Hunting Deodorant: What I Actually Use in the Field (and What It Can't Do)

I'm Tim. I make deodorant for a living, and I hunt elk, bear and blacktail on public land here in Oregon. So when somebody asks me whether hunting deodorant is worth it, I've got two answers: the one from the guy who makes it, and the one from the guy sitting in the timber hoping the wind holds. This post is both. I'll tell you how I came to it, what I use, what a deodorant can and can't do for you out there, and why I bother.

Quick disclaimer up front: no stick of deodorant is going to make you invisible to an elk's nose. Anybody who tells you otherwise is selling something. (I'm also selling something. But I'll be straight with you about it.)

I got into hunting late, and for a simple reason

I grew up in a hunting family. I just didn't hunt. Everybody around me did, and I sort of watched from the sidelines for years.

Then, as an adult, I landed on a pretty simple idea: if I was going to eat meat, I should be willing to take responsibility for it. That means doing the killing and the butchering myself instead of letting a plastic-wrapped package at the grocery store do the thinking for me.

So in 2020 I became what they call an adult-onset hunter. Late to the party, but I showed up hungry. Literally.

Where I hunt: Oregon public land, start to finish

Every bit of my hunting is on public land. No private leases, no fancy setup. Just me, a tag, and a whole lot of ground that belongs to all of us.

• Roosevelt elk on the mid-Oregon coast. This is my favorite, hands down.
• Black bear on the coast.
• Blacktail deer in the Willamette Valley.

If you've hunted the coast, you know the wind there has a mind of its own. Hold that thought. We'll come back to it.

I didn't set out to make a hunting deodorant

Here's the funny part. I started Green Theory Naturals before I ever hunted. These products weren't designed as hunting deodorants. I made them to solve my own problems. I wanted a deodorant that actually worked, that I knew every ingredient in, and that either had no scent at all or had a scent that blends in with the outdoors. Think trees, not a body spray aisle.

When I started hunting, I just grabbed what I already had. Turns out the everyday stuff I was making already fit right into the field. An unscented stick and a few tree scents. I didn't have to reinvent anything.

Two times my scent cost me

I'd love to tell you I've got this all figured out. I don't. The wind has beaten me more than once, and I want to tell you about two of those times, because they're why I take scent seriously.

The elk that caught my wind

I was on elk, and one ended up on the wrong side of the wind from me. It winded me, and that was the end of that. No shot, no meat, just a long walk back thinking about what I could have done differently.

The bear, the wind shift, and the second chance

Another time I was on a black bear and the wind changed on me. The bear busted. I later shot that same bear, but that first encounter was a loss, plain and simple. The wind flipped and my scent went right where I didn't want it to go.

Neither of those is a happy deodorant story. That's kind of the point. Your scent matters, the wind matters more, and you don't always get to pick.

What a hunting deodorant can and can't do

Let's clear up what "scent control deodorant" really means, because the marketing in this space gets a little wild.

What it can't do: - It won't make you undetectable. An elk's nose is better than anything you'll ever buy. - It won't fix bad wind. If the wind is carrying your scent to the animal, you're probably busted, deodorant or not. - It doesn't replace clean clothes, clean gear, and smart setup. Those matter more than what's under your arms. - It doesn't stop you from sweating. It's a deodorant, not an antiperspirant. You're going to sweat on a steep coast range climb. That's just elk hunting.

What it can do: - It handles underarm odor, which is one piece of the scent you're putting out there. - If it's unscented, it doesn't add a loud perfume on top of you. - If it's a tree scent, it smells like the forest instead of a locker room.

That's it. Deodorant is one piece of the puzzle. But here's how I think about it:

"If my scent concealment buys me even a half of a second more time that could be the difference between meat in the freezer or tag soup."

Half a second. That's all I'm after. If you've ever had an animal hesitate for just a beat before it figured you out, you know what half a second is worth.

Unscented or a scent that blends in? Picking your hunting deodorant

I make two kinds of hunting deodorant, and both make sense depending on how you think about it.

Stealth Mode: the unscented deodorant for hunters

Stealth Mode is fragrance-free. No essential oils, no fragrance, nothing added to make it smell like anything. If you're after a true scent-free deodorant for hunting, this is the one. It's also the stick most of my hunting customers buy, and it's great for everyday use if you'd rather your deodorant just do its job and keep quiet.

Tree scents: Pine, Fir, Cedar and Juniper

Some hunters want to smell like nothing. Others would rather smell like where they're standing. That's what the tree scents are for: Pine, Fir, Cedar and Juniper.

