The sugar beet cooker is a cheap, but effective device that allows you "gush with positive scents" in your stand area. You don't have to put out bait, you can use only the scent dispensing beet cooker. However; when combined with a bait pile (where legal), this cooker will put out allot of positive scent(s) of sugar beets and/or apples (carrots or whatever) and it lasts for hours.
The cooker consists of 2 coffee cans of slightly different sizes. One can slides inside of the other. The inner (smaller) can becomes the reservoir for the water and the sliced sugar beet and apple pieces. A plastic lid on this can helps seal the liquid in when walking out to the stand, remove lid when using in the field (Da). The outer can has 4 small holes (punched) drilled in it about an inch to two inches above the bottom. Run a coat hanger (cut to length) through the hole on the front right to the hole in the back right. Put an "L" type bend on both ends of the hanger to keep it from sliding out. Do the same thing to the left side. These two wires will support the can above (with the liquid) and leave room for the non-scenting candles below. You can add some other small breather holes around the base, for use in deep snow.
| Beet cooker on left, hidden by pumpkins. |
I bought a large bag of candles from Meyer's Thrifty Acres for around $3.00, which lasted a couple of seasons. Make sure they are scentless!!. These candles are used to heat food in "tray warmers" in the real world. One candle is ok, two are better and I use three or four during the winter. Often, I will put the "inner" can on the wood burning stove (gas etc.) to "warm and cook" the beets all day long. Then I put the lid on it and carry it out to the stand, light some candles, put it in and slip on the collar. Don't expect them to "come running" every time, but it does work. I had it cooking when I got that spike this year.
"Danger, danger, Dr. Smith": One draw back to the cooker is the light that is emitted between the gaps in the cans. To solve this, I put several thickness of tinfoil around the cans to act as a skirt. This is an additional step, but it does work. A few years ago, when testing this thing I didn't use the collar. A group of deer came in and stretched out their heads and bobbed up and down trying to figure out what the glow was.....oops.
This is easy and fun to make and use. Don't forget to camo paint the outer can and foil (before season) to prevent any reaction to shinny metal. Oh, yes...remove any paper or plastic labels to prevent a negative stinker-roo.
(L) Cooker unit on left (R) Add a wire handle for easy carrying
AND NOW FOR AN UPDATED COOKER:
Cooker updated with chimney stacks on each side and other air intake holes covered with thin metal to reduce light emissions. |
A collar with top and bottom tabs bent inward greatly reduces light emissions. The collar should be of strong metal in order to hold up the weight of the inner can that holds the apples and juice. |
Another pic of the collar. The top can should seal over the collar. Make it slightly smaller that the inner can's base. |
Apple cooker hang'n on tree below bow, helped bring in this doe. |
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