Why would you want to learn how to keep your hunting boots scent free? What if I told you it could help you spook fewer deer and have more opportunities during your hunts? I’m currently preparing for North Carolina’s urban archery season and during this prep, I will be trying out a few new ways to keep my hunting boots from tracking unwanted scents through the woods.

Benefits of Remaining Scent Free During Your Hunt

As most of you probably already know, deer have an excellent sense of smell. They can detect even the slightest odors that don’t belong in their woods. So remaining as scent-free as possible before and during your hunt will certainly help you see more deer.

In my current situation, I place an even higher emphasis on this because I am bowhunting a very small urban property that I can only access from one direction. Since I only have one way in and out and can only hunt on weekends some days I choose to hunt with an imperfect wind and keeping my scent minimized helps me accomplish this.

The other factor that affects me on these hunts is my ground scent. This property seems to only be a travel corridor for my deer. They come through my property maybe once a day to once a week, stop to eat, and move on. I recently discovered that my deer are lazy and will follow any trails I make in the leaves to reduce noise while walking into my sets. I want to minimize my scent, especially on my boots, because those deer could be following me into the property.

Things You’ll Need

• Dirty Hunting Boots
• Dead Down Wind Laundry Detergent
• Bucket or Plastic Tub
• Fresh Water
• Clean Brush
• Boot Dryer

Washing Your Hunting Boots

First, you’ll need to find a clean dry area, preferably outdoors, to wash your boots. A concrete driveway or patio will do. Keep in mind that washing your boots indoors or in a garage may cause unwanted odor transfer.

You’ll want to start by brushing any large debris off your boots and turning them over to dump out any rocks or dirt that may have gotten in them. Next, you’ll want to thoroughly rinse your boots.

You’ll want to prepare your bucket or plastic tub by putting some Dead Down Wind detergent into it and then filling it with enough water to wash your boots efficiently. Take each boot and spend time dipping it or your brush into the soapy water and then scrubbing the different areas of your boots. Pay extra attention to getting all the debris out of areas like the tread of your boots.

After you’ve thoroughly scrubbed the entire boot simply rinse it with clean water. You’ll then repeat with your other boot and prepare to set them both up to dry.

Drying Your Boots

There are a couple of simple and easy ways to dry your boots. Having some time before you plan to hunt certainly helps because you’ll want to ensure your boots are fully dry before heading out in the field with them.

Simply leaving your boots out in the sun or next to a fireplace or heat vent in the winter to air dry is the easiest way to get your boots all dried out. 

If you need to speed up the process a scrap piece of PVC and a hairdryer will do the trick! Simply take your PVC and drill a few holes in it. Stick it into a boot, aim the hairdryer down the pipe, and air it out. I recommend only using the cool setting on a hairdryer as any hot settings could do damage to certain boot materials.

Alternatively, you could shell out a few dollars for a nice boot dryer like this one. Having that set-it-and-forget-it piece of mind might be worth the extra investment to you.

Can’t afford a new boot dryer or don’t see any reason to spend money on something you’ll only use every once in a while? Check out this article on how to make a DIY Boot Dryer.

How To Keep Your Hunting Boots Scent Free Between Hunts

After you spend all this time cleaning your boots and ensuring that they are scent free you’ll want to take some steps to ensure they stay that way.

You’ll want to store your boots somewhere where they won’t pick up any unwanted scents. Keep in mind that simply leaving them in the garage may not be the best option. Exhaust fumes and other unnatural scents can settle in your boots and be tracked into the woods.

A couple of the most affordable ways to store your newly de-scented boots is by simply placing them in a plastic bag or bin. This will provide a simple barrier to any scents they may be exposed to.

If you are a bit more serious about your scent control you can invest in a scent control bag or closet. This option from Scent-Lok seals your gear up but also creates ozone to destroy any odors that may have remained in your boots after washing them. If that price tag is a little steep for you there are also more affordable options like these scent control bags from Auscamotek.

I hope that sharing my ideas for how to keep your hunting boots scent free inspires you to spend a little extra time on the little things that may make a big difference during your next hunt. Good luck out there and thanks for reading!