Last year I saw a post touting Ivory soap as a good soap for us to use since it was "98.44% Pure". There's a problem here though guys. Ivory soap is made from rendered animal fat and in fact, it's a STRONG DEER REPELLENT! Cornell's Cooperative Extension even suggests using Ivory soap on a stick to repel deer from your gardens! YIKES! That's good enough for me to stay away from the stuff.
I personally use one of the commercial unscented "hunters soaps" and enjoy the sweet smell of success.
interesting, never thought about it that way.
C
Relax y'all-it did not keep the deer out of our garden at all. Nor did lion urine, nor music.
Well, rendered animal fat. Now that is what I want to clean up with. Perhaps Ivory soap on a stick all over the woods except where you're at would concentrate the deer for you.
hmmmm...
that could explain a lot!
for years I only used Ivory soap just a soap that I liked to use. Most of my hunts are morning or afternoon Hunts. that would explain why I don't see near as many deer as my Buddy that can sit 30 yards away from me and he will see 2 or 3 deer and I won't see a one!
thanks for the Tip.
No more Ivory for me!
Garlic keeps deer out of the garden.for bathing Lava brand soap and a green scratch pad.
Bjorn how did you get lion urine? will it keep coyotes away.
Thats all soap is. Fat and Lye! Its gotta be better than irish spring, dial, lever, etc. with the scents added
I'd recommend you bathe with Dove or maybe Nivea soaps. I'm pretty sure any deer that smelled you would have absolutely no fear of being shot...
;-)
Never had a problem with ivory! It rinses off scent free. Try it yourself.
I like 3Rivers Hunters Mask and camp soap. Not only does it smell great, but effective at keeping you clean. Im not sure about how it does to a deers nose, but my dear says I smell good.
Always have used pink Dove..
Ivory dries out the skin. That's probably why some don't see deer as you are loosing skin that's floating around everytime you brush up against something in the woods.
Go with Cal-Ben soap, it has a nice almond smell. Deer love almond patties from the local bakery.
Hmmm, seems all soaps are bad. maybe you should just use a wire brush, they don't smell. :readit:
Really guys, you can't fool a deers nose. Hunt the wind. I try to keep as scent free as possible, but it is not possible to be totally scent free. I just use unscented soap and hunt the wind. If i am in an area with cedars, I will usually rub some branches on myself before I get to the stand.
Cover scents and scent free as possible is a good idea IMHO because wind sometimes swirls, but nothing beats hunting the prevailing wind.
Nutragina unscented cleansing bar works well.
I used Physoderm for a long time. Somewhat expensive and hard to find. Now I use one of the non-scent hunting soaps available. They seem to work ok.
Bjorn, can I hunt in your garden? Those sound like the perfect deer. They cannot smell or hear.
I use arm & hammer unscented soap, a lot cheaper than the hunters soap.
I like good ole lye soap.
No scent in it that I can detect.
I know the deer in front of me won't smell it either since the wind will be coming from them to me..lol
God bless,Mudd
:deadhorse:
Almost all soaps are rendered fat and lye in some proportion. Been that way since, well, the invention of soap.
Lye soap is wood ash and animal fat. Been used by hunters for hundreds of years, if not thousands.
What...? We're supposed to be takin' showers with soap???
:confused:
;)
I've used Ivory for years with no negative results. I use it to wash my hair too. It rinses off easy even with cold creek water. I've seen no difference in success between it and the "scent free" hunter soaps.
Keep yourself and your clothes clean to keep your scent down, use the wind and wind currents, and choose your stand locations wisely.
The only time I use Ivory soap is on a nightline. The catfish love it. Hap
Dr. Bronner's Castille hemp soap, in liquid. Honestly the best all around soap on the market and NO FRAGRANCE!!!
Bjorn--I lived in Portola Valley, just up the road from you, when I was in grad school. The yard had an apple orchard with about 30 trees.
I tried Irish Spring soap inside of smelly human socks to keep deer away. It worked for a day or so. I got tiger dung from the S.F. zoo and spread it around. It worked for a day or so. I got human hair from a barber shop, mixed it with the Irish Spring, put it in smelly socks suspended over the tiger dung. It worked for a day or so.
You know what works? An untied, barking dog...
Some friends in France are experimenting with sensors that trigger jets of water aimed about eye high on a deer.
I guess I may try to hard to be scent free as possible I use hunters soap ,scentloc suits,sprays,cover scents.I fugue it can't hurt. I have a friend that has been hunting sixty years and all he uses is ivory soap so he say's and he has killed more deer than anyone I have ever met.I don't know if he is just lucky or what but he always see's more deer than everyone else but he is a really good hunter also and I am sure he uses the wind but I know he sure don't run them off because of his ivory soap.
Arm and hammer soap works great, fairly scent free, just hunt he wind.
I have heard of using human hair to keep coyotes out of a garden but not much turns a deer for some reason.
Pickle relish and bacon grease works great.And doesnt taste bad either.
whatever - put baking soda on yourself; keep some in a plastic bag in your pocket and check the wind with it- it absorbs odor.
the trick is to stay downwind
BS Killed most of my deer while using IVORY SOAP! :thumbsup: Wifey doesn't like it cause it leaves a FILM!!??
If you would like to try a regular commercial soap that works very well, try Dove for sensitive skin unscented. I have had bucks and does under my tree many times and they never busted me. I also use Arm & Hammer deodorant unscented, both work great.
Good luck and hunt smart.
Hey bentpole, is that to say you shot 'em while you were in the shower? :bigsmyl: :bigsmyl: :bigsmyl:
I scrub down with Pure 70% Rubbing Alcohol, head-to-toe, everyday of the year. It's an anti-bacterial and anti-microbial. Bacteria is what causes odors. I live on a sailboat that is not big enough for a shower. I've only had two showers and one bath in 13 years or so. I don't bathe, I sterilize. I'm going to try a total wipedown with some of that silver-ion spray after my scrub-down this season. Kill the bacteria, then keep it from re-forming. Oh Ya, and most important of all, Hunt the Wind!
thanks for the info,steve
ivory soap floats too, if your bathing in a lake or stream!! I use the hunters soap myself!
Gotta use the wind and try to be as scent "free" as possible - I use the scent free dove.
No mater what you use, just use he wind. Nothing else matters.