I maintain a mineral lick for around 15dollars or less a year. Gets good pictures. I can't wrap my head around maintaining a bait pile due to cost. Although I'm near the bottom of deer per sq mile in Ohio i can't see it being worth it for me. Maybe if I get some numbers from u guys I might try it, doubtful due to my tightassness but what do you spend?
Bait pile cost per year?
- Thread starter Bowkills
- Start date
Big_Holla
Senior Member
I usually pick up trace mineral about once a month from February through October for around $12 a 50 lb bag at TSC. Sometimes I pick up their other mineral that is a good bit more and substitute it, think it was around $18+. I also end up getting 2 50 lb bags of corn to mix it with each time @$6 each from a local guy up here. Other than that I have been getting the TSC mineral block to supplement in between trips down. Is it all worth it? Well I enjoy it and seeing the trail camera pics so I would say yes. Does it help with antler growth? I believe it does as we have several 2 1/2 year olds you would swear were older as well as the older deer putting on good mass.
When the deer are hitting the bait station hard, usually 50lbs. of whole corn every two days, about $68.00/per month. I also setup two mineral blocks at that location that usually makes it through the year @$5:00/block. So, I spend approximately $850/year in maintaining the bait station area. Then there is the expense of batteries for my three trail cameras at that location, which they are equipped with lithium batteries so, depending whether I have them set to capture videos or pics, that will change my cost to some extent. Typically, during the early season, I'll have the one camera up in the tree set for taking videos, then I'll switch it back to just pics after November. I have a regular Amazon monthly subscription of AA batteries that come in each month, approximately $50.00 worth for all of my TCs and/or whatever else uses AA batteries that I have.
So, do the math I guess. This is just one of the reasons why I am purchasing a security camera system, rather than what I have been doing because I believe it will pay for itself rather than buying all these AA batteries. The bait station is literally located approximately 70 yards behind our old cabin, on the far corner of the property, which is well within my WiFi network reach for wireless security cameras.
So, do the math I guess. This is just one of the reasons why I am purchasing a security camera system, rather than what I have been doing because I believe it will pay for itself rather than buying all these AA batteries. The bait station is literally located approximately 70 yards behind our old cabin, on the far corner of the property, which is well within my WiFi network reach for wireless security cameras.
BTW, I just started doing this again just last year and maintained it for just over a year now. I did make an attempt back in 2016, but not as intense, and I gave it up after one of the shooter bucks got hit by a truck in front of our property. That hit me pretty hard when that happened because I tried to secure that buck for nearly a year in a half.
I put on set of batteries in my camera on August 21st, they are still going. Very few deer here. I'll probly get 4 or 5 deer pictures from now till April 1st. I could have maybe should have Id'd every deer for future reference. I believe I had 9 does excluding the 5 fawns and 12 different bucks since August. I don't have to worry about batteries.
Since I started this program back up, along with the fact the neighboring property owner restricted access to whomever, our local deer herd has doubled, both in does and bucks. If this trend continues, then I expect the numbers to increase next year also.
I will be going out shortly to pull SD cards at the bait station. I typically get at least a half a dozen deer visitors a day, and double that in the early season.
Buckmaster
Senior Member
1000# of corn cost $120. It lasts in my feeder from Sept thru Jan.
Sgt Fury
Sgt. Spellchecker
- 6,067
- 118
Deer I really don't bait but when baiting bears I got donuts for free when the Dunkin Donuts closed... Although I did give the girl a $100.00 bill for throwing the bag in my truck instead of the dumpster... I'm a firm believer if you take care of me, I'll take care of you... Big expense here was gas money running around baiting different spots... One spot was an hour's ride one way... In 2021 I'm gonna put some minerals out where I've been chasing Casper, esp if he survives 2 more weeks... Hopefully the bears will leave it alone...They get to be a total PIA... Last year I had a big fat one comming from South Jersey eating them all...
Sgt Fury
Sgt. Spellchecker
$20/week for 6 weeks ($120) from Thanksgiving to the end of muzzleloader, then another $100 or so for inventory throughout the year. In years where I was baiting heavily, it was over $1K in a calendar year.
bigten05
*Supporting Member*
When I was running 25 cameras during the summer it was 100 bucks a week between lucky buck and corn. Then I realized I never hunt over the corn so I have basically quit putting corn out during the summer months. I'll run some corn
piles during the season mostly for inventory and to keep the deer around for the kids. I was wasting a bunch of money and not getting any reward besides pictures.
piles during the season mostly for inventory and to keep the deer around for the kids. I was wasting a bunch of money and not getting any reward besides pictures.
Chancegriffis
Active Member
Now this is where it’s mind boggling for me. Guys spend all that money on bagged corn.... I’m getting a ton of corn for 220 bucks. I have had four or five piles of corn going since august and I just had to buy my second ton last Friday. Plus all my cell cams and monthly subscriptions are pretty pricey. I would say that, and mineral costs I’d be around 600 dollars for this year
I have 3 gravity feeders now. They hang to keep the coons out. I don't want to know what it costs a year...... Probably a couple thousand. But we have more deer than we've had in 3 or 4 years. (Since harvest, tree farm is thicker'n hell now).
OO2
Well-Known Member
I think it was Jesse I told to find a gravity wagon and pay the farmer direct. Or the feed mill. They charge a crazy amount for a damn bag.
Below was my last invoice on Dec. 9, 2020 at Tractor Supply in Chillicothe on SR23, which I do not believe is at all that expensive. I pay far more for the dog food for my three dogs a month than that what I do for the local deer so, if I can get at least the same quality of whole corn cheaper that is somewhere close and convenient for me, than I'm all ears!
BTW, this should last me until mid January, and I used 150lbs. already at the Fairfield property.
BTW, this should last me until mid January, and I used 150lbs. already at the Fairfield property.
- SKU#: 2525226
- Producer's Pride Whole Corn, 50 lb.
-
- Quantity: 10
- Price: $6.19
- Subtotal: $61.90
- Subtotal (1 items)$61.90
- Pick Up In StoreFree
- SalesTax tax information Modal$4.49
- Total$66.39