Baiting Mature Bucks.
- Thread starter Jackalope
- Start date
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Stressless
Active Member
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The common thoughts are ticks and fleas so they rub their antlers between their shoulder blades, or their antlers are rubbing their backs from going at it on licking branches. Very common in Iowa and most of the bucks on Midwest whitetail have those spots.
Sgt Fury
Sgt. Spellchecker
I see this often here in Jersey…I believe it’s from bucks fighting and the antlers taking off chunks of fur. It always seems to be in that same spot…if it were parasites, it would be in other places as well. I’m guessing in a knock down drag em out fight, their necks get twisted around and the antlers dig into the fur.
Stressless
Active Member
'Baiting Mature Bucks' is why I posted as he kinda claimed the area, plot and feeder and if he was big enough to shoot for the hunter, gave plenty of opportunity.
"Someone..." foul tipped...
Another buck...
Another hunter...
Peterman himself...
Ticks and parasites...
Thx for the opinions - partially why I put this up here.
Two bucks I've shot had antler punctures that you couldn't see from outside but had large ~ 1 cup of puss and nasty goo in the muscle that got gored, one shoulder and one ham. Neither wound was suppurating.
The R side looks sliced / shaved to me with a flap laying over it, a layman's opinion, the L side shows a small entrance. Could be any of the culprits above.
Regardless- good fun watching a nice buck pushing a doe all over the plot.
"Someone..." foul tipped...
Another buck...
Another hunter...
Peterman himself...
Ticks and parasites...
Thx for the opinions - partially why I put this up here.
Two bucks I've shot had antler punctures that you couldn't see from outside but had large ~ 1 cup of puss and nasty goo in the muscle that got gored, one shoulder and one ham. Neither wound was suppurating.
The R side looks sliced / shaved to me with a flap laying over it, a layman's opinion, the L side shows a small entrance. Could be any of the culprits above.
Regardless- good fun watching a nice buck pushing a doe all over the plot.
It's also super common for bucks in ag country to be missing hair there from crossing under fences all the time. I see it occasionally around here and have always chalked it up to fence crossing or back scratching.
You've got to be consistent this time of year, which means making corn runs at odd times of day and using lunch breaks to get it done. I made a lunchtime trip to the farm yesterday for the first deposit of corn in an attempt to get my oldest daughter a chance at her first deer on the farm this weekend. I went out in the nasty wind and rain at 7AM this morning to refresh behind the house knowing they'll want to eat after this front and it just so happens we can hunt tonight. We set the table, we'll see who comes to dinner!
Here's to fences...
I see the bare back thing often on the bigger bucks around here. I have several documented with those bare spots as well, front top shoulder of the back area, just like the others already have shown in previous posts.
The next two days are where you make it happen for next weekend. Rain all day tomorrow and wind all day Sunday, followed by a cold snap will have them ready to eat. Get your chores done tomorrow and let the rain cover you up, then get after them when you can. The weather will cause a few deaths in the next 7-10 days for guys still looking to get it done. Good luck to all you master baiters!
As if you read my mind totally. That's my plan to set things up for next weekend on a good antlerless. Very good advice!
✔ gotta keep them coming in for Mallory to have a chance at one. We need a cold snap.
Well hello everyone… just read through this and I am going to revive this awesome thread to tap all of the inseason Ohio minds with my quick 
question.
please let me know if you agree or feel different.
baiting in:
Late summer and sept is for inventory
October early might get you some action
October later through mid December is just for trying to keep does around which are the bait for the boys
Mid Dec on (with cold temps) bait can provide opportunities
Late spring and early summer go protein for potentially boosting health, antler expression and doe lactation & fawn nutrition
did I get it right?
if you bait or supplemental feed- and you were given three 2week long periods to use a feeder (6wks total)… what weeks of the year would they be and why?
question.please let me know if you agree or feel different.
baiting in:
Late summer and sept is for inventory
October early might get you some action
October later through mid December is just for trying to keep does around which are the bait for the boys
Mid Dec on (with cold temps) bait can provide opportunities
Late spring and early summer go protein for potentially boosting health, antler expression and doe lactation & fawn nutrition
did I get it right?
if you bait or supplemental feed- and you were given three 2week long periods to use a feeder (6wks total)… what weeks of the year would they be and why?
