These days there is a litany of cleansers and odor removers. But is yours really doing what it claims? Or do you stink anyway? There’s no getting around it, and here is what you can do to fix it.
Mike Jordan is vice president of technology for ATSKO, makers of N-O-DOR and Sport-Wash, among many other non-hunting-related products. He also happens to be a friend and colleague with whom I have the distinct pleasure of sharing at least one hunting camp a year with. And, he’s a hunter. “The only reason we’re even in the hunting business is because Kurt (ATSKO President Kurt von Besser) and I hunt,” Jordan remarked to me as we sat together on the porch of the Bar None Ranch in Texas.
He then went on to explain why N-O-DOR Powder is superior to some of the other scent suppressants on the market. Some powders use a baking soda base, which absorbs odors very well when dry. “But when you get wet,” says Jordan, “like when you sweat, they release all the odors they’ve trapped. Our N-O-DOR Powder is made of Abscents crystals that never give up odor once captured.”
Some of the scent-eliminating sprays are also baking soda-based. “They work by changing the pH, which kills bacteria,” says Jordan. However, this only works on organics, and these products have a shelf life. “Others, like our N-O-DOR spray, work by oxidation. They turn the odor molecule permanently into a salt.” Wet or dry, they’re permanently eliminated.
You can significantly increase the effectiveness of your odor-eliminating spray if you start out your hunt clean and odor free. This means bathing in an odor-reducing body soap and here again, they’re not all the same. Jordan stresses using one that leaves no residue.
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| These two bottles of science are all you need to successfully control human odor during your whitetail hunting. Wash in SPORT-WASH and use N-O-DOR spray to oxidize body odors and smells on your cloths and gear. |
“Most shampoos and soaps, even some designed specifically to eliminate odor, contain a variety of non-cleaning additives like moisturizers, perfumes and vitamins,” he says. “At best, some of these proteins, oils and other compounds may aid dry skin or provide a pleasant smell, but they are left behind as a residue on the skin and hair,” says Jordan. They also have an odor that is easily detected by a deer’s keen nose.
Some soaps also contain active ingredients or enzymes. “These are living organisms that cause their own odor,” adds Jordan. ATSKO Sport-Wash, on the other hand, has biodegradable, straight chain vegetable surfactants. In plain English, they rinse completely away, leaving absolutely no chemical residue on your skin or hair.
Even better, Sport-Wash does the same thing for your clothing. Unlike some detergents, it leaves no residue; so your clothes won’t emit odors. Furthermore, Sport-Wash contains no fabric brighteners that could make you glow to deer. And, eliminating residue from the surface of your garment can restore its water repellent properties. Now you and your clothes can be clean, dry and odor-free.
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| Michael Jordan, technology director of ATSKO was at stand level within 12 yards of these two bucks for over 20 minutes on a recent hunt in Texas. The deer didn’t detect him via smell because the science behind all ATSKO scent suppression products is real. |
If you are serious whitetailer you may want to lean toward a brand of scent suppression sprays and soaps that rely on science to do their job. Leave the baking soda for the cookies.
www.atsko.com is where you can find N-O-DOR powder, spray and SPORT-WASH.
Sponsored by: Whitetail University, Atsko ProductsÂ
For more please go to:  Wade Nolan and Scent Control
