So I was reading about making a soap with Anise to neutralize human scent. I would like to make a batch for my father and father in law as they are BOTH deer hunters. While reading about this I came across a soap made with honeysuckle for deer hunters. It's supposed to attract the deer I guess. My question is would it work to make a soap with honey suckle AND anise? So one will neutralize human scent and the other could "possibly" attract deer? Or should I make the two separately and have them use one then the other? Or one OR the other. Hmm It's a conundrum for me. I would like to think I could just combine the two and be done with it. But somehow I don't think that would work as, for one, apparently Anise can be over powering. But maybe I could just use less Anise and more Honeysuckle? Any input?
Deer Hunter Soap
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No matter how small of an amount of anise I put in soap, it seems to overpower any scent I put in with it. I love the smell of anise, so I don''t mind.
AlchemyandAshes
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Just remember that using synthetic fragrance oils (like honeysuckle) may backfire where hunting soaps are concerned. Hunters don't wear cologne, use scented laundry soap, etc because animals can detect it from a mile away. It's best to use essential oils and herbs for your hunters soap. Cedarwood, Pine, Spruce, and Fir are good choices...and Anise in small amounts. From what I understand, Anise smells sweet to deer and so it's attractive to them. All the men in my family are deer (and hog) hunters, and it took some convincing to get them to use a "scented" soap since most hunters soaps are unscented. I see a lot of folks use "Dirt" FO, but in my opinion, that's more of a novelty than actually useful for hunters soap.
Miz Jenny
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My hunters's soap is unscented with crushed apricot seed & a bit of shea butter to offset the dryness of frequent handwashing. It's a huge seller for me.
Genny
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Shawnee's right about the fo's and how you'd want to use eo's for a hunting soap. I make an anise & scotch pine soap for my neighbor, 3 parts pine to 1 part anise.
But that honeysuckle/anise combo sounds very yummy for a non-hunting soap. I'm going to have to order honeysuckle fo the next time I get some fo's.
But that honeysuckle/anise combo sounds very yummy for a non-hunting soap. I'm going to have to order honeysuckle fo the next time I get some fo's.
birchcoulee
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Hubby & Step Son use my anise scented soap. Sure didn't hurt! edited - removed photo, photo more appropriate for a hunters forum , not soap.
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Nice buck, which one got it?
ooh! Get them a nice one
I'd definitely like to take some credit as well if I made them the soap! The scenery looks just like what you'd find here in Mid Missouri
Nice job! Sounds like Anise is a winner!
birchcoulee
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Hubby shot it just 6 weeks after finishing Chemo and Radiation treatments for small cell lung cancer! It was his dream to be able to hunt one more time and hunt he did! He is an avid and conscientious hunter, in the last 9 years he has taken 9 shots and has taken 9 nice bucks. This one is the best of all for many reasons. Shot on our property too!
He humors me by using the anise soap and bragging about it's effect!
He humors me by using the anise soap and bragging about it's effect!
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Best wishes for your hubby birchcoulee.
Kansas Farm Girl
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I wasn't sure if the anise soap really worked or not, since soap is designed to rinse of the skin and isn't a leave on product. But I may have to give this a try, lot's of hunters - successful ones as well as not-so-successful - in my group.
Even though soap is a wash-off product it does leave a scent behind...
Agree with everyone else about using an FO, I would stick with just the Anise...
Agree with everyone else about using an FO, I would stick with just the Anise...
birchcoulee
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Sorry if I offended any one by posting the pic. of Hubby's big buck. He and quite a few friends and family hunters use my anise hunters soap.
Miz Jenny
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Bucks aside , I queried hunters (we're talking serious hunters) up here in Northern Ontario, and not a one wanted scent, so that's how I built my soap.
, I queried hunters (we're talking serious hunters) up here in Northern Ontario, and not a one wanted scent, so that's how I built my soap.
VanessaP
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As far as the dirt FO goes, I'm just going by what the hunters who stay at the motel where I work talk about. They have a scent hiding spray that they use that they said the dirt soap I had (was making little labels at work since it was fairly quiet) smelled just like their spray. The ones here want the dirt scent. Doesn't make much difference to me since I don't hunt.
Ruthie
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I've used cedarwood eo in the past when making derr hunter's soap. Is Anise preferred over cedarwood? Also known deer hunters who put some cedarwood eo on a cotton ball and stick it in a pocket in lieu of the spray that was mentioned. No word on whether it helped or not.
My husband cuts pine saplings up and weaves them in his pack and shoestrings to help hide human scent. Pick an EO that is native to the area where the hunting will take place otherwise you're just shooting yourself in the foot.
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