Spencie
Senior Member
I'm just going to say this: When I was learning how to hunt 1981- late 90s, Nobody baited that I knew of. You rarely heard of anyone killing a big buck until around Halloween. Now with all the baiting that goes on there are lots of giants killed the first 2 weeks of season. I would rather hunt funnels, pinch points, travel corridors, bedding edges....like I learned to do than sit over golden acorns early season. It is extremely effective though, surf through the 20 somethings Facebook pages in October. Those kids would all starve if baiting were banned. So would the deer.
I have and do hunt over bait late season. Not rewarding but entertaining.
I have and do hunt over bait late season. Not rewarding but entertaining.
Not a lot there that I'd disagree with from my perspective. To answer your question, I go with the following:
I've been using corn in some fashion since 2010. I've only killed 2 deer over corn, both were bucks that I killed late season at my old house where the only way I was killing something on my 2 acres, was the lure them there. Less than 1% of my hunting in the last 12 seasons has been "bait hunting" as it's not something I particularly enjoy. I view it as a necessary evil for certain times and conditions. I do hunt over it with my daughter, but even she is over it at the ripe old age of 9. Hunting bait is boring and I really have no desire to fill my buck tag over it unless its January and I'm still sitting on a tag.
If I had a vote, I'd vote to ban it tomorrow. @Spencie is spot on with his post, but I'd draw that out to include the "Golden Buckeye" aged hunters. I see as many senior discount eligible hunters buying corn as I do the young guns. I know several old guys that can't get around anymore, so they hunt the same easy-to-access spot that overlooks a bait pile, over and over and over again. When I fit that mold, I might do the same thing. But if bait was banned, I'd just do the same thing overlooking a well placed clover plot.
I'll continue to use corn when/where it makes sense, but it's not how I try to fill my tag 99% of the time. If it were banned, I'd celebrate that and adjust my strategy for my kids accordingly.
- Last week of August and the first week of September
- The week before gun season and through the gun week
- The last two weeks of the season
I've been using corn in some fashion since 2010. I've only killed 2 deer over corn, both were bucks that I killed late season at my old house where the only way I was killing something on my 2 acres, was the lure them there. Less than 1% of my hunting in the last 12 seasons has been "bait hunting" as it's not something I particularly enjoy. I view it as a necessary evil for certain times and conditions. I do hunt over it with my daughter, but even she is over it at the ripe old age of 9. Hunting bait is boring and I really have no desire to fill my buck tag over it unless its January and I'm still sitting on a tag.
If I had a vote, I'd vote to ban it tomorrow. @Spencie is spot on with his post, but I'd draw that out to include the "Golden Buckeye" aged hunters. I see as many senior discount eligible hunters buying corn as I do the young guns. I know several old guys that can't get around anymore, so they hunt the same easy-to-access spot that overlooks a bait pile, over and over and over again. When I fit that mold, I might do the same thing. But if bait was banned, I'd just do the same thing overlooking a well placed clover plot.
I'll continue to use corn when/where it makes sense, but it's not how I try to fill my tag 99% of the time. If it were banned, I'd celebrate that and adjust my strategy for my kids accordingly.
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I'm on the same page as Spencie... Well add a few more years, I shot my first deer in 1963...I learned to hunt the old fashioned way, luckily my Dad was a big time trapper and he taught me how to read sign... So baiting deer is something I have no desire to do... That includes hunting over a food plot... I guess when it comes down to it... When I can't hunt the old fashioned way of matching wits with a whitetail buck, it's time to hang it up... But I do bait bears as they are very nocturnal... But I've shot them on bait and without...
But back to your original question as when and why to use bait... I believe you basically hit the nail on the head...
Again... If it's legal, then do whatever floats your boat...
But back to your original question as when and why to use bait... I believe you basically hit the nail on the head...
Again... If it's legal, then do whatever floats your boat...