honey burn Q's

[Boar]

I understan there are two kinds of honey burns, a slow burn an a hot burn. A slow burn when ya just let heat slowly heat up the honey an a hot burn when ya ya heat it up fast to produce a cloud vapor of honey that sticks to surrounding vegetation. I've done bacon burns but have not done a hot honey burn. Any one do a hot honey burn? What steps do ya take for this? I've seen pictures of this done but no reall explaination, some guy sitting in the woods with propane tank and a big burner producing clouds of honey smoke, I dont want to go through that much fuss. Any ideas would be great. Boar

[Antler_Creek_Taxidermy]

Boar have you tried to burn some BIGPAW (from the same co. that sells the scent ball) It works great. I have had several bears come in to the powerful smell. I use a coffee can and soup can and a sterno for the burner. I set the burner in the coffee can then I hang the soup can over burner, with the honey or bigpaw in it, using a piece of wire. I also cut a small hole in the lid of the sterno to keep it from getting too hot. Burning the bigpaw produces puffs of sweet smelling smoke.

[Boar]

Hey antler good to hear from ya, ive been wanting to try big paw for awhile an think I will this year. Kinda confused on your sterno, You cut a hole in the lid? I use a sterno that has the pop off lid, exposeing the sterno gell an therefore having a large opening, I got my sterno from a freind in the cafeteria bussiness so these things get hot to keep food hot. Maybe I should keep the lid on an just punch a smaller hole. I'm currently working on a portable burner of small size to screw into the tree next to me while in stand to help cover my scent. Thanks for the intel antler. good luck this year. boar

[Antler_Creek_Taxidermy]

You are correct, I punch a smaller hole in the lid of the sterno, It won't get as hot. I just keep the burner in the tree with me because I keep adding more bigpaw to the burner as needed. I ussally run the burner for about 20-30 min. at a time and run it about 3-5 times a night, depending on how long I sit.

P.S./ Make sure the wind isn't blowing the smoke back in your face.

Last year I had to settle for just doing the baiting and running the burner and video camera, but I got drawn this year!!

Good Luck Boar!!

[Tom7227]

Hey antler good to hear from ya, ive been wanting to try big paw for awhile an think I will this year. Kinda confused on your sterno, You cut a hole in the lid? I use a sterno that has the pop off lid, exposeing the sterno gell an therefore having a large opening, I got my sterno from a freind in the cafeteria bussiness so these things get hot to keep food hot. Maybe I should keep the lid on an just punch a smaller hole. I'm currently working on a portable burner of small size to screw into the tree next to me while in stand to help cover my scent. Thanks for the intel antler. good luck this year. boar

I'm not sure you want to be real close to this thing. They can give off a lot of smoke and it probably would be a problem - plus you would really smell good to a bear.

[Antler_Creek_Taxidermy]

Tom, If you are saying that it would scare the bears off because of the smoke, you are wrong. I had bears come in with the burner giving off clouds of smoke and with it make alot of noise because of the boiling. I sit only 8-10 ft off the ground and I have had bears come to the bottom of the tree and look up and sniff the air right at my feet and they didn't get scared off. I haven't had any come up the tree, but I suppose it's just a matter of time!

[Boar]

Congrates on getting drawn antler! Good for U! Good luck! I just ordered a quart of big paw, Man that stuff is expensive Need to order some bacon too so I can make my scent ball. Boy I'm getting frisky for bear season. I might use those tea candles u put in pumkins to heat with they dont burn so hot but the wind blows then out sometimes, How big a hole u punch in the top antler? nickle size quarter size? Later Boar

[Tom7227]

Not scare the bears, just that I think it would be a bit uncomfortable to be breathing the stuff in yourself.

[Antler_Creek_Taxidermy]

Boar

Its not cheap,but it works! It doesn't last very long either, that is why I only use it a couple times each night. Get yourself a small plastic squeeze bottle to some bigpaw in, that way when you get in the woods it is easier to squeeze some into the burner rather than having to pour it from the big jar. I punch a hole about the size of a nickle in the lid but it depends on how much honey you are burning and how far the can is from the sterno. I tried using tea candles but they didn't seem to put off enough heat to get a good burn going.

