I wanted to start a tresd on how all of us have tricks we do that work to save money. 1.) We by dove unscented soap smells the same as the other stuff except its $1.50 a bar vs. $6.00 2.) We by the XXL or XL zip lock bags to store clothes scent free and they are only $5.50 for 3 bags vs 15- ??? for the others Come on guys lets see what ealse we all can do in these hard times?
Save money on hunting? Hah! :p I am the wrong guy to ask. It seem like I spend more $ every year on stuff I think I need.
Arm and Hammer unscented deoderant. Baking Soda for washing clothes vs actual detergent Bought hang on that can be hung mobile vs buying several sets as planned (to save money, not to change hunting styles drastically) Simply NOT driving all the way out there to hunt when I know the conditions are very wrong for the spot Did two euro mounts on 2 of my first 3 bucks this year, instead of 3 full shoulder mounts Switched to running cameras that for a change don't eat batteries I've cut back a lot on my gear purchases for this year vs prior years. Probably didn't have to, just trying to save some money up which is seemingly impossible.
Like Trevor, this year I'm washing my clothes in baking soda vs. the real expensive hunting stuff. My next thought is I'm going to get some of my wife's old pantyhose and take them to the woods with me, filling them with dirt and leaves and stuff to throw into a tub with my clothes.
I used to have a link to an article on fastestbows.com but since they're no longer around I had to do some digging, but I did find it. This is a recipe to make your own scent killer spray at a fraction of the cost of store bought. This Recipe will make around 7 Quarts of scent elimination spray. 3 Quarts of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (not the stuff in the brown bottles at the supermarket. It contains additives and does have a slight odor) See the note below on what to use. 4 Quarts Distilled Water 1 Cup Arm & Hammer Baking Soda 2 oz Uncented laundry detergent. (sport wash or Arm & Hammer laundry detergent works great) Mix everything together in a 2 gallon dark colored container. do not use empty milk jugs. You need a heavy duty container such as a brand new gas can or heavy 1 gallon jugs like the type that household bleach comes in. Leave the mix in a basement or dark closet with the cap removed for 48 hours. The mix will create pressure in the container and blow off the cap and make a mess. It needs 48 hours to equilibriate before you cap it off. After that, it can be poured into spray bottles for use in the field. Hydrogen Peroxide slowly breaks down to water when exposed to sunlight. It's important that it is stored in a dark container and that the spray bottles you use for the field are dark colored. I usually find the clear garden type spray bottles and paint them dark brown or black. NOTE: Making 3% Hydrogen Peroxide for this recipe is simple. Buy a gallon jug of Baquacil from any store that sells Pool Products. This stuff is 27% pure Hydrogen Peroxide and you will need to delute it down to 3% for use with the Recipe. 1 Part Baquacil to 9 Parts DISTILLED WATER = Pure 3% Hydrogen Peroxide. If you are following the Recipe above you will need to mix 9.6 Ounces of Baquacil to 86.4 Ounces of Distilled water to create 3 Quarts of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide. As you can see, a 1 gallon Jug of Baquacil will go a very long way. (You can make around 24 Gallons of Scent Eliminator from a gallon of Baqucil) The link below also shows some pretty interesting findings in their testing of homemade versus name brand scent killer sprays. http://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/article/the-best-way-to-inhibit-your-scent/
The homemade version of scent killer is essentially the same as rubbing baking soda all over you. The peroxide evaporates rapidly leaving the water and baking soda behind (which is why these homebrews leave behind a white residue on everything...it's the dried baking soda). No doubt it works good but to be honest you could save a lot of time by just mixing water/baking soda and accepting that your gear will have the white powder residue.
I process all my own deer, except every so often I take some meat and have summer sausage made. Except for that I do everything from the field to the freezer to the grill.
