Hunting over bait!

[Mossy Oak]

Anybody having problems with deer not wanting to come into bait... I have been having some problems with deer coming into my bait pile (corn) during shooting light.... Could be the piles of acorns falling?:thdown:

[onthehunt]

The acorns will have an effect on them. They know they won't be around long so they will feed primarily on acorns until they start to dwindle. May want to head for the oaks until the acorns get cleaned up:cool:.

[boatliftman]

the deer have become wise to bait piles, they walk in looking up, its different than it used to be before everyone was baiting:)

[MEAT-WAGON]

try different bait apples or sweet potatoes have more nutrition than acorns deer know this they will pass up nuts for a feast :D youll find corn to be the go to bait when it gets colder. hunt safe hunt smart

[Mossy Oak]

I think its the heat...I have plenty of pics of deer on the pile in shooting light...But when I get in the stand they walk near the pile and leave...Just frustrating

[beaglejohn]

they smell your stinky butt :D

[grtwhthunter/fisherman]

if you hunt near 65 25 23 you r hunting veryeducated deer ya know wise to the pile. like mentioned already deer will favor fresh acorns nomatter whats put out.they give them the fat they need also deer get spooked once they will become nocternal for sure when baiting first became legal it was easy, know most deer that do come in (not all the time just my xperiance) they r the fawns and youll see the older deer just milling around goin back and forth then at dark when you cant see they actually just waltz right in lol, one more exception is brutal cold or snow then they seem to risk it more. i have gotten 3 deer at lunch time in my piles totaly fooled them that might b a solution to try,:confused:i used to scout new areas at lunch and have walked up on other guys piles (not knowing) and seen deer thats what gave me the idea ,it works.

[bigolebuck]

I have noticed a lot of deer in the hotter part of the season do have a tendency of moving later in the evening to beat the heat! Just have to have a little patience. "Bait it and they will come".
lol

[Offshore Custom Tackle]

Deer will always come into the bait down wind. Once you figure out which way they are coming from, figue out that they will make a circle if needed to face into the wind. Just make sure your not in the line of fire for them to smell you.

Some days the deer come in after dark into my corn, some days they are there all day long. has to do with the weather.

[stephenf]

I think they are all good points! You cant hunt the bait everyday and you need to be smart ,you need to hunt high , I use a strapper gear retrieve and it is at the end or further when i hunt the bait. Also set the bait to not allow the deer to get around you, as best as posssible if they can they will scent check the bait 100yds out . try hunting offf to the sides of the trails coming in .if the wind is blowing to the main trail used never hunt the stand but set up off thew main trail .find a slightly used trail just off of the main trail or a slight trail coming to the bait ,I have found the bucks will be using these smaller trails , The does browse there way in making the trails larger and easily seen ,the bucks dont browse as much as they are checking it out on the way in leaving less sign . Try putting a game camera on a trail 40 to 80 yds off the bait and have one on the bait start to see the patterns ,note all bucks on camera with a moon phase calender,then try to put the weather conditions and wind direction onto the calender as well ,it will show a pattern ,I have some spots that are killer on a new moon and other that are awsome for bucks when it is real windy ?????? i dont know the reasons just know when the new moon comes iknow where i want to be , Bait is not like hunting a deer pen it is still work unless you want to settle for 1 1/2 yr olds that is fine if that is what you want ,my trophy is not always everones and yours may not be mine. if you shoot the small buck he will never grow a 130 plus rack, if you pass on him you never know what will happen .yes he will getg harder to kill witheach year but man it is fun trying ,it does take more work than dumping a pile of corn out and the the more details you pay attention to will maximize your hunt success.Just my two scents worth .

[ACEarcher]

Even though it's legal here I don't hunt over bait. Maybe just cause I don't want too. I don't down people who do hunt over bait I just don't. I do use bait infront of my trail cam to get an inventory of bucks in my hunting area. I tried that new acorn rage bait and man they where all over it. Within the night I put it out they where on it. That acorn rage worked really well. It was all gone within 3 days. My trail cam went nutz. Try it it may work out for you. If you need to know where I got it shoot me a PM and I'll fill you in.

[buckhunter14]

as far as the corn go's i put corn out and they didnt eat it then i talked to somebody thats been hunting for a long time they told me to put molasses on it so i went out and got a gallonof it for 9 bucks and put it on and they are lovin it the pile is being crushed

[QuintonZ29]

The deer slowed on the bait because of the acorns...thats how they pack on the lbs for the winter....keep the bait piles going and you will start to see some deer show back up on them...but for now get on the biggest white oak tree you can find....I had stands a couple weeks ago with 1300 pictures of deer in just a couple days..pulled my sd card and in 2 days I had 0!!!!!!!!!!!!!! get on the oak flats now.......

