antlers.. [smilie=1:

[VTDW]

44Man has it right IMHO. I hunt in jeans and a T-shirt (not white) or a plaid shirt. Flannel shirt and wool pants and brown jersey gloves if the weather is cold enough. Gave up the camo thing years and years ago.

[44man]

Bret, you tear me up!!! :drinks:
I only try to get rid of the sweat smell after working with a tree stand or something. I shower with Zest soap and use my normal deodorant and don't do anything about my clothes until they get dirty or get blood on them. I tried some things over the years to try and fool a deer's nose but I don't have much of a problem to start with. Look at the length of a deer's nose and how they can pick out the smallest scent molecule out of billions of other smells. Think you can fool it? Best to just stay downwind or get in a tree where the scent is carried above the deer. I never get over 15 feet or so either, makes it harder to get an arrow in them if you go too high. I see guys go 30 feet or higher, nutcases!
Here's one story; There was snow and I could not find any tracks so I walked the road (Our's is private.) I found some crossing into the quarry area and I don't shoot my revolver over there because there are some houses around it. I tracked them anyway and found a small herd with a huge doe. They were about 30 yd's looking at me. I stamped my foot at them and moved my head up and down like I was a deer trying to get a better look. They got calm and I raised my revolver and took a practice bead on the big doe. Then put the gun down. Next thing I knew this young buck took off running like all get out. He ran one way and the other and went all the way back behind me. Then he came tearing up and stopped right next to me and looked at the other deer. There we were, side by side so close I could have touched him. He was just playing, went to the rest of the deer and I walked out. They stayed there and didn't run when I left.
Then one day before work I went up the hill to see if there were any acorns. Had work pants and a "T" shirt on. I had two bucks walk past me without seeing me. I turned to come back to the house and jumped a large doe out of a bed 10 yd's in front of me. She stopped to look back so I stamped my foot at her and kept it up every now and then. She came back and laid down in her bed again. I was watching her and turning to watch squirrels. She was licking her side and never looked at me again. I had to leave so I walked past her, she jumped up and looked at me and I said to her "HA, HA, fooled your butt." Should have seen her then, funny as hell!

[Freightman]

I almost fell over a large doe when quail hunting was walking through some johnson grass and she almost fell over me getting up, surprised both of us. They are curious as we are and they may be laughing at us in our "cammo" and thinking "who does he think he is fooling.
Anyhow woodsland cammo in the Texas panhandle, give me a break, only woodland where I hunt is in the city limits. The place has two trees on it both I can see over if I stand on tip-toe. The johnson grass is taller than the trees.

[44man]

Wouldn't you be better off blending into the sky with some light gray with a few blades of grass on it? Deer look up at you, not down on you. Plus the gray will take on the grass colors on the pants.

[44man]

A friend and I made a test once. He had an ASAT pair of pants on and a Realtree jacket and I sat in a tree stand and watched him cross a field and enter a tree stand on the other side. After he got half way across I could not see his legs at all. When he was in the stand I could not see his legs but the jacket stood out like a big black blob. ASAT takes on the coloration of all the surrounding foilage. The Realtree just got darker.

[sundog]

Deer out back this afternoon while we were unloading groceries. Not a care in the world. We were down wind. They were rather fascinated by all the activity. Just stood and watched, then browsed around.

[PatMarlin]

OK- what about turkeys and camo?

We've got gobblers returning up here. The coyotes had been after em' pretty hard, but a few have been spotted.

I was thinking about using my .223 bolt and call for turkeys. That way if one showed up I would take a longer distance head shot, and be ready if it was a coyote.

What can they see?

[sundog]

Pat, coyotes after the gobblers? Seems pretty academic. Good .308 varmint gun and a turkey call.

[no34570]

Ok Fellas
As you can see I'm a novice at deer hunting
But I'm taking everything you are saying on board and will try just ordinary pants and shirts(Bush shirts) and see how I go
Seems I've opened a can of worms about camo,sorry:)
Lots of interesting opinions
Thanks to all
no34570

[PatMarlin]

Pat, coyotes after the gobblers? Seems pretty academic. Good .308 varmint gun and a turkey call.

