Showering /bathing before a hunt.the worst thing you can do?

thebigdummy · Post by **thebigdummy** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:31 pm

Awhile back I read a very interesting book, it was written by a PhD from southern USA. It concerned dogs and tracking humans. One point they stressed was the scientific way dogs (which I would think also would apply to deer) pick up a scent; they said it is from the millions of molecules coming off a body. They emphasizes that after a person takes a shower or bath, the body has millions of loose molecules falling off and falling into the air. The body is also is also working hard to replace a new (‘covering “) of cells that were lost in the bathing process so more old skin cells (molecules ) are coming looseand floating through the air. The hours after a bath or shower produce the most scent for an animal to pick up.

In other words i concluded that if you are concerned about your scent when you hunt , that one of the worst things you can do is bath/shower before you hunt, it produces a many more molecules for an animal to smell. So just because a human nose may not smell anything after cleaning up, animals will be able to detct you much more efficiently

Please excuse me if I haven’t explained all the scientific theories as well as the authors did, but I hope you get my point.

I try to take my shower the night before I hunt so my body has a chance to recover from too many loose molecules…. does it work? …who knows ?

Wanted to put this out their in case t you don’t have enough to worry about.

Since this goes against conventional hunting practice, I was wonder ring what other opinions are concerning this theory?

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 9:01 pm

To the deer you probably stink before the shower and still stink after the shower

I would think a deer probably would identify you as a threat either way, so it probably matters little whether you shower before or after the hunt.

Hoss · Post by **Hoss** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 9:58 pm

play the wind and dont worry about it.......

Brampton Mike · Post by **Brampton Mike** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 6:09 am

Damn................I shower every morning before going out but I do use a Hunters Specialty earth scented soap!!!!!!!!!!

Hi5 · Post by **Hi5** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 3:21 pm

Guys, guys, guys. What you have to do is wash down with Doe in Heat shampoo and body wash.

ecoaster · Post by **ecoaster** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 3:31 pm

Take a bath in a tub full of Vasaline to lock in your stink

TYE · Post by **TYE** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 4:17 pm

I blew a huge fart while drinking a coke sitting up against a big pine tree last year. I looked around and there was 2 deer 10:00 from me, and the one behind looked up, lol. Stuck its head back down so I put the coke down and pulled up my rifle and the one behind looked right at me again, and put its head back down. So I waited for them both to come right where I wanted them, and shot them both

True story.

Oh, I don't really believe in the whole scent thing after that.

A.W · Post by **A.W** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 4:33 pm

Brampton Mike wrote: Damn................I shower every morning before going out but I do use a Hunters Specialty earth scented soap!!!!!!!!!!

Every day or just when you're hunting Mike?

thebigdummy · Post by **thebigdummy** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:24 pm

i tried the vasoline method.

it was a struggle climbing up the tree, but the ride down was ...how you say....very delightful!

Brampton Mike · Post by **Brampton Mike** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 6:23 am

A.W wrote:
Brampton Mike wrote: Damn................I shower every morning before going out but I do use a Hunters Specialty earth scented soap!!!!!!!!!!
Every day or just when you're hunting Mike?

I start using it about a week before the season starts & yes I shower every morning!!!!!!!!!!

oneshot 1 · Post by **oneshot 1** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 12:31 pm

Well I take a Bath in October just before it gets Cold,then the first Warm day in March.So I figure I sould be ok.

I sure did smell better for Deer when I had my Goats though.

oneshot

ch312 · Post by **ch312** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 5:14 pm

shower the night before like normal. havent had a problem with most game detecting me.

fish on the other hand...when we go north for a week or more each year i dont wash at all the whole time

i ALWAYS catch at least twice as many fish as everyone else even when using the same lures and techniques.

then, if i tie on a lure for someone else they start catching fish. feel sorry for dad because it seems like he always get stuck sleeping the closest to me in the camper

BUCKSHOT · Post by **BUCKSHOT** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 5:59 am

Hoss wrote:play the wind and dont worry about it.......

You got it there man!

I read on another forum, how some guys actually use baking powder and things like that while they are sitting in a tree stand to determine how the wind currents are carrying their scent! Quite an interesting tactic if you concider that you don't really know how the wind is swirling below you, or over a ridge, updraft, downdraft and all that other stuff!
A little much for me personnally but the point is they will likely rely on their scense of smell more than anything. If a Buck smells you he could easily be gone before you even know he is there! etc.
Cover your scent or use the wind!