How many?

[wtnhunt]

Kind of curious as to how many thermacell users have killed MATURE deer while using the repellant? I guess I am kind of skeptical after using it this weekend. Sitting still as possible in the stand with no wind at all and with all my scent pre cautions and using my new for this season scent lok lined pants and shirt, sure thought I would at least see some does. The odor from the thermacell was so strong, it honestly gave me a bit of a headache, and I know if I can smell it the deer can also smell it.

So how many of you have either killed or had mature deer get close enough(in bow range) while using the thermacell, and did the deer pay any attention at all, what was the wind doing if anything at all, and what were your other scent precautions?

[mule659]

Last year in montana I had countless mature deer...both bucks and does walk right under me and never pay any attention to anything. Here in the past week since season opened I have had a lot of deer and one old mature doe that comes by almost everyday and she dont seem to mind it. I aways shower in the scent away body wash...wash my clothes in the soap, get dressed in the field and spray down before I walk in and again once on the stand.

[wtnhunt]

Last year in montana I had countless mature deer...both bucks and does walk right under me and never pay any attention to anything. Here in the past week since season opened I have had a lot of deer and one old mature doe that comes by almost everyday and she dont seem to mind it. I aways shower in the scent away body wash...wash my clothes in the soap, get dressed in the field and spray down before I walk in and again once on the stand.

Were you using a thermacell at the time?

[toddyboman]

Just this Saturday the temp was 85... Wind was out of NE a few mph nothing major. Thermacell was blasting all night.

Had a doe and her fawn all around my stand. Never seemed to bother the deer. The doe was mature. She went from 20 yards to my left to the base of my tree to around the tree and came 20 yards to my right and continued to browse. She never once seemed to care.

I will keep you updated as season progresses.

I did have a buddy kill a doe saturday morning and he too had his thermacell blasting all morning.

[Rhino]

William I've only been using a thermacell for the past 2 seasons but looking back at my hunting journal I've had some mature deer come in from my downwind side unexpectedly. I've been using charcoal lined suits for a long time now too but I still always hunt with the wind in my favor.

I usually don't feel the need to use a thermacell during morning hunts. I'll only fire it up during morning hunts if I find I need to. After all mosquetoes can't penetrate the charcoal lined suits and they tend to have a hard time finding you while wearing the suits.

I do usually use a thermacell during afternoon hunts unless the temp is cool mainly to keep the knats from sinking their teeth into me around the eyes. That's where a thermacell comes in real handy. Looking through my journal for the past 2 years there have definately been times when mature were downwind of me with the thermacell burning.

[wtnhunt]

Thanks for the replies guys. The wife and I talked about it some, and her thoughts like mine, were basically if we can smell, surely the deer can too.

Guess the odor of the pesticide is not one that the deer find offensive maybe?

Far as using the thermacell in the mornings here Al, I am hunting along a river and river bottom area, the skeeters in the mornings are unreal, probably just as bad as in the afternoons. Main problem I have with them is them finding what little exposed skin there is sometimes even biting through my gloves on my hands. They see to find always find the ears, around eyes and mouth, neck, pretty well anywhere not covered. I do have to say the first morning I had a few mosquitoes fly through, but not one landed on me. Second morning within 70 yards of the stagnant water in the old river channel had one mosquitoe get me on the hand, several flew by but did not land on me.

[mule659]

Were you using a thermacell at the time?

All the time the mosquitos out there are insane

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

No direct experience with a thermacell, but I'd be willing to bet that the deer CAN smell it, they just haven't learned to associate the smell with danger. If enough people start using them, and the deer ever figure that out, they'll probably start avoiding the areas where that scent is present.

[HuntnMa]

never killed mature bucks while using it, havent killed mature buck period, lol.....hoping that will change this season....I have killed two 5.5 yr. old does while using it and another that was 3.5-4.5, cant remember for sure how old she was....and if i know my sister, she had hers the day she killed her 10 point...he was 4.5.

i really dont think they have put 2 and 2 together...they might notice something different but they havent associated it with humans yet....thats IMHO, lol.....

[Rhino]

Far as using the thermacell in the mornings here Al, I am hunting along a river and river bottom area, the skeeters in the mornings are unreal, probably just as bad as in the afternoons. Main problem I have with them is them finding what little exposed skin there is sometimes even biting through my gloves on my hands. They see to find always find the ears, around eyes and mouth, neck, pretty well anywhere not covered. I do have to say the first morning I had a few mosquitoes fly through, but not one landed on me. Second morning within 70 yards of the stagnant water in the old river channel had one mosquitoe get me on the hand, several flew by but did not land on me.

I hear ya William. I wear the scent loc gloves and facemask so the only real problem for me is those dang bitting knats around my eyes. Fortunately, where I hunt in MS I'm not near any rivers or stagnant water areas. I used to turkey hunt some of that type up stuff along the MS river and couldn't do it back in those days without spraying Yardguard at the setup spot to try to keep the clouds of mosquitoes at bay.

[Mirage]

I dont use one BUT my neighbor does and strongly recommends it. He has taken sevral mature deer with it. He says they dont seem to mind the smell. This guy has sevral trophy book animals and hunts the world so if he tells me to get one I gotta kinda say yeah he knows. Now im pretty sure he only uses here in florida but i will get some more info from him when he gets back from his elk hunt later this week

[lowcountry boy]

This is the second year that I've used one, and I've taken two 10-points while using it, one of which went 145" gross.

[Tom2008]

I bought a whole Scent-Lok suit this year and love it. I got the headcover, gloves, and full season pants and jacket. I've seen more deer in one weekend than I have seen in 3 seasons since using it.