The idea is simple. Pick the tree that matches the country you hunt. I wear Fir because I hunt fir forests. If you're in pine country, go with Pine. Cedar swamps, Cedar. You get the idea.

What's in my hunting deodorant

Same short ingredient list as everything else I make. Every Green Theory Naturals deodorant is aluminum-free and non-toxic, and it's made with a freeze-dried, 11-strain probiotic blend. The probiotic blend works alongside a lighter dose of baking soda. Bentonite clay is in there too, and it absorbs moisture and oil. The rest is beeswax, arrowroot powder, shea butter, coconut oil, cocoa butter and vitamin E oil.

Stealth Mode stops right there. The tree scents add their scent oils, and that's the only difference.

If you want the full rundown on the strains and how I make it, I wrote a whole post on probiotic deodorant. Fair warning: it involves crockpots.

My scent routine on a hunt

Here's what I actually do. Nothing fancy, but I'm consistent about it.

1. Hot shower in camp. I built a hot shower that I bring on hunts. After a long day of climbing around the coast range, a hot shower in camp might be the best thing ever invented. It's also how I start clean.
2. Unscented soap, head to toe. I wash my body and my hair with my unscented soap, Orion.
3. Fir deodorant. Then I put on Fir, to match the fir forests I'm hunting.
4. Play the wind anyway. This is the big one. The wind on the coast can be unpredictable, and none of the first three steps matter if I ignore it. I still hunt the wind every single time.

If you want an easy way to copy this setup, the Hunting Bundle pairs Stealth Mode or any of the four tree scents with Orion soap. I go deeper on the rest of it in my scent-free hunting routine post.

What hunters say about it

I'd rather you hear it from hunters who've used it in the field. These are word for word, typos and all.

"On a whim I bought it and immediately put it to work on a 9 day archery elk hunt with only dude wipes to freshen up. This stuff just works this is now my go deodorant."
— Nicholas S., Stealth Mode

"I've used many different scent free deodorants for deer hunting - and none of them ever seemed to work. This one worked. I hung two tree stand today, worked up a sweat, but could not smell underarm odors. I'm impressed - finally."
— Tony D., Stealth Mode

"I have been an avid hunter my whole life and have tried all of the big name hunting deodorants with no luck! This is the first and only unscented hunting deodorant that I have found that actually works!"
— Will, Stealth Mode

"Great deoderant. I use it for hunting and any time im in the backcountry. Great product for smell mitigation when youre in limited washing conditions."
— Matthew W., Stealth Mode

"I will admit that I initially purchased this for hunting and it does work great for that, no doubt. If youre not using a deodorant for hunting, you should."
— Alex M., Juniper

Try it for a season (or at least two weeks)

If you're coming off a drugstore antiperspirant, the first week or two can feel a little off while your pits adjust. That's normal. Don't wait until the night before opener to make the switch.

Here's my deal: Give it 2 weeks to let your pits adjust. Not loving it? You're covered by our 30-day satisfaction guarantee. And shipping is free on US orders over $30.

Hunting deodorant FAQs

Does hunting deodorant actually work? It handles underarm odor, which is one source of the scent you carry into the woods. It won't make you undetectable. Wind, clean clothes and gear, and how you set up matter more. Think of deodorant as one piece of your scent plan, not the whole thing.

What's the best scent-free deodorant for hunting? I'm biased, but I'd point you to Stealth Mode. It's fragrance-free with no essential oils, aluminum-free, and made with a freeze-dried, 11-strain probiotic blend. It's what most of my hunting customers use.

Should I use unscented or tree-scented deodorant? Either works. Unscented adds no smell of its own. A tree scent like Pine, Fir, Cedar or Juniper smells like the woods. I wear Fir because I hunt fir forests, so I'd say match the trees where you hunt.

Is your hunting deodorant an antiperspirant? No. It's an aluminum-free deodorant, so it works on odor and doesn't stop you from sweating.

What if my skin doesn't like baking soda? Email us. We have a baking-soda-free option and will help you find what works.

Can I wear it every day, not just during hunting season? Yes. These were everyday deodorants before I ever started hunting. Some hunters buy one for elk season and end up wearing it year-round.

Go get your tag filled

I'm not going to promise you a bull because you changed deodorant. Nobody can promise that. What I can tell you is that I hunt with this stuff myself, on public land, in some of the most unpredictable wind in Oregon. If it buys me half a second, I'll take it.

Grab Stealth Mode if you want no scent, or pick the tree that matches your country: Pine, Fir, Cedar or Juniper. You can see the whole hunting deodorant lineup in one place. Then go play the wind.

See you out there.

— Tim, Green Theory Naturals