Team 1 The Rejects
05-29-2018, 07:10 AM
#271
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SW Michigan
Posts: 1,906
In my opinion it seems to work on anything that flies, and I know firsthand that it will keep you protected from gnats, black flies, skeeters and deer flies. If you bought it in 2004 you got one of the early models - maybe you picked up a lemon or there's some crud inside it that's inhibiting it from getting to proper temperature. After 15 years I had to take my original unit apart last year because it became relatively useless. I blew it out with forced air (low pressure regulated from my air compressor) and then while it was open I used alcohol and cleaned all of the contacts. I could see how a dirty one (or just a bad unit) wouldn't do much - if the element doesn't heat up enough, the pad will not release the repellant...
05-30-2018, 08:27 AM
#272
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SW Michigan
Posts: 1,906
The actual burning of the repellant will not spook turkeys - HOWEVER - the button to turn it on makes a noticeable 'click' and it takes 2-3 clicks to actually ignite. I've scared birds that were close (that I couldn't see) with the clicking, it's a very unnatural sound to hear in the woods. I either lite it at the truck and carry it in already on, or stuff it inside my coat and vest when I ignite it, to muffle the clicking the best I can...
06-08-2018, 06:31 AM
#275
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SW Michigan
Posts: 1,906
Hey Jake -
Just a word of advice - if you're shooting the bird to eat for Thanksgiving I recommend you still try to shoot a tom, a jake or even a young poult. It's almost impossible to determine the age of a hen, and older ones are downright quite stringy and tough (pretty much crockpot or jerky birds).
Also, I know you're a relatively newbie to turkey hunting - but realize that most hens have a different fall range, or I should say - move to a different part of their range during the fall.
In the late spring the hens tend to nest next to known summer food sources, typically those areas that have easily accessible water, good dusting areas (for mites), adequate cover and a large population of insects. You often see hens nesting on field edges because the fields provide adequate cover and they're full of grasshoppers and other bugs (fireflies, etc.) - the protein-rich bugs help the poults grow fast.
As summer ends, the bugs start declining and in most regions (especially the Northeast and Midwest) the hens lead the older poults to fruit-and mast-producing areas of the woods to start eating fruits and nuts. They also obviously start moving to croplands, and hit these heavy immediately after harvest - but these are short-lived resources.
Older poults also mean birds capable of flight, so the hens start moving to areas with large roost trees to house their entire brood. In essence, where you see them now is often nowhere near where'll you'll find them October thru March...
S&R
Just a word of advice - if you're shooting the bird to eat for Thanksgiving I recommend you still try to shoot a tom, a jake or even a young poult. It's almost impossible to determine the age of a hen, and older ones are downright quite stringy and tough (pretty much crockpot or jerky birds).
Also, I know you're a relatively newbie to turkey hunting - but realize that most hens have a different fall range, or I should say - move to a different part of their range during the fall.
In the late spring the hens tend to nest next to known summer food sources, typically those areas that have easily accessible water, good dusting areas (for mites), adequate cover and a large population of insects. You often see hens nesting on field edges because the fields provide adequate cover and they're full of grasshoppers and other bugs (fireflies, etc.) - the protein-rich bugs help the poults grow fast.
As summer ends, the bugs start declining and in most regions (especially the Northeast and Midwest) the hens lead the older poults to fruit-and mast-producing areas of the woods to start eating fruits and nuts. They also obviously start moving to croplands, and hit these heavy immediately after harvest - but these are short-lived resources.
Older poults also mean birds capable of flight, so the hens start moving to areas with large roost trees to house their entire brood. In essence, where you see them now is often nowhere near where'll you'll find them October thru March...
S&R
