So I know we can never be 100% scent free but I am curious as to the steps people take before they get to the stand. Since we can't take a shower in the woods, there has to be a point from when you get out of the shower until you get to the woods. Post up what you do after your shower in terms of what do you wear, when do you change in to your scent control clothing, etc.
Take a shower then go in a restaurant and eat with hunting attire on and then go hunt. Play the wind and don't worry about it.
Don't know if I'm doing it right or if it even works but, after a shower I put on my underlayer, then some street clothes over them that have been washed with the scent free detergent. After I get where I'm going I get back down to the under layer and throw on the camo and hit the spray Like I said , dont know if this is correct,works or even worth the time. YMMV
I spray my clothes before I get in the truck and again once I get to my property. I take field wipes in my backpack in case I need to use them after the walk into the stand...like the time I put my hand in racoon poop climbing up my ladder stand.
I do this if it's real cold out. If its tolerable then I just get completely dressed at my spot. Also, I have a large Scent Safe bag that I store my clothes in during transport. And as weird as it may sound, I use an old junky blender and I blend up pine needles from the evergreens in my yard. Once I chop em up I sprinkle the needles in with my hunting clothes. It smells like pine for weeks and I can smell it on my gear/bags/garments after they've been in the bag with the pine for just a couple hours time. It seems to do well as far as having a NATURAL cover scent.
I shower then throw on a few street clothes and head out to the patio and grab my air tight container that holds all of my hunting clothes. Stack the boots and bag on top that are always kept outside - walk to my truck- drive out to the woods and then get down to my skivies in the road and get dressed with the hunting clothes out of the container. Tuck my pants into the boot and then spray down all over concentrating on head and boots( the sole of the boot is very important). Then walk out to the stand that has a good wind. Both scent control and playing the wind together is a deadly combo.
Being a machinist my work clothes and such get coolant and oil on them, so I'm sure my truck seats and floor boards hold that scent. I wash a couple towels along with some regular wear in scent free detergents and lay over the seats. I try to play the wind as much as possible but everyone knows the "wind direction" forecast is never what really happens. Especially in the mornings, that is your biggest wind disadvantage and why I stopped trying to get in an hour before shooting light. I now get in no earlier than 30 minutes before and usually about 20 unless the wind is indeed blowing then I can get in a bit earlier.
I go as far as washing my hunting clothes with scent-free detergent and I shower with scent-free soap before I hunt. I also use a scent-free deodorant and that's about it. When I hike to my stands I strap most of my layers to my pack, and if I break a sweat I remove my jacket and cool off for 10 minutes before I put my layers on and climb into my stand. Deer still smell me if the wind shifts!
Of course play the wind, but don't wear all those clothes into the stand, you'll burn up and smell like a locker room. I strap most of my clothes to my pack. Walk in wearing just a t shirt or lightweight shirt. If I get sweaty I'll stop and cool down before I get to the stand. This means leaving plenty of time to get in so your not rushed.
I have a big covered deck outside the clubhouse at my golf course. The course is shutdown this time of year so the clubhouse is turned into hunting camp and the workshop is now the butcher shop. All my camo is hung outside under the deck. I shower and wear street clothes to the course. Get dressed in underlayers there and it's about a 2 minute drive to where we hunt. When I get to our land I spray down and put outer layers on. Get back after hunting and hang everything outside. I'm working on an idea to build a tube/sled from the bathroom window to my truck to not pick up household odors on the way from shower to truck.
Oh yeah forgot. I wasn't being smart when I made my comment but I Hunt public land and have never had trouble with the scent issue. For me it's about enjoying myself and being in the woods. If I have to make it into a second job I'm not doing it. I don't have trouble seeing deer and I kill a nice rack buck every year.
