Deet and bow finishes

[longbow357]

i've read a few times that deet can damage some bow finishes through chemical reaction.

my question is: which finishes will it ruin and which are impervious to it?

thanks...

[dannyvp]

I think it will hurt almost any finish.
I had durflex paint come off my shotgun while turkey hunting from it.

[R.W.]

Bug sprays will eat synthetic rubber (ie. golf club grips) disolve or soften most petroleum based finishes, and it will kill grass where it is sprayed. (Golf clubs usually have signs up asking that you not spray insect repellant around the greens)
It will also damage some synthetic materials if they are soaked/wetted with it.
Spray yourself with your deet spray, then wipe your the palms of yours hands off on a disposable wipe. This should save your bow finish from being damaged.
I wouldn't be spraying my blind material with this stuff, either. Deet seems to be hard on anything manmade.

[varmint]

I've had deet eat my shotgun years ago.........


Thermacell now,all you'll ever need.

[JBiorn]

Use Avon "skin so soft". Works like a charm, and won't eat your bow. (makes a guy wonder about smearing paint solvent on himself)

[Badlands]

I agee, I think that it will eat through most finishes, paints and synthetic fabrics.
I once went on a bike ride with a fella that used a bunch on himself and his licra bike shorts before the ride. By the end of the ride his shorts were starting to fall apart.

[Rufus]

Was hunting in eastern Colo. once, on the Arkansas, and the skeeters were awful. Was shooting a compound at that time (that was before I discovered archery was really fun). Kinda like took a big time bath in deet, or so it seemed, and what deet was on my hands ate the plastic handle on that bow to pieces.
 This was 25 yrs. or so ago and have been shooting longbows since. Not because of the deet factor,but because of the fun factor. Still use deet, just more wisely. By the way, I think deet attracts buffalo gnats. Ain't nothing but staying home with the screen door shut that works on those buggers.

[rollin]

I damaged some of the finish on the handle of my recurve using deet     Lookes like it's down to the wood. What would be a good way to fix this?

[Shakes.602]

Graduate to Thermacell!!         Well Worth the Price Paid.....Without the After Effects of Bug Spray!!                      
by The Way, has Anyone Constructed their OWN Holster? If So, I would Love to see it!!

[BWD]

Permanone on clothes, thermacell close by, pretty well cover ticks and skeeters.

[Chris Shelton]

thermacell works pretty good down in the lower 48, you go up near Canada or even worse Alaska, forget about it.  But you dont need to hear that, you live in Australia, lol.  I have never heard that but I will definatly watch this now.  Question to you guys that follows along with this thread-  What about scent killer???  I often spray that on my bow and quiver should I worry about it?

[T Sunstone]

Years ago I was bear hunting and one guy in camp put deet on while on stand.  He must have put it on pretty heavy and he was using one of those rubber coated spring arrow holders. When a bear came in and he started his draw the aluminum arrow pulled off the string and rattled all over the riser making a racket.  It was like welded to the arrow.  
I hunt the swamps of eastern shore Maryland for Sika deer and you have to use deet.  I have bought 2 thermacells and neither one worked.  Most people swear by them, but didn't work for me.  It was lit and burning and I even held it up to my face and the skeeters didn't seem to mind.  I di see some damage to my riser on my long bow.  I spit on my hands and wipe them on my pants to clean but I guess not enough.

[bowslinger]

I have had DEET melt plastic ball point pens (white plastic body), melt rubber on a rubber rain suit, ruin the finish on the plastic temples on eyeglasses, melt the plastic face of several cheap watches, and weld a fly line.  If I am going to use DEET, I now try to wear an outer layer of clothing that I spray instead of spraying bare skin.  I definitely don't apply it to the palms of my hands or bottom of my fingers.

I like the roll-on applicator bottles when I can find them, followed by spray cans, and then ones I have to apply by hand last.  I wear long sleeve shirts that have been sprayed, a bandana around the neck, spray the underside of the bill of a ball cap or hat, etc.

[Chris Shelton]

To go off T Sunstones response, I have noticed that certain types of the little buggers are immune to the stuff.  And even up in Canada the little vamps were immune to the deet.  Which suprised me, if you are really dead set on not getting bit the best way possible is to stay covered, that seemed to be the only thing that worked in the Yukon.  But even then they would still find a way.  I have a good freind up there, and while fishing one of the remote streams I was getting bit up, and he was too, but he didnt even notice, I suppose he got immune to them or something?

[hayslope]

Deet is one wicked chemical..........I figure it will eat through almost anything.

Many, many moons ago, I had a bit on my arms to fend off the skeeters and didn't do a good job of washing it all off before picking up my old 60s Gibson J45-12 - you guessed it.....it actually ate through the finish on the top of the guitar.  I still have the guitar....people think that someone screwed up the finish on the top.......yea....someone did!

Nasty stuff.....my guess is that any finish on a bow is not safe when deet is around.

[NDTerminator]

Back in the 90's I had DEET eat the finsh off one of my compounds to bare alum.  I wouldn't want that stuff within 10 yards of one of my recurves!!!!