Scent Thief - The Best Solution to Scent Control
Every hunter who has spent their fair share of time in the woods has had their cover blown by scent. It's a meticulous and tricky part of hunting. Even with the right wind, there is always a chance that something goes wrong and the target buck busts. So I tried as many scent control products as possible to minimize my chances of being picked up by a deer. In the end, Scent Thief came out on top.
Scent Thief set out to change scent control forever, and after a long season, I can confirm that. The patented “No Smell” technology is the only scent control designed to be smelled. It won't work unless it's smelled. Once a deer or other game animal smells it, Scent Thief enters through the nose and relaxes the epithelium. This part of the nose is responsible for smell resulting in it being temporarily disabled.
How Effective is Scent Thief?
Like all scent control products, I was skeptical about my testing. To find out what Scent Thief was capable of, I started hunting with it just as I would any other scent control product. I checked the wind for my stands, snuck in well before the deer would be moving, and hoped for the best. My first encounters confirmed it worked. After three days in different stands, not a single deer scented me. On my last sit, winds were high and swirling, a deer hunter's worst-case scenario. Regardless, I saw deer, and they didn't smell me. After some impressive results, I dug deeper into the product. I learned it was so effective
the Department of Justice shut down the original formula as drug dogs couldn't operate with it. A new ingredient was added to the formula to fix the problem, allowing drug dogs to detect it while working better on wildlife. The current product calms deer that smell it while temporarily disabling their sense of smell.
How to Use Scent Thief?
Traditional scent control uses enzymes or chemicals to mask and remove human odor. Rather than hiding human odor, Scent Thief’s patented technology shuts down an animal’s ability to smell. To maximize its effectiveness, deer need to come across and smell it. Spraying clothes and boots covers scent but is far from the most effective way of using it. For the best results, spray Scent Thief around tree stands, on a trail, or in an area where deer pass through. This dramatically improves the odds a deer will encounter the scent-blocking formula. Days with high or swirling winds can be particularly productive at carrying Scent Thief to moving deer.
The System
A wide range of products offers a complete package for scent control. My go-to products were the
field spray and the
wafer system. In combination, they provide a versatile solution for total scent control. The field spray works excellently on gear, clothes, blinds, and deer stands. Spray the product on and wait for a deer to encounter it. The wafer is easily deployed for larger areas or an area deer regularly use. Like the spray, the wafer creates a "No Smell Area" with the same patented formula. The ability to place the wafer away from a stand increases its effectiveness. Before coming into range, deer and other game animals have already encountered the calming ingredient and have lost their sense of smell. For complete coverage, Scent Thief offers other products, such as
laundry detergent and
body wash, with the same odor-blocking technology. For those wanting to go all in, the
Hunter's Pack offers the field spray, refillable field spray bottle, body wash and shampoo, and four wafers. Another great option is the
Trophy Pack which includes the spray, a refill bottle, laundry detergent, body wash and shampoo, and one scent wafer.
Final Thoughts
The current hunting market is flooded with products claiming to block scent. I've tried most of them, and many have led to blown sits and a long walk back to the truck. I gave Scent Thief a try expecting similar results, but after a season in the books, it works. Regardless of conditions, I had deer come in without a clue I was there. Not only did it do its job, but it increased my days in the stand. More days in the stand mean more opportunities, resulting in more success.