Yes, but also I was wondering about turkey's and the camo subject. If you were to believe tv and the rags heck even the blue off my 870 would scare em'. How well can those critters see?

Like to own a .308 sumday.. :mrgreen:

[lovedogs]

Lots of good thoughts here. Something I thought I'd mention here. I'm retired FWS and have hunted for about 52 yrs. now. As many of you, I've been within handshaking distance of all sorts of wildlife. As has been pointed out, movement and anything out of the ordinary will alert animals. There is some merit in all this scent control stuff but not as much as the sellers of these products would like you to believe. As proof I offer this idea. It takes very little scent to alert a deer or coyote. You can deodorize all your clothes. You can deodorize all your hair and your body. But you can't hide your breath unless you quit breathing. I have to breath while I'm hunting so don't see much sense in deodorizing everything else if my breath is going to give me away anyway. No jokes, please. My breath is not bad. But we all have scent in our breath and it's plenty enough to alert almost any game animal.

[44man]

Turkeys are far different then deer, deer have really poor vision and can't tell a man from another deer if you act like a deer. They see better at night and can see a fence wire even though they do break a lot of my barbed wire. They do see motion fast though. Sneaky movements are the worst so when I confront one on the ground I make the type of movements a deer itself makes. If you freeze and slowly try to raise a bow, it is all over.
Turkeys can see color and have super vision like all birds and you really have to blend into the background. I think they can see a gnat at 100 yd's plus the smallest movement. You just can't do the same thing with turkeys.
What you wear has to match the game hunted. Canines have a hard time seeing things that are not moving too, like I said, I can hold my dogs head towards a standing deer and she can't see it unless it moves. It is because of the deer's color because the dogs can see other stuff at the longest distance or the smallest ant.

Lovedogs is right. I use Copenhagen and spit out of the tree all the time yet deer feed under me and bump into my bow if I leave it hang on the rope. I had 17 under my ladder stand one day. I didn't want one because I didn't want to butcher that day or the next. They were eating paw paws and were under me for 20 minutes. I almost spit on one.
I don't know what they would do if you ate garlic! Might even work.
If you read all the printed crap you will read that when a deer stamps it's foot, it is a warning signal and they leave a fear scent on the ground and no other deer will go near it, UUUGH, what hogwash! It is a recognition signal only and if you don't answer, see what the deer does. Now if you are on a trail and are stamping your foot at a deer coming down it and she starts really pounding the ground by raising her whole leg and slamming it down, she wants to go past you and is agitated that you are in her way. They just don't like to go past strange deer. If you put out a decoy, doe's will only feed on one side of it and won't go past it.
It is different in a field where deer come from different directions to feed. They will mingle after a while. Most times they stay close to their own group though. All will herd up in very bad weather and later in the season when bucks drive them nuts. Most of the year and early archery season, they are in family groups.

[Bret4207]

Actually, most folks I am aqauinted with tell me essence of pure skunk would be preferable to my normal "odor". I never noticed it till I got downwind of myself once. Have to admit, a little "Old Spice" or "Hai Karate!" would have been welcome.

Sundog- "The Grit"!!! Hadn't thought of it in years. There used to be a bunch of papers my folks got similar to that. Had an Aunt that got "The New Yorker". Never did get much outta that.

[44man]

Here is another for you. Deer in the dark do not fear you and will feed and even walk by within 10 yd's. If you are going to a stand and bump a deer, big buck or whatever, close to your stand, turn around and leave for another day. They will watch you and if you are climbing a tree, they will come right up to the tree to see what you are up to. They won't come back when it gets light.
How many of you have bumped deer like that and never seen any all morning? They only run off a short distance and watch you.
I used to bang the chain for my home made stand on the wood floor as I walked in because there were always deer near my stand. I made all kinds of noise even when putting up the stand. I kept banging the chain. It wouldn't be 10 or 15 minutes later as it broke day, that a deer would walk right under me to see what the racket was. Full freezer again!
Get off the beaten path and do something different. Deer are easy. Stop reading hunting books!