After spending countless hours this summer making my ghille suit, I've come to the conclusion the deer can smell it from 10 miles away. The burlap and jute  appear to be the kind of materials that will never give up their natural stench and the deer apparently find it to be a very threatening smell. For now its up on the shelf till turkey season or maybe a real windy day I'll roll the dice on the whitetails again. If any of you ghille guys have a remedy to this problem I sure would appreciate your advice.

I know this is gonna sould off the wall, but....try burying it in a good deep hole for sevral days.  It may take a week or so, but good soil has a way of nuturalizing odors.
Its worth a try.  Haven't used on a ghillie, but have done it for jeans, that were skunk sprayed.
JAG/Johnny

It's easy... wood smoke!! I put mine in my shed and built a fire in my portable fireplace and added lots of green then called the fire department to tell them not to worry if they got any calls about my shed. Then explained what I was doing at which point the guy asked if he could bring his over and get it smoked too. I of course said.. "Sure, head on over!"...lol

I can guarantee you they will not smell my ghuillie.

God bless,Mudd

Wash with baking soda and let it air dry outside. This will not leave a odor that spooks the critters. After that is completed find pine scented spray and very lightly spray and place in a plasic bag for a day or two. Then once more place outside for a couple hours and this should do it. I've done it and it works fine for me. My ghille in the Marines didn't need as much care, little longer distance.

Smoke is a great idea - but I assume you are hunting downwind anyway, right?

I agree with S.C. Hunter : soak it in a clean bucket with a whole box of baking soda; wash it off and let it hang outside to dry.

a lot of sprays that are used to cover up scent are just baking soda in water; with a little non scented soap to help it stick to your clothes.

You can a fresh box of baking soda; and pour it on you while hunting; and it works as a wind detector; and as well covers your odor.

Kahn is right though - more important to stay downwind than anything.

I load up the tub with 4-6 inches of water... put in baking soda and stir till disolved... I soak and hand wash... rinse and hang outside to air dry....

try rolling in bear scat  it works for bigfoot  

99% of deer I surveyed said I stunk with or without the Gillie.

I smoke mine over the campfire. Don't know if it helps but my compound shooting, tree hugging buddies think it's cool.  :D

Thanks for the info guys I'll give all your ideas a go.

I have had my Rancho for about 10 years and it still stinks bad. The jute and burlap has some kind of natural oil in it or something? Trust me when I tell you deer arent scared of burlap, just the human inside. I have had too many deer to count within feet of me over the years.

Pearl Drums I'm with you. I believe no matter what I do there's gonna be a certain amount of natural material stench that just won't ever go away but if I can mask it or make it a more suttle  smell I'm all for giving it a go. I also understand the wind is the single most important element in your favor but there are times animals cut your wind and if they are 200yds behind you and alarm every animal for miles then that becomes a problem.

The smell bothered me more than the deer when I first got it, it was stinky as heck! Its slowed down to a tolerable smell now, barely noticeable.

Mudd,  Please help me understand how saturating a garment with woodsmoke will make it undetectable to deer???

To me it sounds like the smell of the woodsmoke will be so strong that it might cover some of your scent, but how will a deer not smell something so strong?

Deer are going to smell it but instead of burlap they'll smell woodsmoke. I haven't noticed that woodsmoke bothers them. It also will hopefully act as a cover scent.

I try as most of us do to keep the wind in my face but in the hill and hollers I hunt it isn't always possible. The air seems to swirl quite a bit and I am always counting on the wood smoke to help hide my presence.

God bless,Mudd

You aren't hunting the downwind deer....

Smoke, burlap, or Grandmas apple pie, if they are down wind of you, they will bust you.

Ghille is taking a long baking soda bath right now and after it dries I'm thinking maybe a week long nap in a shallow grave. I'll give it another go after these excellent Trad-Gang tips. Thanks guys.

QuoteOriginally posted by Roger Norris 2:
You aren't hunting the downwind deer....

Smoke, burlap, or Grandmas apple pie, if they are down wind of you, they will bust you.

Here's what I do. I turn mine inside out and throw in in the washing machine and wash it with the normal ordor free hunting detergent. I turn it inside out so the fibers stay intact. Then I do a second rinse with baking soda and let it dry on the clothes line for a couple of days. It's as odor free as all my other hunting garments.

I'm with Roger on this one!