On a side note, When you are finished burning the bigpaw makesure you dump out the left overs. It will turn hard after it cools and you will have to get a new can. Let me know what you think of it.

Tom,

you right about breathing in the smoke(it will give you headache, after awhile). That is why I metioned earlier to make sure the wind is blowing it away from you.

[Boar]

Antler, is it possible to be to high in a stand for a burn? My stand is all of 25' up I prefer to doing a burn on ground level but then i wont be able to start an stop a burn. I've done burns before but always at ground level. I could move lower. or I could do just one good burn at ground level with two inches of big paw in the can, if it burns up it burns up I guesse. Later boar

[Antler_Creek_Taxidermy]

It would probably be best if you could have control over the burner. I have found the when bigpaw starts boiling it seems to expand, so if you put to much in the can it would boil over. I start a burn with about 1/2 inch in a soup can at a time and add more when needed. Then when the can starts to get full I dump it out before it cools. You can try doing the burn in your stand but if you think it is to high lower your stand. I place my stand 15-20 yards from the bait and about 10 ft high. I try to put the stand in a pine tree if possible because the branches really help to break up my outline.

[Hoytmystic]

Boar

I take two coffee cans. One small can and one large can. Just as long as one can fits in the other. I take the larger can and put briquettes in the bottom. Than I take the smaller can and put the honey in it. I place the smaller can on top of the hot briquettes and it slowly boils the honey.

I place the can on the same tree as the stand. That way I can squeeze more honey into the can if needed. It is a trick to squeeze honey 10-15 ft and hit the can but it can be done.

I also put a wire handle on the can for hanging and carrying to the stand. I keep the lids to the cans. The lids keep everything together while you walk in.

Good luck

Hoytmystic

[old goose hunter]

Hey guys interesting topic! Made me think of a very funny story.

Back in the early 80's when I first started bear hunting, I read an

article about honey burns, and bacon burns. It was about the 3rd week in the season and had seen nothing but a couple of little boo boo bears. I thought I would try a honey burn. I found an old folding sterno camping burner, a coffee can and some honey. I had

no idea what I was doing, so I poured about an inch of honey in the

coffee can, completley opened the top of the sterno can and put it

about 1/2" inch under the coffee can. I set it right next to the

bait pile, about 20 yards from my stand. After about fifteen minutes it was boiling hard, after 25 minutes it was foaming over the top of the can and on fire. In walks about a 125lb boo-boo bear, he is on a mission. He runs up to the burn which is flaming

out of the can, barks at it a couple of times, and sticks his nose in the can! He jumped back and started bellering and bawling, then he started rubbing his face on the ground and rolling around. By now I am laughing so hard I almost fall out of

the tree. All of a sudden the gets up and takes off like a scalded cat. 10 seconds later a nice 260lb boar came in with the same reckless abandone as the little guy, a quick shot from the .06 and the fun part of the hunt was over. Ever since then I have used honey burns, but tried not to start the honey on fire!!!! I use a small alchol burner, in the stand, which I can control.

[Boar]

Wow awsome story goose. Thanks for all the input guys, I'v built many types of burners an am now on a mission to fabricate a smaller portable burner like I mentioned before. Maybe something that will attach to the base of my stand so i dont kick it off. Hoyt, I've thought about charcoal, but did'nt like the initial thick black smoke from lighter fluid, mabey match light charcoal. i'm gonna move my stand down though. i guesse when i really think about it, Im not gonna get serious about a burn until I find out the bears behavior, an burn might not even be nessessary, but I want to ready. This year I am trying something different an not bait till about 3-4 days before leagal hunting, I never like the idea of bating for almost three weeks, I believe that was my problem last year an the bear no doubt figured out my pattern well before shooting time. I'm in noquota and not much competition with other baiters. Thanks again, boar

[Boar]

Hey antler i've tried punching a smaller hole in the sterno lid about the size of nickle an it dont take much put out the flame, just a small bump an out she gose. has this happened to you? Boar

[Antler_Creek_Taxidermy]

I had that happen to me too but I never had any issues with the flame going out when I was in the woods. Try putting a little bigger hole in the lid. If you can't get it to work the way you want, you can just use the entire opening and move the can over so it is half on the flame. It will work good either way.