Ive been using apples, corn and salt blocks for a number of years now. Mainly to get some pictures over the pile and see whats kicking.
I have yet to shoot a deer over or feeding at it. It seems they dont stop at it for long if at all when im sitting 25 yards away, at least seems like that to me....
The buck I shot last Monday, when i had the clean miss on Saturday he walked to it but then circled behind and was headed into the bush. Doe the day before did the exact same thing. It was a week since i was there to dump apples and change the card on the camera.
Just wondering if its me or ?
How many have shot deer over bait?
Im not complaining my freezer gets filled(as much as the MNR allows )
Kandy-a.k.a Raid
Midge- a.k.a Micro 335
SSAS Spynal Tapps-Original
100 Grn 2" Shwacker
Boo threads
Don't wreck the fun house!
I am a long way from you but most people feed corn here. Up until a few years ago baiting was illegal. Now that it is legal it doesn't seem to change a lot of what I see because everyone puts out corn or supplements. So what people thought would make hunting much easier didn't really change hunting opportunities as much as some would think because every one does it.
With that being said I have deer that behave exactly as you describe. I am not quite as close yardage wise but they will come close in to the feeder but not come to the feeder or just walk on by like it's not even there. I also have deer that come through that I see but never come anywhere near the feeder. I suspect that some of that is we are still dropping acorns and haven't had a first frost so they still have a lot of forage available.
Later in the season the feeder seems to help more as the does start to come to eat to fatten up and bring the bucks with them. I shot 2 deer at the feeder last year and the third was shot seeking a doe that was coming to the feeder, all after Thanksgiving. So for me it has helped pull them to one spot but I am hunting on a 13 acre creek bottom piece so my hunting options are limited. The feeder tends to hold the younger deer better and I just watch those and let them walk, but it does keep the boredom down...
I have a timed feeder on my land. Goes off at 7 & 4. Deer usually come into it about 10-15 minutes after it goes off. Almost always slick heads and small bucks. However, the largest buck I've ever seen was the 1st week of Jan (20 years ago), and it came in with about 10 minutes of shooting light left. I had no buck tag left! I had to wait until about 30 min after dark for it to leave so I could get out of cedar tree stand(30yds).
During rut activity, some larger bucks will occasionally come it to survey the does' conditions. I will hunt it then. Keep a camera there to get a feel for when that is.
Back to circling the bait. That is why my bear blind was 57 yds from the bait barrel. Deer will normally come in downwind (my stand is 22' high and hidden in the cedar tree. The older does are very wary.
I have been baiting for years but I have never shot anything eating from it. My area the deer numbers are not huge so I use it to sway them into a certain area. The way I see it is that even if they are feeding from It at night hopefully the trail leading to it will be used during legal.
I have tried buck jam and had no success. I have had a mineral fountain and it went untouched. Had various salt blocks go dead, I made a salted area once-tilled dirt and various salts from the feed store- that did see some use during summer months by wet does and fawns. corn piles generally feed the 'coons and squirrels. Lately I have been using a combo of corn and pears.
my buddy used buckjam in a heavily populated area and the deer came to it like they were on a string. He shot a few over it thru the years
-edit, I lied now that I think of it. I did shoot a doe once that came in all head-bobby to a pumpkin I placed 20y away in a cut alfalfa field. curiosity killed that cat.
Scott... ive tried various mineral salt buck murical things people have given me over the years.
I now just use a plain old salt block. They hammer it all year. I dont know if it makes much difference what color but i think they prefer the blue of brown over just plain salt one.
I buy them at TSC when they go on sale and replace as needed.
Kandy-a.k.a Raid
Midge- a.k.a Micro 335
SSAS Spynal Tapps-Original
100 Grn 2" Shwacker
Boo threads
Don't wreck the fun house!
I have two timed hanging / scatter feeders from Moultrie. I run them (and fill them with corn) year round to keep the deer in and moving back and forth (and building patterns / trails). I have two small parcels directly across the road from one another. The larger parcel is densely wooded and close to bedding areas. The small parcel is lightly wooded and close to human habitat. It is illegal to hunt over bait in N GA so, in season, I move both feeders to the small parcel and have my stands across the road on the bigger parcel, set up on their trails (more than 200 yards from feeders and not in direct line of sight).
They stay on them pretty good year round. Typically I get 800-1000 pics per week by the feeders - mostly the same deer. So far lots of Does, Fawns and Juvenile Bucks. Have seen a couple of shooters though.
My 13 yo daughter killed her first doe on Labor day so now it is my turn. I am waiting for the larger bucks to come in and want to keep as many does kicking for them until the rut.
Exekiel 22:30 - And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
You folks have to try record rack blocks, its like crack. The longer it stays by burying it like I said, the more dumbfounding it is. If you don't bury it, they will roll it all over hell's creation. They will stomp a huge crater out but its hard for them to roll the block up out of it. If you bury it almost all the way, it last longer and the ground becomes saturated with it. When they get used to this, slack off on it and keep a chunk in your backpack for more fun. The goal is to get them hooked on it first, then they will come to the smell of your backpack at your will instead of feeding all night. They do eat them during the day too.
If you have a hog problem you will lose them faster. An alternative is to cinch a block up in some chicken wire and hang it about four feet off the ground. I usually screw a hook in the tree trunk and hang from that.
Mineral and saltblocks don't even come close. The best way I've found to use mineral blocks is to place them halfway in a little stream head so the minerals start getting into the damp areas or water.
When I hunted Saskatchewan . They bait with grains in a broken bale of hay . Tried that here with absolutely no success . I think it depends on the region .
I have shot some deer over good old whole corn .
What I do is not put it in a pile . A person I know who has shot a lot more deer than me showed me that .
His thought was nothing is free in this world .
So I broadcast it over a 10 plus yard area . The deer seemed to like this better because they are not nose to nose like domestic livestock have been conditioned to .
I use the Apple flavour sweet lick sold at TSE bury it and deer will find it fast and use it regularly - I replace them about 3 times per year - some spots have 3-4 foot deep hole know from deer digging at site.
When they allowed us to bait in Pa. a few years back I used regular corn and would mix it with Agway Deer corn which is coated with molasses. I would put a little bit in a pile not much and I would throw the rest close to the stand. I would make them look for it. The amount would be in the plastic bags that you get at stores they also make good rain covers for your seats. I have shot many Deer this way. As far as big Bucks my group we have taken a few. We did put feeders out and all big boys we're nocturnal. its all in placement of your stands and doing your homework.
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In Ontario, I have quit baiting entirely because I found it never really worked for me. I think a feeder or a bait pile is a dead give away to big bucks, I have never seen one on a feed pile. I have had equal success using it and no using it, so I err on the cheap side I do use a bait pile to get pre season pics every year and 90% of the pics are at night.
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I do use a bait pile to get pre season pics every year and 90% of the pics are at night.