[fishy]

25 Lbs. will disappear overnight i had to put a feeder up

[Mossy Oak]

Quinton...I too was like you...had 800 pics in a week...Many bucks...Many on the pile during shooting light...and now none...I think it may be the heat...I have sweated everytime I have walked into my tree...They may be picking me off...Been baiting for several yeras and have never had it like this year...AND I hunt private land!

[Steve-O]

We have experienced that when it is still warm out and there are plenty of other food sources, the deer do not have the need to eat the corn or apples etc. unless they walk right over it. Unless a huuge front or storm is coming through, we have seen plenty of times the deer not touching it.

As the days start to get shorter and colder at night, the feed will disapear quickly.

[QuintonZ29]

The heat because of your scent? maybe but its not the heat making them stop coming..My camera has temp on it and I had deer in shooting light in 90 degrees......Deer just dont eat bait piles.. the browse in the woods and all the acorns are plentiful....thats what they eat to survive...bait is just something the eat along the way...also it is the time of year that the deer become educated...they see a bait pile and know it isnt normal and put it with humans...maybe a pile of corn is going fast now but look at the woods..maybe it doesnt have the acorns or the crops around it.....i bet in a pine forrest you cant keep bait now...I am surrounded by alfalfa and soy beans....add that to the newly raining acorns and the deer have all they need to eat and survive the winter...deers patterns change all year long..this is just a stange....the bucks are fattening up on acorns while they last for the rut and winter...no need to stop for a potato or corn...

[Offshore Custom Tackle]

Ive been baiting since July and have been getting 100 plus pics every night.

Now I had 30 In 4 days. Slowed for sure.

[ub1243]

Ive been baiting since July and have been getting 100 plus pics every night.

Now I had 30 In 4 days. Slowed for sure.


acorns falling.

[Mossy Oak]

The heat because of your scent? maybe but its not the heat making them stop coming..My camera has temp on it and I had deer in shooting light in 90 degrees......Deer just dont eat bait piles.. the browse in the woods and all the acorns are plentiful....thats what they eat to survive...bait is just something the eat along the way...also it is the time of year that the deer become educated...they see a bait pile and know it isnt normal and put it with humans...maybe a pile of corn is going fast now but look at the woods..maybe it doesnt have the acorns or the crops around it.....i bet in a pine forrest you cant keep bait now...I am surrounded by alfalfa and soy beans....add that to the newly raining acorns and the deer have all they need to eat and survive the winter...deers patterns change all year long..this is just a stange....the bucks are fattening up on acorns while they last for the rut and winter...no need to stop for a potato or corn...

Deer dont eat bait piles? Are you kidding me...I took a really nice 8 pter on a pile last year and have friends that have killed probably 40 mount worthy deer on piles! They aren't eating them much now because the acorns are falling....Once they stop falling...They will be in...I have had pics of 10 deer ata time on my pile!

[PhilCVG]

Deer dont eat bait piles? Are you kidding me...I took a really nice 8 pter on a pile last year and have friends that have killed probably 40 mount worthy deer on piles! They aren't eating them much now because the acorns are falling....Once they stop falling...They will be in...I have had pics of 10 deer ata time on my pile!

We have discussed this at length already, but I don't just think you can drop 100 lbs of bait on the ground and expect to kill shooters. I think many factors influence how many and what size deer you will see over bait. That is just my opinion though.

[QuintonZ29]

If you read what I wrote again....I said...."deer dont JUST eat bait piles"....just is the key word....yeah i've killed many a deer over bait but my point is they are more focused on ACORNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I even said in a post just a couple up exactly what you just said....keep the piles going and they will be back on them.....

[onthehunt]

If you have oaks where you hunt, leave the piles alone and hunt the travel corridors to the oaks. The heavy blow we had last weak dumped the trees. just checked the flats behind my house and it is LOADED. Wondered why my apples and squash are only seeing little activity:rolleyes:. As soon as you get them figured out on the acorns, they will be back on the piles. That's huntin':razz:

[ACEarcher]

Just bought another bag of acorn rage to put infront of my trail cam. If I get the same really good pics as before i post them for ya. Its funny watching the time on the pics. As the time goes on the lines of acorn rage just get smaller and smaller.

Bait is just an other method to hunt. Whats the difference between sitting infront of a pile of apples and sitting in a apple orchard? If you as me none just my opinion. I personally don't hunt over bait. Thats just the way I like to hunt. I don't down ppl who do. They are free to do whatever they want as long as it is within the law.

Deer by nature are grazing animals. They are cirvids. They really don't park themselves infront of a pile of food and gourge. The move around as they feed. Taking little bits from here there and all around. Bear are oppurtunistic feeders. If they find a place with a lot of food they park it and consume untill they can't anymore. Thus if the oppurtunity is their a bear will take it. Also deer rely on their fat content throught the winter. corn is not a very fatty food. Another reason why they will change their feeding patterns. They will also slow down eating during the winter. The bait pile that you put out now will not be hit as hard as it normally is because of the amount of stored fat that a deer has. The deer dosen't need that extra food. So they don't feed.

