Washing Hunting Clothing

[A_Matthew]

Is it safe to use normal laundry detergent to wash hunting clothing? I've heard that if you do, be sure to only use the detergents that say 'No scents, UV brighteners, dies, etc.'

The reason I'm asking is one of my hunting shirts got accidentally got thrown into the laundry with all the other clothing. Is the shirt now ruined (for hunting) because of all the scents and whatnot they throw in the detergent?

Thanks in advance.

 

[natman]

Wash your hunting clothes in this:

http://www.amazon.com/Sport-Wash-1L-Bottle-wash/dp/B001DLF6C2

Turn camo clothing inside out and wash cold unless heavily soiled.

The stuff that got washed with ordinary detergent should be washed again as above. A couple of washings should get the scent and UV brighteners out OK.

 

[A_Matthew]

Wash your hunting clothes in this:

http://www.amazon.com/Sport-Wash-1L-.../dp/B001DLF6C2

Turn camo clothing inside out and wash cold unless heavily soiled.

The stuff that got washed with ordinary detergent should be washed again as above. A couple of washings should get the scent and UV brighteners out OK.

Thanks natman. I'll definitely try that. It's good to know my brand new hunting shirt is still usable.

 

[dirtykid]

This may sound counter-productive but i use just about any of the "scent-blocker laundry soap" to wash my hunting gear and then seal it in a rubbermaid with some good black-dirt sprinkled in-between layers,
You open that tote and it smells like,, Dirt..

 

[BADUNAME37]

I use some special unscented laundry detergent I bought at wally-world. Any large sporting good store should have it.

I have a large Rubbermaid tote I have pieces of cedar branches in there between the hunting clothes. I also taped a plastic cup in one corner (bottom) where I keep the small bottle of 'deer-scent' concentrate. I pour just a bit in the bottom of the plastic cup so the clothes smell like a combination of cedar woods and deer feces.

Since I don't have any bucks running my way, I suppose what I do could be considered "What Not To Do to bag your Buck!"
LOL!

If I didn't laugh about it and have fun hunting, I might cry. So, I try to take it lightly that I hunt every year and never even take a shot at anything.

 

[Jitterbug]

Years ago dressed in full camo, a buddy and I were hunting Coyotes, for the life of us we couldn't call one in previously hot area's.

One Coyote sat on the edge of a bowl over 800 yards out and laughed at us, until I whacked him with a 22-250, he went down but got up and was never found...way to long of a shot. I hate wounding animals so I've regreted that shot.

I had read about over the counter detergent having "brightning chemicals" in it that helped animals to see it. My bud was married so I asked him if the wife had been washing his camo gear...she was.

Since that time I use some stuff i purchased at Cabela's made specifically for washing camo gear...and that is seldom used, only when covered with blood, dust or sweat.

I always cycle the washer before using the stuff from Cabela's to make sure all the brightners are gone.

I'm not so much worried about scent...although it's a given the brand detergents will have it.

Most Coyotes prefer "Mountain Air" freshner...although I have considered a "Bacon scent"

Works for me.

 

[06]

I hardly ever wash my outer hunting garments unless heavily soiled or bloodied. When I do I let them soak for an hour or two prior to normal washing. Then a second wash using nothing but water and a second rinse after that. They get hung on the clothes line for a couple of days(in the shade) then put in a bag with fresh Cedar twigs for awhile.
Tell you a wee secret: pick up a road kill bunny, cut into small pieces, let him "mellow" a bit, and freeze in individual baggies. Before your hunt take one out to thaw completely and prior to entering your hunting grounds drop it onto the ground and "squish" it around with your boot bottoms and sides. I have had nice bucks walk my trail and never even sniff around or act cautious one bit. Try it--it will work nicely. You have all summer to find that bunny--lol.

 

[A_Matthew]

Thanks guys for all your tips and suggestions. Before elk and deer season, I'm going to put all my hunting clothing through the described procedures.

06,
If I do happen to find a road kill bunny, I'm certainly going to try that.

 

[dirtykid]

Excellent idea Friendly, never even thought about cedar branches,, I will gather some this weekend and add to my tote !!

 

[Cob]

It's been almost 20 years ago now, but on a hunt, a partner and I were walking down a trail to a first time "hunting spot"... as we were walking, he plucked some evergreen branches off of a small pine tree, then started vigourously rubbing them onto his clothing... I could smell pine sap, and the slight odor of the pine needles from 5 feet away as he rubbed down his arms, legs, and chest areas of hunting clothing ... On that particular hunt, I never saw the first deer or sign of deer, and assumed the place was void of game...when we met back up couple hours later, he said a doe and two yearlings had walked within 35 feet of him... i thought it was an excellent tip.

 

[A_Matthew]

It's been almost 20 years ago now, but on a hunt, a partner and I were walking down a trail to a first time "hunting spot"... as we were walking, he plucked some evergreen branches off of a small pine tree, then started vigourously rubbing them onto his clothing... I could smell pine sap, and the slight odor of the pine needles from 5 feet away as he rubbed down his arms, legs, and chest areas of hunting clothing ... On that particular hunt, I never saw the first deer or sign of deer, and assumed the place was void of game...when we met back up couple hours later, he said a doe and two yearlings had walked within 35 feet of him... i thought it was an excellent tip.

That is some really great advice! I'm hoping to go out bear hunting within the next couple of weeks, and I'm most certainly going to give that a try.

 

[gatorjames85]

IMO, you have to play the wind with deer regardless of your scent-covering procedures. Deer have extremely sensitive noses and people are fairly stinky as far as the animal world goes. If the deer are downwind, it only takes a few molecules in the air for you to be detected. If they are upwind it doesn't really matter. That being said, I do use scent blocker, put on fresh clothes, etc. I wouldn't worry about which detergent, I think it is more the human smell that scares them.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I use plain, lye soap, grated, and dissolved into the water before I add the clothes and wash them in the machine. No brighteners, no scent. I also pay a great deal of attention to the prevailing wind when hunting, and so far it has paid off each and every year for many years now.

As for the deer, I think it's not just the human scent, but any "odd" scent that they are not used to. I mean if you are on a farm that is bordered by a suburban community, the deer won't react to car doors slamming, and are probably used to some level of human scent as they walk among the near by houses sampling the delicious landscaped yards...., Now if you are hunting in hardwoods with sparse human habitation, and you use an evergreen cover scent, or are not near any apple orchards or corn fields and use apple or corn food scent, you are probably alerting them that something isn't right.

I hunt in hardwoods, and if I do anything for scent beyond the lye soap, I get a green garbage bag and hang my clothing inside with some hardwood loam thrown in before I close the bag. I hang it outside a couple of days in the sun, and the heat will give the clothing some of the "ground" scent as the moisure rises from the loam in the garbage bag.

LD