Okay, so for the longest time I haven't had any decent hunting boots. I broke down and bought a pair of Alpha Burlys and I am no wondering how to break down the rubber scent before hunting season rolls around. Besides sitting outside, would rubbing a baking soda paste all over the boots then hosing them off work to help get rid of that nasty rubber scent. I remember reading about this problem on HNI but I don't recall what people had suggested (I think John had asked about this same question). I know the Scent-Away spray isn't cutting it down very fast. So, any suggestions? Thanks.
Acorn juice I tell you. I did this last night and that mama doe didnt have a clue walking down my trail coming into the stand.
I mean to get rid of the initial scent. Or are you telling me I should slather my boots down in your famous Mr. Peakrut's Acorn In Heat juice instead?
Buddy I dont believe you can get rid of it but just mask it the best you can. Where the rubber meets the roaddddddddddddd, who sang that? LOL in heat
this is what I did. I walked in the river for a while. good and stinky for a bit. Then left them outside. If you have access to a barn, set them in the barn for a few days in, on or near the closest pile of cow crap. then youll be safe
You may never get rid of the rubber scent completely. I scrub mine with the homemade scent killer (baking soda,peroxide detergent mix) and dry upside down, on posts. spray liberally when using the boots also. Alwaysstep in deer poop. store them with assorted forest dirt. I'm not sure if the smell of rubber is that alarming to deer, that's where playing the wind makes a difference. Body odor is the most threatening to them, YOU smell like danger, however an older deer might get alarmed by rubber. That's why we can do as much as possible to reduce our scent, but still need to play the wind.
Thanks for the replies so far guys. I guess what I was trying to convey is the initial blast of rubber scent is overwhelming when you take them out of the box. And at the time, Scent-Away spray just wasn't cutting it down much. That "fresh" rubber scent is what I wasnted to get rid of. I should have known the rubber scent would stick with them for a while.
You will never completely get rid of the smell.Its like the tires on a vehicle they smell extremely strong when new at the dealer but after 10 years the smell gets weaker but still smells like rubber.The only way I was able to make the smell of my boots weaker was to let them cook in the sun for several weeks and wash them out twice a week.A guy I talked to at a pro shop a few years ago says he packs dry corn cobbs in his boots to absorb the odor.I have know idea if this really works though.
I have the corn cobs....but I don't know if I am willing to have corn flurries (some people call it red-dog or bees wings) inside my boots. When you sweat they would tend to stick to everything. I'll just try and break down the strong rubber odor before season and live with the fact it may never totally disappear. Dr. Andy, do you have the recipe for your homemade scent-killer handy?
Like some kind of odor-absorbing potpourri bag? This should be entertaining going into Walgreens to find a pair of brown nylons proceed to the cashier and tell her I am gonna stuff them full of corn cobs, leaves, and twigs then put them in my boots. :d I might try it though. I'm crazy like that. And if all else fails, I can use Peak's Acorn In Heat Juice.
Its not the rubber scent you need to worry about... Its the human scent. And you can't mask or cover either to a deers nose. Just stay off the deer trails and stay down wind.
Thanks for all of the replies guys. I knew rubber boots weren't going to solve all of my problems, just needed something better to hunt with. I'll spray them down some more then be smart as I enter my stands.
I grind grass, dirt, pine needles all over the outside. I store them in a plastic tote full of pine and a freezer box of baking soda in each boot.