[Mossy Oak]

Just bought another bag of acorn rage to put infront of my trail cam. If I get the same really good pics as before i post them for ya. Its funny watching the time on the pics. As the time goes on the lines of acorn rage just get smaller and smaller.

Bait is just an other method to hunt. Whats the difference between sitting infront of a pile of apples and sitting in a apple orchard? If you as me none just my opinion. I personally don't hunt over bait. Thats just the way I like to hunt. I don't down ppl who do. They are free to do whatever they want as long as it is within the law.

Deer by nature are grazing animals. They are cirvids. They really don't park themselves infront of a pile of food and gourge. The move around as they feed. Taking little bits from here there and all around. Bear are oppurtunistic feeders. If they find a place with a lot of food they park it and consume untill they can't anymore. Thus if the oppurtunity is their a bear will take it. Also deer rely on their fat content throught the winter. corn is not a very fatty food. Another reason why they will change their feeding patterns. They will also slow down eating during the winter. The bait pile that you put out now will not be hit as hard as it normally is because of the amount of stored fat that a deer has. The deer dosen't need that extra food. So they don't feed.

I think you may be somewhat confused about hunting over bait...Deer will eat more in the winter time and they will eat corn more during the colder months because it helps with there metabolism...They will devour corn in the colder months!...And Quinton...sorry I misunderstood you you when you said "Deer just dont eat on bait piles"...I thought you meant that they will not eat on a pile...You meant that they will eat other sources of food also...I understand you now! You are right!

[Makowish]

corn generates too much body heat. When it is still warm they wont touch it as much. Try sweet potatoes till it cools.

[boatliftman]

the deer by me are eating better than they have in a few years when the acorns drop, last year this time they would hardly touch the corn this year they will eat 100 pounds a night, go figure:) and the acorns are everywhere

[ACEarcher]

I think you may be somewhat confused about hunting over bait...Deer will eat more in the winter time and they will eat corn more during the colder months because it helps with there metabolism...They will devour corn in the colder months!

"You may be thinking that corn would then be a good summertime food. Well, if you eat Twinkies and Ho-Hos at lunchtime then I guess you are right. But, if you believe people (and deer) should actually benefit from what they eat, summertime corn is not a good food source. It is deer candy, junk food that’s high in sweets and low in protein."


"Each winter, the Division of Fish and Wildlife receives numerous inquiries regarding the feeding of deer and other wildlife. Although everyone wants to help wild animals through the seemingly difficult time of year, New Jerseyans should be reminded that deer are wild animals and have adapted to cope to the sometimes harsh winter weather, including deep snow, cold temperatures and high winds. Deer adapt physiologically as well as behaviorally to the changes of season. In the fall, subcutaneous fat is deposited, and the reddish summer coat is molted for a highly-insulative winter coat. The metabolism of the deer usually decreases during the colder months. To conserve energy, deer limit their feeding to the warmer daylight hours and in general, become less active, particularly during periods of bad weather. Deer may remain bedded down for long periods of time in areas of dense cover without harmful effects. The Division of Fish and Wildlife strongly encourages New Jerseyans to avoid feeding wildlife during the winter period and throughout the year. Under most conditions winter feeding is of no value in maintaining deer populations during the winter stress period and may be detrimental to both deer and their habitat. Winter feeding concentrates animals, but provides only a portion of their nutritional requirements. The result is increased browsing on preferred native food plants causing a reduction in these food sources and an increased feeding on less nutritious foods. Continued feeding often results in the deterioration of deer range. " http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/deerfeed.htm

[ACEarcher]

Hope this helps.

[BUCKSHOT]

I watch deer come in on a bait pile an eat for over an hour they are not brousing on my pile they feasting i have pictures then they lay down right next to it with fat bellies

[Cape May Ct Hs BuckHunter]

Ive been baiting since July and have been getting 100 plus pics every night.

Now I had 30 In 4 days. Slowed for sure.



They know thw seasons here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Treude1]

Just read an article in Peterson's bowhunting saying just throwing out a bunch of bait may be detrimental to hunting during daylight, since the latter in the season deer become more nocturnal and if the bait is left at night they know they can get it. Using a timer feeder is better.

[Nanuk]

I feel the same way , ever since they started legal baiting the deer just don't move like they used to .Especially on State land they wont move unless the get pushed which is highly unlikly with everyone up in stands befor daylight . Gun is a little different but if they can hide till dark they will. When I hunt in the Northeren Zone NY if you bump a deer and don't shoot you wont see that same deer again he'll run and run and hide till dark . They have so much area to hide and not be disturbed they grow real BIG but to few and far between to keep most people interested but thats huntin .

[blackpowder]

check the pile and your stand. Make sure they are set up correctly for the wind. IF they are not you will never see a deer.

[Makowish]

acorn will effect them as they like them allot but the corn creates too much body heat for them and they really dont start hitting it heavy till cooler weather