Harness smells

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DntBrnDPig

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I ended up getting blood on my HSS vest type harness last year. So I washed it using the scent free detergent but it still stinks. It seems like every hunt this year I have been winded and it has to be this friggin harness.

The deer that have winded me havent bolted like they smelled a human.. Instead they just smelled... something... and took a could leaps and then just skirted me.

What can I do to get this solved? Soak it in a bath of baking soda and water? I've tried spraying it down with Dead Down Wind to the point it was soaked - but it still has an odor to it.

I really am considering using this as an opportunity to get me one of those 20feetup harness but...
 
Through the thing away, or give it to someone else to deal with and go with your extincts and get a 20feet up harness�I promise you will thank yourself alot now and later! :)
 
I have used mine to drag a deer before and got blood on it as well. I soaked it a few hours in scent-a-way brand detergent and baking soda. I used double the amount recommended on the detergent and just put a ton of baking soda on it. Then I washed it with water and it came out fine.

I too have been considering the 20feetup harness. I have gotten lazy to where I hardly wear my harness because it is so cumbersome and in the way. My stand doesn't even have a rail around it so I HAVE to get something soon! Do you have one TNDeerGuy? You like it?
 
Hang it out side in the sun / weather a couple of days air it out after a good washing it wont smell uv kills smell
 
Urban_Hunter said:
I have used mine to drag a deer before and got blood on it as well. I soaked it a few hours in scent-a-way brand detergent and baking soda. I used double the amount recommended on the detergent and just put a ton of baking soda on it. Then I washed it with water and it came out fine.

I too have been considering the 20feetup harness. I have gotten lazy to where I hardly wear my harness because it is so cumbersome and in the way. My stand doesn't even have a rail around it so I HAVE to get something soon! Do you have one TNDeerGuy? You like it?
Click to expand...

Yes, I have one and love it! So much safer/less-deadly than the HSS behind the back suspension trauma inducing harnesses( main reason I bought it), tether never gets in the way, quick climb/decent capability, can use it in normal treestand configuration or lineman's style when hanging stands, can remove/add clothes without having to unhook from strap, comfortable and I can go on and on�best/safest hunting harness on the market IMO.
 
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Soak and wash in tub of water. Use scent away detergent and wash every couple of weeks unless you kill a deer or sweat a lot. I own 2 and rotate them every weekend.

Never have a problem with deer winding me but I take scent control to an extreme in these E. TN mountains.

Good luck
 
Washing machine. Just put it into a heavy cotton laundry bag first so you it doesn't bang all around the drum.

Use your detergent of choice but also add either oxyclean or borax to it as well. Whole scoop right in the bag. You will probably have to rinse it since all of the soap won't come right out.

BTW scent killer like Dead Down Wind is designed to control human odor...it's not an odor killer per se.
 
I have said this on about every thread I think on the site, but ODOBAN, kills smells on anything and everything I have tried from skunks on dog to old moldy towels.
 
If the deer could smell the harness then they could smell you. Keep the wind in your favor as best you can. This will eliminate the odor problem. I promise you your human odor is much more powerful to the deer than the blood stain odor. It doesn't matter if you are a scent free freak, your still going to put off an odor of danger to the deer.

Your best bet is to understand how the wind actually blows in relation to the surrounding terrain. Just because the wind is from the SW doesn't mean that's the direction it's going to be blowing at your stand location.
 
I am very much wind conscious. However, no matter how much you plan a deer can get down wind of you.

Even more so, the stupid weather forecast for wind is almost always wrong.

North winds end up being south... South winds end up being north..


Anyway, I bit the bullet and put my order in for the 20feetup. I am tired of having to unhook from the tree to put my layers on once I get up in the tree.
 
Deer will not care what your harness smells like unless it's smelling of human. If it's mold, blood, dead, what ever it may be it's natural and won't spook them. It's going to bother you more than the deer. You just wanted us to talk you into a new harness. lol
 
I think if I was you I would buy the 20feetup harness and bring me your stinky one. I'll clean it for you and then you can swap the 20feetup one for your like-new-smelling HSS. I'm just trying to help of course :)
 

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