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Flutey, brother, did you read the original article. Lol. Once or twice a week to answer but there's more to it than that.
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Baiting Mature Bucks.
- Thread starter Jackalope
- Start date
Flutey, brother, did you read the original article. Lol. Once or twice a week to answer but there's more to it than that.
TripleA88
*Supporting Member*
I just go when i can go, before work or after work. As long as it's between 10 and 5. When I moved stands in August, I bet i sweat and left a stench all over. He still showed. I'll go twice a week and dump 100# early in the week, then maybe 50# to fresh it up later on.
As far as the tax exempt thing, the Ag center here sells to me tax exempt because my business is categorized as a agricultural entity. If I go to tsc if I get in a weekend pinch, I'll throw a bag of corn up there, equine 45 day, fly repellant for my horse, and a coke in the check out. I get it all tax exempt besides the coke. Save the receipt, then hand it to my accountant. lol
As far as the tax exempt thing, the Ag center here sells to me tax exempt because my business is categorized as a agricultural entity. If I go to tsc if I get in a weekend pinch, I'll throw a bag of corn up there, equine 45 day, fly repellant for my horse, and a coke in the check out. I get it all tax exempt besides the coke. Save the receipt, then hand it to my accountant. lol
Back when I was a master baiter, I spent over $1K in a year more than a few times. I had corn available 365 days a year. Multiple times I've bought a ton (literally) of ear corn and dumped it in one pile.
I've spent $12 this year to dump one bag at the farm last month and behind my house a couple weeks ago. I won't buy any more until gun season. From Thanksgiving to February, I'll spend $12 a week to keep them close to the farm and increase Tracie's odds of killing something. If I'm still sitting on a tag after muzzy season, $12 a week won't cut it.
I've spent $12 this year to dump one bag at the farm last month and behind my house a couple weeks ago. I won't buy any more until gun season. From Thanksgiving to February, I'll spend $12 a week to keep them close to the farm and increase Tracie's odds of killing something. If I'm still sitting on a tag after muzzy season, $12 a week won't cut it.
Yeah, I read it, I've read it all. BTW, that's a nice feature for the article to have it show up at the top of every page.
I'm sorry, but I'm curious. We as hunters preach scent control, careful access, wind, etc, but then we roll in to a bait site weekly, riding our buggies or atvs, stinking to high hell, and these deer still come back on a regular basis. I guess it's safe to say a deer's belly rules 90% of the time, and we all know what the other 10% would be.
TripleA88
*Supporting Member*
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No need to be sorry man. My comment was mostly relating to the psychology of the method as that's the key takeaway. The whole scent control, careful wind, and access is all centered around trying to remain undetected by the deer for short periods of time. The method we're discussing takes a completely opposite approach, which is don't try to hide from hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, but rather use it against him. Establish a pattern, you want him to know when you're there, and hopefully, through consistency, you want him to think he has you patterned. Then you switch it up and catch him acting on that pattern. When you switch it up that's when you flip back to the wind, scent, stealth tactic. You're attempting to use his greatest instincts against him instead of trying to hide from it. Deer have the advantage when it comes to sight, hearing and smell, we have the advantage when it comes to cognitive ability.
I'm not so sure it's their belly that is ruling their behavior but rather efficiency. We all know that it's in every animal's nature to complete a task in the simplest way possible with the least amount of effort. A deer in Ohio isn't struggling for food so I don't believe they're driven by hunger. There are AG fields not 300 yards from this bait pile which I am sure he visits, yet the majority of mornings and evenings he's at this bait. IMO they visit because it's a very easy way to load up that doesn't require much effort. That's why it's key for you to be close to their core area. Someone mentioned it earlier that you have to be close, you aren't going to pull him a great distance with any consistency.
I agree, and efficiency is a better term than saying their belly's rule. It's what I was getting at, but you described it much better.
Baiting, undoubtedly, can be very effective to kill mature deer, and the thought some of you have put into it is amazing. It's interesting to read everyone's thoughts on it, and some of the things they do to make it work in their advantage. My hat is off to any of you that can do it. It sounds like there really is a science to it.
I agree it's about efficiency now, but that changes in 3 months. Then the need for fuel will overrule efficiency for some deer in some areas once it gets cold enough. The key then is access for you more so than closeness to core area IMO.
Bigcountry40
Member
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I am extremely scent cautious, I have always compared atv's, trucks, , etc too farm machinery which deer are typically adjusted to. I never dump bait with a 4 wheeler and typically do not bait areas I consider my honey holes for the rut.
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Indeed, a loose science. Picaso and my 2 year old can be called painters, but only one is an actual artist. The same can be said for "baiters".
Mao
Member
I will chime in because I like this topic. I run two bait piles every year. They both are for my daughters. However, if a 140+ shows up, I will hunt it. I don't do minerals. I start typically late in August and continue throughout the season with at least one if not both. A lot of the things Joe has mentioned I try to do. I moved my daughter Layla's double stand close to a bedding thicket. The deer only have to take a step out of thick cover to be in range. The double stand is 20" and elevated on a ridge making it a 30 yard shot. I typically drop 50-100 lbs. twice a week at each spot. The other spot is a ground blind at the top of a ridge looking down onto a shelf in deep woods. Deer are more prone to daylight movement here I have realized over the years. My youngest daughter Bo is hunting for the first time this year and she is only ready for a ground blind with a field pod set up for her. I am running an additional corn pile for her at an easy access spot that looks promising for a couple weeks to see if she can't get one early there. I will not maintain that pile the whole season unless a good buck tells me otherwise. The problem we are facing now is that the buck Layla wants to shoot is only coming in to corn in the morning. He is there every couple mornings well after daylight. The smaller buck is constantly at the blind spot and I hope Bo can get a shot at him Saturday.
Good stuff Marcus! Next year, I'll have a young hunter to spoon feed. Can't wait for that, or for your famous grip-and-grins with those girls of yours!
Mao
Member
Thanks Jesse! I’m more excited for Saturday than I have ever been since both girls are hunting this year.
TripleA88
*Supporting Member*
Went back about 4:50 to make sure one last time we can get dropped off Saturday.
TripleA88
*Supporting Member*
Iowa_Buckeye
Smartest person here
